Toronto Environmental Alliance

March 31, 2007

For more than a decade TEA has been campaigning for a network of light rail across the city. That is why we are happy to support the recently announced Toronto Transit City – Light Rail Plan. With this plan, subway-style Light Rail Transit service can reach all corners of the city. The newly proposed network includes 120 km of service, with a cross-town Eglinton route from Kennedy to the Airport, north-south routes on Don Mills and Jane, as well as service on Morningside, Sheppard East, Finch West, and a West Waterfront route reaching to Long Branch. These routes would attract 175 million riders by 2021. Details of the plan can be viewed here.

This is the next step that TEA has been pressing for since the City/TTC Building a Transit City report was released in 2005. That report presented a promising vision of an extensive rapid transit network, but it was neither focused nor detailed enough to take any concrete steps forward. The new Transit City - Light Rail Plan presents exactly the kind of concrete vision that can be used to inspire public interest and leverage the needed investments from higher levels of government. And of course, TEA will continue to keep up the pressure on all levels of government to ensure the Toronto Transit City – Light Rail Plan is implemented.

The next step is to put pressure on our provincial and federal politicians to make sure enough money is set aside to make Transit City a reality. Contact your MP and MPP to let them know you support Transit City!

We have created this Citizen’s Guide for those who would like to know more about Light Rail.

Inside you’ll find:

• A comparison of Light Rail to other transit modes
• A review of what kinds of rapid transit are best to use where
• Other North American cities that have built Light Rail
• A glossary
• How you can support Transit City

We hope you will find the information useful.

Yours,
The TEA Transit Campaign Team

This package has been prepared by Beth Jones of the Toronto Environmental Alliance with many thanks to Craig Cal of Spacing for his writing and input, to Jennifer Little for her diligent research, and to Steve Munro for his expert advice and technical input. Many thanks also go to the John and Marian Taylor Fund for their support of this project.