EDITORIAL: Small measures can make a big impact on the transit file
Getting people moving in this city - on our roads and transit routes - is a complicated, political endeavour. Historically, the file moves about as fast as the traffic on the Gardiner Expressway during rush hour, ever frustrating commuters whose lives are impacted daily by the city’s choked arteries.
Getting people moving in this city - on our roads and transit routes - is a complicated, political endeavour. Historically, the file moves about as fast as the traffic on the Gardiner Expressway during rush hour, ever frustrating commuters whose lives are impacted daily by the city’s choked arteries.
That’s why it’s refreshing to see some immediate, tangible measures being taken to ease our traffic woes.
Mayor John Tory’s recently announced initiatives are minor in nature compared to talk of mass transit solutions, but they make the best of a difficult situation by effecting change now.
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And when compounded over time, these little measures may add up to major improvements. At least something’s being done, and that action is breathing some new life into the transit conversation in Toronto. It’s critical we continue to build on this momentum.
Tory’s plan calls for several things: the immediate towing of cars and trucks illegally parked on major roads during rush hour, adding more arterial road cameras, ramping up the installation of re-timed traffic signals scheduled for next year, extending work hours on construction sites for large infrastructure projects and making private-sector firms pay more for the privilege of closing lanes and boulevards for construction.
On Monday morning, Tory also made official the all-door boarding of the 504 King streetcar (though many streetcar operators have already been allowing this due to overcrowding). That same day, Toronto police launched their own anti-gridlock campaign to help get us moving.
These initiatives are promising, but there’s still much to do. Long-term strategy is key and that’s already underway with a request for a SmartTrack feasibility study coming from executive committee last week. There needs to be ongoing public consultation. A review process also needs to be in place to see if these short-term measures are having the intended effect – something also called for by Jean-Pierre Boutros, a former city hall and TTC insider who spoke with us last week.
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Fixing the transit problem in Toronto is a big picture kind of dilemma. But these quick wins deliver some much-needed momentum at a time when the transit file’s been all but stalled at the gate.
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