[URBAN NOTE] "Evaluating Toronto’s Tough Transit Decisions as a Network"

[rfmcdonald]

Torontoist features Steve Munro's analysis of two transit options for Toronto's future.

On July 12, Toronto City Council faces a mountain of transit reports. The Scarborough subway extension is the high-profile issue, but many more demand Council’s attention: The Crosstown East and West LRT extensions, the Waterfront LRT, congestion relief on the subway, SmartTrack and the role of GO Transit, and fare integration with transit systems beyond the 416.

The challenge is to move from debates about individual lines to a network view. More is involved than drawing lines on a map. Crayons and paper are cheap, but a transit network will cost billions. Does Council have the discipline to spend wisely, face the cost of its decisions, and raise the funds needed to build a network Torontonians can ride in their lifetimes?