Chicago vs. Toronto

[MrJester]

Originally Posted by bostonkid123

Agree with all you've said regarding Irvine - Markham comparison. One minor quibble though: Markham actually does quite well in the suburban transit space and is one the first cities in NA to pioneer Bus Rapid Transit network throughout the city. I challenged myself last year to stay in Markham for a couple of nights and commute to my client office in Toronto - without a car. To my surprise, it runs an extremely efficient bus network, especially for in such a suburban, auto-centric environment.

Its transit system is called YRT, with a dedicated BRT network called "Viva BRT" serving Markham and connecting it with all of the major GO stations and TTC subway. From the center of Markham, I managed to travel to downtown Toronto in under 1 hour, all on transit (with 1 transfer between Viva and TTC) - which is a really good value proposition considering that Ubering the same journey would take approximately 45 min - 1.5 hrs during rush hour. All bus stations are almost as big as LRT stations, with indoor heating in the winter, real-time reporting of the next bus, and free Wifi.

Yes, it's not world-class rapid transit, but for a typical NA suburb, it's already quite progressive and is in the midst of a major expansion. You can see in the map below how the system offers incredible frequency for an otherwise unexciting suburban area, with peak bus frequency at every 5 min and non peak at every 15 min 24/7. That's almost as competitive as some of the largest transit agencies like TTC, STM, MBTA, etc.


-Source: YRT Transit


-Source: YRT Transit


-Source: YRT Transit

I know Markham has had Bus rapid transit for a while now. I guess I simply have a bias against BRT that I need to get over. Never have ridden BRT, but hearing that it's fast and much cheaper to build than light rail or subway, I'm all for it.

[bostonkid123]

Originally Posted by MrJester

I know Markham has had Bus rapid transit for a while now. I guess I simply have a bias against BRT that I need to get over. Never have ridden BRT, but hearing that it's fast and much cheaper to build than light rail or subway, I'm all for it.

Yup. I previously had a lots of bias against buses as well.

However, in the North American context, building up our bus networks is really the best way to build ridership and build better, denser, and more walkable communities away from the auto-centric 20th century.

BRTs cost 1/10th of the cost of an LRT or heavy rail system. A BRT can be up and running in as short as 10 months - simply by re-configuring existing streets, building new stations, and building dedicated fast lanes for buses. It's a win-win for both communities under-served by transit and city governments strapped for expensive multi-billion rail projects.

Many politicians like to tout shiny new projects like streetcars (DC), LRTs (Ottawa/Toronto), or expensive subway extensions (NYC 2nd Ave) as their "legacy projects" because they look good for photo ops, but having a good, reliable bus network is the first foundational step towards having a holistic and working regional mobility system. Something I've learned from many successful transit systems in Europe and Asia - is that before they embark on expensive rail projects that cost billions, first increase ridership on your bus routes by offering safe, reliable, and comfortable bus rides to your community. Especially in North America, buses are not sexy, but they are cheap, reliable, and are the backbone of any successful transit system.