Wednesday
morning was not much fun for subway commuters. A track fire closed
College station for about 40 minutes in the a.m. rush, causing
delays all through the subway system. There were also reports of
severe crowding on many station platforms.
If you were
underground during that time, how did you fare? Drop me a line at
transit@eddrass.com.
Thursday morning
brought better news, in the form of newspaper headlines announcing a
breakthrough in the TTC’s cash crisis. It seems that the city of
Toronto, the province and the federal government have finally
responded to a chorus of transit riders and business leaders, all
asking for help. With reports of a billion dollars to be spent over
five years, the worst of the funding crunch may be behind us.
However, when it
comes to following through on grand announcements, governments tend
to stumble. So don’t fall asleep on the subway just yet, assuming
things are being taken care of. First of all, the money has to
actually be sent. One third of the equation is a government that
faces an imminent election -- if Prime Minister Paul Martin’s
Liberals are victorious, will they follow through on this promise?
Just last week
the commissioners of the TTC had to deal with a funding delay for a
project to add a second platform at the Union subway station. The
necessary money was announced years ago by all three levels of
government, but the cheques are just not arriving on time.
Another caveat
to keep in mind: Will the hoped-for billion be enough? Every year,
the TTC has costs in the hundreds of millions just to keep its
extensive infrastructure working, and to replace existing vehicles.
This could consume all the money currently on the table, without a
single extra bus or streetcar brought into service.
Lastly, if this
billion bucks includes a large capital project, like a subway
extension, then increased service across the city will be put off,
again. If our elected representatives can actually deliver
long-term, predictable funding to the TTC, then they deserve much
credit. Still, transit riders may have to hold them to this latest
promise, and keep an eye on how the money is spent.
Speaking of
infrastructure repair, the busy 506 Carlton streetcar route is this
year’s major transit repair job. The TTC and the city are getting a
jump on the spring construction season, and will spend almost eight
months replacing tracks and pavement along College, Carlton and
Gerrard Streets. Starting Monday, and lasting until November, work
will move along the streetcar route in segments, just as King Street
had its worn-out tracks rebuilt last year. The TTC has adopted this
“full line” approach to trackwork in recent years, instead of
smaller repairs across the network. TTC critic Steve Munro has been
scrutinizing the new methods, and he is “guardedly optimistic” that
the inconvenience for riders and merchants will be worth it,
resulting in tracks that last up to 30 years.
On March 8,
College will close between Ossington and Bathurst and by March 18
the entire section from Dundas Street to Bathurst will be shut. By
the last week of March, the portion of the 506 line from Lansdowne
to Carlton and Parliament will be out of commission. This will mean
very limited road access along these stretches, and no parking in
front of stores. more pieces of the route will be torn up as the
summer wears on, reaching as far east as Coxwell.
At first,
streetcars will divert to Dundas Street, but eventually riders will
be asked to use the 94 Wellesley bus and the 505 Dundas car which
run parallel to the Carlton line. Also, buses may use Gerrard Street
as a partial, and temporary, alternative to the 506.
This is one of
the transit system’s most heavily travelled routes, and informing
both regular and occasional users will require TTC staff to post
signs along the way, and change them often. To keep track of the
status of this project, look for the picture of the streetcar on the
TTC’s web page, www.ttc.ca.
Send e-mail to
transit@eddrass.com. Include
address and phone number.