Public transit to DT from suburbs

[anyasok]

So when the hell will the council (or whoever) finally build something to accommodate people living in the suburbs getting to DT easily? I live in the Vaughan area and the only reliable way of getting DT (without taking a billion buses or paying the GO Train $10 ONE WAY only to switch to more buses after) is by using a vehicle which means: gas expenses, exorbitant parking expenses, shattered nerves from driving in DT, etc

From everything I read, they keep wanting to expand the DT lines and leave absolutely nothing to the suburbs. What don't they just burn them then if they don't mean anything to them?

And no, I will not leave the car at Yorkdale because: it is not efficient, it could get stolen and the parking lot closes @ 9.

[ronin1701]

So when the hell will the council (or whoever) finally build something to accommodate people living in the suburbs getting to DT easily? I live in the Vaughan area and the only reliable way of getting DT (without taking a billion buses or paying the GO Train $10 ONE WAY only to switch to more buses after) is by using a vehicle which means: gas expenses, exorbitant parking expenses, shattered nerves from driving in DT, etc.

Talk to the folks at Queen's Park. Since this is a cross-jurisdictional issue between York Region and Toronto, good luck if you can't get the province involved.

[Swarez99]

Theres a Barrie go train line, take that.
Live in the suburbs, do what rest of us do pay for go train.
The suburbs are built for cars, not mass transit there never will be great public transport out here, go train is decent enough.

[NorthYorker]

They're building subway to Jane/HW7 right now. With any luck, you would be able to take a single bus to Subway terminal and then take a train to DT. You would still likely pay double price (YRT+TTC), though.

[anyasok]

Theres a Barrie go train line, take that.
Live in the suburbs, do what rest of us do pay for go train.
The suburbs are built for cars, not mass transit there never will be great public transport out here, go train is decent enough.
Go train isn't anywhere near as convenient as the TTC DT lines which often dump you exactly where you need to go and they cost an arm and a leg.
Saying suburbs were designed for cars underscores the problem: we are supposed to promote a greener future and rely less on conventional cars (eventually leading to extinction of this form of transportation and reliance on fossil fuels towards other forms of way more efficient transportation whether it takes the form of a car or not) and progress to a society that doesn't destroy the planet.


They're building subway to Jane/HW7 right now. With any luck, you would be able to take a single bus to Subway terminal and then take a train to DT. You would still likely pay double price (YRT+TTC), though.
Still far cheaper than using the GO train.

[vero95]

why don't you move DT?

[NorthYorker]

GO is fast but expensive and infrequent. Subway from Hw 7 to Union would be, off the top of my head, about 40 mins, plus whatever time you spend in YRT. While in transit, you can calm yourself with a thought that same money buy McMansion in suburbs or shoebox downtown. You get what you pay for :)

[ssainani]

i actually dont think they should spend money to make it easier for someone who chose to live far away to come in easier every day.

[vero95]

i actually dont think they should spend money to make it easier for someone who chose to live far away to come in easier every day.

businesses should move out of Toronto. I agree

[NorthYorker]

businesses should move out of Toronto.Everyone who can, do move out. Toronto office space is expensive. Housing a boutique investment bank in Yukon would be much cheaper. However, businesses are attracted to where customers are.

[vero95]

Everyone who can, do move out. Toronto office space is expensive. Housing a boutique investment bank in Yukon would be much cheaper. However, businesses are attracted to where customers are.

depends what business. many offices do not rely on customers there and prestige is more important
office space used to be so cheap. many years ago they let you in for free as long as you paid for utilities :D

[NorthYorker]

office space used to be so cheap.AFAIK commercial leases are renewed every 5 years tops. So I doubt that there's great many offices with free rent in DT Toronto.

[Swarez99]

Everyone who can, do move out. Toronto office space is expensive. Housing a boutique investment bank in Yukon would be much cheaper. However, businesses are attracted to where customers are.

They also go to where employees are, if you want young/educated employees you go to Toronto. Companies (mine included) are now shifting people back downtown, I know banks are doing this too. My company had problems finding adaquite space downtown and now waiting for a building to be complete in 2014. Sadly I'll prib still live in Mississauga.

[wilson_wu]

Go train isn't anywhere near as convenient as the TTC DT lines which often dump you exactly where you need to go and they cost an arm and a leg.
Saying suburbs were designed for cars underscores the problem: we are supposed to promote a greener future and rely less on conventional cars (eventually leading to extinction of this form of transportation and reliance on fossil fuels towards other forms of way more efficient transportation whether it takes the form of a car or not) and progress to a society that doesn't destroy the planet.


Still far cheaper than using the GO train.

Who are you kidding though?

Suburbs were designed for cars. You can be an idealist and hope for "a greener future" but they just weren't designed for it.

If you truly want a greener future, live downtown and closer to work. Providing good transit service for that amount of distance is just too expensive. And because of the way development is built, it's nearly impossible to serve everyone efficiently without being prohibitively expensive for service providers.

[anyasok]

Who are you kidding though?

Suburbs were designed for cars. You can be an idealist and hope for "a greener future" but they just weren't designed for it.

If you truly want a greener future, live downtown and closer to work. Providing good transit service for that amount of distance is just too expensive. And because of the way development is built, it's nearly impossible to serve everyone efficiently without being prohibitively expensive for service providers.
Did you see the prices DT? A piece of crap shoebox would cost you an arm and a leg to RENT... purchasing the same shoebox would cost you that and your head.
I guess we can all thank the foreign investment for that...

[m0cha]

You'll never see great public transit in the suburbs as there simply isn't the population density to justify it. If you choose to live in the suburbs that's just something you'll have to deal with. You don't have to live downtown necessarily, as there are plenty of areas in Etobicoke, North York or Scarborough where it's just one straight bus ride to the subway.

[mbg]

Did you see the prices DT? A piece of crap shoebox would cost you an arm and a leg to RENT... purchasing the same shoebox would cost you that and your head.
I guess we can all thank the foreign investment for that...

This is the price of saving the planet... I guess it's not worth it to you, just like it's not worth it to a lot of other people.

[desidealer49]

This is the price of saving the planet... I guess it's not worth it to you, just like it's not worth it to a lot of other people.

No, that is the price of people capitalizing on the "save the planet" bandwagon.

I actually like that 99% of the companies in my field are outside Toronto. As for young people only working in DT as mentioned by someone, i wasn't aware engineering and technology companies hired grade 12 students. Guess all that studying to work in a suburb was a waste.

[Buggy166]

You'll never see great public transit in the suburbs as there simply isn't the population density to justify it. If you choose to live in the suburbs that's just something you'll have to deal with. You don't have to live downtown necessarily, as there are plenty of areas in Etobicoke, North York or Scarborough where it's just one straight bus ride to the subway.

this+ your suburb is an entirely different city. use your own money, not toronto's.

Id love an extension from kipling subway all the way to SQ1 in sauga, but why would toronto pay for it? up to kipling already covers Etobicoke south, so if an extension is t be made, Sauga would have to pay for it, but they wont because they cant afford it, and even if they did, they'd opt for something better down hurontario first.

[vero95]

when suburbs are planned, why do not they leave corridors for fast trains? a subway does not have to run underground

[ssainani]

when suburbs are planned, why do not they leave corridors for fast trains? a subway does not have to run underground

because the suburbs are planned around driving -- and not high speed trains to the city?

that's exactly why people move to the suburbs - so they can get into their cars and drive to costco.
if people bought to get downtown quickly they'd buy elsewhere.

[DiceMan]

So OP wants:

Home to be inexpensive.
Home to be large. No shoeboxes.
Transportation downtown to be inexpensive.
Transportation downtown to be convenient like TTC.
No driving>parking>TTC.

You do realize there are things called "tradeoffs" that exists wherever you live, don't you?

[NorthYorker]

So OP wants:

Home to be inexpensive.
Home to be large. No shoeboxes.
Transportation downtown to be inexpensive.
Transportation downtown to be convenient like TTC.
No driving>parking>TTC.Some bad areas within the City fit the description. Jane/Finch, Rexdale, certain corners of Scarboro.

[vero95]

because the suburbs are planned around driving -- and not high speed trains to the city?

that's exactly why people move to the suburbs - so they can get into their cars and drive to costco.
if people bought to get downtown quickly they'd buy elsewhere.

what? people buy in suburbs to have more space. they need to commute to the city though. why couldn;t they create corridors to accomodate that?

[IceBlueShoes]

No, that is the price of people capitalizing on the "save the planet" bandwagon.

I actually like that 99% of the companies in my field are outside Toronto. As for young people only working in DT as mentioned by someone, i wasn't aware engineering and technology companies hired grade 12 students. Guess all that studying to work in a suburb was a waste.

To some (like myself), time is more valuable than square footage. :
Life is too short to waste it away in a car. But it's all about compromise.

Cities are designed for people, suburbs are designed for cars.