Mayor Miller is now aiming his jousting gear at the OMB and it's decision to allow developments in the Queen St. West near Gladstone. A local residents's group opposed the development - preferring their own plan.
It's funny, when merchants and resident on another Toronto St. - St. Clair West - put forth their own plan for changes to the transit service on that street, Miller and minions didn't listen. In that case, it was the TTC and City who were proposing the neighbourhood disrupting development - the infamous streetcar right-of-way.
On Queen West, the City is going to court to STOP a development that includes 190 affordable housing units. Cervantes would today be thinking of Mayor Miller as the basis for his character Don Quixote.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Fixing the TTC
The Sun has published a summary of remarks by local transit "luminaries" on How can the TTC be Fixed?
I thought I'd rate the remarks:
1. Bob Kinnear
In no way surprising, union president Bob Kinnear wants 'funding, funding, funding...'. Well, seeing that the ATU has swallowed whole just about all of the funding increases over the last few years, this is hardly surprising. The trough of pay and perks for union members can never be full enough. Kinnear sheds some crocodile tears about riders - yeah right!
During the most recent contract negotations, Kinnear actually objected to the TTC using a small amount of money on a service study on linking some routes in the north center of the city down to Castle Frank Station! The message is clear from Mr. Kinnear - the money belongs to the unions. (And why not, they've paid lock, stock and barrel for the Mayor.)
Surprisingly, Kinnear comes up with an idea that the TTC brass are loathe to consider - express bus service to key stations on the subway. The TTC hate express buses: the reason, they can work. Montreal has about 20 specialized bus routes - compared to a measly 7 or 8 in the larger Toronto.
Funny how TTC studies always seem to say these are too expensive to run.
2. Richard Soberman
U of T professor Soberman always shows up somewhere. Soberman has discussed the Spadina 'LRT' - and his comments are bang on - the service is 'not effective transit'. It's no surprise that Soberman wasn't part of the St. Clair study. This was purposeful - to make it easier for the scheme to be slammed up the derrieres of residents and businesses.
I believe Soberman is right, the TTC/City should use enforcement and other measures to keep transit lanes clear - without resorting to neighbourhood death sentences like the St. Clair W debacle. They do it in Montreal!
3. Adam Giambrone
Giambrone is an inprovement of his predescessor as TTC Chair. Well, anyone would be. hmm - he wants the TTC to expand its network of LRTs.
ADAM - the TTC has no LRT - it only has streetcars. If you want to see LRT, go to Calgary or St. Louis. Look's like he's bought into TTC self-delusion/rabid LRT lobbying already. (The snakeoil salesman at Bombardier are good aren't they.)
4. Rob McIsaac:
The GTTA chief sees the St. Clair debacle as the better way.
HEY Rob, would your Oakville/Burlington friends be so excited about something that saved 1-minute on their average trip to work? Why do you think it's such a good deal for us?
5. David Gunn
I have a lot of respect for David Gunn. I believe things would be remarkly different has he stayed and Moscoe had been pushed out instead. After Gunn departed, TTC operating costs per rider exploded AND service relaiability has suffered. TTC professional management turned into Moscoe's lapdogs. Eventually, Gunn's successor Rick Ducharme got tired of the BS too.
6. Donna Cansfieild
Cansfield's candour is to be commended if the article is reflecting her thoughts"
The provincial transport head honcho knows the TTC isn't perfect, but she feels the commission took a big step in the right direction late last year when Giambrone took the chairman's post.
Well - remarkable lucidity from a transporation rookie.
7. Steve Munro
Munro a long time TTC advocate and critic. I agree with many of his criticisms of the TTC - however, in his blog he often misses the mark.
At least in his comments here, he's not suggesting streetcars as a solution to all the world's ills.
I thought I'd rate the remarks:
1. Bob Kinnear
In no way surprising, union president Bob Kinnear wants 'funding, funding, funding...'. Well, seeing that the ATU has swallowed whole just about all of the funding increases over the last few years, this is hardly surprising. The trough of pay and perks for union members can never be full enough. Kinnear sheds some crocodile tears about riders - yeah right!
During the most recent contract negotations, Kinnear actually objected to the TTC using a small amount of money on a service study on linking some routes in the north center of the city down to Castle Frank Station! The message is clear from Mr. Kinnear - the money belongs to the unions. (And why not, they've paid lock, stock and barrel for the Mayor.)
Surprisingly, Kinnear comes up with an idea that the TTC brass are loathe to consider - express bus service to key stations on the subway. The TTC hate express buses: the reason, they can work. Montreal has about 20 specialized bus routes - compared to a measly 7 or 8 in the larger Toronto.
Funny how TTC studies always seem to say these are too expensive to run.
2. Richard Soberman
U of T professor Soberman always shows up somewhere. Soberman has discussed the Spadina 'LRT' - and his comments are bang on - the service is 'not effective transit'. It's no surprise that Soberman wasn't part of the St. Clair study. This was purposeful - to make it easier for the scheme to be slammed up the derrieres of residents and businesses.
I believe Soberman is right, the TTC/City should use enforcement and other measures to keep transit lanes clear - without resorting to neighbourhood death sentences like the St. Clair W debacle. They do it in Montreal!
3. Adam Giambrone
Giambrone is an inprovement of his predescessor as TTC Chair. Well, anyone would be. hmm - he wants the TTC to expand its network of LRTs.
ADAM - the TTC has no LRT - it only has streetcars. If you want to see LRT, go to Calgary or St. Louis. Look's like he's bought into TTC self-delusion/rabid LRT lobbying already. (The snakeoil salesman at Bombardier are good aren't they.)
4. Rob McIsaac:
The GTTA chief sees the St. Clair debacle as the better way.
HEY Rob, would your Oakville/Burlington friends be so excited about something that saved 1-minute on their average trip to work? Why do you think it's such a good deal for us?
5. David Gunn
I have a lot of respect for David Gunn. I believe things would be remarkly different has he stayed and Moscoe had been pushed out instead. After Gunn departed, TTC operating costs per rider exploded AND service relaiability has suffered. TTC professional management turned into Moscoe's lapdogs. Eventually, Gunn's successor Rick Ducharme got tired of the BS too.
6. Donna Cansfieild
Cansfield's candour is to be commended if the article is reflecting her thoughts"
The provincial transport head honcho knows the TTC isn't perfect, but she feels the commission took a big step in the right direction late last year when Giambrone took the chairman's post.
Well - remarkable lucidity from a transporation rookie.
7. Steve Munro
Munro a long time TTC advocate and critic. I agree with many of his criticisms of the TTC - however, in his blog he often misses the mark.
At least in his comments here, he's not suggesting streetcars as a solution to all the world's ills.
Monday, January 29, 2007
With the charlatan (Suzuki) go to Charlottetown?
I thought this man was taking a hiatus! David Suzuki is headed out on a PR tour to promote the environment.
The Star - Online Jan 29 2007
I wonder if he'll throw his weight behind the Conservative Party - after all, it is the Harper governments that has actually introduced environmental legislation (something the FedFibs couldn't manage in 13 year so so in power.) Likely not. As wit all on the far left, it's all about politics.
Suzuki is shrill and easily upset in debate. I remember watching his dismal performance in the 'debate' with Dr. Philippe Rushton a number of years back. Suzuki couldn't even muster a solid argument when he was in all likelihood right.
Suzuki is a geneticist - and has no academic qualifications as a climatologist. The man's a complete loon.
The Star - Online Jan 29 2007
I wonder if he'll throw his weight behind the Conservative Party - after all, it is the Harper governments that has actually introduced environmental legislation (something the FedFibs couldn't manage in 13 year so so in power.) Likely not. As wit all on the far left, it's all about politics.
Suzuki is shrill and easily upset in debate. I remember watching his dismal performance in the 'debate' with Dr. Philippe Rushton a number of years back. Suzuki couldn't even muster a solid argument when he was in all likelihood right.
Suzuki is a geneticist - and has no academic qualifications as a climatologist. The man's a complete loon.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The Star's Global Warming propaganda
In today's Toronto Star - horrific enviro-porn/propaganda:
Article on Kyoto skeptics - Jan 28th 2007
It's disingenuous to question the motives of organizations and individuals who are skeptical about global warming (or is it climate change?), while giving a free pass to the proponents.
For example, the article mentions The Union of Concerned Scientists. A balanced article would have informed the reader that the UCS is highly partisan, agenda-driven lobby group. In 2004, during the lead up to the presidential election, the UCS published an amateurish attack on the Bush admininstration's scientific policies. Easily obtainable source documents disproved the key claims. I wrote to UCS member Professor Kurt Gottfried of Cornell with the documentation. Gottfried's promised to look into the matter for this alumnus. I still await his explanation.
Kyoto proponents are quick to question scientific credentials of opponents. Yet foremost Kyoto proponent Dr. David Suzuki is not questioned. As a geneticist, Suzuki has no academic credentials for speaking on earth science and climate. The geologists who are raising questions about the science do.
Article on Kyoto skeptics - Jan 28th 2007
It's disingenuous to question the motives of organizations and individuals who are skeptical about global warming (or is it climate change?), while giving a free pass to the proponents.
For example, the article mentions The Union of Concerned Scientists. A balanced article would have informed the reader that the UCS is highly partisan, agenda-driven lobby group. In 2004, during the lead up to the presidential election, the UCS published an amateurish attack on the Bush admininstration's scientific policies. Easily obtainable source documents disproved the key claims. I wrote to UCS member Professor Kurt Gottfried of Cornell with the documentation. Gottfried's promised to look into the matter for this alumnus. I still await his explanation.
Kyoto proponents are quick to question scientific credentials of opponents. Yet foremost Kyoto proponent Dr. David Suzuki is not questioned. As a geneticist, Suzuki has no academic credentials for speaking on earth science and climate. The geologists who are raising questions about the science do.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Book Review - The Fabric of The Cosmos
The second book I've completed in the past month is Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos.
Brian Greene is a physicist whose specialty is "string theory" or "superstring theory". Greene's earlier work The Elegant Universe focuses on these new theories of the basic nature of matter. The Fabric of the Cosmos describes the evolution of scientific thinking about the nature of the universe itself - specifically whether space (or spacetime to be more precise) exists independently of matter and energy, or whether it is a simply a 'human abstraction' for the vacuum in which matter/energy exist.
As Greene recounts, this question - which skirts the boundary between science and philosophy - is not new. It concerned the greatest of scientists going back to Sir Isaac Newton. Of course, we don't have an absolute answer to the question. However, today's physics gives tantalizing clues. Greene's narrative stitches together the underlying accepted physics - quantum theory and general relativity - and superstring theory, a strong candidate for bridging the troubling gap between these.
I found this book excellent. Although it doesn't answer the question, it is an excellent summary of the state of the current science built around attempting to answer it. A good deal of the book discusses cosmology. I took away a better understanding of the cosmological expansion that from other works I've read.
Greene is more up-to-date in his coverage of the scientific thinking attempting to explain how the quantum mechanical wave 'collapses' when measured. An earlier work In Search of Schrodinger's Cat (John Gribbin - 1984) is an enjoyable read on this - but leaves us with the unpallatable choice between a mysteriously collapsing wave function, and the existence of a virtually infinite number of parallel universes. Greene describes a wider set of plausable theories - including decoherence.
The chapter 'Quanta in the Sky with Diamonds' is particularly compelling. In a nutshell:
- the cosmic background radiation emanating from the "Big Bang" (i.e. the beginning of the universe we observe today) is practically uniform - but with small but measurable variations.
- based on quantum theory, quantum fluctuations at the birth of the universe explain these variations almost exactly.
As Greene writes on p. 309:
"I hope you're blown away by this concordance of theory and observation,"
Yes Professor Greene, that I am.
Brian Greene is a physicist whose specialty is "string theory" or "superstring theory". Greene's earlier work The Elegant Universe focuses on these new theories of the basic nature of matter. The Fabric of the Cosmos describes the evolution of scientific thinking about the nature of the universe itself - specifically whether space (or spacetime to be more precise) exists independently of matter and energy, or whether it is a simply a 'human abstraction' for the vacuum in which matter/energy exist.
As Greene recounts, this question - which skirts the boundary between science and philosophy - is not new. It concerned the greatest of scientists going back to Sir Isaac Newton. Of course, we don't have an absolute answer to the question. However, today's physics gives tantalizing clues. Greene's narrative stitches together the underlying accepted physics - quantum theory and general relativity - and superstring theory, a strong candidate for bridging the troubling gap between these.
I found this book excellent. Although it doesn't answer the question, it is an excellent summary of the state of the current science built around attempting to answer it. A good deal of the book discusses cosmology. I took away a better understanding of the cosmological expansion that from other works I've read.
Greene is more up-to-date in his coverage of the scientific thinking attempting to explain how the quantum mechanical wave 'collapses' when measured. An earlier work In Search of Schrodinger's Cat (John Gribbin - 1984) is an enjoyable read on this - but leaves us with the unpallatable choice between a mysteriously collapsing wave function, and the existence of a virtually infinite number of parallel universes. Greene describes a wider set of plausable theories - including decoherence.
The chapter 'Quanta in the Sky with Diamonds' is particularly compelling. In a nutshell:
- the cosmic background radiation emanating from the "Big Bang" (i.e. the beginning of the universe we observe today) is practically uniform - but with small but measurable variations.
- based on quantum theory, quantum fluctuations at the birth of the universe explain these variations almost exactly.
As Greene writes on p. 309:
"I hope you're blown away by this concordance of theory and observation,"
Yes Professor Greene, that I am.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Thermopylae - Book review
I've been taking a break from writing - and instead spending more time reading. I picked up a couple of books at various shops over the last month. For what its worth, I thought I'd pena few thoughts on each.
Let's first deal with Thermopylae - The Battle That Changed the World (Paul Cartledge - The Overlook Press, 2006)
This work attempts to set the 480 BC battle at Thermoplyae between Xerxes' Persian army and Greek forces in an overall context. My overall reaction to this work is lukewarm. I'll outline what I liked and what I didn't.
What I liked:
Cartledge does a good job in structruring the book to meet his objectives. He strikes a reasonable balance between the lead-up, the battle itself, and the socio/economic/political aspects. For a reader interesting in beginning to learn something about ancient Greek history, this isn't a terrible place to start.
The book has a useful section of maps and timelines that can serve as a refrence beyond the immediate subject.
What could be better:
While Cartledge does explain the Greek's hoplite-based land forces, I really thought subject needed a greater emphasis. When I studied ancient Greek history at Cornell, my professors emphasized how important this military concept was in the ascent of the ancient Greek city states. To be sure, the Spartan hoplites were without equal. However, it was a predominately Athenian hoplite force that delivered what Cartledge calls a 'comprehensive' defeat to the Persians at Marathon.
For better or worse, the Greek's military strength was honed as a result of combat amongst the city states. This point is somewhat lost in this work.
What can be done away with:
The author includes gratuitious and pointless commentary on today's politics. This is clearly forced into the text. I'm not sure if this was the author's own idea - or requested by the publisher/editor.
The upshot:
If you want to begin to educate yourself about ancient Greek history, start with Herodotus. and then read Thucydides. If you are then so inspired, arrange to read Donald Kagan.
Let's first deal with Thermopylae - The Battle That Changed the World (Paul Cartledge - The Overlook Press, 2006)
This work attempts to set the 480 BC battle at Thermoplyae between Xerxes' Persian army and Greek forces in an overall context. My overall reaction to this work is lukewarm. I'll outline what I liked and what I didn't.
What I liked:
Cartledge does a good job in structruring the book to meet his objectives. He strikes a reasonable balance between the lead-up, the battle itself, and the socio/economic/political aspects. For a reader interesting in beginning to learn something about ancient Greek history, this isn't a terrible place to start.
The book has a useful section of maps and timelines that can serve as a refrence beyond the immediate subject.
What could be better:
While Cartledge does explain the Greek's hoplite-based land forces, I really thought subject needed a greater emphasis. When I studied ancient Greek history at Cornell, my professors emphasized how important this military concept was in the ascent of the ancient Greek city states. To be sure, the Spartan hoplites were without equal. However, it was a predominately Athenian hoplite force that delivered what Cartledge calls a 'comprehensive' defeat to the Persians at Marathon.
For better or worse, the Greek's military strength was honed as a result of combat amongst the city states. This point is somewhat lost in this work.
What can be done away with:
The author includes gratuitious and pointless commentary on today's politics. This is clearly forced into the text. I'm not sure if this was the author's own idea - or requested by the publisher/editor.
The upshot:
If you want to begin to educate yourself about ancient Greek history, start with Herodotus. and then read Thucydides. If you are then so inspired, arrange to read Donald Kagan.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Will the Spanish now withdraw from the Basque region?
Now that the Basque separatists terrorist group ETA has blown up a bomb at Madrid's airport:
Second body recovered a week after Madrid airport blast
will the cowardly Spanish Socialist government now withdraw from NE Spain?
Second body recovered a week after Madrid airport blast
will the cowardly Spanish Socialist government now withdraw from NE Spain?
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Order of Canada medal for sale
I've never heard of Gustave Lanctot - but apparently he was the recipient of one of the earliest Order of Canada medals. Now his medal is for sale on EBAY:
Rare Order of Canada medal awarded to Quebec historian up for grabs on eBay
Whatever the original intent of this medal, it's obviously been watered down - as it has been granted to the likes of former Toronto Star columnist Michele Landsberg. Maybe she was granted the hounour for her acheivements in the bitterness, divisiveness and ignorance.
I'm not sure what Landsberg is up to - perhaps still looking for the gas pipeline she claimed the US was going to build in Afghanistan. Regardless, The Toronto Star is so much better without her drivel.
Who knows how many other OCs have been similar misgranted. Caveat Emptor certainly applies .
Rare Order of Canada medal awarded to Quebec historian up for grabs on eBay
Whatever the original intent of this medal, it's obviously been watered down - as it has been granted to the likes of former Toronto Star columnist Michele Landsberg. Maybe she was granted the hounour for her acheivements in the bitterness, divisiveness and ignorance.
I'm not sure what Landsberg is up to - perhaps still looking for the gas pipeline she claimed the US was going to build in Afghanistan. Regardless, The Toronto Star is so much better without her drivel.
Who knows how many other OCs have been similar misgranted. Caveat Emptor certainly applies .
Friday, December 29, 2006
Passing of Saddam
Shakespeare had it right - 'Cowards die many time before their death' - and this is true of Saddam Hussein: not able to command his forces to fight, caught cowering in a foxhole. A brutal coward.
A change of tune?
hmm - last year I put together a financial analysis of the option of replacing all of the TTC CLRVs (smaller streetcars) with new vehicles - in comparison with the standing plan to refurbish half (or more) of these vehicles. This was based on publicly available figures from news sources, the city library etc. The analysis showed that it was financially beneficial to replace rather than refurbish.
Although I'm not a proponent of continuing streetcar services in Toronto (period, full-stop), if these are to be retained, spending any more money on the existing fleet would be madness in its most complete form - both from a long term cost and service perspective.
As of this year, and up until the civic election, the decision still held firm to proceed with the reburbishment. Now apparently, this decision may be revisited. Per a Canadian Press story, the TTC may look to replace all 195 vehicles:
A streetcar refurbishing contract that Thunder Bay's Bombardier plant appeared to have won is being sent back to the budget table by the Toronto Transit Commission.
Last summer, the plant was the lone bidder on a $110-million contract to refurbish 96 older streetcars and then-TTC chairman Howard Moscoe predicted the contract would be awarded by the fall.
However, new TTC chairman Adam Giambrone said yesterday the commission is now looking at replacing the entire 195-streetcar fleet.
Refurbishing the fleet would carry an estimated cost of $245 million compared to more than double that to replace it, at the going rate of $3 million per car.
I wouldn't take any stock in the $3 million a car figure. The going rate is for reasonably standard equipment. To run on the existing track network, such equipment is going to need extensive (and expensive) customization. $4 million a car is a more likely figure. I believe I used the $4 million figure in my analysis.
A new car design will also require new maintenance/storage facility(ies). I'm not sure why that is, but this point at least is, not under dispute.
It's nice to see that one citizen's analysis (despite being poo-pooed by at least a streetcar booster) might well have made an impact.
Although I'm not a proponent of continuing streetcar services in Toronto (period, full-stop), if these are to be retained, spending any more money on the existing fleet would be madness in its most complete form - both from a long term cost and service perspective.
As of this year, and up until the civic election, the decision still held firm to proceed with the reburbishment. Now apparently, this decision may be revisited. Per a Canadian Press story, the TTC may look to replace all 195 vehicles:
A streetcar refurbishing contract that Thunder Bay's Bombardier plant appeared to have won is being sent back to the budget table by the Toronto Transit Commission.
Last summer, the plant was the lone bidder on a $110-million contract to refurbish 96 older streetcars and then-TTC chairman Howard Moscoe predicted the contract would be awarded by the fall.
However, new TTC chairman Adam Giambrone said yesterday the commission is now looking at replacing the entire 195-streetcar fleet.
Refurbishing the fleet would carry an estimated cost of $245 million compared to more than double that to replace it, at the going rate of $3 million per car.
I wouldn't take any stock in the $3 million a car figure. The going rate is for reasonably standard equipment. To run on the existing track network, such equipment is going to need extensive (and expensive) customization. $4 million a car is a more likely figure. I believe I used the $4 million figure in my analysis.
A new car design will also require new maintenance/storage facility(ies). I'm not sure why that is, but this point at least is, not under dispute.
It's nice to see that one citizen's analysis (despite being poo-pooed by at least a streetcar booster) might well have made an impact.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christopher Hume on Toronto's parks
This recent column:
Ravine dumping is no way to treat a city - Christopher Hume - Dec 21 2006
has a somewhat misleading title. The column is mostly about the extra money Toronto is spending on maintaining parks. A good chunk of this is to compensate for the discontinuation of the use of herbicides to control weeds. Hume quotes a few bureaucrats:
"It's like a park renaissance," says the general manager of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Brenda Librecz. "We now have a strategy of reinvestment."
Well - with the state of the pesticide free parks at many times, this is more that a small exageration. Many parks are complete weed runs. After a few days without mowing, much of Woodbine Beach and Woodbine Park start to resemble The Leslie Street Spit - which is supposed to be a wild space!
Only at the end of the column is there any mention of the ravines. Yes - there is a good deal of trash dumped in those hidden spaces. However, dumping is becoming a porblem everywhere. This past September, someone left to five-gallon pails of cooking oil (or transmission fluid) in front of a tree at the front of my property. I bundled up the tubs and stored it in my waste biox for 6 weeks until the city could come around and pick them up.
If you make it too expensive for people to get rid of waste legally - this is what you get!
Ravine dumping is no way to treat a city - Christopher Hume - Dec 21 2006
has a somewhat misleading title. The column is mostly about the extra money Toronto is spending on maintaining parks. A good chunk of this is to compensate for the discontinuation of the use of herbicides to control weeds. Hume quotes a few bureaucrats:
"It's like a park renaissance," says the general manager of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Brenda Librecz. "We now have a strategy of reinvestment."
Well - with the state of the pesticide free parks at many times, this is more that a small exageration. Many parks are complete weed runs. After a few days without mowing, much of Woodbine Beach and Woodbine Park start to resemble The Leslie Street Spit - which is supposed to be a wild space!
Only at the end of the column is there any mention of the ravines. Yes - there is a good deal of trash dumped in those hidden spaces. However, dumping is becoming a porblem everywhere. This past September, someone left to five-gallon pails of cooking oil (or transmission fluid) in front of a tree at the front of my property. I bundled up the tubs and stored it in my waste biox for 6 weeks until the city could come around and pick them up.
If you make it too expensive for people to get rid of waste legally - this is what you get!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
A stopped clock..
..is right twice a day. Perhaps that's the case with a recent column by the Globe and Mail's John Barber.
If only Jane Jacobs could see this - John Barber - Dec 2006
Well - perhaps now that the municipal elections are over, Barber is not constrained by his role as press agent for downtown NDP candidates.
In any event, Barber is right about one thing, Jane Jacobs' last book The Dark Age Ahead was terrible. I read a chapter or so in the book store one day. It was even worse than the pathetic The Ingenuity Gap - abook that I ingeniously used to raise the new flat screen monitor I'm looking at. (I turned a completely useless tome into a practical object - no ingenuity gap here.)
Alas, there are many people who take anything Jane Jacobs wrote as 'gospel'.
I think Jacobs had some good ideas about how a street could work. The trouble is that she didn't see the big picture. In the final years, she turned more and more into an enclavist rather than an urbanist. She become involved in a group opposing a new building at a local school.
In this end, Jacobs' mantra seemed to be that cities are for people, not for schools.
The rest of Barber's column discusses a new book Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations: A Story of Economic Discovery - (by a David Warsh) . From what Barber tells us, the ideas seem far from new. I guess it's too much to expect a hard-core letfie to have read George Gilder and the like.
If only Jane Jacobs could see this - John Barber - Dec 2006
Well - perhaps now that the municipal elections are over, Barber is not constrained by his role as press agent for downtown NDP candidates.
In any event, Barber is right about one thing, Jane Jacobs' last book The Dark Age Ahead was terrible. I read a chapter or so in the book store one day. It was even worse than the pathetic The Ingenuity Gap - abook that I ingeniously used to raise the new flat screen monitor I'm looking at. (I turned a completely useless tome into a practical object - no ingenuity gap here.)
Alas, there are many people who take anything Jane Jacobs wrote as 'gospel'.
I think Jacobs had some good ideas about how a street could work. The trouble is that she didn't see the big picture. In the final years, she turned more and more into an enclavist rather than an urbanist. She become involved in a group opposing a new building at a local school.
In this end, Jacobs' mantra seemed to be that cities are for people, not for schools.
The rest of Barber's column discusses a new book Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations: A Story of Economic Discovery - (by a David Warsh) . From what Barber tells us, the ideas seem far from new. I guess it's too much to expect a hard-core letfie to have read George Gilder and the like.
Friday, December 08, 2006
The more this man pushes...
... the more I think he's a terrorist agent.
Arar urges probe of leaks
as reported in The Toronto Star today.
It seems that this man is trying to expose the nation's security apparatus. I don't think he'll be happy until all the critical and necessary surveillance mechanisms are exposed.
He isn't satisfied with have a multi-million $ inquiry bless his supposed good name, In my books, his name is sinking in my opinion as each such call is made before the sycophant press.
Arar urges probe of leaks
as reported in The Toronto Star today.
It seems that this man is trying to expose the nation's security apparatus. I don't think he'll be happy until all the critical and necessary surveillance mechanisms are exposed.
He isn't satisfied with have a multi-million $ inquiry bless his supposed good name, In my books, his name is sinking in my opinion as each such call is made before the sycophant press.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
A last ride on the Moscoe train
As I write, we're hours away from seeing Howard Moscoe depart from the Toronto Transit Commission. If there's is one good thing to come from the recent municipal election, it's a chance to see some improvement in the governance of the TTC. This can't come too soon.
Consider my experiences this past Sunday night. I took the TTC over to the St. Clair West area for dinner. On the return journey - while waiting for the bus back to St. Clair West station - a man with a bag full of Christmas presents scampers over to the waiting area.
"Is it $2.75" he asks politely. Yes I say. We converse while waiting for the bus. He's from Thunder Bay - down to visit his daughter, and just returning to the Delta Chelsea.
He's confused as to the duration of the construction on St. Clair. "Wasn't this going on in July?"
The bus arrives and we board. After about one stop, I realize that I might need a transfer. With the interminable construction, I wasn't sure if the buses were stopping in the station - or on the street on the South side. I inquire of the driver. She is initially confused - but finally understands the question. I acquire a transfer and also one for the chap from Thunder Bay. (One of my better boy-scout deeds.)
We get to the station and descend. Lo-and-behold, the entrance is automated - for tokens and passes swipes only. There is no way we're getting in with our flimsy paper transfers. After a minute or too, I locate the help button. I inquire as to how to enter the station. The voice on the other end insists that it should be clear - but it indeed was not.
"Do I go to the left?" I inquire. When I don't get an equivocal "Yes" or "No" answer, I decide to try it. It does lead to an attended entrance.
The chap from Thunder Bay asks how the many Torontonians who don't speak English in ever manage. Now that was a excellent question - one I couldn't really answer. The truth of the matter is that they manage by suffering. With Howard Moscoe's TTC, they (and everyone else) has suffered through:
Rapidly escalating operating costs - causing the ever increasing fares.
A surly and snug workforce - one that went out on strike despite taking us to the cleaners in the most recent contract.
Needless and endless streetcar construction - The debacle on St. Clair West is a textbook example on how to bring neighbourhoods to the point of despair.
Embarrassment - Moscoe makes Attila the Hun look like a diplomat.
Yes - I have it in for Moscoe - but with good reason. The man flat out lied to me during the St. Clair debate. He refused to consider looking at transit options that are working well in other cities. Worst of all, he's alienated those who might have helped with capital funding. This is in part due to his incredible mouth - saying dumb and plain rude things at the most inopportune moments - and in part because he and the TTC have planned poorly.
Moscoe and his TTC have lost the credibility they need to make the case for capital projects. Moscoe and a small cadre of light-rail lobbyists have been trying to push the city in that direction. However, they haven't presented a coherent plan. The TTC is years late even putting together a specification of new light-rail equipment.
The latest price-tag floating about for LRT equipment is $800 million - or about $6 million a car. There's no plan in place as to how these expensive vehicles would provide substantively better service than regular buses. Moscoe's TTC is undertaking studies for a light rail line somewhere in the West end. The objectives of these studies is without any measure of coherence - appearing to be no more that projects to keep TTC engineers and analysts looking busy. Like running a streetcar line through the Ex grounds is going to solve Toronto's transportation problems! Then there's the plan to run the subway at night.
Oh and the plan to hire station masters. Would they be equally as surly and indifferent as 50% of the current staff? I'll take a pass thanks.
Well - we can only hope that the new TTC chair will do better. That's not asking much!
Consider my experiences this past Sunday night. I took the TTC over to the St. Clair West area for dinner. On the return journey - while waiting for the bus back to St. Clair West station - a man with a bag full of Christmas presents scampers over to the waiting area.
"Is it $2.75" he asks politely. Yes I say. We converse while waiting for the bus. He's from Thunder Bay - down to visit his daughter, and just returning to the Delta Chelsea.
He's confused as to the duration of the construction on St. Clair. "Wasn't this going on in July?"
The bus arrives and we board. After about one stop, I realize that I might need a transfer. With the interminable construction, I wasn't sure if the buses were stopping in the station - or on the street on the South side. I inquire of the driver. She is initially confused - but finally understands the question. I acquire a transfer and also one for the chap from Thunder Bay. (One of my better boy-scout deeds.)
We get to the station and descend. Lo-and-behold, the entrance is automated - for tokens and passes swipes only. There is no way we're getting in with our flimsy paper transfers. After a minute or too, I locate the help button. I inquire as to how to enter the station. The voice on the other end insists that it should be clear - but it indeed was not.
"Do I go to the left?" I inquire. When I don't get an equivocal "Yes" or "No" answer, I decide to try it. It does lead to an attended entrance.
The chap from Thunder Bay asks how the many Torontonians who don't speak English in ever manage. Now that was a excellent question - one I couldn't really answer. The truth of the matter is that they manage by suffering. With Howard Moscoe's TTC, they (and everyone else) has suffered through:
Rapidly escalating operating costs - causing the ever increasing fares.
A surly and snug workforce - one that went out on strike despite taking us to the cleaners in the most recent contract.
Needless and endless streetcar construction - The debacle on St. Clair West is a textbook example on how to bring neighbourhoods to the point of despair.
Embarrassment - Moscoe makes Attila the Hun look like a diplomat.
Yes - I have it in for Moscoe - but with good reason. The man flat out lied to me during the St. Clair debate. He refused to consider looking at transit options that are working well in other cities. Worst of all, he's alienated those who might have helped with capital funding. This is in part due to his incredible mouth - saying dumb and plain rude things at the most inopportune moments - and in part because he and the TTC have planned poorly.
Moscoe and his TTC have lost the credibility they need to make the case for capital projects. Moscoe and a small cadre of light-rail lobbyists have been trying to push the city in that direction. However, they haven't presented a coherent plan. The TTC is years late even putting together a specification of new light-rail equipment.
The latest price-tag floating about for LRT equipment is $800 million - or about $6 million a car. There's no plan in place as to how these expensive vehicles would provide substantively better service than regular buses. Moscoe's TTC is undertaking studies for a light rail line somewhere in the West end. The objectives of these studies is without any measure of coherence - appearing to be no more that projects to keep TTC engineers and analysts looking busy. Like running a streetcar line through the Ex grounds is going to solve Toronto's transportation problems! Then there's the plan to run the subway at night.
Oh and the plan to hire station masters. Would they be equally as surly and indifferent as 50% of the current staff? I'll take a pass thanks.
Well - we can only hope that the new TTC chair will do better. That's not asking much!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Goodale flushes self-respect down the ..
...you know where.
Ralph Goodale took the opportunity today to call the Conservative government "ideoogically-driven'.
Well - wasn't it Goodale' s party who brought in:
- the gun registry
- same-sex "marriage"
- signing onto (but not doing anything about) Kyoto
Are these not ideologically-driven. Come to think of it, even Goodale's 'fiscal responsibility' mantra is based on ideology.
What complete C++P! Get this man back on the farm so he can spread this stuff around with a pitchfork without us having to listen to it.
Ralph Goodale took the opportunity today to call the Conservative government "ideoogically-driven'.
Well - wasn't it Goodale' s party who brought in:
- the gun registry
- same-sex "marriage"
- signing onto (but not doing anything about) Kyoto
Are these not ideologically-driven. Come to think of it, even Goodale's 'fiscal responsibility' mantra is based on ideology.
What complete C++P! Get this man back on the farm so he can spread this stuff around with a pitchfork without us having to listen to it.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The truth about power...
OK - in the last Ontario provincial election, Dalton McFiberal promised to rid use of coal-fired power plants by 2007. The Tory's instsited that 2015 was a reasonable expectation.
Well now, it appears the Tory's were right:
Toronto Star - Nov 14th 2006 - Keep Coal longer..
Apparentely, the Ontario Power Authority will recommend 2014 as the target date:
Ontario’s power authority is recommending that the last of the province’s coal-fired plants be shut down by 2014 with half of existing capacity phased out by 2011, the Star has learned.
I'm guessing that the real date is 2015. The OPA head probably x-ed out the 2015 and wrote in 2014 - for fear of being sacked. Regardless, we hope that McGuinty is x-ed out of office far sooner than either 2014 or 2015.
Well now, it appears the Tory's were right:
Toronto Star - Nov 14th 2006 - Keep Coal longer..
Apparentely, the Ontario Power Authority will recommend 2014 as the target date:
Ontario’s power authority is recommending that the last of the province’s coal-fired plants be shut down by 2014 with half of existing capacity phased out by 2011, the Star has learned.
I'm guessing that the real date is 2015. The OPA head probably x-ed out the 2015 and wrote in 2014 - for fear of being sacked. Regardless, we hope that McGuinty is x-ed out of office far sooner than either 2014 or 2015.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
2006 - A Toronto Odyssey - David Miller plays the HAL-9000
Has anyone seen a mysterious black obelisk zoom in from nowhere and appear somewhere in Toronto? Perhaps not - but I'm pretty sure I found HAL 9000 within the city limits. The computer from Stanley Kubricks filme (2001: A Space Odyssey) has obviously taken over Mayor Miller's mind.
How else is it possible to explain his worship's calm reaction to the city's not submitting a bid for the World's Fair? We've put all kinds of $$$ into putting a bid together - and many have worked really hard. The Mayor's reaction! - little more that an 'aw shucks'. Reminds me of HAL when the astronaut is pulling out the last of his circuit boards.
Well - this is nothing new. When Imperial Oil biged out of Miller-ville to the more business-oriented area know as Alberta, we saw a similar non-reaction from Miller.
I wonder where HAL-Miller will be leading us. When will he figure out that a large pile of federal/provincial cash just for Toronto with no-strings-attached in the infinity?
How else is it possible to explain his worship's calm reaction to the city's not submitting a bid for the World's Fair? We've put all kinds of $$$ into putting a bid together - and many have worked really hard. The Mayor's reaction! - little more that an 'aw shucks'. Reminds me of HAL when the astronaut is pulling out the last of his circuit boards.
Well - this is nothing new. When Imperial Oil biged out of Miller-ville to the more business-oriented area know as Alberta, we saw a similar non-reaction from Miller.
I wonder where HAL-Miller will be leading us. When will he figure out that a large pile of federal/provincial cash just for Toronto with no-strings-attached in the infinity?
Thursday, November 02, 2006
The end of a dream
It's no real shock - Toronto's bid for the 2015 World's Fair has died in uterus.
As usual, the effort to cobble together funding from different levels of government proved decisive.
I can't blame the senior levels of government too much. Scarcely a day goes by on which Mayor David Miller is complaining about not getting enough handouts. Queen's Park even coughed up $200 million in free cash to cover the city operating expenses for this year. Upper levels are funding waterfront projects and transit equipment. Of course, they could provide more.
The trouble is that the fiscal practices of the city have raised too many red flags. The City's operating budget grew $1.3 billion over 3 years - easily twice the rate of inflation. The city bureacracy is bursting at the seams of two large office towers.
Miller has again raised the desire to get 1 percentage point from the sales tax/GST. Sure, that would give the city $450 million or so. This would last about one year - and then we'd back into crisis mode.
Miller and his minions understand nothing about saving $ through efficiencies. It's actually completely anathema to them. They operatate as if the pols at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill don't notice. PulllEASE!
Miller is giving Ivy Leaguers with good hair a bad name. This is personally upsetting. For the sake of Toronto, we must have a change on leadership.
As usual, the effort to cobble together funding from different levels of government proved decisive.
I can't blame the senior levels of government too much. Scarcely a day goes by on which Mayor David Miller is complaining about not getting enough handouts. Queen's Park even coughed up $200 million in free cash to cover the city operating expenses for this year. Upper levels are funding waterfront projects and transit equipment. Of course, they could provide more.
The trouble is that the fiscal practices of the city have raised too many red flags. The City's operating budget grew $1.3 billion over 3 years - easily twice the rate of inflation. The city bureacracy is bursting at the seams of two large office towers.
Miller has again raised the desire to get 1 percentage point from the sales tax/GST. Sure, that would give the city $450 million or so. This would last about one year - and then we'd back into crisis mode.
Miller and his minions understand nothing about saving $ through efficiencies. It's actually completely anathema to them. They operatate as if the pols at Queen's Park and on Parliament Hill don't notice. PulllEASE!
Miller is giving Ivy Leaguers with good hair a bad name. This is personally upsetting. For the sake of Toronto, we must have a change on leadership.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Yet more on transit
Mr. James Bow has raised some interesting questions in regards to my post a few days ago.
Firstly, I should emphasize that it is to be expected that two different transit systems - in different cities, with different geographies etc. - will have different cost structures. The absolute costs are less of an issue that the trend - i.e. the change in relative performance over time.
2nd, I don't believe there is any one factor that explains the difference or the trend.
So let's look at a few elements:
Farebox recovery
I don't believe that "farebox recovery" is a significant factor in operating costs on a per passenger basis. A lower fare can attract ridership incrementally - but it doesn't change the walk-vs-transit-vs-auto choice for the vast majority of potential customers.
Based on the 2006 budgets, the % of operating costs covered by 'autonomous revenue' is actually closer than a decade ago:
STM (Montreal): 60%
TTC: 76%
The subsidy per rider for 2006:
STM $0.76
TTC: $0.56
If you do the math, you'll see that a good deal of the difference in the autononous revenue % is due to the lower cost per passenger at the STM.
(I'm using the TTC budget numbers showing $1,038 billion of operating budget - which is different than numbers I saw earlier which were about $20 million higher.)
Metro/Subway vs Surface transit
Mr. Bow asks "Are more Montrealers as a proportion of the overall transit system taking the Metro than Torontonians taking the subway (fewer personnel per passenger)? "
Well, this may explain part of the trend. Based on the 2006 STM budget - which has all kinds of great statistics - from 1997 to 2006, the STM has seen a not insignificant swing to Metro service:
1997 - 2006
Metro KM run (Vehicle-km) + 3.7%
Bus KM run (Vehicle-km) -2.4%
Overall KM of service is very stable - but the Metro cars are larger and move at roughly twice the speed - so the passenger moving capacity has increased by more that at first glance.
It should ne noted that in 1998, the STM radically revamped how it scheduled surface operations. There was a once time drop in service hours on the surface routes - which believe it or not - coincided with a noticeable increase in ridership. My take is that the STM shifted capacity to routes with ridership potential. Interlining was implented to enable assymetry in service between peak direction and non-peak direction.
Wage levels:
Do TTC operators make substantially higher salaries than those in Montreal?
I haven't looked at this. I'd need to look at total compensation costs. Payroll taxes in Quebec are higher - much of which is born by the employer.
Packing levels:
Does Montreal pack their passengers in more tightly than Toronto (which I can believe; STCUM's buses were always packed whenever I took them).
The only data I have shows that the boardings per hour on the STM and TTC service routes are about the same - about 80 boardings/hour. This doesn't tell us if riders stay on longer on one service or teh other on average.
Average length of passenger trip
Or do Torontonians travel further on the TTC's surface transit than Montrealers do?
I don't have any particular data on this. The average commute (all modes) in Montreal is slightly shorter in Montreal - but I don't know if this is true of transit rides. Will the Metro being proportionately larger than the Subway here - the average STM passenger trip may not be any shorter than here in Toronto on the TTC, as the speed of the Metro makes longer trips more attractive. However, I haven’t seen any statistics either way.
Impact of commuter train service in the transit mix?
Hard to say. There's less overall AMT train service that GO service. How many Torontonians take Go from Long Branch or Kipling vs Montrealers who ride in on the AMT line from the West Island. I have no idea. The Kipling parking lot is pretty full when I've seen it. Not sure if this is mainly for the GO train or the subway.
Either way, I don't see that as a significant factor in the trend.
Some other factors
Here are some other sources:
1. The STM has focused a good deal of capital spending on new buses - whereas the TTC has had to spend on rebuilding chunks of streetcar track. Newer buses mean the STM has lower maintenance and better fuel efficiency.
2. Obvious from various reports, the TTC is getting eaten alive by the operating costs of streetcars - especially maintenance. Likely, this has just gotten worse over the decade.
Well - someone should stud this in detail. BTW - when I suggested to Howard Moscoe that he take a look at how the STM operates, he stopped replying to my emails.
My feel is that the STM’s philosophy is to focus very hard on efficiency - realising that operating costs ultimately deplete the financial and political reserves for strategic improvements. Consider the surface transit priority initaive I wrote about a few weeks back:
http://hogtown.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-on-transit-montreal-transit.html
I don’t see this at the TTC - I just see a culture of entitlement. Howard Moscoe embodies this culture.
Perhaps the STM brass realises that Quebec is broke - and they aren’t going to be awash in easy cash any time soon.
Firstly, I should emphasize that it is to be expected that two different transit systems - in different cities, with different geographies etc. - will have different cost structures. The absolute costs are less of an issue that the trend - i.e. the change in relative performance over time.
2nd, I don't believe there is any one factor that explains the difference or the trend.
So let's look at a few elements:
Farebox recovery
I don't believe that "farebox recovery" is a significant factor in operating costs on a per passenger basis. A lower fare can attract ridership incrementally - but it doesn't change the walk-vs-transit-vs-auto choice for the vast majority of potential customers.
Based on the 2006 budgets, the % of operating costs covered by 'autonomous revenue' is actually closer than a decade ago:
STM (Montreal): 60%
TTC: 76%
The subsidy per rider for 2006:
STM $0.76
TTC: $0.56
If you do the math, you'll see that a good deal of the difference in the autononous revenue % is due to the lower cost per passenger at the STM.
(I'm using the TTC budget numbers showing $1,038 billion of operating budget - which is different than numbers I saw earlier which were about $20 million higher.)
Metro/Subway vs Surface transit
Mr. Bow asks "Are more Montrealers as a proportion of the overall transit system taking the Metro than Torontonians taking the subway (fewer personnel per passenger)? "
Well, this may explain part of the trend. Based on the 2006 STM budget - which has all kinds of great statistics - from 1997 to 2006, the STM has seen a not insignificant swing to Metro service:
1997 - 2006
Metro KM run (Vehicle-km) + 3.7%
Bus KM run (Vehicle-km) -2.4%
Overall KM of service is very stable - but the Metro cars are larger and move at roughly twice the speed - so the passenger moving capacity has increased by more that at first glance.
It should ne noted that in 1998, the STM radically revamped how it scheduled surface operations. There was a once time drop in service hours on the surface routes - which believe it or not - coincided with a noticeable increase in ridership. My take is that the STM shifted capacity to routes with ridership potential. Interlining was implented to enable assymetry in service between peak direction and non-peak direction.
Wage levels:
Do TTC operators make substantially higher salaries than those in Montreal?
I haven't looked at this. I'd need to look at total compensation costs. Payroll taxes in Quebec are higher - much of which is born by the employer.
Packing levels:
Does Montreal pack their passengers in more tightly than Toronto (which I can believe; STCUM's buses were always packed whenever I took them).
The only data I have shows that the boardings per hour on the STM and TTC service routes are about the same - about 80 boardings/hour. This doesn't tell us if riders stay on longer on one service or teh other on average.
Average length of passenger trip
Or do Torontonians travel further on the TTC's surface transit than Montrealers do?
I don't have any particular data on this. The average commute (all modes) in Montreal is slightly shorter in Montreal - but I don't know if this is true of transit rides. Will the Metro being proportionately larger than the Subway here - the average STM passenger trip may not be any shorter than here in Toronto on the TTC, as the speed of the Metro makes longer trips more attractive. However, I haven’t seen any statistics either way.
Impact of commuter train service in the transit mix?
Hard to say. There's less overall AMT train service that GO service. How many Torontonians take Go from Long Branch or Kipling vs Montrealers who ride in on the AMT line from the West Island. I have no idea. The Kipling parking lot is pretty full when I've seen it. Not sure if this is mainly for the GO train or the subway.
Either way, I don't see that as a significant factor in the trend.
Some other factors
Here are some other sources:
1. The STM has focused a good deal of capital spending on new buses - whereas the TTC has had to spend on rebuilding chunks of streetcar track. Newer buses mean the STM has lower maintenance and better fuel efficiency.
2. Obvious from various reports, the TTC is getting eaten alive by the operating costs of streetcars - especially maintenance. Likely, this has just gotten worse over the decade.
Well - someone should stud this in detail. BTW - when I suggested to Howard Moscoe that he take a look at how the STM operates, he stopped replying to my emails.
My feel is that the STM’s philosophy is to focus very hard on efficiency - realising that operating costs ultimately deplete the financial and political reserves for strategic improvements. Consider the surface transit priority initaive I wrote about a few weeks back:
http://hogtown.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-on-transit-montreal-transit.html
I don’t see this at the TTC - I just see a culture of entitlement. Howard Moscoe embodies this culture.
Perhaps the STM brass realises that Quebec is broke - and they aren’t going to be awash in easy cash any time soon.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
This man doesn't know what he's talking about
It seems that NDP spokesman/propagandist John Barber (columnist in the Globe) has reached a new low. In a recent add he wrote (his column) for incumbent councillor Joe Mihevc, he criticized Mihevc opponent John Sewell for actions and policies that Sewell supposedly took while mayor. The only problem is that Barber confused John Sewell with another former mayor, Art Eggleton.
The G&M actually printed a letter from Sewell pointing this out. This is the first time I've seen a letter printed in that paper criticizing a Barber column. Barber is married to a senior editor at the paper - which is why such criticism is so rare.
Now the Globe is running a radio add in which a man is spouting nonsense. After a few statements, a voice is cut in saying: "This man doesn'y know what he's talking about.."
Well, the man who doesn't know what he's talking about is John Barber. In Barber's 'mind':
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
John Sewell is Art Eggleton and
David Miller is a good mayor.
The G&M actually printed a letter from Sewell pointing this out. This is the first time I've seen a letter printed in that paper criticizing a Barber column. Barber is married to a senior editor at the paper - which is why such criticism is so rare.
Now the Globe is running a radio add in which a man is spouting nonsense. After a few statements, a voice is cut in saying: "This man doesn'y know what he's talking about.."
Well, the man who doesn't know what he's talking about is John Barber. In Barber's 'mind':
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength
John Sewell is Art Eggleton and
David Miller is a good mayor.
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