GraphicMatt.com Archived MetroNews.ca columns and blog posts by Matt Elliott

ArchiveSeptember 2016

If Presto is the TTC's future, the future doesn't look bright

The TTC is seeing slow uptake on the switch to Presto. With Presto, change is coming slowly. Numbers from the TTC show that just five per cent of all trips in August were paid for with the Presto fare card. Even with the TTC planning to ditch tokens and passes next year, the vast majority of riders still haven’t even given their replacement a look. These cards are supposed to represent the...

I have met the enemy, and it is parking: Matt Elliott on Toronto's biggest barrier to progress

What is the impact parking has on housing affordability? Matt Elliott explores. Bad and outdated parking policies are insidious in Toronto. They stand in the way of transit expansion and affordable housing. They are contrary to urbanism. And they must be stopped. This all might sound like hyperbole, but I’m hardly exaggerating. Let’s start by looking at the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA), the...

Sweaty subways, shabby sidewalks: Time to get angry about Toronto city council

Mayor John Tory arrives at Kipling Station with Bianca Spence following their sweaty Sept. 7 ride on Line 2. Over my years watching Toronto city hall, I’ve learned something about municipal politicians. They make a lot of assumptions about the average voter — about the stuff we value and the things we care about. The biggest assumption? Most of them think the only thing voters ever get mad about...

Is Ontario’s road pricing plan HOT? It’s not

Here’s the good news: Ontario’s ministry of transportation is sending out permits for new high occupancy toll lanes (HOT lanes) on the QEW. Starting Sept. 15, the permits will allow drivers travelling alone to pay to use lanes previously reserved for vehicles with passengers. It’s a first step toward putting a price on road and highway use – something many economists have long been advocating as...

GraphicMatt.com Archived MetroNews.ca columns and blog posts by Matt Elliott

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