YEAR IN REVIEW: From the fast-moving popularity of Uber, to yet another Spadina subway delay transit in Toronto made regular headlines in 2015

InsideToronto.com
Jan. 3, 2016
By Rahul Gupta

You might say the progress of local transportation improvement was a mixed bag in 2015. On one hand, there was the completion of badly needed new infrastructure projects like the Union Pearson (UP) Express air rail link and a revitalized Queens Quay. On the other hand, city congestion worsened and large-scale transportation projects were either delayed due to construction issues or other challenges. Meanwhile, new transportation options gained ascendancy, leading to court battles and friction with traditional competition. Regardless of the progress or the lack there-of, when it comes to transportation, it was certainly not a boring year. Here are some notable stories from 2015.

THE RISE OF UBER

Uber isn’t exactly new; it’s been operating here since 2012. But 2015 was the year local scrutiny of the tech rideshare company’s revolutionary business model reached a fever pitch. In September, there was a city briefing outlining proposed bylaw changes intended to regulate Uber’s operations. Earlier in the year, the city had failed to convince the courts to ban Uber’s UberX service, which operated a taxi service but with unregulated drivers using their personal vehicles. The changes were intended to even the playing field so the local cab industry - experiencing significant drops to revenue following the introduction of the UberX service - could compete. Such briefings are dry and heavy on jargon, but at this meeting city officials grew emotional recounting the struggles of cabbies dealing with the realities of a shifting marketplace.

Meanwhile, city cab drivers, facing spiralling declines in revenue, took to the streets to voice their frustrations.

From hunger strikes to a full-out day of protest, city cabbies made their opposition to Uber and other would-be rideshares loud and clear. But it’s not seeming to have much of an impact since Uber is growing increasingly popular: the rideshare claims it’s attracting almost 20,000 new customers every week.

Read the story here: http://bit.ly/1U0BtFd

QUEENS QUAY REOPENS

Nine years in the making, including three years of construction, the new-look Queens Quay finally re-opened mostly to raves - and some confusion as road users figured out to how to best traverse the remodelled strip. The central waterfront’s main street, Queens Quay was a concrete eyesore for years, which gave little indication there was water nearby. Now, it’s a tree-lined promenade with a new cycling connection and better access to transit, and maybe a newfound source of interest for Torontonians.

The project wasn’t without its hurdles, with project manager Waterfront Toronto reporting budget overruns of more than $35 million plus several construction hiccups along the way. But as the agency’s new CEO Will Fleissig put it recently: “I don’t think anybody looks at Queens Quay today and says, ‘We should never have done that’.”

Read the story here: http://bit.ly/1QUX2HO

More here: http://bit.ly/1IkZN3W

SPADINA SUBWAY EXTENSION AGAIN DELAYED

In 2015 the TTC finally had to publicly admit what transit observers had suspected for several months: the completion of the Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) was in serious jeopardy of yet another delay. The six-stop extension into Vaughan was supposed to open a year later than anticipated in 2016. But in mid-March CEO Andy Byford, one day after shockingly firing two senior TTC executives attached to the project, announced the TYSSE wouldn’t open until late 2017 at the earliest. What’s more, the delay would require an extra $150 million, bringing the project’s price tag to more than $2.6 billion. The TTC also hired a private consultant company to take over management of the project. Grilled relentlessly by reporters, Byford admitted he would hold himself personally accountable if the project isn’t done by the new deadline.

Read the story here: http://bit.ly/1PgVzdd

UP BELLS

In 2015 a new transit line opened just before the start of the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, becoming the city’s first direct rapid transit connection to the airport. UP was hailed for its speed, (barely 20 minutes between Union Station and Toronto Pearson’s airport) and luxury, business-class service. But for Junction residents like Tom Hasiak, the only effect of UP was incessant ringing train bells caused by the new service.

One mid-summer day, Tom along with West Bend Community Association chair Des McComish and I went up to Tom’s building roof overlooking UP’s Bloor Street West stop (near Dundas Avenue), listening for train bells. There are worse ways to spend an evening than watching trains and listening for bells, which appeared to sound out without much pattern to them. My subsequent story was picked up by other media outlets, and much attention was paid to the matter. However, the train bells still ring today.

Read the story here: http://bit.ly/1MFLfcu

DAVENPORT OVERPASS OPPOSITION

In March, Metrolinx announced plans to eliminate the Davenport Diamond rail crossing by building a train bridge. If approved, the project would allow GO Trains on the Barrie corridor to no longer have to share track with Canadian Pacific Ltd. heavy rail freight trains. But the decision to only consider a bridge has resulted in staunch opposition from residents, some of whom likened the bridge to building the Gardiner Expressway through the neighbourhood. Despite calls from Toronto council to postpone the project and consider other options like a tunnel, Metrolinx says it will launch a planning study for the overpass in January 2016.

Read the story here: http://bit.ly/1U0Cb56