About that google form (link in description) - another massive thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. It's pretty incredible to see the interest out there, and I really do want to get to everyone. I'm a little swamped until the end of this year, but fully intend to dive into that initiative in 2025. Feel free to leave your thoughts there or shoot me an email as well about anything - it's in my channel description :)
@@TheFlyingMooseCA I literally sit and make transit maps for hours, for fun, because I’m obsessed with maps and trains. I’m a freelance filmmaker, I have my own adobe suite and computer……. Hahaha hmu? 👉🏻👈🏻🥹
bro is one of the goat urbanist youtubers for actually understanding and explaining the process by which new transit actually gets built instead of breaking out the crayons for an unviable dream network 🔥 hope someday you can come out to seattle and explain the context behind link light rail- few people understand the decisions behind what led to the system we're building today
Its funny you say "process by which new transit actually gets built". Doesnt seem like theres any process, and the one process there is is a bunch of government mishandling and stupidity. If we had a better government who wasnt switching their minds every other week we would get so much more done in this city.
The other main reason why LRT costs so much in Toronto is cause Toronto has TERRIBLE records of underground infrastructure, pipes, sewers, footings, etc. The main reason why the Eglington LRT took forever cause every time they dug somewhere, they ran into something that wasnt supposed to be there.
@@Agentcodybanks18177 Oh man that is scary. I can see that for sure, I knew a few guys working on the LRT when it started. I did some work on it in 2021 march to the end of 2021. So all the excavation was done more or less.
Not only that. The ECLRT was completely fumbled from the get go. Crosstown Solutions (the consortium managing the eg LRT) filed a couple lawsuits against Metrolinx and there have been legal battles ever since. Also, there are a lot of technical issues aside from questionable infrastructure. Software defects, track alignment, and legal disputes have made this project a billion dollar mess.
For example a big chunk of concrete from a conveniently forgotten project from for the days of when Dougie's dad was part of the government. Common sense my ass.
Unfortunately our short term vision (quick ROI) and 4 year terms means that governments only have 1.5 year to do actual work and the rest of the time is campaigning and undoing previous governments progress
Yea I just commented that it’s a shame we didn’t have people like the ones who pushed for the second level in the prince edward viaduct. People with foresight who could see things would grow and it would only make it harder to build it in the future. I mean that second level wasn’t used for over 40 years, actually closer to 50 yet it sees how many of million people cross it a year now? This countries planning became a joke the further we moved away from our English/british influence imo. I’m sure that’ll get some hate but history speaks for itself
At the same time, in the US the urban core population is decreasing while suburban and small town populations are increasing. There needs to be a balance between investing in transit which serves primarily urban areas to the reality that there are less and less people using them year after year. One could argue with current trends, building transit now has a negative roi due to the population shift.
forget about foresight, most of the time North American transit projects die in overly politized back and forth of feasibility studies, cancelation, and changes in governments
As I was watching I had the thought; "Wow, the CBC really stepped up their game" Small independent channel?! The pacing, humor, information, production, host, just phenomenal
I was thinking the same thing. I moved to Toronto when I was 18 - I'm now 65 - and I have been amazed that no one, even the press, has a grasp of what a dumpster fire public transit in Toronto has been for decades. This was perfect in explaining how politicians should never be urban planners.
I live in Toronto where I follow many You Tubers that cover the GTA transit and this video was well done! Well thought out! To cover half a century of TTC/GTA transit politics within 20min is tricky. I notice how well your contents flow from one topic to another flawlessly!! This is one of the top rated and enjoyable video I have seen covering this topic! Thank you
It's crazy seeing how many times someone comes up with a great plan then it dies, only to be re born and die again. I hope we can start learning from the past instead of repeating it.
Government changes every 4 years. That's long enough to make everyone pay for a project, but not long enough to for them to benefit from it. Maybe no one wants to be person that costs people money--and not the person that gives people things?
@@DanSkunkyes, imagine, what private companies would become, if their executives would be changed each year? They would only try to fill their pockets as much as possible in that short period, and companies would collapse quickly. That's why strong responsible autocracy, where rulers actually treat their country as their and care about it's development for a long term is more preferable than this oligarchic plutocracy facaded as democracy. Like Russians, they consciously support that autocracy despite having open Internet and access to other countries, voices of opposition abroad and to Western media/propaganda constant criticism of Russian authorities, unlike other authoritarian and totalitarian countries with heavily restricted internet
@@mrobocop1666 Sure, but how would you ensure that autocracy is responsible to everyone if not accountable to them? At least the democracy keeps the plutocracy in check; while they push the limits of their influence, they can only push so far before people push them back. Maybe we teach people to consider their future more rather than deprive them of all agency in the hope that someone else will do it for them?
4:33 you state "we dont do this stuff anymore" at the timestamp, but fun fact, the new ACCE building at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario reserved a large portion of space underneath their building for an anticipated subway station. 13 years later, its finally getting used.
Lots of people argue that "you can't build x train line because there are houses in the way." One way to avoid that criticism is to reserve routes as soon as you realise they are necessary, so you don't have to surprise people later. Even if someone does build a house or other property, they should know that that route may well be used for a trainline in the future. Best time to do that was 40 years ago, but the second best time to do that is now, to prevent anything else being built and to give people a chance to prepare that things may change in their neighbourhood, or even to their property.
Fun Fact: The rail sleepers (ties) used on the Melbourne (Australia) Underground Rail Loop are named ‘Toronto Sleepers’ due to their use in their name sake city. They are double ties.
Excellent video! As an immigrant to this country, it's always good to understand a bit about the history of our city, where did we come from and where we are going. I'm glad to be living at a moment of rapid urban expansion and to be able to experience all the changes.
As a transportation planner in Toronto, I have to say this is by far the best comprehensive explainer video on the history of this line. You nailed it!
The missing subway that is sorely needed is the short jot between Yonge & Sheppard, and Sheppard West on the University line. Without that, people would have to ride all the way south to congest the Bloor line and transfer again up the University line, making what would be a 5 km trip without transferring at all, to a 15 (or 20 ?) Km trip with 3 transfers plus waiting time for each train!
OMG, FINALLY a video pointing out how insanely large the stations on the york extension were. Every time I mention this, how Downsview Park station, a station with almost the lowest passenger volume of the WHOLE SYSTEM, is this massive unnecessary monstrosity you get tons of people giving the pathetic "but one day it'll need that capacity" or the equally dumb "but fire regulations REQUIRE a station so big you could almost fit Skydome in the hole they dug (yes, I know that's an exageration). Lets go back to how we built Line 2, quick, efficient, spartan and CHEAP. What would you rather have, 40km or subway line with simple small stations, or 10km of subways with monster stations?
Even with the massive stations, the TTC got that extension built properly, unlike the never-ending boondoggle of the Eglinton LRT by Metrolinx and various public/private shenanigans.
@ don’t care? Built properly after a ton of wasted money is still a ton of wasted money. We could have had either a much longer line, or much less money spent. Stop with the strawman. One ‘worse’ doesn’t negate one ‘bad’
@@repatch43 How many years of delays and cost overages is the Crosstown at now? It wasn’t a 1-1 comparison. The Crosstown has had objectively worse execution on various metrics. Multiple suppliers always yields such issues, yet we seem stuck with the lie that private partnerships “can do it better”. It’s just another way to funnel public money into private hands.
You consistently put out great work 👍 Between you and CityNerd, I always feel a bit more confident having conversations with others on urbanism and its impacts. Thanks for keeping us educated n informed 👍
Honestly having the Ontario Line in place might have a profound impact on the housing situation in Toronto. All of the sudden you’ll have more than half the city freeing up maybe 10-30% of their yearly income that would have gone into living costs for homes within the zone of acceptable commuting time. Imagine all that extra money being spent in our local economy - we would fix so many issues.
I live by the future Ontario line just north of the Danforth. This won’t make a big difference in commuting time. Little new housing will be built near it since this area is already full of low density housing. Housing prices will go up near the line.
@@karagi101 You’re misunderstanding me - It’s about making housing prices in typically commuter-distance living communities more affordable, not the properties directly adjacent to the line. If anything your rent will probably rise, RIP
Great video! Dr English is an amazing resource for Toronto as are you. I would love to see a video diving into the Soft Costs and how they can be reduced/mitigated. Keep on keeping on!
This was a great well researched video packed with information. Lot's of missed opportunities over the past 80 years but it's great that it's finally getting built. And the regional connectivity is great, connecting to Exhibition GO and East Harbour GO stations to also relieve pressure from Union Station. This project meshes well with GO expansion, connects with the Eglinton Crosstown, and relieves capacity on Yonge to be able to build the Yonge North Extension. I love this quote. "One of the terms that you always heard a lot was making evidence-based decisions," says Steve Wickens, a transportation researcher. "And what Metrolinx ended up becoming was an agency that produced decision-based evidence."
One of my favorite books is The Great Society Subway because it covers the history of the DC Metro AND the political environment surrounding it. You are one of my favorite content creators for that same reason. Thank you SO MUCH for doing what you do. It’s truly unique in this space.
Great video! Very informative and you did a great job outlining not only how far the costs for these projects have grown but also the city’s need for them.
One thing to note, my partner works for one of the contractors the TTC regularly uses for construction, he worked on the Vaughn extension for example and they were hired by Metrolinx for the Ontario line as well. A huge blunder Metrolinx did was, not communicate well enough with the contracters, they were all used to working with the TTC thus they used Toronto-gauge sized railways for the digging and laying track. The Ontario Line does not use Toronto-gauge like the TTC does, to save costs Metrolinx or Ford decided to use standard North American gauge sized railways (meaning they can buy supplies from anywhere in the states as well instead of using the few suppliers the TTC uses). This is fine but it was not communicated so miles of track was laid in Toronto-gauge before someone realized the mistake, and then all the work that was done had to be torn up and re-done. That's all my partner and his team have been doing the past year.
I wouldnt be suprised if metrolinx had bad communication. But the Ontario line is years away from laying any track so it can;t have been for this project.
Hey, as a local Toronotonian, this was such a fascinating, informative, and well-produced video. Honestly, it was very pleasant to watch it all through!
Here's hoping the ontario line isn't going to suffer the Eglinton LRT fate. 4 years overdue and 500mil over budget and still not open. Edit: This was a really smooth watch, thank you for lifting the veil on history of Toronto transit! Subbed.
glad you enjoyed! and I know it doesn't inspire much confidence but Mx is a very young agency - hopefully the lessons from Eglinton really do translate into the OL :)
Thank for the great video! Things will look much better when Eglinton crosstown and Ontario Line open. But I feel like they're gonna open in the same year LOL.
Hey great video man. As a layman, it was really nice to such an information dense video that flowed smoothly without sounding like a slideshow presentation moving from point to point. Really appreciated how you gave context to behind how metrolinx ended up being responsible our construction projects, especially after the recent news of the finch west lrt
As a GTA-er, this video is a fantastic primer for folks on what our transit situation looks like and where it's going. I can't wait to use the Ontario Line when it's up and running.
@@faizsyed5528 That may be true, but that's not what was said. However, I can understand how they might have missed a word and meant to say "sad to see the _lack_ of public transit", which is the exact opposite meaning.
Born and raised in Toronto and after seeing how robust subway lines are in other cities, it’s nice to finally know the history of our subway line. Sign me up if there’s more Toronto videos!
I've been to over 30 countries, and Toronto's subway system is truly unique. For a subway system, delays are almost expected. What sets Toronto's subway apart is its chronic congestion. I've never experienced anything like it, not even in my travels to African countries. I've never been to North Korea, so I can't say if Toronto's subway could compare, but as a Canadian, I hesitate to compare it to modern transportation systems.😅
I really appreciate your focus on the facts of the situation without dropping hate on car drivers. The city needs both good transit, and good traffic to function.
Subscribed. You are the first UA-cam channel devoted to Toronto transit that has captured the nuances of BS that were Network 2011 (1985), Let's Move (1989) and RTEP (1994). I lived through those plans in real time as a transit nerd just begging for SOMETHING to actually be built. I was a teenager at the start. I was a middle-aged man by the time anything actually happened in the 2000s.
Totally agree, transit is priceless. Awesome video, really good shots, editing, pace and information. And thanks for the links to advocacy groups. Can’t wait to see more.
My take away from this video is that it is paramount that the Phillies win back to back world series' if SEPTA is ever going to get more funding in Philadelphia
What a great quality video highlighting things that still need to be worked on intercity while giving relief that much needed change is finally happening.
Moose I can’t get enough of your well researched, well presented content. Recommend your channel to all my previously yimby and numtot friends. Your analysis is something of an antidote to the increasingly disgruntled habit of millennials as we become sour middle-aged transit riders who reflexively bemoan the lack of progress instead of pursuing advocacy.
One of the best videos on Toronto and Regional transit available. You should become a Director if you already aren't. One more point is that Mike Harris dumped the TTC and TCHC ($2 billion budget) on to the city in the 90s. City couldn't afford to build or maintain anything after that.
Great insights on the history and evolution of Toronto's transit system! Very well delivered! Here's hoping the Ontario line will indeed be "priceless"
Great video! Living just a few blocks from one of the new Ontario Line stations, my main fear is that construction is going to continue for an eternity, given the fiasco of the Eglinton Line (that's now a decade overdue and no end in sight). The main issue with all these mega projects, in my opinion, is the lack of transparency. Metrolinx is anything but forthcoming with info about their projects, especially when it comes to delays/overages.
This is very slickly done. I would have added 3 key info bits: 1 - The Ontario Line is not being built using Toronto's rail gauge or subway cars, making it another orphan rail system, in a city with a checkered history of them. 2 - projected ridership in 2019 (21.5k phppd) is close to the capacity of the line's selected station configuration and rolling stock (26k phppd), making future extensions less feasible if pre-COVID ridership levels return. 3 - From opening day, the Ontario Line will vie with the Bloor-Danforth Line for the title of 2nd busiest transit route in Canada.
Great video. Toronto has been suffering too long for lack of transit, glad we're starting to catch up. The best time to build these lines was 40 years ago. The next best time us now.
You sir, have definitely earned my subscription. It's inspiring to see such great reporting. If you have a Patreon, I'd like to help there rather than buying a hoodie (avoiding consumerism).
A+ video. Well done covering the history without it being boring. I think the sarcasm, emojis and casual meme inserts were hilarious! I was born and raised in Toronto but moved to Seattle a few years ago. You should do a video on Seattle's take on transit, from rejecting federal funding, to the monorail project killed by Sound Transit because they insist on LRT over subway or anything else at all costs... I think it's a somewhat dramatic story that ought to ruffle feathers. 😁
thank you so much for doing this. I've been calling out everyone that thought LRTs are better and cheaper and now they are eating their own shorts. god bless rob ford.
Earned a new sub, high quality content, good explanation in a nice long form that I can just share little timestamps to friends when I nerd out about transit.
im studying abroad in athens , greece right now and your videos actually got me excited to look into the public transportation here and do some research. Its actually a very interesting case and I never would have thought twice about what goes into building a metro system if not for ur videos so thx :D
Congrats Hudson on this excellent production - doing justice to Toronto’s story. Incredible storytelling that makes understanding the complex tradeoffs, politics, and decision making behind transit projects easy!!
Definitely should look at the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway in Philly, not just because I'm from the Del Val area, but also because of the stop start nature of it, the revival of the project in recent years, and what the project could mean for Northeast Philly, Roosevelt Blvd itself, as well as what this could maybe show about transit projects in the US
As an ex-Torontonian (driven out by the price of real estate and the time suck of moving around), I applaud your advocacy. I do still have some hope for Toronto, even though (right now) it is largely uninhabitable and unlivable for the working class.
I live in Ottawa and it's so frustrating how little progress is being made here. I'm just glad that at least some cities in Ontario are making progress and hopefully there will be a future in which Ottawa has better public transport infrastructure.
Great video. One solution to Toronto's transit issues is that we should at least consider not allowing politicians to be involved. I work in public safety - Toronto streets are not safe; it's considered the worst driving in North America. Police have told me "there's not enough room" for cars. You mentioned transportation to the Skydome / Rogers Centre in the downtown being delayed for decades. Why wasn't this decided prior to the stadium being built? It didn't have to be put there. Public transit in congested cities' downtowns like Toronto's is necessary. The decisions about city planning should not fall into the hands of politicians who have no experience in urban planning and who may be compromised by personal business interests. The Eglinton Line is at least $1 billion over budget and 4 years behind schedule. We have four new high-rises going up in my neighborhood downtown, without any improvement to transportation. The TTC is already underfunded and unreliable. We need a real "common sense Revolution" in urban planning and it's probably not going to come from an uneducated politician, it needs to come from experts with experience. 20% of Canada's GDP originates from Toronto. Toronto has four times the population of the maritime provinces, yet receives no recognition of its significance from the provincial or federal government. The roads are falling apart. Many are leaving.
If you are interested in some of the history of urban planning and transit in Toronto, there are a couple of great books on what could've been. Unbuilt Toronto I & II. Comes in Ebook format. Found it in the public library in regular book format. Tells the story of the infrastructure of the city, including the transit system. I also suggest Steve Munros blog.
Great video! I love the Jays references! Thanks for summarizing the history and politics that went into the latter-half evolution of the Toronto subway system. A lot of people wonder why we are so far behind other major cities. Toronto was on pace in the early 80s to get things done, but after Davis was eventually voted out (or even prior to that), things began to falter. Only now Toronto is catching up, albeit at a significantly higher cost.
About that google form (link in description) - another massive thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. It's pretty incredible to see the interest out there, and I really do want to get to everyone. I'm a little swamped until the end of this year, but fully intend to dive into that initiative in 2025. Feel free to leave your thoughts there or shoot me an email as well about anything - it's in my channel description :)
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@@potatosol8008 damn I think UA-cam doesn't like links in comments lol - I just put the URL in the description instead. Thanks for the callout :)
I love public transport, and I love this video. Thank you.
Hey, love the vid! Huge production value! What's the awesome sweater you are wearing (with the airplane and antlers)?
@@mark-jim grab one here if you want one :^) the-flying-moose-shop.fourthwall.com/products/classic-hoodie?
the production value on this is insane wtf
ty, i need a map person because making those diagrams is the bane of my existence LOL
@@TheFlyingMooseCAneed help?
@@TheFlyingMooseCA I literally sit and make transit maps for hours, for fun, because I’m obsessed with maps and trains. I’m a freelance filmmaker, I have my own adobe suite and computer……. Hahaha hmu? 👉🏻👈🏻🥹
Fr
@@TheTrainNook perhaps 👀
bro is one of the goat urbanist youtubers for actually understanding and explaining the process by which new transit actually gets built instead of breaking out the crayons for an unviable dream network 🔥
hope someday you can come out to seattle and explain the context behind link light rail- few people understand the decisions behind what led to the system we're building today
Thanks a lot! i'll be visiting Seattle quite a bit next year, so I'm definitely planning to cover some topics there :)
@@TheFlyingMooseCA :D It's an interesting system that needs to exist but is still quite flawed, I can't wait to see you talk about it.
Its funny you say "process by which new transit actually gets built". Doesnt seem like theres any process, and the one process there is is a bunch of government mishandling and stupidity. If we had a better government who wasnt switching their minds every other week we would get so much more done in this city.
The other main reason why LRT costs so much in Toronto is cause Toronto has TERRIBLE records of underground infrastructure, pipes, sewers, footings, etc. The main reason why the Eglington LRT took forever cause every time they dug somewhere, they ran into something that wasnt supposed to be there.
And they just decide to dig before knowing what's underground? What a joke
Bro as someone who spots for excavators in the city, we find random sewers, power/gas lines. Some still Iive and not on record lol. Chaos
@@Agentcodybanks18177 Oh man that is scary. I can see that for sure, I knew a few guys working on the LRT when it started. I did some work on it in 2021 march to the end of 2021. So all the excavation was done more or less.
Not only that. The ECLRT was completely fumbled from the get go. Crosstown Solutions (the consortium managing the eg LRT) filed a couple lawsuits against Metrolinx and there have been legal battles ever since. Also, there are a lot of technical issues aside from questionable infrastructure. Software defects, track alignment, and legal disputes have made this project a billion dollar mess.
For example a big chunk of concrete from a conveniently forgotten project from for the days of when Dougie's dad was part of the government. Common sense my ass.
It’s always cheaper to build transit now than in the future. I wish North America was better at planning ahead for future capacity.
Unfortunately our short term vision (quick ROI) and 4 year terms means that governments only have 1.5 year to do actual work and the rest of the time is campaigning and undoing previous governments progress
Yea I just commented that it’s a shame we didn’t have people like the ones who pushed for the second level in the prince edward viaduct. People with foresight who could see things would grow and it would only make it harder to build it in the future. I mean that second level wasn’t used for over 40 years, actually closer to 50 yet it sees how many of million people cross it a year now? This countries planning became a joke the further we moved away from our English/british influence imo. I’m sure that’ll get some hate but history speaks for itself
At the same time, in the US the urban core population is decreasing while suburban and small town populations are increasing. There needs to be a balance between investing in transit which serves primarily urban areas to the reality that there are less and less people using them year after year. One could argue with current trends, building transit now has a negative roi due to the population shift.
Transit should be a central part of every new development.
forget about foresight, most of the time North American transit projects die in overly politized back and forth of feasibility studies, cancelation, and changes in governments
As I was watching I had the thought;
"Wow, the CBC really stepped up their game"
Small independent channel?!
The pacing, humor, information, production, host, just phenomenal
high praise, thank you 😊
sadly CBC is garbage and needs the government handouts to stay afloat
I was thinking the same thing. I moved to Toronto when I was 18 - I'm now 65 - and I have been amazed that no one, even the press, has a grasp of what a dumpster fire public transit in Toronto has been for decades. This was perfect in explaining how politicians should never be urban planners.
"decision-based evidence"
Brilliant turn of phrase!
Thanks for the excellent video.
I live in Toronto where I follow many You Tubers that cover the GTA transit and this video was well done! Well thought out! To cover half a century of TTC/GTA transit politics within 20min is tricky. I notice how well your contents flow from one topic to another flawlessly!! This is one of the top rated and enjoyable video I have seen covering this topic! Thank you
my dude i am 7 minutes into your video and it feels like i'm a kid again watching a show on TVO, it's so informative and so PLEASING to watch!!!
Can't believe how good this Toronto video is.
It's crazy seeing how many times someone comes up with a great plan then it dies, only to be re born and die again. I hope we can start learning from the past instead of repeating it.
Government changes every 4 years. That's long enough to make everyone pay for a project, but not long enough to for them to benefit from it. Maybe no one wants to be person that costs people money--and not the person that gives people things?
@@DanSkunkyes, imagine, what private companies would become, if their executives would be changed each year? They would only try to fill their pockets as much as possible in that short period, and companies would collapse quickly.
That's why strong responsible autocracy, where rulers actually treat their country as their and care about it's development for a long term is more preferable than this oligarchic plutocracy facaded as democracy.
Like Russians, they consciously support that autocracy despite having open Internet and access to other countries, voices of opposition abroad and to Western media/propaganda constant criticism of Russian authorities, unlike other authoritarian and totalitarian countries with heavily restricted internet
@@mrobocop1666 Sure, but how would you ensure that autocracy is responsible to everyone if not accountable to them? At least the democracy keeps the plutocracy in check; while they push the limits of their influence, they can only push so far before people push them back. Maybe we teach people to consider their future more rather than deprive them of all agency in the hope that someone else will do it for them?
I wouldn't hold my breath lol
@@mrobocop1666 that is in fact how publically traded companies works
4:33 you state "we dont do this stuff anymore" at the timestamp, but fun fact, the new ACCE building at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario reserved a large portion of space underneath their building for an anticipated subway station. 13 years later, its finally getting used.
Ah good to know - thanks for sharing!
Lots of people argue that "you can't build x train line because there are houses in the way." One way to avoid that criticism is to reserve routes as soon as you realise they are necessary, so you don't have to surprise people later. Even if someone does build a house or other property, they should know that that route may well be used for a trainline in the future. Best time to do that was 40 years ago, but the second best time to do that is now, to prevent anything else being built and to give people a chance to prepare that things may change in their neighbourhood, or even to their property.
It'll be at least 2 years more. Possibly 4.
Fun Fact: The rail sleepers (ties) used on the Melbourne (Australia) Underground Rail Loop are named ‘Toronto Sleepers’ due to their use in their name sake city. They are double ties.
Double-double ties. ;) They're Canadian, after all.
I hope you call them Trono Sleepers, there in Melbun
i just do not understand how you're not getting more exposure. insanely consistent quality + research, keep it up
Excellent video! As an immigrant to this country, it's always good to understand a bit about the history of our city, where did we come from and where we are going. I'm glad to be living at a moment of rapid urban expansion and to be able to experience all the changes.
As a transportation planner in Toronto, I have to say this is by far the best comprehensive explainer video on the history of this line. You nailed it!
Really glad you enjoyed it!
The missing subway that is sorely needed is the short jot between Yonge & Sheppard, and Sheppard West on the University line.
Without that, people would have to ride all the way south to congest the Bloor line and transfer again up the University line, making what would be a 5 km trip without transferring at all, to a 15 (or 20 ?) Km trip with 3 transfers plus waiting time for each train!
OMG, FINALLY a video pointing out how insanely large the stations on the york extension were. Every time I mention this, how Downsview Park station, a station with almost the lowest passenger volume of the WHOLE SYSTEM, is this massive unnecessary monstrosity you get tons of people giving the pathetic "but one day it'll need that capacity" or the equally dumb "but fire regulations REQUIRE a station so big you could almost fit Skydome in the hole they dug (yes, I know that's an exageration). Lets go back to how we built Line 2, quick, efficient, spartan and CHEAP. What would you rather have, 40km or subway line with simple small stations, or 10km of subways with monster stations?
Great points!
Even with the massive stations, the TTC got that extension built properly, unlike the never-ending boondoggle of the Eglinton LRT by Metrolinx and various public/private shenanigans.
@ don’t care? Built properly after a ton of wasted money is still a ton of wasted money. We could have had either a much longer line, or much less money spent. Stop with the strawman. One ‘worse’ doesn’t negate one ‘bad’
@@repatch43 How many years of delays and cost overages is the Crosstown at now? It wasn’t a 1-1 comparison. The Crosstown has had objectively worse execution on various metrics. Multiple suppliers always yields such issues, yet we seem stuck with the lie that private partnerships “can do it better”. It’s just another way to funnel public money into private hands.
Lol, but my school is there🤣
I'm so glad to know that there will be a Scarboro subway running when I'm dead.
A very comprehensive examination of the challenges of building more public transit in Toronto. Congratulations.
The production quality is wild
You consistently put out great work 👍
Between you and CityNerd, I always feel a bit more confident having conversations with others on urbanism and its impacts.
Thanks for keeping us educated n informed 👍
Honestly having the Ontario Line in place might have a profound impact on the housing situation in Toronto. All of the sudden you’ll have more than half the city freeing up maybe 10-30% of their yearly income that would have gone into living costs for homes within the zone of acceptable commuting time. Imagine all that extra money being spent in our local economy - we would fix so many issues.
Except that the housing prices near the line are already going up before it's finished so nothing is getting freed up.
I think it frees up the roads most of all. The people living here don't need to drive anymore and that's a good thing.
I live by the future Ontario line just north of the Danforth. This won’t make a big difference in commuting time.
Little new housing will be built near it since this area is already full of low density housing.
Housing prices will go up near the line.
@@karagi101 You’re misunderstanding me - It’s about making housing prices in typically commuter-distance living communities more affordable, not the properties directly adjacent to the line. If anything your rent will probably rise, RIP
@@XiangYu94 This line is too central to affect commuter-distant home prices.
And I own my home. So rising house prices benefit me. LOL
I'm so glad I found this channel
glad to have you 🫡
Great video! Dr English is an amazing resource for Toronto as are you. I would love to see a video diving into the Soft Costs and how they can be reduced/mitigated. Keep on keeping on!
this is legit my new favourite channel
This was a great well researched video packed with information.
Lot's of missed opportunities over the past 80 years but it's great that it's finally getting built. And the regional connectivity is great, connecting to Exhibition GO and East Harbour GO stations to also relieve pressure from Union Station. This project meshes well with GO expansion, connects with the Eglinton Crosstown, and relieves capacity on Yonge to be able to build the Yonge North Extension.
I love this quote. "One of the terms that you always heard a lot was making evidence-based decisions," says Steve Wickens, a transportation researcher. "And what Metrolinx ended up becoming was an agency that produced decision-based evidence."
One of my favorite books is The Great Society Subway because it covers the history of the DC Metro AND the political environment surrounding it. You are one of my favorite content creators for that same reason. Thank you SO MUCH for doing what you do. It’s truly unique in this space.
Great to see you again - thanks for watching and really glad you enjoyed this one! I'll have to check out that recommendation too
@@TheFlyingMooseCAI just noticed one of the sentences I typed ended with words that made no sense…. I meant to say “thank you for doing what you do”
@@tyleralberico9340 that's funny - I feel like most typos we just gloss over and end up reading the intended meaning anyway 😂
well done bro. Goat urbanist youtuber who is actually watchable and enjoyable, and not just screaming
Great video! Very informative and you did a great job outlining not only how far the costs for these projects have grown but also the city’s need for them.
One thing to note, my partner works for one of the contractors the TTC regularly uses for construction, he worked on the Vaughn extension for example and they were hired by Metrolinx for the Ontario line as well. A huge blunder Metrolinx did was, not communicate well enough with the contracters, they were all used to working with the TTC thus they used Toronto-gauge sized railways for the digging and laying track. The Ontario Line does not use Toronto-gauge like the TTC does, to save costs Metrolinx or Ford decided to use standard North American gauge sized railways (meaning they can buy supplies from anywhere in the states as well instead of using the few suppliers the TTC uses). This is fine but it was not communicated so miles of track was laid in Toronto-gauge before someone realized the mistake, and then all the work that was done had to be torn up and re-done. That's all my partner and his team have been doing the past year.
you must be thinking of another project the ontario line hasn’t had any major tunneling underway let alone trackage being laid
I wouldnt be suprised if metrolinx had bad communication. But the Ontario line is years away from laying any track so it can;t have been for this project.
it’s absolutely insane to hear initially the conservatives were pro transit and the ndp and liberals were against funding transit 😊
Hey, as a local Toronotonian, this was such a fascinating, informative, and well-produced video. Honestly, it was very pleasant to watch it all through!
for real
Here's hoping the ontario line isn't going to suffer the Eglinton LRT fate. 4 years overdue and 500mil over budget and still not open.
Edit:
This was a really smooth watch, thank you for lifting the veil on history of Toronto transit! Subbed.
glad you enjoyed! and I know it doesn't inspire much confidence but Mx is a very young agency - hopefully the lessons from Eglinton really do translate into the OL :)
Thank for the great video! Things will look much better when Eglinton crosstown and Ontario Line open. But I feel like they're gonna open in the same year LOL.
I can't quite believe what I've just seen. An exciting video on the TTC.
Bravo, Flying Moose!
there has been so much change as a torontonian i had no clue where we even stood. videos like this are so helpfull. thank you!
Hey great video man. As a layman, it was really nice to such an information dense video that flowed smoothly without sounding like a slideshow presentation moving from point to point. Really appreciated how you gave context to behind how metrolinx ended up being responsible our construction projects, especially after the recent news of the finch west lrt
Very informative and well made. The lack of subway expansion in my lifetime makes me sad.
As a GTA-er, this video is a fantastic primer for folks on what our transit situation looks like and where it's going. I can't wait to use the Ontario Line when it's up and running.
Majestic Shawarma shout out is crazy. Gotta get that tomorrow for dinner now lol
as a European I have to say its very sad to see public transport in North America 😅
Very sad? Care to explain yourself? Why don't you like public transit?
they are just saying that the current state of our public transit is pretty lackluster, which I agree with in most aspects.
@@cmmartti Think they may just mean our transit is not very good compared to theirs
@@faizsyed5528 That may be true, but that's not what was said. However, I can understand how they might have missed a word and meant to say "sad to see the _lack_ of public transit", which is the exact opposite meaning.
I think what they said was short for something more like "sad to see THE STATE OF public transport in North America".
Born and raised in Toronto and after seeing how robust subway lines are in other cities, it’s nice to finally know the history of our subway line. Sign me up if there’s more Toronto videos!
Loved this video! Great information, delivered with authenticity and personality, and great B-roll and dry humour. Thanks for the great work!
We really need more high-quality well-researched Canadian content on UA-cam, like this one. Please keep it up, thanks for posting.
I've been to over 30 countries, and Toronto's subway system is truly unique. For a subway system, delays are almost expected. What sets Toronto's subway apart is its chronic congestion. I've never experienced anything like it, not even in my travels to African countries. I've never been to North Korea, so I can't say if Toronto's subway could compare, but as a Canadian, I hesitate to compare it to modern transportation systems.😅
Thanks for showing our city in a positive way and speaking honestly on the transit system we have
Ryan Goins calling off Jose Bautista to then miss the pop fly still haunts me every single day
Price was on his way to exorcising the playoff demons too 🥲
I really appreciate your focus on the facts of the situation without dropping hate on car drivers. The city needs both good transit, and good traffic to function.
Insane quality for a 30k sub channel. You're going to go far, kid
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed :)
I wish this wasn’t such a niche topic because this deserves more traction
Shoutout to the eglinton LRT construction that has now been stopped due to the tracks not aligning in the middle 🙃
Amazing cinematography and production!
This was an excellent video. Stellar all around. Kudos, TFM. Im happy I found you.
Great video, from research to B-roll to the audio quality. So appreciative that you're advocating for our transit network!!
Glad you enjoyed :)
Subscribed. You are the first UA-cam channel devoted to Toronto transit that has captured the nuances of BS that were Network 2011 (1985), Let's Move (1989) and RTEP (1994). I lived through those plans in real time as a transit nerd just begging for SOMETHING to actually be built. I was a teenager at the start. I was a middle-aged man by the time anything actually happened in the 2000s.
Glad you enjoyed! It must’ve been some kind of frustrating to watch all those plans come and go :/
@@TheFlyingMooseCAit absolutely has been. It’s hard to believe it has taken so long to get the Ontario Line and Eglinton lines
Totally agree, transit is priceless.
Awesome video, really good shots, editing, pace and information. And thanks for the links to advocacy groups. Can’t wait to see more.
Thanks so much for the support - glad to have you around!
My take away from this video is that it is paramount that the Phillies win back to back world series' if SEPTA is ever going to get more funding in Philadelphia
100% spot on - the fate of septa lies with harper and friends 😂
What a great quality video highlighting things that still need to be worked on intercity while giving relief that much needed change is finally happening.
keep this production quality up and you're making it big
Moose I can’t get enough of your well researched, well presented content. Recommend your channel to all my previously yimby and numtot friends. Your analysis is something of an antidote to the increasingly disgruntled habit of millennials as we become sour middle-aged transit riders who reflexively bemoan the lack of progress instead of pursuing advocacy.
One of the best videos on Toronto and Regional transit available. You should become a Director if you already aren't. One more point is that Mike Harris dumped the TTC and TCHC ($2 billion budget) on to the city in the 90s. City couldn't afford to build or maintain anything after that.
Great insights on the history and evolution of Toronto's transit system! Very well delivered!
Here's hoping the Ontario line will indeed be "priceless"
I've worked on the Ontario Line as an urban planner with the ONE TEAM. Great video!
WOW! Great video man, I instantly subscribed to your channel after watching this. Keep up the good work!
Great video! Living just a few blocks from one of the new Ontario Line stations, my main fear is that construction is going to continue for an eternity, given the fiasco of the Eglinton Line (that's now a decade overdue and no end in sight). The main issue with all these mega projects, in my opinion, is the lack of transparency. Metrolinx is anything but forthcoming with info about their projects, especially when it comes to delays/overages.
Thank you for giving TTCRiders a shoutout
Least I could do!
This is simultaneously informative, well-produced, fun, and adorable.
This is very slickly done. I would have added 3 key info bits: 1 - The Ontario Line is not being built using Toronto's rail gauge or subway cars, making it another orphan rail system, in a city with a checkered history of them. 2 - projected ridership in 2019 (21.5k phppd) is close to the capacity of the line's selected station configuration and rolling stock (26k phppd), making future extensions less feasible if pre-COVID ridership levels return. 3 - From opening day, the Ontario Line will vie with the Bloor-Danforth Line for the title of 2nd busiest transit route in Canada.
Masterfully comprehensive! Well done! I especially love how you tie in how the Blue Jays affected the course of rapid transit in TO.
Great video. Toronto has been suffering too long for lack of transit, glad we're starting to catch up.
The best time to build these lines was 40 years ago. The next best time us now.
You sir, have definitely earned my subscription. It's inspiring to see such great reporting. If you have a Patreon, I'd like to help there rather than buying a hoodie (avoiding consumerism).
Really glad to have your support! I respect the no consumerism - don't have a Patreon currently but it might be coming eventually :)
Top quality video - informative, entertaining, with amazing visuals! The amount of time and effort that this must have required 🤯
I have lived in Toronto for 15 years and have not heard ANYONE ONCE saying Toronto has good transit.
You must have missed the news in 2017 when the TTC won North American transit system of the year.
A+ video. Well done covering the history without it being boring. I think the sarcasm, emojis and casual meme inserts were hilarious! I was born and raised in Toronto but moved to Seattle a few years ago. You should do a video on Seattle's take on transit, from rejecting federal funding, to the monorail project killed by Sound Transit because they insist on LRT over subway or anything else at all costs... I think it's a somewhat dramatic story that ought to ruffle feathers. 😁
another banger, can't wait for ur mtl vid?? 👀👀👀
gonna have to find another long weekend to go 🤓
Production quality is top notch, I can't wait to see everything else you will and have put out!
im a minute in, idk this channel, but its very high quality, i hope your channel blows up and that you continue making similar content
thank you so much for doing this. I've been calling out everyone that thought LRTs are better and cheaper and now they are eating their own shorts. god bless rob ford.
So well done. Informative, well produced and well presented. Humour that’s actually clever.
Earned a new sub, high quality content, good explanation in a nice long form that I can just share little timestamps to friends when I nerd out about transit.
im studying abroad in athens , greece right now and your videos actually got me excited to look into the public transportation here and do some research. Its actually a very interesting case and I never would have thought twice about what goes into building a metro system if not for ur videos so thx :D
Pleasant surprise to find this Hudson! Great work 🔥
Wonderfully produced, entertaining and educational video! The best on this topic I've seen yet!
Saw this in my feed and thought I'd give it a watch. Great video 👍
Congrats Hudson on this excellent production - doing justice to Toronto’s story. Incredible storytelling that makes understanding the complex tradeoffs, politics, and decision making behind transit projects easy!!
🙇 had some real good sources and a lot of help for this one :)
@@TheFlyingMooseCA😉
This is an incredible video! Torontonians shoukd watch - most informative I’ve ever seen
Congrats on a really well done presentation summarizing a very complex issue.
I thought I was well informed about Toronto transit but there was so much info in this video I didn’t know. Great job!
Glad you enjoyed - I'm just scratching the surface myself 🤓
Definitely should look at the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway in Philly, not just because I'm from the Del Val area, but also because of the stop start nature of it, the revival of the project in recent years, and what the project could mean for Northeast Philly, Roosevelt Blvd itself, as well as what this could maybe show about transit projects in the US
As an ex-Torontonian (driven out by the price of real estate and the time suck of moving around), I applaud your advocacy. I do still have some hope for Toronto, even though (right now) it is largely uninhabitable and unlivable for the working class.
Wow this is such and underrated channel thank you for making this video!
I live in Ottawa and it's so frustrating how little progress is being made here. I'm just glad that at least some cities in Ontario are making progress and hopefully there will be a future in which Ottawa has better public transport infrastructure.
I miss Toeonto. Il move back one day
Great video. One solution to Toronto's transit issues is that we should at least consider not allowing politicians to be involved. I work in public safety - Toronto streets are not safe; it's considered the worst driving in North America. Police have told me "there's not enough room" for cars. You mentioned transportation to the Skydome / Rogers Centre in the downtown being delayed for decades. Why wasn't this decided prior to the stadium being built? It didn't have to be put there. Public transit in congested cities' downtowns like Toronto's is necessary. The decisions about city planning should not fall into the hands of politicians who have no experience in urban planning and who may be compromised by personal business interests. The Eglinton Line is at least $1 billion over budget and 4 years behind schedule. We have four new high-rises going up in my neighborhood downtown, without any improvement to transportation. The TTC is already underfunded and unreliable. We need a real "common sense Revolution" in urban planning and it's probably not going to come from an uneducated politician, it needs to come from experts with experience. 20% of Canada's GDP originates from Toronto. Toronto has four times the population of the maritime provinces, yet receives no recognition of its significance from the provincial or federal government. The roads are falling apart. Many are leaving.
What a great summary of TTC history, thank you!!
If you are interested in some of the history of urban planning and transit in Toronto, there are a couple of great books on what could've been. Unbuilt Toronto I & II. Comes in Ebook format. Found it in the public library in regular book format. Tells the story of the infrastructure of the city, including the transit system. I also suggest Steve Munros blog.
Your channel's quality is awesome!
Great video! I love the Jays references!
Thanks for summarizing the history and politics that went into the latter-half evolution of the Toronto subway system. A lot of people wonder why we are so far behind other major cities. Toronto was on pace in the early 80s to get things done, but after Davis was eventually voted out (or even prior to that), things began to falter.
Only now Toronto is catching up, albeit at a significantly higher cost.
Top tier video! Learned so much from this. Looking forward to the Ontario line + Go collab
0:29 so it'll be done by 2041 great
Nah it's already construction it'll be delayed till 2036 at most
Great I’ll be dead by that time
Impressive presentation! Great to see some past history! 😊 I enjoyed listening to you speak as your tone of voice is also impressive! Cheers! 🥂