Conversations with Steve Munro

As a frequent transit user, I often check out transit advocate Steve Munro's blog. I'm not entirely sure why, but I find myself frequently disagreeing with his viewpoint on the Toronto transit system.

A recent exchange on Blue 22, the proposed high speed link from Union Station to Pearson airport:

Me: The same arguments used in favour of high speed rail to the airport are also used to justify the continued operation of the island airport. Surely you would agree that the expense of Blue 22 would be justified by the death of the island airport, even if it makes no sense from a transit perspective (though I would dispute that as well).

Steve: I won’t speak for others, but my objection to Blue 22 is that this is a line that should be part of the local transit system, not a privately developed, premium fare service that serves a minority of potential demand in this corridor.

What does this mean? Do you mean that you like the polluting eyesore that is the island airport, or do you mean that you would rather wait for your preferred transit solution (which has been neither proposed nor planned by any level of government), while hoping that the island airport will go away on its own (which, in spite of Mayor Miller's 2003 mandate, is still alive and well)?