Transit Toronto

Read the daily “on schedule” posts to find news and other information that affects your daily commute. You’ll learn about public meetings, special events and construction projects that affect transit services today.

In March, the City of Toronto and the TTC consulted with residents of the area near the future Leslie Barns maintenance and storage facility for the new streetcars. During that meeting, staff revealed plans for building the structure, the tracks connecting it to Queen Street East and a schedule for construction along Leslie Street.

Since then, staff have also consulted with business owners along Leslie Street and Queen Street East to allow them to comment on the plans.

They’re following up on what they learned the public during that earlier meeting and the later meetings with merchants, by hosting a second public information meeting this Tuesday, May 21. During this event, they’ll discuss how they have revised their plans for building the facility and the tracks and how they’re planning to manage traffic while Leslie Street is closed for construction.

They’ve posted a consultation report here (.pdf). During the Tuesday meeting, staff will explain how they’ve updated the original construction plans and provide more information so that they can finalize a plan the best serves local residents, businesses, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. The plan includes strategies to keep transit passengers moving, provide access for cyclists and pedestrians to the Martin Goodman Trail, prevent traffic from moving onto residential streets and keep traffic flowing on major roads.

The City and TTC start major construction Leslie later this month. They’ll be upgrading the streetscape, lighting, sidewalks, sewers, watermains and other utilities. The project includes hundreds of native trees and public art.

The meeting takes place:

Tuesday, May 21
From 6:30 until 9 p.m.
Morse Street Junior Public School
Gymnasiaum
180 Carlaw Avenue
south of Queen Street East

Open house: from 6:30 until 7 p.m.
Presentation and discussion: from 7 until 9 p.m.

During the 2013 Western GTA Summit leading municipal politicians and civic leaders discuss the dominant issues facing the more than 1.6 million people living in the Western Greater Toronto Area. The central questions that guide the event are: Are we facing economic gridlock? What can we do to change the way we live, thrive and prosper in the 21st century?

Each of the member municipalities that are participating in the summit share similar challenges around growth, congestion and unemployment. More importantly, each municipality has residents that want a say in the important issues facing their communities and the larger region. To satisfy this desire, the Western GTA Summit will convene the political, business and community leaders of the area and charge them with finding common ground to discuss solutions to these pressing concerns.

The Mississauga Summit is built on three pillars: Live, Move and Thrive. The 2013 Western GTA Summit will address the central question by building on each of these pillars.

Move: How can we address the issues of congestion, and build transit and transportation systems that move our residents quickly, affordably and seamlessly across the GTA? What will our integrated transit, road and air transportation networks look like, and more importantly, how will we pay for them?

Live: Do we need to change the way in which we live and design our communities? What should our future neighbourhood and city growth look like? Do we require changes in zoning, density and urban design, and what about the call for an end to sprawl?

Thrive: Poverty rates remain a serious concern in the GTA, but how we will we fight it? How will we tackle homelessness, precarious employment and the increasing use of food banks? What innovations and employment opportunities will we create for youth, seniors, new immigrants and the working poor to ensure everyone has a chance to thrive?

The keynote speakers will frame the question and provide context to the three themes of live, move and thrive; the panel discussions, including one featuring four mayors, will develop the big question further in a regional context; and the roundtable discussions will enable citizens to discuss the important points that the speakers raised during their keynote speeches.

The Western GTA Summit is free but you must register to attend. To register or find out more information, please visit www.westerngtasummit.ca

The event takes place:

Tuesday, May 21
from 1 until 9 p.m.
Mississauga Convention Centre
75 Derry Road West
Mississauga

Everyone from Kitchener to Newcastle seems to agree that expanding public transit in our region is a pressing need. That’s why Metrolinx developed The Big Move, its regional transportation plan and why it has also consulted with residents throughout the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton.

However, Civic 17, a public advocacy group in Toronto’s Ward 17, wants to hear what residents of the area think.

They’re hosting a public information event this Tuesday, May 17, to help residents understand how Metrolinx wants to upgrade regional transit and also how it proposes to pay for new transit lines. Should the Ontario Government create new “revenue tools” to fund the new buses, LRTs and subways? Pay for them with taxes? Raise fares?

This event is a chance for Ward 17 residents to hear from experts about the region’s transportation needs, the plans to build transit and the options to pay for it.

Expert Panel:
Dina Graser, Metrolinx
Linda Weichel, CivicAction.
Luca De Franco, TTCriders
Cameron MacLeod, CodeRedTO

Civic17 has also invited several local politicians to share their ideas and position on funding transit, including:

• City of Toronto councillor Cesar Palacio;
• Member of provincial parliament, Jonah Schein; and
• Member of (federal) parliament, Andrew Cash.

The event takes place:
Tuesday, May 21,
from 6 until 8 p.m.,
Dufferin / St. Clair Library
1625 Dufferin Street
(Two blocks south of St. Clair Avenue West)

Civic17 is “a non-partisan, volunteer organization that connects Ward 17 residents to each other and to opportunities to engage in local and city-wide civic issues”.

Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area media report on public transit issues today.

Greater Toronto Area

• BlogTO post, “Is Metrolinx replacing enough of the trees it’s cut down?”, here.
• BlogTO post, “The past and future of Mount Dennis”, here.
• BlogTO post, “Photo of the Day: I can beat you”, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “TTC adds WheelTrans buses as elevator strike continues” here. (May 13)
• CodeRedTO.com post, “Spring Public Meetings Roundup”, here.
• CodeRedTO.com post, “Ward 17 Event: “Public Transit for the Future: Who Pays?”, here.
• Global News Toronto report, “Highway 427 extension will start in 2017, if budget passed: Wynne”, here.
• InsideToronto.com editorial, “Transit must be at the forefront of provincial debate”, here.
• InsideToronto.com column, “BEYOND THE HEADLINES: Transit debate shows council at its weakest”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Metrolinx seeks input on the future of Eglinton”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “TTC boosts summer service to attractions”, here.
• Metro Toronto article, “Mulcair says federal government should have a role in funding for big city transit”, here.
• Metro Toronto’s Ford for Toronto post, “City Hall’s very messy transit fight leaves some hope for transit expansion”, here.
• Metro Toronto’s Ford for Toronto post, “How Toronto City Council came up $500 million short in transit debate”, here.
• Metro Toronto’s Urban Compass Toronto post, “More people should be talking about GO Transit’s Scarborough potential”, here
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “DRT Pulse and what it means for Highway 2 GO bus passengers (west of Oshawa)”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “GO adds free WiFi to more GO stations and 60 more parking spaces at Oshawa GO Station”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “I spy with my little eye…”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “Considering this guy rides the train like he’s in his living room, that’s the closest he’ll ever get to an attractive woman”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “I got up and asked the lady on the stairs if she would like to sit and then moved the back pack”, here.
• Spacing Toronto post, “City Hall’s transit double negative”, here.
• Spacing Toronto post, “HEAD SPACE: Q&A with the TTC’s Chris Upfold”, here.
• Spacing Toronto post, “STREET SCENE: View over transit”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Five years, seven goals: Where will the TTC be in 2018”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Metrolinx Announces Design Changes and Public Meetings on Eglinton LRT (Update 7)”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Waterfront West Update (Revised May 15, 2013)”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Spadina Reconstruction News (Updated May 15, 2013)”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Irresponsible Madness at City Hall (Update 2)”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “A Few Delicate Questions About the Scarborough Subway (Updated)”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Service Continuity on Kingston Road”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “TTC Meeting Wrapup: April 24, 2013 (Updated)”, here.
• The Grid article, “Has the ‘subway Scarborough needs’ already (sort of) been built?”, here.
• The Grid article, “Putting the train before the passengers in yet another subway vs. LRT debate”, here.
• The Grid article, “Provincial funding is great for the city, but comes with a whole other set of problems”, here.
• The Grid’s The Keenan Wire post, “Council transit funding debate: What the hell was that?”, here.
• The Grid post, “‘The subway Scarborough deserves’”, here.
• Torontoist post, “City Council Debates Transit Funding: Anatomy of a Fiasco”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Irresponsible Madness at City Hall”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Duly Quoted: Andy Byford on the Future of the TTC”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Duly quoted: Karen Stintz on Transit Funding”, her.
• Torontoist post, “Ontario Budget: One Small Step For Transit Funding”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Historicist: Opposing the Subway”, here.
• Torontoist post, “Here’s a Picture of One of the TTC’s New Articulated Buses”, here.
• Toronto Life’s Daily Informer post, “Reaction Roundup: council’s petty and ultimately useless transit debate”, here.
• Toronto Standard post, “Another Day, Another Council Clusterf*ck on Transit”, here.
• Toronto Standard post, “Businesses Bite Back: On Transit Revenue Tools and the Federal Government”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “Toronto spits at province over transit debacle”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Eglinton tunnel boring machine still idle”, here.
• Toronto Star commentary, “The West (GTA) wants in on regional transit”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Brampton, Mississauga at odds over transit projects”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “No taxes without more transit, Ajax-Pickering businesses tell Metrolinx”, here
• Toronto Star article, “Highway 427 extension north to Major Mackenzie to be built by 2020”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Charges withdrawn against TTC union reps in collector theft case”, here.
• Town Crier article, “Why we need new cash for transit”, here.
• Urban Toronto post, “Finish Line In Sight For TTC’s Pape Station Modernization”, here.
• Urban Toronto post, “Photo of the Day: Union Station”, here.
• Yonge Street post, “Metrolinx listens to community, reverts to old plan”, here.

Elsewhere in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• CBC News Hamilton article, “City nixes transit-only lane in downtown”, here.
• Guelph Mercury article, “Battle gridlock: Guelph mayor”, here.
• Guelph Mercury article, “Guelph’s Carden Street to be closed down during Ticat games”, here.
• Hamilton Spectator article, “Councillors scrap bus-only lane on King Street”, here.
• Hamilton Spectator article, “Status quo ‘no longer option’ to break gridlock: Ontario chamber business CEO”, here.
• Hamilton Spectator article, “Fraud ends free bus rides for disabled cane users”, here.
• Hamilton Spectator article, “Traffic restrictions due to Lakeshore Road project”, here.
• Lindsay Post article, “Consultant to city [of Kawartha Lakes]: Ask for a GO bus”, here.
• article, “Trolley’s future up for debate”, here.
• Lindsay Post article, “Two companies bid on [Kawartha Lakes] dial-a-ride rural transit”, here.
• Lindsay Post article, “Company interested in trolley if it is for sale”, here.
• MyKawartha.com article, “[City of Kawartha Lakes] Council awards dial-a-ride tender”, here.
• NorthumberlandNews.com article, “New rules for Port Hope taxi operators”, here.
• Northumberland Today article, “New [Port Hope] transit hours”, here.
• Peterborough Examiner article, “Nicholls Park bus route restored after complaints”, here.
• Peterborough Examiner article, “Changes coming to city bus routes, schedules”, here.

The City of Toronto is working with partner agencies to make sure that neighbourhoods alond and near Eglinton Avenue remain desirable places in which to live, work and play.

One of those partners, Metrolinx, is investing about $6 billion to design and build the Eglinton - Scarborough Crosstown light rail transit line. By 2020, Metrolinx expects trains to be operating along the new line between Weston Road in the west and Kennedy Station in the east.

The City is undertaking EGLINTONConnects, a major planning study to review how the street operates and looks after the LRT is in place. City Planning staff want your ideas on how to design the street, improve the streetscape and encourage a mix of residential and commercial developments and how people get to and from the stations.

The underground portion of the LRT line stretches for 12 kilometres between Black Creek Drive and Brentcliffe Road, resulting in an opportunity to remove some bus and carpool lanes on Eglinton. As part of the EGLINTONConnects study, the City is investigating how best to use this roadway space. This transportation study includes identifying the problems and opportunities, developing and evaluating reasonable alternative solutions and providing opportunities for you to have your say about any plans or proposals.

You can take part in any of three public workshops to provide your comments and ideas. Tell City staff what you think about traveling, greening and building along Eglinton.

At each of the workshops, the display panels and presentation will mostly be the same. However, the each event includes “breakout” sessions or workshops during which you can discuss areas where more intense development may be appropriate.

Let them know your ideas about:

• how the City can best use the extra street space to serve all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit and drivers;
• how the City can add more public space, trees and vegetation and better connect Eglinton Avenue to nearby parks;
• what kind of development should be in the six focus areas; and
• how the City should manage the growth of residential, mixed-use, and employment areas.

This round of public consultation includes three events:

• the east workshop, focusing on Laird, Don Mills and the Golden Mile;
• the central workshop, focusing on Dufferin, Bayview and Laird; and
• the western workshop, focusing on Caledonia and Dufferin.

Events take place:

• Monday, May 27;
• Tuesday, May 28; and
• Tuesday, June 4.

You may drop into any of the events at any time. However, the schedule for each is:

• 6 p.m.: Display panels and questions and answers with the study team;
• 6:30 p.m.: Overview presentation; and
• from 7 until 9 p.m.: “Breakout” sessions and workshops.

Metrolinx and York Region contractors continue to work on the project to build a rapidway — bus-only rapid transit lanes in the centre of the roadway — along Highway 7 East in Markham and Richmond Hill.

Here’s what’s going on this week:

TTC crews are repairing the streetcar tracks on Broadview Avenue at the intersections with Withrow and Riverdale Avenues this weekend.

During the work, the TTC’s detouring streetcars operating along the 504 King and 505 Dundas routes. 504 / 505 King shuttle buses replace the cars, operating between Broadview Station and King Street East at Sherbourne Street.

Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area media report on public transit issues today.

Greater Toronto Area

• Canadian Press report (from the CTV News Torontowebsite), “Toronto City council votes against endorsing new transit taxes or fees”, here.
• Canadian Press article (from the National Post website), “Man, 60, struck and killed by streetcar in east end Toronto”, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “Toronto city council rejects funding tools for transit”, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “Stintz happy council split with mayor on transit taxes”, here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “Girl, 14, in hospital after being struck by TTC bus”, here.
• CityNews Toronto report, ” - CityNews Toronto report, “Ontario Chamber of Commerce back transit taxes”, here.
• CityNews Toronto report, “TTC head calls for increase transit funding”, here.
• CityNews Toronto report, “TTC defends driver after woman screams to be let off bus”, here/
• CTV News Toronto video, “TTC CEO presents five-year plan”, here.
• Financial Post article, “The Big Picture: Bumper to bumper taxation”, here.
• Financial Post article, “Public tolerance of P3s improves: A conversation with John Tory”, here.
• Global News Toronto report, “Toronto councillors defy Ford, put transit report on the agenda”, here.
• Global News Toronto report, “Highway 427 extension will start in 2017, if budget passed: Wynne”, here.
• Globe and Mail column, “Transit debate descends into debacle”, here.
• Globe and Mail column, “Toronto council’s non-decision on transit a selfish dereliction of duty”, here.
• Globe and Mail column, “Transit vote mess is all about garnering electoral advantage”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Numbers don’t back up Ford’s boast about saving taxpayers $1000”, here.
• Globe and Mail editorial, “Let’s not derail this $34 billion transit plan for the Toronto area”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Toronto councillors reject most transit funding tools”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “‘Are we crazy?’, Nunziata asks about debate on new taxes for transit”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Mayor Ford loses fight to defer transit tax debate”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “TTC chief Andy Byford makes plea for political support”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Why Toronto has been waiting for the subway for 100 years”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Police look for man who threw bike in front of subway train”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Man, 60, struck and killed by streetcar”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Ontario not interested in Toronto subway extension, minister says”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Subway or LRT for Scarborough? Commuters divided”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Stintz says TTC should take over troubled bike share program”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Transit won’t be part of budget negotiations with NDP: Ontario Liberals”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Nix tolls for high-occupancy lanes, Horwath demands in return for Ontario budget support”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “905 summit gathering shifts focus from attention-grabbing Toronto”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Ontario mayors back Wynne on transit funding”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Toronto’s chief planner calls on city to lead transit discussion”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Stintz says TTC should take over troubled bike share program”, here.
• National Post article, “Posted Toronto Political Panel: City council’s debate on transit revenue tools ended in thoroughgoing disgrace”, here.
• National Post article, “Toronto council rejects most ‘revenue tools’, as Ford high-fives allies, foes compare meeting to ‘dysfunctional kindergarten class’”, here.
• National Post article, “‘Grow a spine’, ‘Shut up and go home’, Toronto council told as transit debate turns chaotic”, here.
• National Post article, “‘I’ll hold them accountable’: Rob Ford lobs political threats at councillors willing to consider taxes to fund transit”, here.
• National Post commentary, “Full Comment: Rob Ford’s opponents gang up and force a victory on him”, here.
• National Post article, “Tense council vote overrules Rob Ford, transit funding debate will happen later this week”, here.
• National Post commentary, “Full Comment: Ontario’s new transportation minister steps into the Metrolinx minefield”, here.
• National Post article, “TTC chief executive Andy Byford seeks political consensus on transit funding”, here.
• National Post article, “Toronto police investigating reports streetcar driver drove 2 km after accident that killed pedestrian”, here.
• National Post article, “Man tosses bike onto TTC tracks”, here.
• National Post article, “Rob Ford and Karen Stintz’s council showdown offers possible preview of 2014 mayoral race”, here.
• National Post article, “Scarborough councillors make another bid to transform RT into a subway”, here.
• National Post commentary, “Full Comment: NDP position themselves to make a deal with Liberals, avoid Ontario election”, here.
• National Post article, “Western GTA summit will tackle region’s crippling gridlock”, here.
• National Post article, “‘The West wants in’ - the western GTA, that is, as summit seeks to combat traffic congestion”, here.
• National Post article, “Karen Stintz wants city to integrate Bixi bike share system into TTC”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “Toronto City Council litters the path to transit heaven with political landmines”, here.
• Toronto Star editorial, “This is no time to tinker with Toronto region transit”, here.
• Toronto Star editorial, “Toronto city council bungles the transit file”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “City Hall on calculated political gamble with transit”, here.
• Toronto Star commentary, “Roll back corporate tax cuts to pay for transit”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “TTC’s Andy Byford calls on council for more money, more support”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “TTC defends driver who refused to let ill passenger off bus”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Toronto split on transit vote”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Scarborough councillors seek subway line instead of LRT”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Queen’s Park won’t reopen Scarborough subway talks”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Metrolinx puts Leslie back on the Crosstown map”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Weston Mount Dennis residents will have input into Crosstown LRT storage site”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Weston Mount Dennis residents look to Metrolinx to create jobs when it builds Crosstown LRT”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Memories of a former Kodak employee”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Brampton mayor’s last-minute LRT alternative stuns Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “Picking up the GTA transit bill”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Burlington residents face driveway squeeze”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Toronto city council wades into murky transit talks”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Mayor Rob Ford and TTC chair Karen Stintz face off at Council”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “City Hall on calculated political gamble with transit”, here.
• Toronto Star column, “Scarborough subway: Little chance with this lot”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Transit tax: Toronto council ignores Ford to hold debate”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Mayor Ford happy about transit tax victory”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Council sent province clear message on transit taxes, Mayor Rob Ford says”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Council doesn’t endorse any transit tax, Rob Ford claims”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “PCs laud Toronto council decision on transit taxes”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “A transit train wreck at City Hall”, here.
• Toronto Sun column, “Can we start an Andy Byford for mayor movement?”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “TTC supports bus driver decision not to let sick passenger off”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Man dies after rolling under streetcar”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Bike thrown on TTC subway tracks”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Gun-toting man spotted on TTC”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Transport minister nixes hope for Scarborough subway”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Karen Stintz wants TTC to take over Bixi”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Lack of transit funding hurting Toronto: City planner Jennifer Keesmaat”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Ford targets transit tax supporters”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Toronto city council votes to hold transit tax debate, Ford overruled”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Toronto city council wades into transit taxes debate”, here.

Elsewhere in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• CBC News Hamilton report, “Hamilton integrity commissioner will investigate Bratina exchange”, here.
• CBC News Hamilton report, “Toronto didn’t pay, so Hamilton shouldn’t either, councillors say”, here.
• CBC News Kitchener-Waterloo report, “Waterloo regional council ratifies bus fare hike”, here.

Things are booming throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe area as Canadians celebrate Victoria Day and the first long holiday weekend of the good-weather season with fireworks displays and other special events.

Events in the Lindsay community of Kawartha Lakes and Toronto affect transit services in the area this weekend.

Transit agencies throughout the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and the Golden Horseshoe are adjusting their service and schedules Victoria Day, Monday, May 20.