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► Transit News/Events ◄
- January 31, 2012: We Make It Move
The challenges facing our transportation system are enormous. Climate change, the future of oil, and globalization are already reshaping how we move and the machinery that moves us. Dramatic changes lie ahead, and workers, including 100,000 members of our union working in transportation and manufacturing transportation equipment, will be deeply affected.
- January 27, 2012: Seizing the Transit Initiative
This week, news came out that plans to bury the Eglinton LRT may be revised.
- January 16, 2012: Transit workers offered to take a wage freeze if the TTC maintained services
'We said we would be willing--and this was just dialogue, wasn't offers passed back and forth--that we'd take this,' Bob Kinnear makes a zero with his fingers, 'provided that the Toronto Transit Commission maintains the level of service.'
- December 20, 2011: We get Fare Hikes, the Rich get Bailouts
Working people cannot afford the TTC fare hikes that kicked in on January 3, 2010. A single TTC ride now costs $3.00, up from $2.75; ten tokens cost $25.00, up from $22.50; and a monthly Metropass costs $121.00, up from $109.00.
- December 16, 2011: York transit workers demand council act to end strike
Hundreds of striking York Region Transit workers took to the streets Thursday morning in Newmarket in an effort to pressure politicians to intervene in the labour dispute by forcing binding arbitration.
- December 2, 2011: Toronto-Area Transit Workers Strike against Privatization
'The problem is privatization,' says Toronto-area transit union leader Bob Kinnear, so bus drivers are on strike to put that problem in front of the public.
- November 27, 2011: TTC users need a crusader to battle cuts
The city's most faithful customers -- the beleaguered brigade of transit captives -- are getting it in the teeth again. Bus and streetcar service on the most popular routes is being cut back to achieve a confounding funding target established by a befuddling mayor.
- November 26, 2011: TTC slashes service on 62 routes
Two long, snaking lines form on the platform at Finch Station waiting for bus 36 westbound. It's 4:30 p.m., rush hour, and in the end about a dozen people are left behind. The bus is too full to pick anyone up at the first few stops.
- November 1, 2011: Should All Public Transit Be Free?
More than half of the world's population lives near an urban center. But as our cities grow increasing traffic has clogged roads and highways. In much of the U.S., a car--there are 246 million registered, as of 2009--is a near-necessity. Meanwhile, longer commutes have been linked with severe health problems, according to a recent report by Gallup.
- September 14, 2011: Transit Union Takes Education On the Road
The Amalgamated Transit Union is educating local leaders around the country about what's wrong with the economy, helping bus drivers and mechanics who've seen transit funding slashed to understand some ugly truths.
- July 8, 2011: No TTC Fares on Smog and Heat Alert Days!
During Extreme Heat Alerts, the City of Toronto counsels people to seek shelter and opens cooling centres across the City. People are at risk of death during these alerts -- particularly pregnant women, senior citizens, people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses and people living in substandard housing. Flash mob organized by: Fair Fare Coalition, Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly Free and Accessible Transit Campaign and Damn 2025.
- July 7, 2011: Free Public Transit
The beginning of the end of autosprawl. A blog full of public transit resources.
- July 1, 2011: Atro-City
For at least a century, governments have tried to urbanise their nations. Communist states sought to drag people out of what Marx and Engels called their 'rural idiocy'.
- June 19, 2011: Stop Signs
Cars and Capitalism on the Road to Economic, Social and Ecological Decay with co-authors Bianca Mugyenyi and Yves Engler. Opening remarks by Jordy Cummings and Rick Salutin. Recorded 12 May 2011 in Toronto.
- May 9, 2011: The Shock Doctrine, Toronto Style
I doubt Rob Ford reads Naomi Klein. Between studying committee reports and football playbooks, the new Mayor likely doesn't have the time or the inclination to keep up with Canada's most prolific left-wing journalist.
- March 18, 2011: Transport Workers and Climate Change
Toward sustainable, low-carbon mobility: Discussion Document prepared for the ITF CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE, Mexico City, August 2010 by the ITF Climate Change Working Group in collaboration with the Global Labor Institute (GLI), School of Industrial Relations, Cornell University.
- March 18, 2011: No Fare is Fair
A roundtable discussion with members of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly Free and Accessible Transit Committee.
- December 28, 2010: Disability rights activist still waiting for a fully accessible transit system
For nine months, Anne Abbott waited for the Toronto Transit Commission to fix the elevator at the Yonge and Bloor subway station in downtown Toronto so she and other disabled commuters could get to work, attend school, visit friends and be active members of their communities.
- December 15, 2010: Why I want subways, but would settle for Transit City
Mayor Rob Ford plans to dissolve 'Transit City,' former Mayor David Miller's plan to extend Toronto's existing transit systems to service the east and west ends of the GTA, and some of the north. Much has been written about the fact that the city has already spent about $130 million on 'Transit City,' while Ford has committed to new contracts in the amount of $1.38 Billion for his proposed transit plan.
- December 11, 2010: Why Private Transit is Destined to Fail
Publicly funded systems would be better suited to the economic and social pressures facing Canada's cities.
- December 10, 2010: Free Transit and Movement Building
The demonstrations surrounding the G20 summit in Toronto unfolded more or less as scripted. The state spent obscene amounts of public money to install security cameras in Toronto's streets, build an enormous fence, and augment the capacities of the local, provincial, and national police forces, both logistically and legally.
- December 7, 2010: Mayor Ford scraps Toronto light rail transit system
It was supposed to be one of the largest transit expansion projects anywhere. Seven new light rail lines along the streets of Toronto's major transit corridors. Older buses replaced with modern, cost effective, environmentally friendly light-rail vehicles.
- October 27, 2010: Drivers and Riders Unite!
Fare hikes, layoffs, and service cuts decimate public transit -
In 2008, when gas prices spiked, so did transit ridership, reaching 10.7 billion trips in the United States. Hard times make this service even more essential to millions of people.
- October 2, 2010: NO Fare IS Fair
Start of the campaign to win free and accessible transit for the GTA. A project of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly.
- August 21, 2010: New York's transit agency lays off workers, raises fares
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has laid off another 200 New York City station agents, while proposing to once again increase transit fares. The layoffs took place on August 13 as a result of a recent decision by the MTA, which runs the New York City transit system, as well as the surrounding commuter railroads.
- July 16, 2010: Free and Accessible TTC!
Forum featuring: Deb Cowen, Karen Sun, Franz Hartmann and Kamilla Pietrzyk
- July 5, 2007: No Fares! A Reader-funded Solutions Series
Is it crazy to imagine free public transit? Or crazy not to? You made possible Dave Olsen's inquiry.
- July 5, 2007: 17 Reasons (or More) to Stop Charging People to Ride the Bus
The case for Fare-Free Transit by Dave Olsen.
- April 10, 2007: Scottish Socialist Party - free public transport policy
Scottish Socialist Party election broadcasts for the Parliament elections in 2007. This one is on the SSP's free public transport policy.
► Toronto Transit Links ◄
- Keep TTC Public
Some Toronto politicians are advocating various forms of TTC privatization, including so-called "public-private partnerships." The purpose of this site is to stimulate public discussion on this issue.
- Moving Transit Forward
The TTC Chair's (Adam Giambrone) end of term report summarizing advancements made by the TTC over the past 7 years, and provides a framework for the TTC on how to move forward over the next 5 years.
- No Fare is Fair!
The Tumblr for the Free and Accessible Transit Campaign from the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly
- No Fare is Fair!
We are the Free and Accessible Transit Campaign of the Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly.
- Public Transit Coalition
The Public Transit Coalition believes that Toronto residents should be free to travel where we want, when we want, in a reasonable length of time. Our Municipal, Provincial and Federal Governments have a responsibility to guarantee this fundamental freedom. In an urban area this is only possible with excellent public transit. Twitter - ourttc - #ourttc #savetransitcity #ttc #voteTO.
- Steve Munro - Transit, Politics, Reviews
The foremost authority on all things related to the TTC.
- Toronto Free Transit Wiki
Those of us advocating free transit are bound to hear a question - isn't the idea of Free Transit a bit extreme in the current context, with right wing ideas so dominant these days?
- TTCriders.ca
A voice for Rocket Riders - Toronto's newest transit users group. Twitter - ttcriders_ca - #ttc #transitcity #voteTO.
► Other Transit Links ◄
- BC Bus Riders Union
The Bus Riders Union is a labour/community organization that is an experiment in Left movement building. The BRU has been slowly but steadily gathering force; today we have over 950 members and thousands of supporters.
- Free Public Transit
What we mean by free public transit: remove the user fee [fare] from urban buses, trains, trolleys, street cars, and light rail. Why this website: provide the economic argument and evidence in favor of free public transit. Twitter - freepublictrans - #freepubtrans.
- Free Public Transport
We are standing at a crossroad: in order to reduce our oil dependency and to make our cities climate smart, we have to change our ways of getting around. It is a fact that the future is on track, and with free public transport everyone can come along for the ride.
- Human Powered blog by Dave Olsen
First and foremost a father, he knows his ultimate mission on the planet is to be the best father he can be. Reading Alice Miller's transforming works about childhood is passion that supports this mission. When he isn't having fun with his daughter, he bakes, bikes, and builds and generally tries to learn more life skills to share. Another passion in Dave's life is writing. Transportation and surviving civilization are favourite topics; spreading the word about insightful works of art helps both artist and planet survive.
- LA Bus Riders Union
The BRU has literally saved public transportation in Los Angeles and become the country's largest grassroots mass transit advocacy organization.
- NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign
New York's Transit Rider's Union site.
- Save Our Ride
Our Ride is about affordable, quality public transportation for all. We are a campaign of transit workers, riders, managers and advocates, community groups and environmental organizations. Twitter - saveourride.
- Stephen Rees's blog
Thoughts about the relationships between transport and the urban area it serves (mostly BC).
- Supprimons les tarifs de transport à Montréal
Ce site défend l'accès libre et universel aux transports collectifs. On y refuse la discrimination fondée sur le revenus et l'inégalité d'accès aux ressources de la communauté.
- The Transport Politic
An excellent source on transit projects from around the world. Twitter - ttpolitic.
- Wikipedia - Free Public Transit
Free public transport, also often called free public transit and sometimes zero-fare public transport, is a single or network of transport services funded in full by means other than collecting a full fare from passengers.
- Zero-Fare Canada
For fare-free urban public transportation. Twitter - freetransit - #freepubtrans.