Olivia Chow prefers LRT to subway #topoli

Save Transit City: "The whole thing about subways was started solely as a delay tactic by Rob Ford to make sure no new transit gets built under his watch. That's it."

Make TTC free overnight during cold alerts, Councillor Josh Colle urges

Toronto Star: "“On those rare occasions, when there are a lot of people who need to get to shelter or home, they could use the transit system,” said Colle. “Those buses are running anyways. We’re spending the money."

This sensible proposal exposes what is wrong with charging fares. Fares are for rationing use, not for revenue. When you charge fares, fewer ride, and that raises the cost per rider by under-using the system. Since the buses are running anyway, why not make them free all the time and maximize their value? What if roads were priced with user-fees [tolls] at their actual cost? There would be a lot of letters-to-the-editor complaining about the wasteful nature of empty roads. And, you are correct if you are thinking that fares do not cover actual costs for buses. That's the point. Get it? Why play that game. Let's just decide what is best and fund it. Polls constantly show that people want more public transit, but the money keeps going to roads.

Privatization won’t solve Toronto’s transit problem

Toronto Star: "Fortunately, there is a more reliable route to improved transit in Toronto. Experience from around the world shows there are three key ingredients for a successful urban transit system. Regrettably, Toronto has none of these currently in place."

Public transit free of charge: Ken Fisher’s Big Idea

Toronto Star: "What’s the big idea: What if public transit in Toronto was free? “Big Ideas” are always met by naysayers with “It can’t be done.” However it has been done and is being done. The city of Hasselt in Belgium is but one example. Transit fares were abolished in 1997 and ridership was more than 10 times higher by 2006.
How will the big idea work: Benefits: Faster boarding and exiting; low-income people are the primary benefactors; road traffic is greatly reduced benefiting drivers as well; air and noise pollution are reduced; fare-collecting costs eliminated."

Michael Laxer for City Councillor Ward 6 - #freetransit advocate

Elect Michael Laxer - Ward 6 City Councillor 2014: Michael Laxer for City Councillor Ward 6: "As Ward 6 City Councillor I will fight to see the Waterfront West LRT plan brought back to connect our Ward with Toronto's downtown in a faster and easier direct route. I will work to see transit expanded city wide and to have revenue tools put in place to finance and maintain this expansion. I will work to integrate GO Transit and TTC routes within the city so that people can use the Lakeshore line as if it was a subway.  I will also fight against any agenda to raise fares and will work towards FREE transit, which should be the environmental and social goal of any government."

Toronto voters name #publictransit as their top priority

The Pulse: Public transit tops priority list | Toronto Star: "It may still be early days in the municipal election campaign, but one thing is already abundantly clear: Public transit is a key issue in this year’s race."

Urban sprawl is sickening, as well as ugly

Editorial | Toronto Star: "Urban sprawl is ugly, inefficient and bad for the environment. It’s also – quite literally – sickening. The unhealthiness of spread-out, car-dependant neighbourhoods is clearly spelled out in a new study by St. Michael’s Hospital researchers. Urban planners, municipal leaders and city residents would be wise to pay close attention."