By: Nicole Haldoupis
Public transit is a wonderful thing. Every citizen of this planet who regularly suffers because of it is probably, in some way or another, very proud of the fact that they are contributing to reduction of our carbon footprint as a species on this planet. Being “green” is something to be proud of, as saving the earth is becoming a very legitimate concern considering our ozone layer is continuing to deteriorate by the second – we can all agree that we want to have this homely little sphere of ours in working condition for as long as possible.
HOWEVER.
When it comes to the TTC, one of the worst rated public transit systems on this planet, I sort of don’t really care and want to buy a car that emits lots and lots of poisonous gas and carbon monoxide that I can singlehandedly shoot into the stratosphere and make the hole even bigger. But I guess taking it out on the ozone layer probably isn’t the best idea.
The TTC recently did two new, big and super exciting things to…promote themselves? Make riding more comfortable and enjoyable? Well, I guess that’s what they were going for, but to most people it came off as more of a humiliation scheme than anything else.
Every GTA commuter has probably at least heard of the shiny new TTC train – yes, the new train. The one train they have in circulation until they decide it’s a good time to get the other six or so that they have sitting in the Wilson train yard – and who knows where else – up and running. Apparently they are going to gradually replace the old ones with 70 new ones over the next three years. Meaning in three years, they’ll start thinking about putting a second train into circulation. Instead we all get to ride by the yard on our way to Downsview and look at them longingly every morning on our way to York, stifling our dreams of getting off of a new train at our very own subway station and walking out into a field before catching a glimpse of the beautiful, unavoidable view of Vari Hall we will have, and snapping back into reality when we hit the end of a long and looping bus line to get on the 196.
If you happen to be one of the lucky few who have had the privilege of riding one of these angelic trains – sorry, this angelic train – you may have noticed that there’s a step when you get on and off. I nearly fell onto the platform after my first ride. Maybe I’m crazy, but I was under the impression that our commuter-accommodating transit system was trying to progressively make changes towards station accessibility for all passengers – not against it. If I were in a wheel chair, how the hell would I have gotten on? They have all these lovely new spaces where you can lock up your wheelchair once you get on the train, but if you can’t get on it in the first place then what’s the use? The only option would be to wait for the next train, which is, until further notice, guaranteed to be an old rickety one.
“It’s like building a library, but forgetting to take the weight of the books into account!” an angered commuter exclaimed to me upon discussion of the subject. It’s one of the first and most basic issues to consider with when building such a contraption.
Although, the new light-up maps are pretty cool.
The second and arguably even more exciting thing that the TTC has gotten us all riled up over recently – you must have seen the ads, they’re everywhere – is the new “clipped” metropass. Yes, they are kind of cool, with the slight European flair of, you know, having the corner clipped off. It feels almost exactly like I’m hopping on the Metro in Paris, only less French.
Actually it doesn’t feel anything like Paris. They’re not even really clipped – they’re sort of just rounded at one corner. Why, you may ask, would they want to do such a thing? Well, according to ttc.ca:
“The clipped edge, a helpful feature for all TTC customers, indicates the direction the pass needs to be swiped at a turnstile for smooth, fumble-free entry.”
Now, although the unclipped passes do cause slight fumbling on occasion, they seemed to have spent a whole lot of money on these new ones – insanely in-your-face advertising, new manufacturing equipment for the new passes (since they’re not actually clipped they’re just shaped differently) – and my question is why do you think it’s a good idea to go all out financially on creating useless new metropasses and new trains that are more of a hindrance to commuters than a step in the right direction, and then cut bus service, hike the rates and expect us to blindly enjoy whatever you throw at us next?
Not to mention the futuristic new subway line we’ve all been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for. As you know it’s supposed to have a York University station, among many other extravagantly designed stations – go check out the website, they’re pretty crazy. This extension has been in the planning process for maybe around twenty years or so (my aunt told me it was supposed to be done by the time she graduated from York, in 1995). Although the TTC website denies this, Wikipedia has a tiny little mention of the planning of that private bus road they just finished putting in a couple of years ago, “In 2003, a temporary busway was planned between Downsview Station and the campus, but was opposed by the university, which felt it would lessen government willingness to extend the subway.” That means they’ve been putting it off since BEFORE 2003. In the “History and Milestones” section of the Spadina Extension website, their oldest piece of planning history for this highly procrastinated project says: “February 2005: Toronto City Council passes a motion that the Spadina Subway Extension to Steeles Avenue is Toronto’s top priority for subway expansion.” It doesn’t say anything about when they decided they were going to do it, just that by 2005 it was deemed a “top priority.” That’s why it’s taken them six years to get it going.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they’re finally working on it. It’s just really annoying that I have to put up with all the disgusting construction so that a year or two after I graduate, and no longer have to set off on my daily two-hour adventure to our academic oasis, it will be finished. I’m really happy for all the people that get to enjoy it though. I hope they appreciate it. And take care of it. And take pictures and put them up on facebook so I can see them and wish they had started taking action ten years before they did.
But, luckily for me I can’t afford a car, and I am contributing to saving this beautiful planet of ours by taking public transportation every day and having the opportunity to read the Metro horoscopes and do Sudoku’s, and I’m not driving and not complaining about the idiocy of the TTC and their stupid new “clipped” metropasses.
