The proposal to
expand the TTC’s overnight bus service is good news, but it can’t
happen unless some downtown night routes are eliminated. Most people
are in bed before the buses and streetcars of the Blue Night
network start running, yet the changes planned for this service
mirror the TTC’s larger problems. New overnight routes are slated to
run through suburban parts of Toronto, such as Lawrence Ave. E. from
Don Mills Rd. to the U of T campus in Scarborough, Sheppard Ave. E.
from Yonge St. to Meadowvale Rd. and along Steeles Ave. E. from
Yonge St. to Middlefield Rd.
These routes
would improve what is already excellent late night transit service,
compared to many cities in North America and Europe. Our subway runs
until nearly 2 a.m., later than world-class systems such as those in
Paris and London. The TTC’s late night and overnight bus routes are
more frequent than daytime services in many US cities. Granted, most
Blue Night lines run half-hourly, and that may seem a long wait when
you’re cold or tired. Transferring from one Blue Night route to
another can also be time-consuming, especially for those headed to
an early work shift.
Still, Blue
Night covers much of the City of Toronto. 92% of all city residents
are within a 15 minute walk of 24-hour service. The new lines would
bring approximately 97% of residents into this range, and some York
Region citizens as well. The price? We lose the 306 Carlton
streetcar, the 322 Coxwell bus and 316 Ossington bus. Apparently
these three routes provide about 245,000 passenger trips each year,
and TTC planners report that the majority of these customers would
remain within a 15-minute walk of other routes.
Carlton car
patrons, whose numbers have increased strongly over the last few
years, would have to walk to parallel night service along Bloor/Danforth
or Queen St. For those travelling between two destinations on the
306 route, this is doubly incovenient. Axing the 322 Coxwell and 316
Ossington will affect fewer riders than the 306, but their loss
weakens the overnight network.
This challenge
points to a major dilemma in promoting transit use in a large city
-- giving suburb-dwellers more service by cutting back on
frequencies downtown. This difficult trade-off is not new. Until the
early 1970s, the TTC covered all its operating costs without
government subsidy. As the population grew in places like North
York, Etobicoke and Scarborough, municipal councillors from those
areas demanded better transit service. TTC vehicles were required to
cover longer distances, at a higher cost per rider.
Transit-friendly neighbourhoods are by their nature cheaper to
serve than sprawling car-oriented suburbs. Yet politicians from
outer areas argue that all Toronto citizens deserve good transit
service, regardless of where they live. Over the decades, transit
funding has gravitated away from central Toronto, in response to the
growing political power of the suburbs. The night bus network is
just an example of an ongoing trend. In the name of “equality”, the
TTC must ensure that those who live in newer parts of the city have
the same 15 minute walk to a night bus route. Because there is only
so much money available, this pits city councillors against each
other, instead of choosing to grow the entire system.
The problem
extends beyond Toronto’s boundaries. Vote-rich areas in the 905 have
been able to persuade provincial and federal politicians to fund new
transit projects, yet it’s much more expensive to attract riders in
the suburbs than it is downtown. What is the best use of limited
public funds?
Send e-mail to
transit@eddrass.com.
Include address and phone number.