Elections!

[nfotxn]

Oh yeah so we're having an election in Canada too. My friend Matt is the campaign manager for the Green Party here in Hamilton Downtown. But I'm voting NDP 'cause the Candidate in my riding went above and beyond his duty and helped my Mom when we were kids.

Also yesterday I spent most of my time geeking over the Metrolinx Regional Transit Plan Draft which includes a $15 billion dollar East-West LRT line for Hamilton as a top priority.

My vote can be bought with the right incentives.

Comments

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah I agree. But he can make good posters...

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yo did you see the accusation from Giambrone that Metrolinx is about privatizing transit? The people running the TTC are so fucking goofballs and I suspect illiterate.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah I read the whole draft plan last night and unless it was worded on purpose to be ambiguous about P3's I think it's a bit of conjecture to assume that's the case. As per the TTC's take on Metrolinx I think they're a bit miffed that the focus is not on the city of Toronto. Essentially it boils down to the fact that much of Metrolinx's plan focuses on the suburbs and the City of Hamilton, referring to the area as the GTHA not the GTA. Not that I'm anti-Toronto but an especially telling study in the report shows that there is unparalleled transit use and social need to unfulfilled within the City of Hamilton. Even residents at Jane & Finch have access to the subway and I believe a 24hr bus service. In my town there are many disabled and under-employed people using transit outdated (Buses) and dangerous (one way streets). If Metrolinx can deliver they're on their way to advancing social justice for a lot of people who can't afford jobs that require cars. Like me.

You know I disagree with you about the one-way-streets, but...

[pxtl.livejournal.com]

They're spot-on about suburbia. Right now, the tech center of this part of Ontario is Mississauga - and realistically, I can't take a job there unless it will pay enough for me get a car for the job and commute on the 407 - there's simply no other way to get to most office parks in the area. The whole sprawl between Hamilton and TO is utterly dreadful for transit... although I don't know how fixable that problem is, since they're all hyper-sprawled developments.

Regrettably, I won't be able to bike to work anymore here in Hamilton, since our offices are relocating Plant 19, which is a port facility on Eastport Drive.

Looks like I'll be an HSR commuter in a week, if carpooling doesn't pan out.

Re: You know I disagree with you about the one-way-streets, but...

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah what's interesting about rapid transit corridors is that investment intensifies density along those lines. What the success of this plan also depends on is professionals demanding transit accessibility to work. If gas prices remain the way they are that probably won't be a problem.

As per one-way streets but if you'd care to look at the evidence, which the professional of civil engineering is smeared with heavily, you'll notice that they're kinda horrible. They suck balls for safety, tourism, business, density and actually encourage more car use. What's interesting about car lanes and highways is that when you remove them, and dependable rapid transit is available, that traffic really does just disappear from roads. This was most evident in the SF Bay Area after the '87 earth quake when an expressway fell down. It wasn't replaced and data shows that most of those commuters just took to the BART system (GO-T) rather than demanding new roads that might have fallen again during the next quake. Luckily we only have high gas prices and traffic congestion to threaten commuters in Ontario with. But that's what it takes.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

They hold a lot of power over a major city. I'm of the opinion that many of their staff are not overly qualified for their jobs.