Transit City
• Metrolinx buys 182 streetcars for Transit City [ Toronto Star ]
• Metrolinx spends $770-million to order 182 LRT vehicles from Bombardier [ Globe & Mail ]
Mayoral Race
• Politically inept [ Toronto Star ]
• Rob Ford and Sarah Palin: political mates? [ Toronto Star ]
• Councillors spend, Rob Ford’s poll numbers rise [ Toronto Star ]
• James: Opponents lit the fuse on Rob Ford [ Toronto Star ]
• A platform’s coming, Ford says in wake of poll that gives him tiny lead [ Globe & Mail ]
• Counting pennies won’t slay the deficit [ Globe & Mail ]
• Smitherman campaign rips new frontrunner [ Toronto Sun ]
• “Undecided” polling way ahead of all mayoral candidates; race gripped by meh fever [ Toronto Life ]
G8 / G20
• Olive: Let’s stop whining about the G20 summit [ Toronto Star ]
• Civil liberties group seeks injunction against sonic cannon [ Toronto Star ]
• Huntsville G8 will host 10 more countries, says PM [ Toronto Star ]
Other News
• Vuvuzelas and Italian fans are buzzing the GTA [ Toronto Star ]
• A struggle to eat in Toronto’s food deserts [ Toronto Star ]
• City ready to snatch the keys to Casa loma [ Toronto Star ]
• Strolling into new territory: Our neighbours’ ‘hoods [ Toronto Star ]
• Ontario to reveal schools that will receive second wave of all-day kindergarten [ Globe & Mail ]
• THS faces uphill battle as it prepares to reopen [ Globe & Mail ]
• Hockey night everywhere in Toronto [ Toronto Sun ]
8 comments
Why does the media and critics continue to say “streetcars” when the TTC says they are getting “light rail vehicles” for Transit City?
They are NOT streetcars. Streetcars are single-ended vehicles to be used with loops on the downtown lines, mostly in mixed traffic. They have to be able to handle the tight curves and steep inclines.
They are light rail vehicles. LRV’s are double-ended vehicles to be used with cross-overs on suburban lines, exclusively in private right-of-ways. They will not be used in mixed traffic, the curves will be more gentler and the inclines will be less steep.
I think a streetcar is anything that runs on a street. A subway is anything that runs underground. I don’t think single-ended or double-ended matters.
But yeah, the media has a problem with their language. It makes no sense to say “underground streetcar”. (If it’s underground, it’s not on the street, and so it’s not a streetcar!)
I can see why the TTC says “LRV”.
Yes, they’re going past the point of no return on Transfer City. The time is right to buy a new car.
@Amy: Sure. Transit City will take tens of thousands of cars off the street by letting more people take rapid transit to more destinations. Without any lane reductions. This will make it easier for you to drive if you insist on doing so.
It should have a positive effect, but it’s unclear if it will be rapid transit or not. Leo, remember that Transit City is mostly about on-street LRT, so lane reductions will be the norm and plenty of left hand turns off side streets will no longer be possible.
We already have a rapid transit network that we shouldn’t neglect or forget about. There are plenty of ways of funding its expansion.
@Leo: Are you aware that Transit City “rapid transit” is going to stop twice as frequently as the Bloor-Danforth subway? These lines will be an improvement over what is in place, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that this is the solution to Toronto’s commuting woes.
Since they don’t connect with anything else, the funded Transit City lines are going to act as subway feeders. So if you’re a subway commuter, be prepared for overcrowding to get way worse for the foreseeable future. Or, like Amy says, get a car.
Ben Smith: The TTC studied 800m station spacings for the Sheppard East LRT. The TTC discovered the time saving will only be 5 minutes since due to more riders at less stations.
Subways are not the ultimate solution to Toronto’s traffic problem, and should not be be seen as the only solution.