[W. K. Lis]

From CP24

Last Updated Friday, May 6, 2016 11:16AM EDT


Toronto will receive up to $840 million in federal funding for public transit over the next three years, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced.

The federal budget released in March established a $3.4 billion public transit infrastructure fund and on Friday Trudeau visited the Greenwood subway yard in the city’s east end and revealed that Toronto will receive up to $840 million of that investment with the money available to eligible projects “immediately.”

“The announcement today is to address the real needs that the TTC and other transit authorities need right now,” Trudeau said. “Investments in upgrades, in new signals and control systems, in the kinds of things that happen behind the scenes and too often get overlooked by politicians who want to make announcements.”

Trudeau said that the money that will be available to the TTC will likely be spent on upgrades and badly needed maintenance to existing infrastructure.

The hope, he said, is to ensure “that often delayed upgrades or investments in our existing transit systems are made right away.”

“Our desire is to get money flowing right away to the things that will make a real difference in people’s lives right now,” he said. “To be able to put more trains on the tracks, to be able to maybe increase the rhythm and pace of trains coming through, these are the sorts of things that that make a real impact in people’s lives and that we will be supporting.”

The $840 million in potential transit funding can be put towards up to 50 per cent of the cost of eligible projects, which is a higher proportion than the one-third funding that the federal government usually provides for infrastructure.

Speaking with reporters, Mayor John Tory said the investment is an “unprecedented commitment.”

“Toronto is finally receiving funding that acknowledges the unique pressures on our system and the vital role that it plays in the health and wellbeing of our city,” he said.

Tory said the funding will likely be put towards the cost of overhauling the aging signal system on Line 2, making more subway stations accessible by adding elevators and escalators as well as purchasing new buses for some of the city’s busiest routes.

“For our city to work and grow, our transit and transportation systems must work and must grow. I really do think this is one of the most important investments our federal government can make,” he said.

I hope that the TTC will finally fix and/or install streetcar track switches that actually work, so that the streetcar can stop stopping at each and every track switch. See link.

And update, upgrade, electrify, etc. the track switches.

 

[Megaton327]

It's zero local emissions. Pollution is still emitted from the electricity generation.

While technically true, if you're trying to make the point that electric vehicles are not any better for the environment than gas ones, that's incredibly ridiculous and backed up by absolutely zero scientific evidence.

Per this link https://www.cns-snc.ca/media/ontarioelectricity/ontarioelectricity.html only 6.1% of Ontario's electricity is generated using Natural Gas and 1.5% Biofuel. All other sources there--nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar, which comprise 92.4% of our electricity generation--do not pollute the environment. And for that matter, our Natural Gas plants and especially Biofuel plants pollute much less than, say, coal plants.

I also suggest you look up what "economies of scale" are - even if all of our power plants were fossil fuel based and polluted the environment, electric vehicles would still be more efficient because internal combustion engines are very inefficient, and large power plants produce far less pollution per the same amount of energy created. The typical internal combustion engine vehicle is about 22, whereas Natural Gas plants are anywhere from 30-60% efficient depending on technology used, and some new ones are over 60% thermally efficient. The average Internal Combusion Engine vehicle is about 20-25% thermally efficient. That means in a Natural Gas Plant, 30-60+% of the energy stored in the fuel is used and <40-70% is wasted; in a car, 20-25% of the energy in your gas tank is used and 75-80% is wasted. So even if 100% of our electricity were generated from gas plants, an electric car would be 5-35+% more efficient as far as pollution from electricity generation is concerned.

And again, 92.4% of our electricity is cleanly generated in Ontario. So it's a moot point.

 

[Steve X]

I hope that the TTC will finally fix and/or install streetcar track switches that actually work, so that the streetcar can stop stopping at each and every track switch. See link.

And update, upgrade, electrify, etc. the track switches.

How about they completed switch to a new system with visual signals and TPS.

 

[drum118]

Long over due and lets get the shovels into the ground come 2018. Time to stop whining and start building for the next 20 years plus.

Torontonians ready to pay more for transit, chief planner says

 

[Amare]

I think it's been clear for a very long time that Toronto needs to get their act together and implement stable revenue sources for transit, because at this point it's clear the best the province can come with on the revenue side is selling off assets and implementing HOT lanes on 1 or 2 highways routes.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

City Planning is investigating revenue tools and a report will be before council in June. I'm so happy we have someone with vision at City Planning

 

[W. K. Lis]

If New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. in the States have revenue going straight to them from sales taxes and income taxes, so should Toronto. Toronto only seems to have property taxes available and some of the land transfer tax, at the moment.

 

[salsa]

If New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. in the States have revenue going straight to them from sales taxes and income taxes, so should Toronto.

Then Toronto needs to take some initiative and demand that the province allow those revenue tools. Which means the mayor and council must stop being shy about new taxes.

 

[Jonny5]

If New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. in the States have revenue going straight to them from sales taxes and income taxes, so should Toronto.

Why? Can you elaborate on the benefit of the operating subsidy coming from my left pocket instead of my right pocket?

 

[Megaton327]

For anyone unaware, Apple Pay expanded today to Interac, Visa, and MasterCard from CIBC, RBC, Canadian Tire Bank, and ATB Financial; support is listed as coming soon for BMO, Scotiabank, and TD.

Apple Pay can be used on the TTC to ride a streetcar at cash prices ($3.25 adult/$2.00 senior or student) by way of the Single-Ride Vending Machines located on the LFLRVs and offboard at certain 509, 510, and 511 stops. It is also usable at the Presto Self-Serve Reload Kiosks.

I've used it on my Apple Watch a couple of times today with my CIBC debit+credit cards and it works perfectly; looking forward to using it to reload my Presto card one of these days.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I was using it today. It feels like the future.

 

[PinkLucy]

I was using it today. It feels like the future.

I used it in the US a while back. I missed it when I came home.

 

[drum118]

Drivers will soon face peak-hour restrictions on East Toronto streetcar routes

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Drivers will soon face peak-hour restrictions on East Toronto streetcar routes

What is that dirt on the tracks in the image attached to the article? Spilled sand from the collision?

 

[smuncky]

What is that dirt on the tracks in the image attached to the article? Spilled sand from the collision?

My guess would be to soak up the liquids from the collision.