OT: WHO MADE THIS CITY!!!! Montreal Traffic Rant

[pepperMonkey]

The TTC is a joke. The subway covers about 10% of Toronto (within about a 15 minute walk from the subway stops) and the streetcars are the worst ideas ever (they're putting in a new one on a major east-west street midtown). The city and the province have been really lax on infrastructure in the city and have only now put money towards fixing it in future budgets.

You are right, subways are a much better idea compared to streetcars...that is until reality sets in...
Frankly speaking, no money to put in a proper subway system into Toronto. Then again, considering they have (as of 2009) 20+ ticket booth operators (i.e. those guys who yell and scream at you when you don't understand their grunts when you are buying a ticket or asking for directions) who earn over $100K a year...let alone all the other $100K+ earners like the drivers...well, guess we know where the money goes...Heck, Madrid built 150km subway system in about the same length of time as the TTC did 5.5km Sheppard line (at about a third of the costs per km). And Rob Ford was thinking of adding ~32km of subway lines for only 9 billion?? What? Is he on drugs (oh wait...)? Did things get cheaper to build since almost a decade ago? (the answer is no of course). It took the Sheppard line of 5.5km a decade to build, just imagine the chaos that Rob Fords plan would have cause...and the sad result is that even if by some miracle, they were able to build it within the wishful budget...we are still left with a public transit map that doesn't cover nearly enough of Toronto. In comparison Montreal's public transit is a god send...

The reality is, the costs to build subways is extremely ridiculous, let alone operate in todays crazy prices and takes too bloody long...if the government could somehow rain in the crazy expenses then there is a chance but as it stands, if you want decent coverage, not so ridiculous spending in a more timely manner (there is no such thing as timely in Toronto), then streetcars and LRT's are (albeit, not ideal) a fact of life.

BTW, is it just me or does the Highway repavement projects (401, 410, 427, DVP etc. etc.) take more and more time to do? Wasn't it used to be a summer hassle? I don't recall it being a full year hassle...(or at least 3 seasons). Section of the 401 by Yorkdale mall has been unpaved for like seemingly half a year..(though it's probably just my imagination...).

 

[Paul Dipietro]

People should get the annual pass. Imagine all the time you would save by not having to wait in line every month.

If it was just about waiting in line due to collective procrastination, he would have no reason to complain

The point is that the STM consistenly don't give a rat's behind and stories like this are commonplace

 

[Habstract]

I am originally from Montreal now living in Vancouver... Vancouver traffic is the worst !!!

 

[Strat]

Not everyone needs the annual pass.

In TO, there's a service where they send you by mail the monthly pass. Not sure if MTL adopted it.

 

[hototogisu]

In TO, there's a service where they send you by mail the monthly pass. Not sure if MTL adopted it.

Yeah, both the AMT and the STM offer it. Well they send you one card and it refills automatically each month.

 

[Kachino]

Train de l'est finally launched today, holy crap was it full at gare centrale, something like a boxing day congestion at fairview in the west island for those who live there.

Took 10 extra years to finally complete it.

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

Took 10 extra years to finally complete it.

And how many millions?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Oh, I had forgotten! There was a homeless guy passed out literally in front of the ATM, like, blocking the way, so you couldn't really use it unless you dragged him away.

Holy crap that's so sad... It's so bad it's almost comedic.

 

[Kachino]

And how many millions?

Officially or truly?

 

[zzoo]

With the new Train de l'est, is there a bit of less traffic on the East now ?

 

[RealityBytes]

And how many millions?

Well, in the news they said the new train line cost around $61,000 per passenger who will use it. As also said, it would have been far cheaper to buy them all fuel efficient cars and have them carpool. The operational cost of gas and parking would be offset by the cost of the user's train passes.