Political will is building behind the idea of improving bus infrastructure to support frontlines workers in the most heavily effected parts of Canada's largest city.
"There's a call at Toronto's city hall this week to ramp up a plan to create buses-only lanes on some busy suburban streets as a way to help tackle COVID-19's impact on the city's vulnerable neighbourhoods," reports Michael Smee.
As of this writing, two Toronto city councillors are expected to introduce a motion "to accelerate their plan to ban cars and other non-TTC vehicles from curb lanes in five busy corridors that serve a handful of priority neighbourhoods," according to Smee. The existing plan to expand bus priority in the neighborhoods of Scarborough and North York, both disproportionately suffering the effects of COVID-19, was intended to be deployed over five years.
Toronto would join New York City in expanding bus priority during the pandemic, after the U.S. city announced plans recently to add 20 miles of bus lanes and busways to provide alternatives to automobile travel in the wake of the pandemic. Toronto already has a track record of success in converting streets to transit priority, with the example of King Street.
FULL STORY: City may speed up plans to prioritize TTC bus service on 5 of Toronto's busiest routes
Pandemic Bus Lanes Show Promise as Permanent Solutions
As cities streamline approval processes for bus-only lanes during the pandemic, transit experts hope the projects will lead to lasting change.
Bus Priority Falling to Local Political Opposition in New York City
An ambitious program to add 20 miles of bus lanes and protected bus ways in the city of New York has been diminished by political opposition in parts of the city.
20 Miles of Bus Lanes and Car-Free Busways Coming to New York City
While it falls short of a more ambitious proposal pitched by the MTA recently, a new plan to expand bus priority on the streets of New York City would mark a significant expansion of a trend that started on 14th Street in Manhattan.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.
Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.
Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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