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180 comments on DrumBeat: April 7, 2007

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AlanfromBigEasy on April 7, 2007 - 9:50am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Toronto Plans 60+ km of Light Rail over 15 Years !

Toronto city officials have announced a $6 billion dollar plan to build an ambitious light rapid transit network that will include seven rail lines that will crisscross the city.

"No Torontonian should be disadvantaged because they don't own a car," TTC chairman Adam Giambrone said on Friday. "Everybody should be able to get to every corner of the city."

Giambrone says the 15-year plan would cost the city about $400 million each year. The seven rail lines would include about 120 kilometres of track... 250 Light Rail Vehicles...

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20070316/ttc_announcement...

This, in addition to an excellent streetcar system and a couple of subways.

I guess this means less tar sands oil for them and more for the US ! :-P

Best Hopes,

Alan

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jokuhl on April 7, 2007 - 12:35pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Alan;
with regards to the Campaign Slogan that was NOT recommended for John Edwards, 'A New Amtrak', or some such.. Have you heard or do you have a proposed business model to counter the attitudes around Amtrak's current (possibly perceived..) systemic problems, and the Monopolistic abuses of earlier railway companies, both of which seem to effectively make Rail such an unattractive option for a broad swath of people across the political spectrum?

It is such a massive piece of infrastructure, what are some useful models possibly from around the world that can make the development of a lot of rail into a healthy part of the system, without the glint of 'inappropriate levels of Gov't Buraucracy' or Corporate Monopoly?

Regards,
Bob Fiske

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Dryki on April 7, 2007 - 6:34pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The Interurban, Bob. The Portland Railroads. There was a whole slew of private and municipal transportation companies right here in Maine.

One of the things that would be useful would be legislation tailored specifically to encourage muni or community trusts for transportation, food, manufacturing. Massachusetts did something along the lines of enabling communities to come up with their own "utility standard offer". That being noted, it could also be done within the corporate charter - various restrictions on ownership, etc.... But doing it through the legislative process to charter these trusts like the old Blues is probably more robust. Ownership must stay in the community.

cfm in Gray, ME

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jokuhl on April 7, 2007 - 11:23pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Thanks!
I'll have to read up on the Portland systems. It would probably be feasible to run a commuter (w/freight?) line from Portland to Augusta, considering the professional traffic between them, too.

Bob

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180 comments on DrumBeat: April 7, 2007

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