[McGillicuddy]

At the risk of dragging this thread deeper into political analysis, something worth internalizing about Terrebonne is that it's close, to a point that pissing off 1% of their voters from last time would likely be enough to cost the Liberals the seat.

When the commentators say that ALTO could affect the result, they aren't envisioning a scenario where the Liberals plummet down to nothing. A very small shift would be enough.

That being said, the fact that this election will be so close will also tend to make the result quite inscrutable either way. When 20,000 voters switch to a new party, the reasons are usually obvious enough. When 150 voters switch to a new party, you can only speculate as to why.

 

[micheal_can]

At the risk of dragging this thread deeper into political analysis, something worth internalizing about Terrebonne is that it's close, to a point that pissing off 1% of their voters from last time would likely be enough to cost the Liberals the seat.

When the commentators say that ALTO could affect the result, they aren't envisioning a scenario where the Liberals plummet down to nothing. A very small shift would be enough.

That being said, the fact that this election will be so close will also tend to make the result quite inscrutable either way. When 20,000 voters switch to a new party, the reasons are usually obvious enough. When 150 voters switch to a new party, you can only speculate as to why.

Has the Bloc tried to cancel this line?

 

[McGillicuddy]

Has the Bloc tried to cancel this line?

The.Bloc are skeptical but not opposed in principle: (Processes must be followed, local concerns must be addressed, due consideration, proper management, etc. but so long as the project meets a standard of perfection humanity has not yet achieved, they're happy to support it.)

 

[micheal_can]

The.Bloc are skeptical but not opposed: (Processes must be followed, local concerns must be addressed, due consideration, proper management, etc. but nothing like the Conservatives' out-and-out rejection.)

So, really, if there is any real opposition to it, they may vote conservative. With about 10,000 that voted for them the CPC has no chance of winning the seat, but could take votes from either party. In the end, who knows whether voters there really care enough to vote one way or the other because of ALTO.

 

[McGillicuddy]

Or they'll vote Bloc to send a message to the government.

Or they won't vote at all.

 

[micheal_can]

Or they'll vote Bloc to send a message to the government.

Or they won't vote at all.

Or, because of the longest ballot, they write in someone else....

 

[Mihairokov]

I’d really caution against reading too much into media pieces on HSR at this stage of the project, especially “opinion” pieces that masquerade as something representative of the general public’s sentiment on this project.

I think the overarching feeling of a lot of Canadians is that we're able to travel abroad to various countries with various forms of HSR and experience how they operate and then we return home and wonder why we don't have similar here. The arguments of cold weather and distance don't pass the snuff test and as ON & QC push 25 million neither does the population argument either.

Generally I think public opinion will push/has pushed towards the service regardless of how people along the line feel. As long as the terminus and major cities want it it should eventually happen regardless. The only thing holding us back is ourselves.

 

[facepalming_brooklynite]

I think the overarching feeling of a lot of Canadians is that we're able to travel abroad to various countries with various forms of HSR and experience how they operate and then we return home and wonder why we don't have similar here. The arguments of cold weather and distance don't pass the snuff test and as ON & QC push 25 million neither does the population argument either.

Generally I think public opinion will push/has pushed towards the service regardless of how people along the line feel. As long as the terminus and major cities want it it should eventually happen regardless. The only thing holding us back is ourselves.

And yet the Globe (Andrew Coyne) seems to be coming out against it

 

[SFO-YYZ]

And yet the Globe (Andrew Coyne) seems to be coming out against it

I’m sorry but who is Andrew Coyne? we are giving way too much credit to some of these media personalities doing armchair transit ”policy”.

 

[McGillicuddy]

If you think political discourse is somewhere people ought to express their honest beliefs in clear terms, make persuasive arguments built around facts and patterns, acknowledge when they have been wrong, and stick to their principles over time, Andrew Coyne is one of Canada's best political commentators.

That's not to say you have to agree with him. But even if you don't, he's more consistent, honest and interesting than almost anyone else doing what he does outside of academia.

 

[facepalming_brooklynite]

I’m sorry but who is Andrew Coyne? we are giving way too much credit to some of these media personalities doing armchair transit commentary.

Yes, but the 500 comments under his piece are kind of frightening

 

[SFO-YYZ]

Yes, but the 500 comments under his piece are kind of frightening

First rule of internet - don’t read the comments section. Have you seen the Globe’s other pieces and the comments under them? It’s almost always the same sour people tripping over each other with negativity in this little echo chamber of their own making. It’s frightening, but it’s just a small representation of a niche group of people in their little corner of the online ecosystem.

Sorry for digressing so much from the main topic of this thread.

 

[micheal_can]

And yet the Globe (Andrew Coyne) seems to be coming out against it

I’m sorry but who is Andrew Coyne? we are giving way too much credit to some of these media personalities doing armchair transit commentary.

A right wing media outlet has a piece written by one of their right wing columnists?

 

[smallspy]

You can always explain what the constraints for adding new stations are, but to just declare that they are not interested and will not consider it under any circumstances is an unprovoked own-goal and rightly riles up local communities and taxpayers. Similarly, the entire mandate the liberal government has provided to ALTO is a monument to hubris, ignorance and incompetence…

This is exactly what they said when I attended the meeting. They are mandated to build the 7 stations, and no more, and stressed that repeatedly.

That doesn't mean that they can't add more in the future. But for the time being, all of the planning is being made with just those 7.

Dan

 

[micheal_can]

This is exactly what they said when I attended the meeting. They are mandated to build the 7 stations, and no more, and stressed that repeatedly.

That doesn't mean that they can't add more in the future. But for the time being, all of the planning is being made with just those 7.

Dan

With the line being arrow straight adding infill stations would be rather easy.