Transit Network: Public Transit

public transit: The Scarborough subway extension may attract more passengers to public transit, but this will not add capacity to the existing congested subway network. The result of such haphazard planning will ultimately be longer wait and commute times for transit users, and commutes by public transit in Canada are already 81 per cent longer in duration than those by cars, according to The Star. First, we need to understand the difference between expanding the transit network and adding transit capacity. The two are not necessarily synonymous. Subway extension expands transit service but does not add capacity in the most congested segments of the network and If transit could be planned one line at a time, city councils vote last week to build the Scarborough subway extension could be deemed a success. However, public transit works much better when it is planned and built as a network. And networked thinking is what has been missing in the transit debate in Toronto. What is needed in the GTA is greater co-ordination among transit planning authorities. Also, subway expansions should both improve the systems ability to meet existing transit demands and support and serve planned increases in population and employment densities. In addition, transit planning has to be mindful of the demographic and commuting trends in the region. We offer the following considerations for those entrusted with improving transit service in the region. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.