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Senior Member
Should the TTC join with other transit agencies? Board of trade report says yes
Sep 10 2014
By Tess Kalinowski
Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201..._agencies_board_of_trade_report_says_yes.html
The departing CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade has issued a blunt call for transit reform, saying it’s time to look at integrating the TTC and other municipal transit agencies into a single, regional transit body.
“This is the time when all options need to be on the table and need to be debated. We need to look at it from a regional perspective so it certainly should be considered,†said Carol Wilding, who is leaving the board of trade at the end of the month. She released the business group’s latest transit report Tuesday. Among its key suggestions is that riders might be better served if the TTC’s red vehicles were absorbed into a new regional transit brand.
The report cites the need for a more efficient transit network that puts customer convenience first, with fully integrated routes, fares and schedules. A new or revamped regional transit authority should have the power to make decisions and stick with them, something provincial agency Metrolinx hasn’t achieved, says the report.
“Somebody has to be in charge,†said Wilding. “As it stands no one knows who has the final word, or when a decision is a decision.â€
She reserved some of her harshest criticism for the Scarborough subway/LRT debate between city council and the province, calling it a “mess†that wasted “$100 million in sunk costs.â€
The board of trade suggests a new model should leave room for political input within legislation prohibiting changes to transit plans outside of prescribed review periods, possibly every five years. Wilding cited Scarborough as a key example of Metrolinx’s failure to offer transparent cost and benefit analyses of its investment decisions, something that is needed if the public is going to have confidence in how transit expansion moves forward.
Although Metrolinx is improving its practices, “Their ability to advance a truly regional, integrated transportation system is hampered. From a commuters’ perspective, what they want is easy access, a seamless commute. They want to be able to look at it from one network perspective. We talk about integrated fares — we don’t have the ability to do that right now,†she said.
The report recommends that Toronto develop its own transit governance model based on examples from London and Manchester, England; Portland, Ore.; and Germany.
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Sep 10 2014
By Tess Kalinowski
Read More: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201..._agencies_board_of_trade_report_says_yes.html
The departing CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade has issued a blunt call for transit reform, saying it’s time to look at integrating the TTC and other municipal transit agencies into a single, regional transit body.
“This is the time when all options need to be on the table and need to be debated. We need to look at it from a regional perspective so it certainly should be considered,†said Carol Wilding, who is leaving the board of trade at the end of the month. She released the business group’s latest transit report Tuesday. Among its key suggestions is that riders might be better served if the TTC’s red vehicles were absorbed into a new regional transit brand.
The report cites the need for a more efficient transit network that puts customer convenience first, with fully integrated routes, fares and schedules. A new or revamped regional transit authority should have the power to make decisions and stick with them, something provincial agency Metrolinx hasn’t achieved, says the report.
“Somebody has to be in charge,†said Wilding. “As it stands no one knows who has the final word, or when a decision is a decision.â€
She reserved some of her harshest criticism for the Scarborough subway/LRT debate between city council and the province, calling it a “mess†that wasted “$100 million in sunk costs.â€
The board of trade suggests a new model should leave room for political input within legislation prohibiting changes to transit plans outside of prescribed review periods, possibly every five years. Wilding cited Scarborough as a key example of Metrolinx’s failure to offer transparent cost and benefit analyses of its investment decisions, something that is needed if the public is going to have confidence in how transit expansion moves forward.
Although Metrolinx is improving its practices, “Their ability to advance a truly regional, integrated transportation system is hampered. From a commuters’ perspective, what they want is easy access, a seamless commute. They want to be able to look at it from one network perspective. We talk about integrated fares — we don’t have the ability to do that right now,†she said.
The report recommends that Toronto develop its own transit governance model based on examples from London and Manchester, England; Portland, Ore.; and Germany.
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