That’s Howard Moscoe’s suggestion, as a possible revenue stream for the TTC, and as a means of encouraging residents of new condominiums springing up alongside transit lines to take the TTC. The Toronto Star has more details:
Under Moscoe’s proposal, developers with buildings larger than 25 units and within 500 metres of subway stations would have to give purchasers a free one-year pass as would those in buildings constructed in areas on and near major bus and streetcar lines with more than six units. Each pass would generate about $1,000 a year for the TTC, Moscoe said.
The motion, which was approved by the commission yesterday, is to be studied by TTC and city planning staff who are to report back in June.
Moscoe’s plan amounts to a type of development charge for new condominium developers, akin to the thousands of dollars per house the suburban municipalities charge subdivision developers to put up new schools, parks, roads and other pieces of municipally-funded infrastructure needed to serve the developments. In the past, Toronto has avoided issuing development charges since there are few funds to reap now that most of the developable land in the City has been developed. Toronto’s condominium boom may have changed things.
In other news, TTC Commissioners voted to increase the fees it charges to the owners newspaper vending boxes, bringing its charges in line with the fees charged to boxes standing on Toronto’s streets.
