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I don’t understand why anybody would ever drive downtown without a compelling reason. Like, it shouldn’t be your default, it should be the odd times you have 5 kids or a big load or whatever. So much easier to bike or transit. No traffic stress, no looping for parking, no parking charges, etc.

 

If more people thought like that, we’d have a much better city. In theory.

 

However, the reality of induced demand means that for every little bit of capacity that opens up, someone will likely fill it. So the only way to move more *people* around is get them on more space-efficient modes - cycling, walking, transit, or carpooling. Too many cars and SUVs with one person in them driving around this city.

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As you may or may not know, Otto has a disability (Autism). He has cope with it very well and imo has made great strides in his development. We (my wife and I) went through alot during his primary s

At the beginning of all of these revelations, Ford's allies and councillors tried to sit down with him privately, and urge him to look out for himself, to get help, and to come back stronger than ever

Heavy Rescue Squad 331. Beaten up, soaked, and with bellies full of smoke. Best job in the world.  

The number of cars on the road is almost certainly going to go down drastically in the next 20-30 years. World class cities should be preparing for that.

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The number of cars on the road is almost certainly going to go down drastically in the next 20-30 years. World class cities should be preparing for that.

God willing.

 

Or we’ll **** it up and let everyone own their own driverless cars and double the VKT and flood the streets with empty cars.

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God willing.

 

Or we’ll **** it up and let everyone own their own driverless cars and double the VKT and flood the streets with empty cars.

 

I don’t see that happening, but humans are dumb and car companies are powerful and have a pretty big stake in car ownership continuing to be a thing, so who knows.

 

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I don’t understand why anybody would ever drive downtown without a compelling reason. Like, it shouldn’t be your default, it should be the odd times you have 5 kids or a big load or whatever. So much easier to bike or transit. No traffic stress, no looping for parking, no parking charges, etc.

 

If more people thought like that, we’d have a much better city. In theory.

 

However, the reality of induced demand means that for every little bit of capacity that opens up, someone will likely fill it. So the only way to move more *people* around is get them on more space-efficient modes - cycling, walking, transit, or carpooling. Too many cars and SUVs with one person in them driving around this city.

 

Not everyone is 18-35 in good health with no kids. Try taking a six year old around for a couple of days on your utopian bike city. Walk the necessary distance you have to with an elderly person.

 

If your Toronto doesn’t include kids and the elderly then that’s elitist. The highway system in Toronto is so archaic. Let’s spend some resources fixing the arteries that get to downtown. Let’s fix the mess that is the Gardiner.

 

I will say though the new streetcars look cool.

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Driving in the core of all successful large cities in the World is bad. If you want to drive easily in the core of a city find a small one or one that is failing. That's just the reality.

 

We have to maintain the highways into the city but increasing capacity wouldn't help anything. Even if the DVP and Gardiner could move more cars there is nowhere for those cars to go when they get into the city. You would only make congestion even worse on other roads.

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My Lfyt or Uber (cant recall which one) requested pickup in Vegas asked me if I was willing to accept a driverless car.

 

I'm assuming that was just a poll, and not a reality, right????

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Not everyone is 18-35 in good health with no kids. Try taking a six year old around for a couple of days on your utopian bike city. Walk the necessary distance you have to with an elderly person.

 

If your Toronto doesn’t include kids and the elderly then that’s elitist. The highway system in Toronto is so archaic. Let’s spend some resources fixing the arteries that get to downtown. Let’s fix the mess that is the Gardiner.

 

I will say though the new streetcars look cool.

 

Is it elitist the for a physically capable single person to drive downtown? Wayne drove with his kid who is perfectly capable of using public transit, is he a selfish elite?

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Is it elitist the for a physically capable single person to drive downtown? Wayne drove with his kid who is perfectly capable of using public transit, is he a selfish elite?

 

No my daughter is a selfish elite. Drove her to Wonderland and her ding dong friends on Saturday too.

 

The truth is I didn't want her taking the TTC home at night. Her friend's parents didn't have an issue with them taking the subway.

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No my daughter is a selfish elite. Drove her to Wonderland and her ding dong friends on Saturday too.

 

The truth is I didn't want her taking the TTC home at night. Her friend's parents didn't have an issue with them taking the subway.

 

Lol Wayne the elite I like it. I took the wonderland bus a couple times - getting home after a day in the sun on that bus was miserable. It never did not smell like puke.

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My Lfyt or Uber (cant recall which one) requested pickup in Vegas asked me if I was willing to accept a driverless car.

 

I'm assuming that was just a poll, and not a reality, right????

They had some in SF last year. But I think they stopped after an incident. It’s gonna happen soon though.

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Try driving in Chicago or Washington or Los Angeles. IMO worst than Toronto

 

I drive in LA all the time. It’s totally different city and we can’t compare it to Toronto. There is no downtown per se in LA. There is but it’s not somewhere where you want to end up. The issue in LA is the freeways and the lack of a public transit system that people use regularly.

 

Things I like to see in Toronto more ( and I did see a bit more) is more HoV and paid toll lanes.

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There’s some toll lanes on the 401 west of the city I think. Maybe a different highway. We’re administering the survey for it. Way underpriced though because they have to hold a ****ing lottery for passes.

 

If you really want to cut congestion downtown, there’s two solutions. One, as bob says, implode your city. Make it so unsuccessful that nobody wants to go downtown. Two, institute a congestion charge. This would run around an area bordered by something like St. Clair, Don River, Bathurst or something. It would discourage unnecessary trips and has worked wonders for London and Stockholm, I believe.

 

Use the money to improve alternate modes like building cycling “highways” as they’ve done amazingly in London. Improve transit, etc.

 

That’s the direction we’re moving, I’d bet. Toronto is just behind the curve set by the very global (and larger) cities like London.

 

Speaking of traffic though, I think I’m going to go to São Paulo in the fall, which is pretty much known for 24/7 gridlock. They have a rule that license plate ending in specific digits can’t drive on certain days. Anyways, I’m interested in experiencing that chaos.

 

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Speaking of traffic though, I think I’m going to go to São Paulo in the fall, which is pretty much known for 24/7 gridlock. They have a rule that license plate ending in specific digits can’t drive on certain days. Anyways, I’m interested in experiencing that chaos.

 

So the rich have a car for each day?

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So the rich have a car for each day?

 

Pretty much. I don’t think that policy works.

 

It’s just one day you can’t drive. Like if it ends in 1 or 2, you can’t drive Monday. So for sure the rich have two cars.

 

Also, there’s like a million heliports around the city. That’s how the super rich get around. It’s nuts.

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Pretty much. I don't think that policy works.

 

It's just one day you can't drive. Like if it ends in 1 or 2, you can't drive Monday. So for sure the rich have two cars.

 

Also, there's like a million heliports around the city. That's how the super rich get around. It's nuts.

 

crime in Brazil is nuts. Be very very careful.

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Otto only job he has had is working at the cne. He finally got his first interview for a real job.

 

The new Costco less than a 10 min drive from home.

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Otto only job he has had is working at the cne. He finally got his first interview for a real job.

 

The new Costco less than a 10 min drive from home.

 

Costco treats it's employees well. Hope he gets hired.

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There’s some toll lanes on the 401 west of the city I think. Maybe a different highway. We’re administering the survey for it. Way underpriced though because they have to hold a ****ing lottery for passes.

 

If you really want to cut congestion downtown, there’s two solutions. One, as bob says, implode your city. Make it so unsuccessful that nobody wants to go downtown. Two, institute a congestion charge. This would run around an area bordered by something like St. Clair, Don River, Bathurst or something. It would discourage unnecessary trips and has worked wonders for London and Stockholm, I believe.

 

Use the money to improve alternate modes like building cycling “highways” as they’ve done amazingly in London. Improve transit, etc.

 

That’s the direction we’re moving, I’d bet. Toronto is just behind the curve set by the very global (and larger) cities like London.

 

Speaking of traffic though, I think I’m going to go to São Paulo in the fall, which is pretty much known for 24/7 gridlock. They have a rule that license plate ending in specific digits can’t drive on certain days. Anyways, I’m interested in experiencing that chaos.

 

Zach I love the idea of the congestion charge. Even if its $5-$10 it will discourage people to drive downtown.

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Zach I love the idea of the congestion charge. Even if its $5-$10 it will discourage people to drive downtown.

 

Nice! It’s really the most effective thing we’ve discovered so far. Though not perfect.

 

Think of congestion as an equilibrium between cost (dollars and time) and I guess convenience/comfort. Even when you expand roads, it tends to get filled up almost immediately because people realize it costs less time, until it gets back to that equilibrium.

 

I think, overtime, that equilibrium shifts up because people learn to accept longer delays, higher costs, etc. At least in the absence of comparable alternatives.

 

So a congestion charge would work, but over time, I guess unless you keep raising with inflation (and above if demand necessitates it), congestion slowly creeps back to equilibrium levels.

 

You can also have a dynamic congestion charge. Like, pass the cordon between 8 am and 6 pm on a weekday, charge 3x, on a Sunday, maybe it’s free or just x. Right? We have the tech to do it.

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Finally got to play Glen Abbey yesterday. Price to play was excellent but the pace of play very poor. Tee off at 12:39 and finished at 6:00 pm. The idiots behind us twice hit when we were still on the fairway

 

If I ever get my short game going I truly believe I can shoot low scores

 

My round was 100. Shot a 8 on the 18th. My scores are true scores. No mulligans.

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Daughter soccer team is not joining the yearly Robbie tournament this coming Canada day weekend

 

So what does that mean?

 

Friday tee time at Watson Glen at 10:10

 

Saturday tee time at Copper Creek at 11:40

 

Sunday tee time at Lakeridge Links at 9:24

 

Sunny and hot all 3 days. Just hope I have enough balls for Otto

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