A new lifeline for York

Bus connecting university to Downsview station may finally arrive

Waiting for the anticipated subway, something is finally going to move for the students at York University.
To be precise, it's a bus that each day would carry them from north to south and back again, connecting the university with the Downsview station.
It's a bus line with a difference, in comparison to those that are already unsuccessfully trying to ease the enormous burden of traffic generated by the university every day. The proposed bus would be faster, with no stops and with its own bus lane, in order to cut down on transfer time, therefore enticing many more users. Sixty-five thousand cars, between students and faculty, fight every day for the 12,000 parking spots available.
The proposal for the bus line was put forth by Maria Augimeri and unanimously approved by the Planning and Transportation Committee. It has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and easy to implement on short notice. The only thing that's missing is the ratification from the city council, which will vote on April 16.
Other councillors, such as Peter Li Preti, have also worked at turning this project into a reality. "I've been actively proposing a line that could serve the combined needs of the West End residents and people living in more privileged areas," explains Li Preti.
The councillors who approved the motion expect no surprises. "A bus line doesn't cost as much as a subway line," explains Augimeri. "And the traffic problem in that area is well-known. Unfortunately, until some years ago the provincial government covered 75 percent of the construction costs of every new line, but from the victory of the Tories, who rid themselves of the responsibility, improving the road grid in the City of Toronto is impossible. How can a city that derives its revenue only from property taxes finance a project of this proportion?"
However, population growth must also be considered: a million people will come to the capital of Ontario in the next decade. Also, Vaughan's population will double over the next 20 years. Therefore, Downsview station should be integrated with five more stations. Almost nine kilometres of tracks should be added, for a cost of about $972 million. The project could be completed quite fast: three to five years, according to City Hall staff. Most of the tracks, in fact, will be in the open.
At the commission meeting, there were delegates from the City of Vaughan and York Region councils. From Bill Fisch, York chair, to Mario Racco, Vaughan city councillor, all agreed that the very need of this project has already produced a positive effect: finally, Toronto and Vaughan have managed to work together. "If we don't continue in this spirit of collaboration," Bill Fisch explained, "our prosperity will begin to fade."
The issue of public transportation is crucial for Vaughan, which has prepared several projects that will be implemented after the future of the connections with Toronto are defined. One of these is the construction of a civic centre at Jane and Hwy. 7, that has been proposed by Mario Racco. In that area, the city plans to erect, in spite of the low density that has always characterized every new urban development, a sort of "downtown." It would be the beating heart of the city, and should attract businesses and recreational activities.
The much-rumoured extension of the Spadina subway should reach this intersection, where a movie theatre and restaurants now rise. Vaughan's commitment doesn't end at mere words. The councillors have declared their availability to earmark funds for the creation of a huge parking lot for the future Steeles station. While waiting for a final decision on the completion of the subway, at least York University could be reached with a bus that is exclusively for the students.
"There will be no intermediate stops between Downsview and Steeles," explains Augimeri. "And naturally, the ticket used will be the same used for the rest of the city. We have to remember that we are expecting the 'double cohort' of students, with the simultaneous arrival of the first batch of students from grade 12 and the last from grade 13. We can't just watch from the window. Already, York University is the major contributing factor to the traffic; what will it be like in September? We are risking a crisis."

Publication Date: 2002-04-07
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=1169