But even if it did achieve the goal of ending service disruptions, all that would ensure was uninterrupted TTC service: slow, infrequent, obstructive (Toronto is the only city in the world where traffic improves in a transit strike, since the streetcars are no longer blocking both lanes), and unpleasant.That's a mild -- but only mild -- exaggeration. I've never understood why this city insists on operating railed vehicles as though they were buses, thereby combining the disadvantages of both. Nor why transit "advocates" have fought tooth and nail to keep the streetcars -- and to expand the streetcar system -- without fighting equally hard to see that they are operated efficiently.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
501 reasons to hate the streetcar
Andrew Coyne on taking away transit workers' right to strike:
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I realize that this comment comes very late, but I have to dispute your comment "without fighting equally hard to see that they are operated efficiently". We've long tried advocating for measures that would get the cars out of the streetcars way, from clearways on King, to transit malls, et cetera, but we've often had to deal with deaf ears at the TTC and at City Hall.
Most recently, an association of riders along the 501 Queen streetcar has managed to organize a number of forums which have gathered TTC officials and allowed frustrated commuters to yell at them.
So, the activists are trying. But transit activism can be quite trying at times.
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