06-16-2015, 12:32 PM
(06-16-2015, 11:51 AM)Section ThirtyOne Wrote:(06-16-2015, 11:41 AM)Owen Wrote: I completely agree - driving our fossil fuel powered vehicles everywhere on a whim is not sustainable - but my point is that the current single LRT line through the core doesn't actually solve this issue for the broader city. With that said, I think it's absolutely the right first step - but I'm a strong advocate of expanding the system so that it becomes practical (in terms of transit time) for just about anyone in the city to ditch a car and get around via transit. To me, the definition of practical in terms of transit time is simple: If it can get you anywhere in the city within ~30 minutes the masses will start to use it in a major way.
I think you hit the nail on the head -- ION as it is being built now is just that, a first step. There isn't the budget or the will to build light rail to everywhere. An efficient transit system needs a spine like ION, existing and modified bus routes will feed to it for now. Further expansion will occur later on.
Fingers crossed now that Zehr is on the Metrolinx board... I hope that the Ontario govt gives us extra consideration since we funded Phase I partially out of our own pockets!