Case Study - Toronto, ON, Canada - Vol. 3

I departed on Amtrak Train 63 bound for Toronto on Friday with the intention of showcasing The Danforth, a tremendous example of vibrant scaled urbanism that could serve as a model of aspiration for many of Rochester's neglected arterials. While I still intend to touch on the subject, some other things experienced in my days there serve as inspiration to draw some transit comparisons and unveil a starter streetcar proposal for downtown Rochester. (All photography use covered by Creative Commons licenses)

Danforth Avenue is an East-West corridor that functions as Main Street for the entire east side of Toronto (with apologies to Queen St. in Leslieville). Everything imaginable can be found for purchase along its roughly 4 mile long spine. The western end which doubles as Toronto's Greektown is especially dense, boasting banks, library branches, multiple grocery stores, bicycle shops, dry cleaners, shoes, lingerie stores and much more. Food offerings are rooted in Greek offerings like Alexandros Take-Out featuring quick street friendly items like Souvlaki, but also branch into the populist American/Canadian tradition at places such as Brass Taps Pizza Pub (which has downtown Toronto brewed Steam Whistle Pilsner on tap!). Rounding out the fare in the immediate area are quasi-fancy Italian restaurant Il Fornello juxtaposed against Wild Wings Sports Pub which boasts a preposterous 105 flavours (sic) of chicken wings (for the record, I went with 'Bacon and Cheese' and was not disappointed, the wife sampled Maple BBQ).

The Danforth is served frequently by its namesake subway, the Bloor-Danforth Line (or green line as shown on most maps), an army of buses, and to a certain extent (at either end) by the King, Dundas, and Carlton streetcars. A recommended course of action when traveling to Toronto on the weekend is to purchase a $10 day pass. On Saturdays and Sundays, this pass allows 2 adults and up to 4 children or one adult and up to five children to ride unlimited on all TTC Subways, Streetcars, and Buses. My wife and I utilized it to great effect this past Saturday, enjoying $54 worth of individual cash fares for the cost of one day pass.

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One mode of transportation utilized by us that day that we hadn't encountered before was the 510 Spadina streetcar. Originally billed as LRT, the Spadina streetcar represents a hybrid between traditional streetcar service and the more regimented boarding areas of a true light rail system. Islands separate regular traffic from the streetcar tracks, implying implementation on an orginally wide thoroughfare such as Rochester's Main Street.

From Wikipedia:

"Stops along 510 consist of a raised concrete platform with a partially covered shelter and railings along the entire boarding area. Platforms are located on the far-side of most intersections, to make room for left-turn lanes on the near side. TTC streetcars are equipped with a Surface Vehicle Automatic Stop Announcement System (SVASAS) which calls out the stops through the public address system and on the L.E.D. board (e.g., Next Stop: College Street)."

I understand completely that comparing Rochester public transit and its needs to that of Toronto is folly for the time being. I am still particularly interested in examining how a seemingly lower cost rail system that still contains some enhanced features would serve as a small starter line. Rochester's system is significantly outpacing other comparable sized bus transit systems in terms of ridership growth (J. Halldow - RGRTA, 2/1/2010 D&C). It is currently an all-bus system that moved 17 million riders in 2009, or over 46,000 per day on average. One potential solution to the demise of the Renaissance Square project which perpetuated the lack of a central intracity bus terminal is my starter streetcar line. If run at a critical frequency mass, buses would be able to originate from many points downtown, serving business people from more portions of the region's primary commercial district.

Starting at the Four Corners, the proposed route would head 'east' on Main Street (imagine Main to be the image to the lower right, squint if necessary) before turning left onto Union Street. This creates the beginning of a functional turn-around loop since the streetcars in question are assumed to be unidirectional. This also connects downtown more solidly and permanently with the Public Market.

A right turn onto Central Park creates land value increase and redevelopment potential for a neglected boulevard which boasts a potentially attractive grass median. Another turn onto lower North Goodman serves the beginning of a traditional arterial and also the fanout point of the 2 Parsells, 3 Goodman, and 8 Main northeastern bus routes. A final right turn would serve the broader cultural district including the Armory, Auditorium Theatre, and the new Blackfriars Theatre before rejoining the 'main line.'

At the other end of the line just past the Madison Avenue stop for the Susan B. Anthony House, the streetcar would turn onto a street in desperate need of real (read: not fancy light poles and benchs) economic stimulus, Jefferson Avenue. Rights on McCree and Genesee would reposition the car for eastbound travel at Bulls Head (below, left), home of the most traveled transit node in the city according to the Genesee Transportation Council Satellite Transportation Center Study as well as St. Mary's Hospital and another mini-business district in need of revitalization.

The entire loop is roughly 7.15 miles in length. I would propose modern streetcars if possible as I absolutely do not perceive the reintroduction of surface rail as some sort of heritage novelty. Curbside stops as opposed to traffic islands would be suitable for non Main Street areas of operation. If pressed on the location of car barns/maintenance shops, I'd suggest the large empty lot behind Rite Aid and Skip's Meat Market on the east side of Goodman at the Central Park intersection.

I realize that this leaves out the intercity train station, the stadia/High Falls, and the heavily traveled South Avenue corridor to the hospitals and Universities. Those would be my first extensions (especially after our sardine experience taking a 5 South bus home from the train). I'm very interested in comments on this very rough concept.

***EDIT 2/4 8AM - Fixed typos, grammaticals, some wording. No content change.

Case Study - Toronto, ON, Canada - Vol. 2

The second half of my look at the great city of Toronto will be broken down into individual neighborhoods. Most of these will be in the downtown core, but all will be within the traditional boundaries of the city as opposed to the amalgamated suburbs. A quick disclaimer, the photos are mine and are not intended to be exact matches for the neighborhoods described. Most are of the College Park area or Front Street.

The Annex

Just to the north of the University of Toronto, the Annex is a largely residential Victorian, Georgian, and Tudor district anchored by Bloor Street on the south end. The area is home to the Toronto landmark Honest Ed's and is easily accesible from multiple stops on the Bloor-Danforth subway line. The old village of Yorkville, technically part of the annex (at least as defined by municipal government), has become an exclusive shopping district serves as a bridge to Rosedale, home of the 'old money' and houses the Royal Ontario Museum.

Cabbagetown

Directly to the east of downtown, Cabbage is a neighborhood seeing great gentrification. A heritage conservation area, it retains the character of a less-expensive era and attracts businesses being priced out of midtown. Bordering on the Allan Gardens park and botanical garden, the spine of Cabbagetown is easily accessable on the 506 streetcar.

Chinatown

West of the new Toronto City Hall plaza, on roughly the same axis as Cabbagetown is one of the largest Chinatowns in North America. No explanation necessary. Also in this area is the Kensington Market meat, produce, bread, and cheese cluster.

Distillery District

At the intersection of Mill Street and Trinity southeast of downtown lies the gates of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery. Now a pedestrian oriented arts and entertainment neighborhood, the Distillery District boasts the largest collection of Victorian age industrial architecture in North America. Closest streetcar service is provided by the 504 King.

Downtown Yonge

Billed as the world's longest street, Yonge is the major north-south axis of the city. The original subway line travels under the street, creating mini downtowns at each major subway stop. Almost anything you can think of is available on Yonge Street and it is likely your hotel would only be a block from it at most. Theatres, Shopping, Restaurants, and Activities line the route through the entirety of what is considered downtown Toronto.

Entertainment District

The rest of the theatres offering long running productions at national quality reside here, just west of the financial district. Major league sporting venues and companion restaurants flank improv clubs like Second City near all major transport at Union Station.

Exhibition

Not an official neighborhood as far as I can tell, the grounds of Exhibition Place are host to the annual Canadian National Exhibition (think state fair on a national scale). A restored coliseum is home to a minor league hockey team, a new grandstand was recently built for a major soccer team, the Ontario Place amusement park is located on an island in Lake Ontario, and a restored Fort York is just off the grounds. Exhibition is the western terminus of the 509 streetcar from Union Station.

Harbourfront

Quickly filling up with high-rise condos, the Harbourfront area is best appreciated in summer when one can take a boat tour or a ferry to the Toronto Islands that protect the harbor. More unique shopping opportunities exist in converted dockside terminal buildings. The Harbourfront area features enhanced streetcar service with underground stations that link to Union Station.

St. Lawrence

Now home to its namesake, the St. Lawrence Market where one can realize all the benefits of farm vendors on saturday mornings, the St. Lawrence neighborhood was the actual downtown center throughout the 18th and 19th centuries (what is now the south market building once housed city council chambers). I had planned on pontificating about the correct way to integrate subsidized housing at this point even though it is not in the spirit of a neighborhood rundown, but instead I'll quote this eloquent paragraph from the Wikipedia entry on St. Lawrence:

"In the 1970s it was decided by mayor David Crombie to turn the area into a new residential neighbourhood, but one that would not make the same mistakes of the housing projects of earlier decades. The neighbourhood was to be integrated into the city with no clear boundaries. It would contain a mix of commercial and residential as with both subsidized and market oriented housing, mostly rowhouse or low-rise apartments. The neighbourhood was planned by Alan Littlewood and the influence of American urban planner Jane Jacobs played a crucial role. Many of the developments were not completed until well into the 1990s. Since that time, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood has been critically acclaimed as a major success in urban planning. In many ways, it has become the model for the design and planning of new urban communities across North America."

The preceding paragraph and some short investigation into David Crombie's history imply that Toronto had reached a sort of turning point with respect to preservation and urban emphasis. Many landmarks, including Old City Hall were wisely spared. However in Toronto cranes and high-rise towers equal 'growth' and I've often noticed how areas have a different feel across six month to one year timeframes. To finish, I still have to laud the emphasis on transit, walkability, and respect of the public realm that Toronto projects to the visitor and hopefully to other North American cities as a living, breathing example of excellent urbanism on any scale.

Case Study - Toronto, ON, Canada - Vol. 1

This is the seventh in a series of city case study posts. With the exception of places I've lived, I've been to and spent more days in Toronto than any other city. The Canadian equivalent of Chicago (and possibly Miami), its likely I've spent a cumulative month there from the time I was 9 years old to just this past weekend. In that time a lot has changed around this mega-city, but I believe it has always been an influence in the back of my mind, leading me to become a champion for the greatness of urbanism. Today's post will focus on the schematic (getting there, getting around, hotels), while tomorrow I will come back with the more cultural aspects and some neighborhood profiles.

What is officially Toronto today is an amalgamation of six municipalites (Toronto, East York, Etobicoke, York, Scarborough, and North York). This was more or less forced through by the Ontario Provincial Legislature and took effect on New Year's Day 1998. In a nutshell, it made the arm of government previously known as 'Metro Toronto (something like an American county)' one in the same with city government, much like Nashville-Davidson. The current population estimates are pegged around 2.5 million, making Toronto the largest city in Canada.

Getting to Toronto

Established just east of Fort York on a very hospitable natural harbor, Toronto (or York as it was known then) lied at the crossroads of Dundas St. (West to Windsor), Yonge St. (North to North Bay), and Kingston Rd. Today, the sheer scale of Toronto, and its importance in the economy and financial sector of Canada presents a tremendous number of transportation options.

The vast majority of air travel into and out of Toronto is done through Toronto Pearson International Airport. To chronicle the list of destinations would take me until next Thursday, but suffice it to say that every major international airline is represented there as well as Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet. City Centre Airport, located on a man-made island in Lake Ontario, offers regular service to Chicago-Midway, Halifax, Montréal, Newark, Ottawa, and Quebec City.

On Front St., Union Station is not only Canada's rail Mecca, but also a shining example of how to update an absolute classic for the 21st century. To travel to Union Station is to realize a real sense of arrival at the crossroads of Canada and there are many ways to do it. VIA Rail, Canadian long-haul passenger service, accomodates over 2 million boardings per year to Vancouver, Niagara Falls, Sarnia, Ottawa, Montreal, Windsor, and all intermediate points on those routes. Toronto is also the terminus of one of 3 Amtrak routes that venture over the Canadian Border, the Maple Leaf. This is how I last voyaged to the Queen City.

This passenger load pales in comparison to the 40 million commuters handled by Union Station as the radial emmanation of seven commuter train lines operated by GO Transit and the 20 million subway and streetcar passengers per year.

To get downtown by personal vehicle, the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway are the major West-to-East and North-to-South options. Toronto is fairly drivable considering its density, but I would not recommend it both on principle and due to parking charges.

For two different periods in 2004 and 2005 Canadian American Transportation Systems and Bay Ferries in cooperation with the City of Rochester ran a large catamaran ferry before disbanding due to financial difficulties. This was THE way to go. Sadly, typical defeatist public opinion coupled with late starts of both operating seasons (which severly impacted marketing), lack of an agreement with customs officials to carry large freight containers and trucks, and fees incurred in ports due to its Bahamian ship registry (an early attempt to skirt time delays) doomed the operation. Ultimately the Spirit of Ontario I was sold and became the Tanger Jet II, ferrying passengers and vehicles between Spain and Morocco.

Getting Around Toronto

The Toronto Transit Commission operates buses, subways, streetcars, and rapid transit lines. The system is incredibly comprehensive (with buses running very 5 minutes, even on Sunday), and is the 3rd most-used system in North America. Three subway lines, the Yonge-University-Spadina, Bloor-Danforth, and Sheppard lines in addition to the Scarborough RT light rail service make up the rapid transit portions of the system while over 300,000 people per day ride one or more of 11 streetcar lines still operating in classical fashion on original routes. Many rapid transit station have built-in transfer to bus points (such as Don Mills). The TTC operates 168 bus routes and 24 of those run 24/7.

Accomodations in Toronto

While I understand that not every traveler is as anti-bourgeoisie as I am, I've chosen not to focus on places like the Fairmont Royal York, but will keep it to places I've stayed or considered staying in. Some like the Delta Chelsea are expensive in general, but promotional rates at off-peak times make it a can't miss. The following are hotels with price ranges for a 3/7/09 booking (all prices in CAD) with transport tips for each.

Days Hotel Toronto
30 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON
I've stayed here over 75% of my overnight travels to Toronto. Located next to Maple Leaf Gardens, the only remaining original cathedral of hockey, this hotel seems to consistently provide the right combination of price and proximity. Less than a block from College Park (and a 24-hour supermarket) and the Yonge St. Subway's College Station, the Days is integrated into the heart of the city. Room rates range from $89 to $99 (certain to rise during baseball season).

Delta Chelsea
33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto, ON
An incredibly enormous hotel complex housing pools on both the 2nd and 27th levels with something for the entire family. Just south of the aforementioned College Park, the Chelsea features a balcony on every room with incredible downtown vistas. The Eaton Centre downtown shopping megalith is just a block away. Room rates range from $129 to $229 and the Chelsea is on the Airport Express luxury shuttle bus that runs $16.95 one way.

Travelodge Richmond Hill
10711 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, ON
Once on short notice, this was the best I could do for a reasonable rate (it was a Knights Inn at the time). It was my introduction to the reverse suburban paradigm. Miserable traffic jams on collector roads, paranoia about security, and extremely long bus rides to connect to the subway at Finch. All that said, it's an option, and is probably closer to things like Canada's Wonderland theme park. There is also a new bus service in the York region called Viva which is rumored to be much improved. Room rates range from $79 to $89.

Howard Johnson Hotel Yorkville
89 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON
I have not stayed here, but have weighed the option on numerous occasions. Located in the Bloor-Yorkville district, this hotel is near the Museum station of the YUS subway and the Bay station on the Bloor-Danforth. Room rates range from $89 to $159.

Novotel Toronto Centre
45 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON
The Novotel is where my parents took me 19 years ago. It is not far some Union Station or any downtown waterfront attractions. Just west of St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District, the Novotel is first rate. Room rates range from $149 to $199.