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^Ok, I'm definitely on board with the idea of lifting parking requirements for condo developers and I think most developers will take the bait and reduce the number of parking spaces in their condo developments.

That said, I'm definitely not okay with City Hall mandating that developers subsidize Bixi, a privately-held company. I don't care whether Bixi provides a service that I like, if they are failing, they're failing because of their own business practices (no stations west of Bathurst = automatically useless to me and many people I know). It's not up to city hall to bail them out.
 
Which private transit providers? Cab companies that were outsourced to provide Wheel-trans services?

I'm not actually familiar with which private transit operators you're talking about but my principle is that if the city has subcontracted a private operator to provide a service formerly run by the city, that's fair game, especially if it provides a necessary mobility service like Wheel Trans (again, I'm not sure if this is what you're talking about).

Bixi, however, didn't replace a former municipal service and can hardly be classified as a necessity. If they failed, the well-being of the public would not be sacrificed and Bixi's MO is to make a profit, not to provide a guaranteed public service. If they can't succeed, let them fail.

EDIT: Interestingly, City Hall's stance on Bixi and Porter remind me that there isn't a left and right wing political stance in municipal politics anymore (maybe there never was). There's a general sense that corporate welfare is an acceptable practice and what matters is whether that private corporation adheres to your ideals of what a good city is.

If you believe that a good city is one where businesspeople have easy connections to other global business destinations then you'll lobby hard to get governments to pave the way (literally) for the Island airport runway to be expanded. You will ignore your right wing manual that tells you that government ought to stop interfering in private business decisions. If you believe that a good city is one where people ride around on bicycles, then you will lobby hard to prop up a private bikeshare provider. You will ignore your left wing manual that tells you that government spending should be directed to state-run social programs rather than to private companies who operate for profit, not the public good.
 
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Hipster Duck said:
Which private transit providers?
Click to expand...
Toronto Railway Company, Toronto and York Radial Railway, Toronto Suburban Railway ... not to mention the Toronto Ferry Company. All in the 1920s. And what about when they did the same to many of the bus companies in the 1950s?[/QUOTE]
 
nfitz said:
Toronto Railway Company, Toronto and York Radial Railway, Toronto Suburban Railway ... not to mention the Toronto Ferry Company. All in the 1920s. And what about when they did the same to many of the bus companies in the 1950s?
Click to expand...

I don't think you can compare a radial railway operator from 100 years ago to a bikeshare provider today. Those companies basically had a monopoly over providing mobility of any kind to residents in those areas and would be more of an essential service than even the TTC is today.
 
The premise that bikeshare is only valuable if it is run at a profit by a private entity is strange. Many cities consider bikeshare to be a useful addition to their transportation networks, essentially extending the transit network at a pretty low cost per trip. It also serves as a catalyst for more cycling in general, helps with safety in numbers, and so helps to change modal share. Which is why it makes sense for most cities with bikeshare to operate (and subsidize) their respective bikeshare systems directly, rather than having them be a private entity.
 
Hipster Duck said:
Those companies basically had a monopoly over providing mobility of any kind to residents in those areas and would be more of an essential service than even the TTC is today.
Click to expand...
Bixi does appear to have a monopoly as well - I can't imagine we are going to start giving public space for multiple bike-sharing facilities next to Union Station and in public spaces all over downtown.

It's an example of City Hall taking over and bailing out a private enterprise for the good of the city.
 
Toronto’s first dedicated bike lanes on Sherbourne start of bigger network

Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...es_on_sherbourne_start_of_bigger_network.html


Cyclists use the new Sherbourne St. dedicated bike lanes Sunday afternoon near Gerrard St. E. The lanes officially open Monday and will be the first in a series of dedicated bike lanes for a network in the downtown core.

- However, as part of $4.1 million upgrades along the street, the $2.5 million bike lanes will provide a necessary dedicated north-south route for the growing number of cyclists in the downtown area. “We use them all the time,†said Meldon Lobo, 27. “Sherbourne is in much better condition than it used to be before.â€

- Curbs and a painted buffer strip will be employed to separate bikes from cars. Street parking will be lost, but delivery zones will be provided. Lobo said the city should have educated drivers and cyclists better on how the lanes work. Living on Sherbourne, just north of Gerrard St., Lobo said he hears squealing tires all the time from drivers not aware of the new lanes and the four-inch curbstones that separate them from the roadway on the northern stretch of the lanes.

- The Sherbourne lanes are the east route in what Minnan-Wong said will be a square network of dedicated lanes in the downtown core. Designs for Wellesley St. have been completed and he said construction will begin later this year. Richmond St. and Adelaide St. bike lanes, entering an environmental assessment in the future, will be constructed next year. The west side route to complete the square network, he said, has been the biggest challenge.

.....




bike_lanes.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg
 
M II A II R II K said:
Toronto’s first dedicated bike lanes on Sherbourne start of bigger network

Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...es_on_sherbourne_start_of_bigger_network.html


Cyclists use the new Sherbourne St. dedicated bike lanes Sunday afternoon near Gerrard St. E. The lanes officially open Monday and will be the first in a series of dedicated bike lanes for a network in the downtown core.

- However, as part of $4.1 million upgrades along the street, the $2.5 million bike lanes will provide a necessary dedicated north-south route for the growing number of cyclists in the downtown area. “We use them all the time,†said Meldon Lobo, 27. “Sherbourne is in much better condition than it used to be before.â€

- Curbs and a painted buffer strip will be employed to separate bikes from cars. Street parking will be lost, but delivery zones will be provided. Lobo said the city should have educated drivers and cyclists better on how the lanes work. Living on Sherbourne, just north of Gerrard St., Lobo said he hears squealing tires all the time from drivers not aware of the new lanes and the four-inch curbstones that separate them from the roadway on the northern stretch of the lanes.

- The Sherbourne lanes are the east route in what Minnan-Wong said will be a square network of dedicated lanes in the downtown core. Designs for Wellesley St. have been completed and he said construction will begin later this year. Richmond St. and Adelaide St. bike lanes, entering an environmental assessment in the future, will be constructed next year. The west side route to complete the square network, he said, has been the biggest challenge.

.....




bike_lanes.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg
Click to expand...

Anything else?
 
the lemur said:
Bloor/Euclid, Queen/Ossington and Queen/Niagara don't count?
Click to expand...

Not really fair to go "gotcha" on Hipster Duck when his/her post was from May 2 and the Ossington and Niagara stations were only moved to those locations on May 10!
 
car4041 said:
Not really fair to go "gotcha" on Hipster Duck when his/her post was from May 2 and the Ossington and Niagara stations were only moved to those locations on May 10!
Click to expand...

I was wondering if those were recent right after I posted, but I know the Euclid location has been there for at least a year.
 
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