Monday’s headlines

23 comments

1. No plans for cameras in parking lots because its “tough luck” if your car gets stolen or you get killed in the lot?

   The TTC really has their priorities in line, don’t they? They should just sell off those lots to Green P with a deal to let Metropass holders still park for free, and be done with it. At least then we MAY get some sort of body who can be held responsible.

2. I am enjoying all the articles in various media, Canadian and international, about the future of suburbia.

   Obviously, it’s already like that in Europe: the suburbs are ghettos, like Clichy-sous-Bois in Paris, for example, while apartments in the central city are the most desirable places to live.

3. Public funds should NOT go to further enabling/securing the free parking with security cams. And the TTC should be charging for the parking. It should no more give free parking than it should give free rides on the system. It’s yet another example of how everything is skewed in favour of driving.

   Sorry for this woman’s trouble but drivers should pay their own security costs if they want to drive, with alarms, special locks or whatever.

4. Hunter, parking is not free. It is upwards of $6 unless you have a metropass, which is $109 (anything but free).

   The car was stolen on TTC property. That should account for something.

5. Cameras don’t prevent crime, they only allow for the capture of criminals. So you still get murdered in the parking lot (Green P or otherwise) but as you’re bleeding you can die assured that there’s a slightly better chance that your killer will be caught. Whoopee Shit.

   OK then, maybe it’ll help get people’s cars returned to them, but I have a better idea. There’s an incredible security device called a human being. Put 5 of those in the lot and see if theft decreases.

   And while I’m ranting a bit, when did the Star being printing so much of this kind of Toronto Sun “nobody cares for the common man” crap. Did they see the Sun’s market dwindling and decide that to try to pick up some of the tow-truck driver set?

6. Parking lots can be unsafe places so security cams are a good idea there. I am surprised that they don’t exist already. That lot has been there since the early 1970’s.

7. Parking. Parking and parking. Links 2, 3 and 4 parking seems the prime issue.
   Autoholicism is live and well. Pedestrians and cyclists are another matter. Upon being struck July 27 2007 I was badgered by the “investigating officer” one Ali Rashid #9497 regarding my profession. Evidently he found it odd a computer administrator would be riding a bicycle.
   Upon coming out from general anesthetic administered to have a chest tube installed to expand my collapsed lung he proceeded with interrogating me regarding the events of that evening. Everything went well until I mentioned a “push” from behind at which point he aggressively broke me off and proceeded with accusations.
   We are living in a culture of denial when it comes to accepting responsibility as motorists. Our police are all too happy to be complicit in this. Blaming the victims when they are pedestrians or cyclists is de rigeur. Without insurance these entities are ill able to contest prejudiced police investigations.
   That the second murder by motorcar victim this year was publicly declared guilty of walking while wearing dark clothing by the investigating officer is absurd. The issue was the driver was looking at approaching traffic rather than where they were going so “didn’t see the victim”. It is remarkable OUR police elect to sympathise with perpetrators and convict the victims. Dead (and unconscious) tell no tales. Police are shills for the motor vehicle industry.

8. http://www.cyclelicio.us/2008/03/z-sez-yield-to-life.html

   http://washcycle.typepad.com/home/2008/03/chicago-to-crac.html

   My right clavicle is still broken. The bastard who hit me has probably long forgotten the incident. The “investigating officer” Ali Rashi #9497 misfiled this case complete well before I called him after being released from hospital.
   Let me tell you about living with a broken clavicle for going on 9 months. It is uncomfortable at the best of times. Reaching forward or across the body (“abducting”) is a real problem as the broken fragments drive across each other shearing flesh within the body. Put on socks? Shoes? Sorry dude. If you did it exactly right (holding your shoulders back) you may just progress to the next step of your day without being miserable. By the way the nerves for your forearm and hand run right beside the clavicle so putting on socks and shoes may just leave your hand an immobile inflamed purple mess. My understanding is the official diagnosis is “sympathetic dystrophy” or “RSD”.
   Yeah. Parking is a priority as long as it is permanent and the incompetent motorists are barred from moving their vehicles ever again.

9. How many councillors does it take to run city hall?????
   22 is a good number, considering all that city hall has become is a training ground for political parties.The city staff do the brunt of the work with constituents.We now have 22 representatives provincially and federally and we seem happy with that representation.
   Councillors have more than enough time to take care of constituents problems.Time we get value for dollar.And while we are at it we should bring in a constituents “bill of rights” that mandate a councillors office must respond to a constituent in a reasonable period of time and actually do something for the constituent.I hear too many complaints including this one about TTC security that is thrown in to the waste bin and disregarded.Lets see how fast Adam Giambroni responds to the issue of TTC security at this parking lot.

10. “Hunter, parking is not free. It is upwards of $6 unless you have a metropass, which is $109 (anything but free).”

    Your previous statement on this thread begs to differ:

    “They should just sell off those lots to Green P with a deal to let Metropass holders still park for free, and be done with it.”

    Drivers should pay their own costs rather than be subsidized by transit users. Period. Stop contradicting yourself.

11. TTC Parking – I think TTC should re-use the Express sticker as a parking pass. This would put a $30/month premium on metropasses for people who drive to lots. That’s about $1.50 per working day. People who get a feeder bus to the station pay no extra, but the road-clogger would have a price on his/her convenience.

    —
    On the Sun’s tree article – “It begs the question: Does City Hall have one set of rules for poor private citizens with no influence and quite another for deep-pocketed developers?” When was the last time it didn’t? When did the Sun last care?

    —
    On the Globe piece: Isn’t it interesting that the City Fiscal Panel wants term limits for the City Auditor. I’d agree – as long as Councillors set a term limit on themselves.

    —
    Finally, I’m glad Rae is opposed to the church parking. It takes almighty (Almighty?) cheek to sell land and essentially outsource your parking need to a developer and complain when he doesn’t let you free ride.

12. If Rob Ford volunteers to be one of the 22 councillors to be let go, I might consider supporting his idea.

13. blarg – I was thinking the same thing.

14. Parking at some TTC lots is included in the price of a Metropass because a large number of TTC transit users are also motorists. They’re also pedestrians and cyclists too.

    Pigeon-holing people serves no purpose except for allowing the anti-car lobby to single out motorists for their special brand of invective.

    The reality is quite different.

15. Most of the “anti-car lobby” is really a sustainable transportation lobby (which is a large umbrella). Pure anti-car vilification doesn’t work, pisses drivers off and is the quickest way of retarding positive change, but there is a vocal sector that believes this is the way forward.

16. If this is what you decide to believe that is your business. Living with the affects of assault by motor vehicle IS a trying experience. You elect to trivialise it, I can’t do much about that. I can only describe my experience and that is what I’ve attempted to do here.
    I was not anti-car before I was hit. Now I get panic attacks whenever cars get too close. You expect me to be sympathetic to the ignorant wielding 3000+ lb weapons while still enduring the trauma from my last too close encounter? Shawn? Diane? What when someone close to you is mutilated by motor vehicle?

17. If people want to drive, they should at least damn well pay the costs, including parking, not expect others to carry them. If that’s “vilification” then you can call me a vilifier. At least it’s not smarmy, back-handed name-calling.

18. Hunter: “Your previous statement on this thread begs to differ”

    Not quite. By free, I meant at no extra cost. When you buy a metropass, it’s included in the fee. I’m by no means advocating people to drive any more than they have to, but if you live south of Steeles then you have it great.

    Try living in York Region and taking the TTC downtown. It’s a $5.75 fare ONE way. Try doing that 5 days a week. You pretty much have to drive to the station (which is at least better than driving all the way downtown) to avoid the $3.00 extra cost of crossing the Toronto border.

    This is why I’m a pretty big advocate of extending Finch station to Highway 7, and abolishing the silly Steeles border. If you’re going to charge York Region riders extra, then implement distance based fare system-wide, instead of this border BS.

19. What has happened to Geoffrey does deserve a lot more appreciation/reaction – though I know we’re all a bit stretched. Trouble is – if we get run down from behind because we needed to take the lane for a bit for a car, pothole or snowbank – who are we/you gonna call?
    There is a distinct tendency towards “carist” cops as most of them live out of town, and tend to drive in. So they see life from behind a windshield. It’s a problem.
    Geoffrey was a fastidious, longer-haul, avid cyclist. I’ll try to bug ARC about it – the blah-blahging does not always seem to elicit responses eh?

20. Diane – would you not agree that the capital value of the extra land to have the car park as well as keeping it ploughed during the winter is significant? If some fo the car park land was sold because people diverted to walking, cycling or feeder buses I think the TTC would come out ahead even if it had to build more bike lockers and stands.

    Note nobody’s saying that drivers be banned, simply that their choice is less sustainable and they should have to pay a little extra. Compare this to say the vehicle tax which you pay whether you use your vehicle a little or a lot.

21. Sure the costs of providing parking at transit stations are significant.

    But so are the revenues that the TTC earns from users who would otherwise drive all the way to their destinations.

    Take for example the Finch TTC lot, which provides over 3,000 spaces to Metropass holders. That’s over 3,000 Metropasses assuming one person per car, or 4,500 Metropasses assuming a moderate amount of carpooling. Multiply by $100 a pass (many will be student or discounted passes) and that parking lot delivers to the TTC $450,000 in revenue EACH MONTH.

    And before you try to tell me that all these users should be taking the buss to Finch station, let me assure from direct experience that all the buses, TTC or otherwise, that currently serve Finch station arrive over capacity. Bringing in an additional 4,500 users by bus, and taking them home again, would require an additional 60 buses going each way.

    So, yeah. If you want people out of cars, adequate economical parking at public transit stations is a must.

22. I agree with Diane. But I would also like to add the fact that if you told drivers to get out of their cars and to bus to Finch, good luck. The TTC would simply lose at LEAST half of the ridership that parks their cars at the station.

    Fact is, 80% of those people (not scientific fact, but I’m pretty sure about it) come from York Region. As mentioned in my previous post, the main reason why so many people drive to the station (myself included) is to avoid the rediculous extra fare at Steeles. Abolish the extra fare, and you’ll see a significant decrease in parking. I can almost guarantee it.

23. Raffi – I don’t think most of the Yorkies – i.e. those heading south of Bloor – should be taking the subway. They should be demanding and then taking a better, more frequent GO train. Public transit succeeds when people take the fewest stops to their destination. Yes, upgrading the Richmond Hill line in particular will be seriously expensive, but that’s how we’ll get this done.