Toronto debates while other world cities move on transit
LONDON, ENGLAND - All talk, no action.
Toronto has been having the same elbow-gripping debate on the viability of a downtown subway relief line for a generation.
Will we, won’t we, who will pay, do we need it, will it work? Round and round the argument goes. All as the population of Canada’s biggest city keeps growing and ever more highrise building projects add their exclamation marks on the built environment.
As Toronto ducks a firm decision, other cities are on the move. Literally.
Look at New York and London, Singapore and Los Angeles. These booming centres are just four examples of dynamic metropolises awake to the fact that the transport future lies beneath our feet.
If Toronto is to take its longed-for place as a ‘world class city’ (whatever that really means), then a decision in favour of a new underground transit alternative is needed so the tunnel borers can get moving.
TTC CEO Andy Byford agrees – up to a point. While he sees debate as necessary, he is aware of the political will needed to get such a vast construction undertaking to the starting line.
“I still strongly believe that a new subway line will be needed to relieve pressure on Yonge/Bloor and to provide an alternate route to downtown as the city continues to grow,†Byford said. “The mayor and I both agree that the need for a relief line has not gone away – the only issue is whether the advent of SmartTrack, which I support, has delayed the point by which it is critical.
“When we originally modelled ridership predictions, SmartTrack was not envisaged so we are now running the model again to see what impact this new service will have in terms of diverting ridership away from Yonge/Bloor,†he added. “Time remains of the essence but we should use data to determine the timing.â€
So if the time is eventually right and the political stars align, what is the preferred route for any new subway to the downtown core?
“The route will be determined by the EA/TPAP process and we are studying various possible alignments,†Byford continued. “These typically take east-west traffic off Line 2 from around the mid-point between Kennedy and Yonge/Bloor then proceed south before swinging under Adelaide, King or another down town east west street before turning north to Dundas West.
“The route’s northerly extent could be Bloor/Danforth or Eglinton or higher, depending on funding/need,†Byford said. “The key aim is to relieve pressure on Yonge/Bloor and provide alternative subway capacity.â€
Capacity. That word is the key driver in London where the massive CrossRail project is now taking shape beneath the capital.
This high-volume, high-frequency line is just the latest addition to the famous London Underground network that first opened in 1863 using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. It has been growing ever since.
CrossRail will bring an extra 1.5 million people to within 45 minutes of central London and will link key employment, leisure and business districts.
According to Mike Glover, a fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering and a director of construction giant Ove Arup and Partners, London had no choice but to start digging.
“In London the debate is not about whether to expand the system or not, it is about prioritizing the many lines that are proposed,†Glover said.
“Without the Underground, London would cease to function because the road system is heavily constrained and totally incapable of providing an alternative. This has been demonstrated whenever there has been an industrial dispute. In these circumstances emergency measures have been taken, including encouraging people not to travel.
“An aspect that is not generally recognized is the time certainty of travel from point to point; for most journeys in London the Underground is markedly quicker than any other means of transport. The benefits to business in being able to schedule commutes, meetings and appointments is clear, but the reduction in stress of travelling by Underground rather than road is often overlooked.â€
Glover believes business in the capital would be impossible without the London Underground and that is the message for other cities like Toronto looking to improve the way they work.
“It is difficult to understand how a modern city can function practically without a developed underground system, without building an excessive amount of road construction. But even then the roads would not be able to match the volume of people that the underground can provide,†he added.
The last word goes to Andy Byford. Although constrained as a servant of the city in what he can say about politics, he is clear in his call for considered action.
“The lesson learned from CrossRail in London is that the project only really got going once the political, planning, funding and other factors were aligned,†Byford said. “There needs to be broad consensus to get major projects completed but that requires clea vision and clear, determined political direction to corral.â€
