Ford throws transit promise under the bus

mentalfloss

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Ford throws transit promise under the bus

Remember Rob Ford’s platform “No service cuts”? Well, Neither does he. For years, the city has aggressively campaigned for Torontonians to be greener; firmly steering them towards the TTC instead of cars, suggesting they live in condos instead of houses. Private developers and environmental activists have come together to successfully create the type of dense urban environment — crammed full of tiny condos and townhouses— needed to support public transit. Now, after having shaped a city completely dependent upon the TTC, the mayor announces January 2012 service reductions on some of the busiest routes in the city. But, he conciliates, only by 10%.

Let’s think about what 10% means. The official press release states that passengers will have to wait only one extra minute for most buses. No big deal — if the buses on busy routes actually adhered to a schedule. In addition, the allowed number of passengers increases from 48 to 53 (the pre-2004 loading standard, which, presumably, was revised for a reason) in a bus where many people are already forced to ride standing up. Passengers on 56 bus routes can expect less frequent rush-hour service — including crammed routes such as the 501 Queen car, 504 King, 510 Spadina, 25 Don Mills bus, 29 Dufferin and 35 Jane. And off-peak service will be cut on 30 bus routes and six streetcar lines altogether.

It’s important for Rob Ford and the TTC board to recognize two things: With the current system already experiencing delays and overcrowding, it’s unwise to further decrease service and antagonize 503 million commuters. Second, this decision affects car owners and bicyclists as much as public transit riders. What will happen is that more bikes and cars will be forced onto the roads, where the two will battle with one other, even more than now, for space on gridlocked roads. People will not be able to get to work and school on time. Commuters will spend hours trying to get home, especially when winter hits. How will we then deal with the problem of too many cars? In London, England, motorists pay a congestion charge between 7 am and 6 pm if they drive around central London during the week. This is a daily flat rate, and if you register online, cameras pick up your license plate number and bill you later. A system like this would be far too expensive for Toronto to implement, and then again, London has what has often been voted the best metro system in the world. A higher car tax or toll is not a viable option when the alternative is slow and unreliable.

Of course, there are also those for whom buying or leasing a car is not a realistic option because their jobs do not pay them enough to afford the vehicle, parking, licensing, insurance and let’s not even get into the cost of gas. The few gas stations downtown would overflow with people backed up for blocks if everyone had to drive all of a sudden. And what of the Torontonians who were encouraged to embrace condo life? Some condo residents don’t even have parking spaces.

The Mayor’s demand for a blanket 10% budget reduction for all city departments is rash and unrealistic. How was this figure reached? If there was a cost benefit or risk assessment analysis done, the business plan needs to be made public. It is absurd to demand the same figure from each department. The fat needs to be trimmed from non-essential services, and those departments that are underperforming. Where is the business sense in slashing funding to an area that is able to charge a user fee and has the best chance of turning a profit?

Back at the ranch, while the TTC is forced to reduce its operating cost by $15-million, the Toronto Police Services budget is increased by $6-million. Toronto is one of the safest cities in North America — StatsCan reported in June that crime is the lowest it’s been since 1983. How is it logical that as the crime rate goes down, the police should be given more money, and as more people depend on overcrowded public transport, bus services are cut?

To further enrage TTC customers, the commission will decide next month whether or not it should implement a recommended 10-cent fare hike to close the $29-million shortfall that remains even after the service reductions.

Imagine what would happen if the mayor announced he was closing 10% of all the roads and expressways in Toronto. And what if this 10% cut across the board (except for the police of course) doesn’t help the city plug the 2012 operating deficit of $774 million? Will they want to cut it another 10% next year? I love Rob Ford. I just can’t wait for him to be reelected.

TTC service cuts are latest betrayal by Rob Ford
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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Whoever Ford's successor is will have one hell of a mess to fix.

That seems to be a common theme, regardless of who is in power. There is always something facked up in the City of Toronto.

Thankfully, none of the cutbacks effect my transportation as I mostly use the Yonge subway line.

The bus system in Toronto is already a mess due to bunching ans short-turns, will be interesting to see how these cuts effect that.

Ford certainly inherited a mess. While I don't think transit should be one of the areas for trimming, we have been living beyond our means for several years.

I think Ford should try selling North York and Etobicoke lmao
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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I think short turns are 100% caused by the driver reaching the end of his shift without having yet reached the intended destination.

I have talked to drivers before and they're usually ordered by dispatch to turn around due to buses jammed up in one area with a shortage at the beginning/end of the line.
 

Locutus

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Jun 18, 2007
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That seems to be a common theme, regardless of who is in power. There is always something facked up in the City of Toronto.

Thankfully, none of the cutbacks effect my transportation as I mostly use the Yonge subway line.

The bus system in Toronto is already a mess due to bunching ans short-turns, will be interesting to see how these cuts effect that.



I think Ford should try selling North York and Etobicoke lmao


It's the crutch of every politician for sure. People think this time it'll be different, or our guy isn't like the rest or they promised...:lol:

Most voters have very short memories.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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May 28, 2007
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I have talked to drivers before and they're usually ordered by dispatch to turn around due to buses jammed up in one area with a shortage at the beginning/end of the line.

That may happen too. But I've been on express busses who's next stop is the subway station, and they dump everybody and go home. Of course, you then wait for the next non-express buss and get to work 1/2 hour late. Certainly glad this driver made it to Tim Horton's in time for the fresh doughnuts however.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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That may happen too. But I've been on express busses who's next stop is the subway station, and they dump everybody and go home. Of course, you then wait for the next non-express buss and get to work 1/2 hour late. Certainly glad this driver made it to Tim Horton's in time for the fresh doughnuts however.

They're TTC drivers, not cops.
 

mentalfloss

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Jun 28, 2010
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Mayor Ford has simply missed the bus on Toronto transit

“Gridlock and poor public transit makes it harder to connect people with good jobs. It makes Toronto less livable.” How true. But who said it? David Miller, the former mayor, perhaps?

The answer is Rob Ford, when he introduced his transportation plan on YouTube during his election campaign. He also said, separately and famously, that no services would be cut, “guaranteed,” if he became mayor.

Now, a year after his election, Toronto is facing substantial cuts to its most vital service: transit. Under the gun from the mayor to cut 10 per cent from its budget, the Toronto Transit Commission is planning to reduce service on 62 surface routes.

The cuts affect service right across the city, including busy bus lines such as the 29 Dufferin and 36 Finch West. Even the famous 501 streetcar, the longest in the city, will see longer waiting times in off-peak hours.

The TTC says commuters will have to wait just a little longer, often only a minute or two, and in some cases just seconds. On some busy routes, buses and streetcars will actually come more often to meet rising demand.

But for commuters already fed up with waiting in the cold for late, overcrowded TTC vehicles that often seem to arrive in bunches, the cuts will add up to daily inconvenience. Transit activist Steve Munro notes that when the 54 Lawrence East bus starts coming every three and a half minutes instead of every three, it means 17 buses an hour instead of 20. That, of course, means more crowding on each bus.

“Packed buses and streetcars take longer to load and unload at stops while riders push their way on and off, and this adds to delays in transit service. We will see even more short turns, and travel times will go up,” writes Mr. Munro. “These are, by any reasonable definition, major service cuts.”

So much for the mayor’s guarantee. Under his leadership, the city has already killed the Transit City light-rail project and fumbled its bid to build a new Sheppard subway. Now Toronto faces service cuts on its existing transportation lifelines, so important to the city’s function that the mayor had the TTC declared an essential service.

When pressed about his no-cuts guarantee, Mr. Ford often says he only wants to introduce “efficiencies.” But unless he considers it more efficient to cram more people on fewer buses, these are not efficiencies. When your bus arrives later and you can’t get a seat, that’s a cut, plain and simple.

The TTCriders lobby group, which first revealed the TTC’s plan, says that within 24 hours transit riders had sent 600 e-mails to city councillors complaining about the cuts. No wonder.

Despite economic hard times, the TTC saw ridership go up 3 per cent this year. More people are living downtown and using transit to get around. The TTC expects to have more than 500 million riders next year for the first time. It is a remarkable success story. These cuts, if they go through in the New Year, put it at risk.

TTC chief general manager Gary Webster admits that if the TTC brings in a fare increase to make Mr. Ford’s 10 per cent budget cut, “our customers are going to be asked to pay more for getting less.” And this from a mayor who says better customer service is his priority.

Mayor Ford has simply missed the bus on Toronto transit - The Globe and Mail