Public transit ridership in Canada hits new record

[doh]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...627?hub=Canada

Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Public transit ridership in Canada increased in 2006 by just over three per cent to set a record for the fourth year in a row.

The Canadian Urban Transit Association says preliminary figures for 2006 show there were 1.7 billion trips nationally, a 3.21 per cent increase.

On a year-over-year basis, ridership grew by 52.7 million trips, which is close to the entire ridership on a transit system the size of Edmonton.

Association president Michael Roschlau says the upward trend is expected to continue partly due to Canadians' concern about the environment.

The association last year called for $20.7 billion in upgrades for public transit infrastructure for the period of 2006-2010.

It says it is encouraged by Federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon's recent commitment to developing a national transit strategy and looks forward to helping meet the growing demand for public transit.

[69Firebird400]

Wow. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, they're talking about never having state funding available for mass transit, raising fares, and cutting back on service.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/8198617.html

[2000 GTP]

That’s pretty interesting to hear. But at the same time the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) is still saying they don’t have the necessary funding to grow and expand.
I think Toronto is systematically trying to remove cars from the down town core.

[YupYupYup]

That is because public transit in Canada has been quite horrible until just recently.

Public transit in many smaller Pennsylvania cities is much better than many larger Candian cities...Newer buses, more routes, later hours of operation...

Some other reasons why public transit ridership is up in Canada, besides better service in most cities...

* Owning a car is still more expensive for most Canadian families. Taxes are higher and gas is still more expensive.

* Americans are more indepedently minded than Candians...Most Canadian just wait for the government to take care of everything for them(socialism).

* New tax credits and other incentives, although it is still not known the total impact, if any...

* Road systems are much better in the U.S. There are still a lot of two-lane highways and dirt roads in Canada...A lot of empty space.

[YupYupYup]

Originally Posted by 2000 GTP

That’s pretty interesting to hear. But at the same time the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) is still saying they don’t have the necessary funding to grow and expand.
I think Toronto is systematically trying to remove cars from the down town core.

YUP...

And...Unions...Get more $$$ by making the situation seem horrible...

[paul8488]

I always found the Toronto area TTC and GOTrain service excellent. I used to ride the GO to work from Hamilton to Oakville. I didn't love the fact that missing a train meant an hour wait sometimes, but that's one of the down sides of Transit. Still, in over two years of that my trips were all about one hour plus/minus 10 minutes... whereas when I took the car it ranged from 29 minutes (record time!) to over 2 hours. I'll always have a car, but if I move back to an urban center in Canada I'll certainly use mass transit.

[hunchman]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

That is because public transit in Canada has been quite horrible until just recently.

Public transit in many smaller Pennsylvania cities is much better than many larger Candian cities...Newer buses, more routes, later hours of operation...

Some other reasons why public transit ridership is up in Canada, besides better service in most cities...

* Owning a car is still more expensive for most Canadian families. Taxes are higher and gas is still more expensive.

* Americans are more indepedently minded than Candians...Most Canadian just wait for the government to take care of everything for them(socialism).

* New tax credits and other incentives, although it is still not known the total impact, if any...

* Road systems are much better in the U.S. There are still a lot of two-lane highways and dirt roads in Canada...A lot of empty space.

did you just make this up? Believe it or not we have running water and real toilets that flush.

[King Riffle]

Originally Posted by paul8488

I always found the Toronto area TTC and GOTrain service excellent. I used to ride the GO to work from Hamilton to Oakville. I didn't love the fact that missing a train meant an hour wait sometimes, but that's one of the down sides of Transit. Still, in over two years of that my trips were all about one hour plus/minus 10 minutes... whereas when I took the car it ranged from 29 minutes (record time!) to over 2 hours. I'll always have a car, but if I move back to an urban center in Canada I'll certainly use mass transit.

The TTC was excellent imo for the week I spent in Toronto. Amazingly clean too.

Milwaukee was just debating wether to expand the bus system or add light rail. Let me see if I can find that article. Right now all they have is the bus system.

Edit to add: Here's the most relevant article I could find on that topic.
http://www.autoweek.nl/images/480/1/...bd3c0a2351.jpg

There are some other light rail plans being discussed. One of them would connect Milwaukee and the rest of it's suburbs with Kenosha's Metra station (Metra being Chicago's rail system. Basically the plan would connect the two cities.)

[Mikkoo]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

That is because public transit in Canada has been quite horrible until just recently.

Public transit in many smaller Pennsylvania cities is much better than many larger Candian cities...Newer buses, more routes, later hours of operation...

Some other reasons why public transit ridership is up in Canada, besides better service in most cities...

* Owning a car is still more expensive for most Canadian families. Taxes are higher and gas is still more expensive.

* Americans are more indepedently minded than Candians...Most Canadian just wait for the government to take care of everything for them(socialism).

* New tax credits and other incentives, although it is still not known the total impact, if any...

* Road systems are much better in the U.S. There are still a lot of two-lane highways and dirt roads in Canada...A lot of empty space.

Have you lived in Canada or abroad to really understand how things work there? Honestly, they get great universal health care with their tax dollars.
The government takes care of them, and thats a good thing. In America
do you really get good social programs that take care of peoples well being?
Socialism is a good thing. In Finland as in Canada, everyone gets health
care. Absolutely nobody goes without, so you don't have to make the decision not to have health care so your child can have it. That's peace of mind.

[GotAWD]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

That is because public transit in Canada has been quite horrible until just recently.

Public transit in many smaller Pennsylvania cities is much better than many larger Candian cities...Newer buses, more routes, later hours of operation...

Some other reasons why public transit ridership is up in Canada, besides better service in most cities...

* Owning a car is still more expensive for most Canadian families. Taxes are higher and gas is still more expensive.

* Americans are more indepedently minded than Candians...Most Canadian just wait for the government to take care of everything for them(socialism).

* New tax credits and other incentives, although it is still not known the total impact, if any...

* Road systems are much better in the U.S. There are still a lot of two-lane highways and dirt roads in Canada...A lot of empty space.

The 5 years i lived in ottawa the transit system was quite excellent. very efficient and they are going to expand their light rail system. the buses have their own roads to get around, so they dont need to be on the highway and wont get caught in traffic. All their buses have been updated with New more efficient buses.

As for Canadians being close minded well you can speak for yourself on that. last i checked we can still smoke herbs on the lawn of the parliment building here in ottawa. not that i have done that Their has also been the support of *** marriges and such but thats another topic

And as for the road system look at the size of Ontario to say Texas, Ontario still dwarfs Texas and the majority of the population lives in the south of the province. thats why North of Northbay their is still 2 lane highways.Yes i know its a road but its considerd a highway We just dont have the population to support divided highway systems in some parts of the province.

[W.A.F.U.]

Originally Posted by YupYupYup

* Road systems are much better in the U.S. There are still a lot of two-lane highways and dirt roads in Canada...A lot of empty space.

You've never even driven to Canada before have you?

Having fairly recently done a long drive that took me through New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and finally Quebec, I can tell you that your perception of Canada has some serious flaws.

[Caleb02]

how come car and drive and motor trend never test drive a city bus or even have one in its long term test fleet? I think the status car should be a city bus, I have sold my car 11 years ago and have not looked back!

[uujjj]

hang, on, does the filter now block "***" (g a y)?

[TheGeneral]

Metra blows most transit systems away. Ridership is through the roof, we have the highest gas prices in the country.

[nascarnate326]

Originally Posted by W.A.F.U.

You've never even driven to Canada before have you?

Having fairly recently done a long drive that took me through New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and finally Quebec, I can tell you that your perception of Canada has some serious flaws.

Continue... Ive only been to Canada for a fishing trip wtih my grandparents long ago, and just across the border to drink...how are your roads?