Consultants hired by the City of Toronto are recommending dramatic cuts to public transit, including contracting out some routes and eliminating a late-night bus service popular with shift workers.
The spending review conducted by the consulting firm KPMG recommended a host of cost-cutting measures, several of which would affect public transit services. Key among these is the proposed cancellation of the popular "Blue Night Network" bus service. However, such a move is likely to be unpopular, according to the Globe and Mail:
"Ending the TTC's 'Blue Night Network' bus service that kicks in during the wee hours when subway lines stop, is likely to provoke outrage from the public. As well as revellers and other nighthawks, the all-night routes are a mainstay for shift workers in marginal jobs who cannot afford cars or cab fare. 'That service is really there for the most vulnerable,' the source explained.
Earlier this year, TTC commissioners learned firsthand what a hot political potato cutting bus service can be. As part of this year's budget review, late-night and weekend service cuts were proposed on 48 little-used routes. Faced with public outcry, commissioners settled on a compromise that rolled back the planned service reductions."
Read the full story: TTC operations are next stop on city's cost-cutting route
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello