Visions for the GTTA

I have a dream

I have a dream that one day I'll be able to spend no more than 10 minutes walking or biking to the nearest transit stop.

I have a dream that one day I'll be able to wait no longer than 20 minutes for a transit vehicle that has room for me, is accessible should I need it to be, and can accommodate my bicycle.

I have a dream that one day I'll be able to ride a local transit vehicle for no more than 30 minutes before we reach a rapid transit stop.

I have a dream that one day I'll be able to use my Presto Card to pay for transit rides or bicycle lockers, and the price I will pay will be the same price as a trip that begins anywhere else.

I have a dream that one day I'll be able to travel anywhere in the 416 for one price, anywhere in the 905 for one price, on GO for whatever my trip costs, and only pay a small fee to transfer between those three services.

I have a dream that one day I'll be able to use the internet to plan my trip, use an SMS message to get official schedules, and get service updates directly to my mobile device.

I have a dream that one day service improvements will be used to build ridership instead of just to react to overcrowding, and that those responsible for the system will never rest on their laurels.

The dream I've describes is something that is within our grasp if we decide to put municipal boundaries aside. We have to realize that the commute doesn't understand the concept of Steeles Avenue, the Etobicoke Creek or the Rouge River. We have to realize that what might mean a loss of revenue or control for one agency will bring thousands of riders to the system. We have to realize that there is expertise in this region that is being misdirected towards protecting the dysfunctional system we have now.

We ceased being a collection of cities within a province long ago. We are one region, and our transit system has to reflect that fact. If that perspective shift can be reached within the current framework, then we will have a system which extends good service to the suburbs without loosing control over internal affair.

However, the past tract record, from the perspective of the rider who travels every day, is not something to be proud. The status quo is unacceptable

Someone has to take the lead to shift transit in the GTA from a patchwork to a true network.

That someone might be the TTC, it might be Metrolinx, or it might be Queens Park directly.

Either way, it has to be someone.

Labels: GTTA plan, politics

posted by Andrae Griffith @ 6:21 p.m.