St. Clair Avenue right-of-way likely to go ahead

Businesses concerned less parking will mean fewer customers

By Karin Marley
The Annex Gleaner
July 2003

Despite objections from local merchants, the Toronto Transit Commission
(TTC) plan to build a right-of-way for the St. Clair Avenue streetcar is
already in the advanced planning stages, the city's TTC committee chair told
transit activists at a meeting on June 3.

In a question and answer session with the Rocket Riders at City hall, Howard
Moscoe (Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence) explained that construction on the
right-of-way could begin within a year, following an environmental
assessment.

The project would build a car-free lane for the Route 512 streetcar along
St. Clair Avenue from Yonge Street to Keele Avenue.

Local merchants say they feel the resulting decrease in street parking,
eliminated entirely in certain areas along St. Clair Avenue, would threaten
their businesses. Moscoe responded that the city has also proposed adding
parking to the area with Green P parking lots.

The St. Clair Avenue right-of-way project is the focus of the Rocket Riders
next public education campaign. The group began handing out flyers and
distributed a petition in mid-June.

Moscoe also spoke on public transit in general.

The councillor, who had just returned from the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities conference in Winnipeg, said speaking to councillors from
Montreal to Vancouver about their public transport systems made him realize
just how poorly the TTC was financed compared to other major cities. He
explained that Vancouver's public transport system receives $1 billion in
annual funding, including nine cents per litre from gas tax, while the TTC
has trouble collecting the $14 million owed to them by the province.

Toronto's gas tax issue "is on the [federal] agenda now, but we're getting
more weasely promises," he said.

The city isn't a great improvement on the provincial and federal
governments, both of whom cut funding for the TTC, said Moscoe, who added
municipal funding for the TTC would remain the same as last year, and
admitted, "I'm tired of fighting city hall."

Moscoe's main strategy for increasing TTC ridership is to improve customer
service.

"We are abysmal compared to other cities," he said.

After giving examples of customer incentives, including Montreal's $52
monthly transport pass and Winnipeg's transferable weekly pass, Moscoe said
the TTC does not want to try anything new, because it might cost them money.

"Advocating at the TTC is like water dripping on rocks," he laughed.

Without elaborating on any specific plans, Moscoe said that the TTC must be
made more efficient. "The idea us to make everyone feel how someone at Yonge
and Bloor [Streets] feels," he stressed. "someone at Yonge and Bloor
[Streets] doesn't need a car."

A subgroup of the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) the Rocket Riders is
grassroots organization aimed at helping the TTC provide high-quality public
transport. To find out more please visit www.rocketriders.org