[sixrings]

Fair enough, I would suppose you're an exception rather than the standard, though. Especially if you take into account neighbourhoods closer to the CBD. There's definitely a lack of affordable family housing.

I acknowledge that. However what other people fail to acknowledge is that Toronto and times have changed. Our roads in the last 10 years has become severely congested. Gas prices are going up daily. Times have changed and peoples buying and purchasing should change to follow suit. Otherwise people are just going to keep banging their heads at the wall while the whole time being part of the problem.

 

[nfitz]

Yes but I guess Im on the strange side. It seems that everyone these days who has 2 kids buy a MiniVan. A minivan is for 7 people NOT 4. Similarly a 2500 sq ft suburban house isn't needed for a family. We have three bedrooms and even if we only had two there is this amazing thing called a bunk bed.

No, I'm there with you (maybe I'm strange too). 1,000 square feet is fine ... though that doesn't include the TV room in the basement, which really helps ... though that could be a 4th bedroom.

The car (Civic) is mostly used for groceries and trips out of town. It's so rare that all 4 of us get in the car together, that it's noteworthy. Something bigger might be useful occasionally for vacations ... but not worth the trouble and cost otherwise.

Given that I'd say about half the houses around me now have kids, I'd think a lot are in the same boat.

 

[ehlow]

I love our place. The walk to the subway station is shorter then most peoples walk to their bus stop. The place isn't huge but its big enough for 2 kids or less. Instead I watch TLC at night and people when shopping for their houses in the burbs are looking for a cinema room, a pool table room, a three car garage, a library, a play room, a wrapping presents room SMH. Anyways people say all the time that its the price of houses which stop them from buying in Toronto so we should be sympathetic and build more transit to no where. When in reality people want to buy the equivalent of MTV Cribs on middle income budgets.

Any house within walking distance of a subway stop is likely a good investment in my opinion. Congrats. Also you're walking distance to great jerk chicken .

I personally think that the Eg West area will go through positive change in the coming years.

Yes but I guess Im on the strange side. It seems that everyone these days who has 2 kids buy a MiniVan. A minivan is for 7 people NOT 4. Similarly a 2500 sq ft suburban house isn't needed for a family. We have three bedrooms and even if we only had two there is this amazing thing called a bunk bed.

I totally agree with you. Smaller is better, especially in a good location transit-wise. 1000 ft is enough to raise a family. Also it usually means less yard work and less snow-shovelling

 

[diminutive]

Not all that high. Taxes collected per capita by Municipality of Toronto aren't way off the average, or even the highest, in the GTA although the LTT and garbage fees might put it into the top category.

IMO, it's a fair trade for the reduced direct costs and most households receive.

But yeah, Toronto isn't magically or significantly cheaper than other areas.

Umm, this is a bit of an odd comparison. Presumably any benefits of reduced car ownership would get bundled into the purchasing price of the house. We know that homes near rapid transit have large premiums, so it's not like Toronto households (with better public transit) aren't paying, they're just paying in their mortgage rather than their car lease.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

This argument is very interesting. I think the a lot of the animosty from the outer 416 towards this extension comes from the Sheppard East fisaco. Also Eglinton West. My problem is a lot of the arguments being used to justify this are the same for Sheppard East.

 

[BMO]

This argument is very interesting. I think the a lot of the animosty from the outer 416 towards this extension comes from the Sheppard East fisaco. Also Eglinton West. My problem is a lot of the arguments being used to justify this are the same for Sheppard East.

It is fairly different though, as Sheppard East Ridership doesn't justify a subway, but Yonge North does.

 

[nfitz]

I would love to see an argument for Yonge than can't be used for Sheppard East.

To build Sheppard as a subway? The forecast passenger volume for the subway in the peak AM hour departing Richmond Hill is 13,300 people with 15,260 forecast departing Langstaffe station southbound. Departing Cummer the forecast demand is over 20,000.

The argument for Yonge North that can't be used on Sheppard East, is that non-grade separated LRT can't handle the demand.

It is fairly different though, as Sheppard East Ridership doesn't justify a subway, but Yonge North does.

Not only does the Yonge North Ridership justify subway, it precludes LRT. Well, I suppose you could built the LRT north of Steeles in a subway tunnel ... but that seems rather pointless.

 

[rbt]

King County, Washington?

No. Try `King City` or `Township of King` in Google maps instead.

The municipality is south of Newmarket between highway 400 and highway 404.

 

[rbt]

Umm, this is a bit of an odd comparison. Presumably any benefits of reduced car ownership would get bundled into the purchasing price of the house. We know that homes near rapid transit have large premiums, so it's not like Toronto households (with better public transit) aren't paying, they're just paying in their mortgage rather than their car lease.

Yeah. The portion of the benefits which are not offset by higher property taxes and other mandatory fees will result in upward price pressure which you describe.

Enough people pay attention to taxes, utility fees, etc. when evaluating a properties value that it impacts price. You can see this clearly with some very large suburban condos; 2500sqft units for $500k. Price is held down by the massive monthly maintenance fee bill.

 

[Johnny Au]

No. Try `King City` or `Township of King` in Google maps instead.

The municipality is south of Newmarket between highway 400 and highway 404.

Actually, the Township of King is between Vaughan and Simcoe County west of Richmond Hill, Aurora, and Newmarket.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Ah, King City, the forgotten Toronto suburb. Home to Exurbs, Super wealthy, and funny town names such as "Schomburg", "pottageville", and "Happy Valley".

 

[BurlOak]

Ah, King City, the forgotten Toronto suburb. Home to Exurbs, Super wealthy, and funny town names such as "Schomburg", "pottageville", and "Happy Valley".

Schomburg sure is funny the way you spell it. Schomberg is perfectly normal name.

You do not have a "Snowball" chance in identifying the most "Strange" hamlet name in King.

 

[Johnny Au]

King is also the only remaining township in York Region.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

Apologies as I've been offline and don't have time to reply to solidsnake in detail but : you repeatedly asserted that I failed to address the funding side of the equation which is patently false. Go back through my posts and you will see dozens of posts calling for a more powerful metrolinx, regional governance and funding, fare integration etc etc etc etc

The pproblem is some people are so stuck in what is that they can't see the future. Regional funding is happening and all the rest will happen, in one way or another, before the extension opens. And that's why, in short, not one argument you or anyone else makes about the purported logic of stopping at Steeles has any weight whatsoever. Telling me what the "ttc" stands for doesn't exactly change my pov.

I've spent 90% of my life on either side of Steeles and what needs to change is as clear to me as the sky is blue.


What you fail to perceive or choose to ignore is that the mere fact Toronto's mandate ends at Steeles (and by extension, it's not their problem if riders. (customers!) can't get from a to b easily) is the single biggest problem with transit in the gta aside from funding. You treat an absolutely fundamental disease as an excuse to short change people. I am guessing you don't work in customer service?

(And people who think growth at yonge and Steeles or even 7, is theoretical kill me. I assume you're also not yet willing to go all in on the whole "descended from apes" theory yet, but recently grudgingly admitted galileo might be on to something?)

 

[ehlow]

(And people who think growth at yonge and Steeles or even 7, is theoretical kill me. I assume you're also not yet willing to go all in on the whole "descended from apes" theory yet, but recently grudgingly admitted galileo might be on to something?)

Sigh.. what I meant by "theoretical" is that the condos have not been built yet. We really don't need to discuss commonly accepted scientific theory like gravity or evolution do we?

It's the difference between ridership from condos that aren't built yet, and other routes where the ridership is already there. Maybe "theoretical" isn't the right word, what I meant to express was justifying subways by showing future plans of condos that do not exist in physical form right now, and possibly might not be constructed or occupied in years.

It's not about what the acronym "TTC" stands for or about naming. It's that different transit agencies currently are responsible for different regions are areas. Perhaps it shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is now, the TTC is currently responsible for the City of Toronto. That's just reality as it is, is all I was saying.