Yep, more businesses should offer flex hours, so not everyone is in a race to get to work by 9am!
Up taxes to fix traffic, Mayor tells transportation forum (Mississauga News)
- Thread starter LoneRonin
- Start date
Yep, more businesses should offer flex hours, so not everyone is in a race to get to work by 9am!
So we agree on this point?
I know they're not really comparable, but you brought up American cities. The point still being, is that post-war growth centred on the automobile and the suburbs, and that the general populace at the time was averse to planning for transit that served higher density neighbourhoods. This is not unique to Mississauga, and at least Hazel has admitted that they were wrong and the city is actively attempting to reverse the trend.
nesobriquet
Well-known member
No one change is going to solve the problem. But every little bit helps, and allowing bikes in HOV lanes would help. No one can deny it.
But they also need to have a complete about-face change of thought in the GTA. They are quick to talk about removing free bike parking. Completely against lane-filtering. Basically down on bikes as a general rule...and is done with their collective heads so far up their *****, I wouldn't be holding my breath for drastic changes in mind-set. As congestion grows, if there isn't infrastructure to support the growth, (keeping in mind you don't just create new real estate to place this infrasture) then I see GTA's traffic habits becoming more like downtown Singpore. More bikes, more bicycles, fewer traffic laws (a person can dream right?) or at least more relaxed laws. Yes, I know.. is insane to even wish for that much common-sense given the area we're discussing..
So go for the little things that are dead simple and easy to do and can be implemented almost over-night.
invictus43
Well-known member
That sort of is and isn't the issue. Dev money is big..but transit money is bigger. But I agree, it's a political issue. Like I say, some people want to drive. Transit is someone else..not ME. The reality today is, it's very difficult for a municipality to fund a subway or LRT. You're talking billions of dollars. Municipalities simply can't raise that kinda dough. So they rely on the province. Well, one of the main transit players in the province, the TTC, doesn't want to play ball. So that makes it difficult to have a regional transit plan when you can't get the players to follow the plan.
Look at it this way. Mississauga has no problem with traffic within its borders. There is not enough density to support transit within Mississauga. However, if you take all the people driving THROUGH Mississauga to get somewhere else..that's when it becomes an issue. Ok..so how do you facilitate that? Mississauga wants to grow a transit system to serve its own needs and goals..making Mississauga a city on its own. That is in stark contrast to the current reality where a lot of people are simply trying to get to Toronto. Who decides how to increase regional accessibility and stops suburbs from creating their own transit system?
invictus43
Well-known member
Some of these things are organic..car ownership in the downtown core is lower now than 20 years ago. More people ride bicycles etc. It's out of necessity and choice..you know, "urban hipsters". The fact is, there are still many many people living in Milton and driving to Markham.
Freak
Well-known member
You missed the point Sir!
Agreed...one of the problems is that all of the regions don't want to play together and it's a matter of $$...who pays for what...how are they split...who gets what % share when a rider goes between municipalities and all these other items.
As for funding it...yes it's a huge investment financially, but the short term goal shouldn't be an expansion of 10-20kms at a time. The TTC/Toronto could alleviate a lot of headaches by simply building a transit expansion in steps. They build 1-2 subway stations at a time, keep the machine in the ground, and then in a year add another 1-2 stops...this breaks down the huge financial burden and allows it to grow as it's needed. They currently have enough machines to support this type of plan (I work for the TBM supplier so I'm a bit biased) but I think a slow growth is better than scrambling for a huge influx of $ at a time.
invictus43
Well-known member
Well, I work with a lot of planners and transportation planners..and I can tell you, it's not their fault!
It really is political. Much like power generation. I can tell you there are multiple proposals right now from various municipalities to Metrolinx trying to get a slice of the transit pie. Not all of them make a lot of sense..but municipalities are trying to serve their own interests. I will be very interested to see how Metrolinx (a body with very little power and at the whim of whatever government is serving to get any money..) approaches those proposals. It will say a lot about what their approach/logic is. Stay tuned!
Just don't raise my property taxes for non-Mississauga residents to have quicker access to and from Toronto to their Golden Horseshoe area. I say why not take advantage of them for not living closer to their workplace and put up toll roads everywhere with Mississauga residents/tax payers being the exceptions of having not pay the toll fee.
We have Go-train don't we to get into and out of Toronto. Not too familiar with how that works or if it's congested getting to it. More people just need to ride scooters within the cities and leave the cars for long distance highway traveling problem solved lol.
CruiserGoneSport
Well-known member
Hop into this century, I am more effective when I work from home than when I am at the office. Larger corporations are getting this and more of us are being sent home to work. The only traffic impacting me then is Internet traffic %$*#ing Rogers. lol!
Still too many old school managers who haven't caught on to managing by deliverables, they think if you're not wearing a monkey suit and in your office, you're not working. Still, most are retiring...
True, not all jobs can be done through virtual offices but I'm willing to bet you could empty many office towers, think of the impact to traffic if we could adopt the modern commute of signing on to VPN.
invictus43
Well-known member
Have a look at this and you can see where they're going with regional transit. Note the timelines..
http://www.metrolinx.com/thebigmove/en/lookingforward/5_2_first15years.aspx
http://www.metrolinx.com/thebigmove/en/lookingforward/5_2_first15years.aspx
I really hope that we get all of these things done in that time frame! But as you say it's extremely political and the planners do what they can with what they've got...which sometimes is f - all...
Personally if I could commute to work by bus where it didn't take me 3x the time to ride/drive to work I would do it. But I prefer to spend my time doing other things instead of sitting on a bus...and this is taking it from Lakeshore / Kipling to Kipling / 409!
iegod
Well-known member
I think we can agree that we all want our taxes used in areas that directly benefit us first and foremost, and indirectly second. I don't need/want someone else to pay for it. I want my existing tax dollars to be put to better use.
invictus43
Well-known member
I like this statement ...
FACT: TRANSIT TRIPS TO PEARSON
Currently, less than one per cent of all travellers at Pearson Airport arrive by public transit.
I am not surprised about the above. I think most cities worldwide would end up similarly. People either use a friend to drop them off or a cab. Using public transit to go to airport is not feasible for a vast majority of travelers.
Hmmm ... I occasionally fly out of Pearson and hadn't even considered the possibility of taking transit there. Airport parking is a whole lot more expensive than a couple of bus fares.
It would take 3 bus trips with one transfer at Shopper's World and another at Bramalea in order to get from where I am to the airport.
Given that transit doesn't start operating until around 5:45 AM, that option looks like missing my flight ...
The Road Warrior
Well-known member
Traffic in Mississauga is getting ridiculous and there is a good reason why this is happening, and that is the insane amount of condo buildings going up EVERYWHERE, there isn't a spot of grass or trees left in this ****ing city, they are building without any future planning and increasing population like crazy which = tons of vehicles. Mississauga is choking and building itself to death. Raising taxes is not going to do a damned thing, nothing can be done anymore it's too late, way too many buildings and people in this city.
The last thing we need is more taxes.
The last thing we need is more taxes.
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invictus43
Well-known member
I used the train when I flew into Chicago last time from Midway to downtown. It really wasn't bad, but the airport was on the L and so was my hotel. I was considering this question 20 mins ago. So they're installing extra tracks along the Weston rail corridor to provide the rail link to the airport. I was thinking, I wonder if anyone will actually use it? That thing is going to Union, agreed, but I'm curious how many people will actually use it. It will be interesting to see. I saw a fair number of people using the L in Chicago from Midway..I think enough to justify it. But it was on the L to begin with..and there are actuallyl stops along the way to downtown.
