Digging up a Queen Street ghost story in Toronto

Streetcar platform dug in 1950s and never used sits behind a door, a buried relic of an old transit vision. To the thousands of patrons passing through the Queen subway station, it’s just another anonymous TTC maintenance door. But there are no mops and pails behind the grey door labelled “9Y94.” Instead there’s a link [...]

Sheppard: TTC subway to nowhere? Then finish it!

“Construction booms, but opinions remain sharply divided as the often-derided Sheppard line turns 5. The futuristic chrome plating in Sheppard-Yonge station already looks a little scuffed. But it was only five years ago – Nov. 22, 2002 – that then-mayor Mel Lastman cut the ribbon to open Toronto’s northern east-west subway line, accompanied by a [...]

Toronto’s $1.25-billion light-rail gamble

Check out the “Globe and Mail” link below for this excellent post on Toronto’s Light-Rail Transit City situation.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071124.TTC24/TPStory/TPEntertainment/Ontario/
Toronto’s decaying streetcar fleet, once made up of iconic “Red Rockets,” is rarely now described as a beloved historic symbol of the city. Drivers see streetcars as cumbersome obstacles. Riders despair at how crowded and infrequent they are. [...]

GTTA and the MoveOntario 2020 Plan - Phase 2

It looks like the GTTA has received funding for the following projects. Maybe I am still in disbelief until I see shovels in the ground? I am not in favour of all of the plans listed, but this definitely will be some good news for once for public transit in the Greater Toronto Area. What [...]

What to do about the Queen Streetcar and King Streetcar? Time for a “Transit Mall”!

With the amount of vehicle interference in the downtown area once again the issues of streetcars has surfaced. With the need to improve transit, the debate over mixed traffic and streetcars, now and again pops up with the discussion turning to the old idea of a Queen Streetcar Subway. Unfortunately there is just too much [...]

One year later: A Miller progress checklist

Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the resounding election victory that gave David Miller his second term as mayor.
During the 2006 campaign, Miller’s critics charged that his first term was lacklustre, devoid of major policy directions or accomplishments, and that he didn’t deserve a second shot. When it comes to politics, that’s the nature of [...]

SECRET PLAN? Ontario Government may highjack the TTC and merge it with GO under GTTA control

The Toronto Star, CityTV (Breakfast Television) and other media outlets are reporting that the TTC maybe “high-jacked” by the Liberal Government of Ontario, which may have been secretly planned all along. Rumors are flying high that the TTC may be taken over by the Government of Ontario and merged with GO Transit, under the umbrella [...]

Tax Me I’m Torontonian

Toronto Council has finally passed the controversial new land-transfer tax and vehicle registration tax/fee. Although a compromise was needed, Toronto should now have the stable funding that they require to run the city. Barring that the housing market does not go bust or everyone in Toronto decides to sell their car. This would never happen? [...]

Time to get more use out of the Sheppard Subway line and go west?

To be honest, I love subways and I have a bit of a bias towards the Sheppard Subway line. I have always believed that if the subway was completed, or at least ½ done, than it would have never been considered as an option to close or shut down, in the Toronto tax crunch. I [...]

What does this election mean for Toronto and David Miller and taxes?

I am sure that David Miller, and all of the city councilors, were watching the election closely. Essentially, Torontonians have decided to put Dalton McGuinty back in power, but voting overwhelmly for Liberals in various ridings. An interesting note is that NDP voters seemed to be concentrated in the downtown areas, where David Miller’s support [...]

David Miller and Toronto City Council stuck between a rock and a hard place

Miller experienced a major blow to his leadership when city council voted to put off making a resolution about the land transfer tax and the completion of a vehicle registration levy. In an ironic twist I predict that city council will have no choice but to support David Miller. Wait a minute, wasn’t that obvious? [...]