• jerkface@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Haven’t tried recently but I heard it still takes all day to go from Kitchener -> Montreal, and it costs $200 each way. (Hearsay.)

      It’s a tragedy that our trains are so poor.

      • Strykker@programming.dev
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        2 months ago

        I mean Kitchener to Montreal is something close to 700-800km even if we had high speed trains that would still take about 4 hours if they average 200km/h, and they still have to make stops on the way.

        But having more trains running would be a good start at least.

        • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          It needs to be cheaper and faster than driving, and it isn’t even competitive on either.

      • Cows Look Like Maps@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        I think we can fix it by spending another 10 billion on new highways and additional lanes instead of funding transit. Surely, it will work this time. /s

      • Gnumile@lemmy.ca
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        2 months ago

        I went from Guelph to Toronto recently for a baseball game with my partner. Via rail was somewhere between $40 and $50 (I forget the exact amount) per person each way. We drove instead.

        In short, make transit a more viable option and maybe more people will use it.

        • Nik282000@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          I live in Hamilton and work in Milton, to use Go transit to get to work I would have to leave my house 3 hours before my shift, it’s only 30km! What the hell is wrong with the GTA?!?

          • morbidcactus@lemmy.ca
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            2 months ago

            I’d love something like a Niagara - Kitchener go line and have Hamilton be a hub, really. I recently looked into commuting to Toronto for work, Yeah no, it’s so bad for us non GTA but still Golden horseshoe people.

        • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          You wanted to take the Go. It is much cheaper and more convenient. The trade off is customer service and ostensibly comfort. (Though the via stock is pretty fucking old these days…) But the Via staff treat you like a human being and make an effort to solve whatever travel emergency you have encountered.

    • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Toronto the Road Crack Addict: I just need one more line and I’ll be OK … promise … just one more … I won’t ask again … promise … just one more … JUST ONE MORE MAN … YOU GOTTA HELP ME OUT MAN!!!

  • healthetank@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    Why we keep trying to build more highways to alleviate congestion is beyond me.

    Its an idea that has been consistently and thoroughly debunked since the 80s. No one who studies traffic has ever suggested highway upsizing to decrease congestion as anything more than a very temporary stop gap. Single or dual occupancy vehicles cannot continue to be the primary way we commute to work in a dense area like Toronto. It simply will not work, full stop. We can fight against the idea, but we’re wasting our time and money.

    We need high density solutions. TTC line 1 was built in the 50s. Line 2 in the 60s, which comprise 64km of the current 70km in use. Line 3 was added in the 80s, but has been decommissioned due to maintenance costs and poor performance, but even that was only 6km. Why have we barely expanded the system since the city consisted of 30% of the current population?

    We used to have more rail lines running throughout the province, mostly privately owned. They have since been discontinued with the advent of trucking. Why have we not reintroduced rail service? Canada as a whole is low population density, but the Niagara-Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor has more than enough people to justify a regular rail line.

    The Bradford Bypass and Highway 413 are an estimated 8-10$ billion, on the low end. Combine with his current proposed cuts to transit funding of ~$150 million, and it paints a clear picture of his priorities.

    • n2burns@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Why have we barely expanded the system since the city consisted of 30% of the current population?

      Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about the past. However, the current projects give me hope for the future.

    • Nik282000@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Why we keep trying to build more highways to alleviate congestion is beyond me.

      Duh, because there are so many cars! - Every city planner in the GTA

    • Perspective@c.im
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      2 months ago

      @healthetank @RandAlThor

      Roads are like computers - it doesn’t matter how much speed, memory or disk space you have - you’ll eventually consume it all as the Operating System bloats and the ability to create massive files increases.

      Given that #bigoil needs consumers of their product, I’d be really surprised if the ‘we need more roads’ #government ‘solution’ goes away any time soon. 😞

  • RandAlThor@lemmy.caOP
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    2 months ago

    Does anyone have faith that our governments will have a solution? Will it be as bad elsewhere too?

    • Soup@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      A Conservative government building a proper metro system? The only things certain in this world are death and trying to make the 401 bigger in a desperate attempt to relieve traffic by inducing more traffic.

    • n2burns@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      TBF, the GTA is seeing the biggest transit expansion in their history, and by far the biggest expansion in North America. TTC has the Ontario Line, Line 5, and Line 6 under construction. GO Expansion is making huge improvements, from more frequent service to electrification to a lot of smaller projects that will improve travel time and reduce conflicts. Then there’s projects outside the core like the LRT projects in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

      At the same time, the Ford government seems to want to have it both ways with the 413, cutting tolls, eliminating registration fees, etc.

      EDIT: Added some other projects outside the core.

      • Elise@beehaw.org
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        2 months ago

        Wow that’s nuts. It would really help to teach children how to drive bicycles maybe, so they are more aware as adults.

    • RandAlThor@lemmy.caOP
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      2 months ago

      Bike infrastructure isn’t great. City started having some bike lanes but they aren’t all over the place, and a lot of cars and trucks are still disrespecting those lanes.

    • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Not good. I used to bike everywhere but a portion of motorists have become so openly hostile and vindictive that it is unsafe anyplace infra isn’t fully separated. I’ve been run off the road enough times and I rarely do it anymore, despite that it was one of my favourite things once.

      • Elise@beehaw.org
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        2 months ago

        Maybe it’s possible to form an alliance and move politically and legally.

        For example being able to use dashcam footage in court and charging it as assault.

        That being said, sorry to hear you can’t do it anymore.

        • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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          2 months ago

          We are already benefiting from such movements, eg Critical Mass. Imagine what it would be like without.

          • Elise@beehaw.org
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            2 months ago

            Is it currently not treated as assault or something when you push someone off the road?

            • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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              2 months ago

              It would be, if it was directly witnessed by a police officer who is sympathetic and not also hostile to cyclists, and isn’t already busy or “busy”.

                • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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                  2 months ago

                  It’s not inadmissible in court but it’s also not likely to cause the police top open an investigation or seek charges

    • ThePrivacyPolicy@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Bad enough in my area that I’m surprised our air ambulance helicopters don’t have bike racks for how often they’re picking up mangled cyclists lately.

  • John_McMurray@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    Toronto ain’t figured out houses are 45 grand where i live yet, but BC sure did. They’re more used to being outside of town though.