02-11-2015, 10:02 AM
(02-11-2015, 09:37 AM)MidTowner Wrote:(02-11-2015, 09:26 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: ...I strongly believe we cannot possible talk about making drivers' lives difficult until we have a viable alternative in place.
We need to do both at once, I think. Increase ridership by making driving less pleasant and attractive, and then leverage that ridership growth into better transit service. It's not possible to have transit that would fully and completely serve all trips taken in the Region, before there is any ridership at all. I agree that the transit service needs to provide alternatives, but sometimes those can't exist in advance of the riders coming.
I continue to think that artificially cheap parking is one of the big things we can change to promote ridership. "Free" (to the user) parking makes car use seem a lot less expensive.
People will use public transit if what's available is effective. At present time, I have to drive to work, given the dearth of public transit alternatives. You can raise parking fees all you want, and I'm still driving. But now you have someone who feels there is a "war on cars" and will attack you and your public transit initiatives back.
Ok, I personally wouldn't do this since I'm pro-public transit, but 30% of Torontonians also known as Ford Nation would. So why would you insist on doing that?
In other words the stick approach is a huge strategic mistake from public transit advocates. Let the LRT be in place, let the higher density next-to-LRT buildings be built, let the LRT move faster than traffic and maybe then we can start talking about disincentives for drivers.