Public transit creates pressing concerns in Toronto’s imminent municipal election
Friday, October 19, 2018
By: Manus Hopkins
In 2017, 79 per cent of undergraduate students at Ryerson University identified as commuters, according to the National Survey of Student Engagement.
Some students at the school are not shy to voice their issues when it comes to their commutes. Watch the video below.
(Video by Ekaterina Giannikos)
Laura Mitri, a business management student, said she uses the GO train and the TTC to get to school. According to Mitri, TTC delays and slow running-times can negatively affect her schedule and productivity.
“I can be late to class or not get home at a fair time,” Mitri said. “Usually when I get home from the GO train I’m really tired and I can’t do a lot of work, and it’s hard to do work on transit too.”
Madeline Edwards is a sports media student who sometimes faces problems with overcrowded streetcars.
“In the winter when more people are taking the TTC, sometimes you’ll have to wait two or three cars to actually get on because it’s so full in the morning,” said Edwards.
Media production student Sarah Shtern said she doesn’t really experience issues with her short commute, and sometimes walks to school.
“I think the subway is great, but I only take it a few stops,” said Shtern.
Commuter concerns extend beyond fare costs
While free transit is something that has come up a lot in debates and platforms for Toronto’s upcoming municipal election, the cost of travel to and in the city is not the only problem commuters face—and not the biggest.
Recently, The Forum Poll™ conducted a poll, asking 944 random Torontonians about their biggest concerns with public transit. Not having enough subway lines proved to be the biggest concern, followed closely by overcrowding.
With 31 per cent voting for not enough subway lines and 29 per cent for overcrowding, cost of fares lagged far behind with only 10 per cent of votes.
(Thinglink by Alya Stationwala)
Mayoral candidates disagree on solution strategies
The four leading mayoral candidates each have different plans to solve problems with public transit.
Mayor John Tory has said he will move forward with a proposed network plan that will see the construction of a relief line for easier access to the Yonge segment of Line 1, as well as the building of six new SmartTrack GO stations, among other tactics.
Mayoral candidate, Jennifer Keesmaat has said she can have the relief line finished three years ahead of Tory’s projected timeline. She also has her sights set on making the King Street pilot permanent and building a provincial and federal government funded three-stop Scarborough subway, but removing SmartTrack GO stations at Lawrence and Gerrard.
Both Tory and Keesmaat support the construction of an Eglinton West light rail transit (LRT) to the airport.
Candidate Saron Gebresellassi has attracted attention saying Torontonians should have a right to transit, so public transit should be free. Another mayoral hopeful, Sarah Climenhaga, has said free transit is unrealistic, but seniors using transit for free can be a step in the right direction.
Tory’s platform includes maintaining the current transit rates for seniors, and Keesmaat has called the notion of free transit “ridiculous.”
The municipal election will take place on Monday, October 22.
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