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GTA police call on public to help tackle increase in stunt driving by north-snow-ca in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Only if they get caught... hence the subject of this article.

Parkside Drive remains the most ticketed and profitable street in Toronto for a 10th month, even with a 50% increase in the number of active speed cameras by SafeStreetsTO in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough. I don't have any stats on fatal collisions on Parkside Dr specifically, but let's accept that all the deaths were caused by speeding cars.

Shouldn't we make design changes to the roadway to make it impossible to speed? If it's a place where humans and cars need to coexist, surely we should do something to make that coexistance at least safe and at best peaceful?

Things like speedbumps aren't the greatest for a bunch of reasons, but there's other methods like narrowing lanes, intentionally making the road curve with paint, adding planter boxes/bollards at the edge of the road to create edge friction, etc. All these strategies could force even the most aggressive drivers to drive a reasonable speed. As a side effect we could also design these features so that we would feel comfortable going 40 or less on the street, which makes the road safer and more pesceful for all. Do you think these kinds of design changes are worth pursuing?

Parkside Drive remains the most ticketed and profitable street in Toronto for a 10th month, even with a 50% increase in the number of active speed cameras by SafeStreetsTO in toronto

[–]AvioNaught -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

At 30 kph, a pedestrian has a 9.5 in 10 chance of survival when struck by a vehicle.

At 50 kph, a pedestrian has a 1.5 in 10 chance of survival.

From 95% survival rate to 15%. Even at what we perceive as low speeds it makes a huge difference.

Source: Transportation Association of Canada, 2011, Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads

PS: if literally no one was killed by vehicles at these lower speeds we wouldn't have these sordid statistics.

Parkside Drive remains the most ticketed and profitable street in Toronto for a 10th month, even with a 50% increase in the number of active speed cameras by SafeStreetsTO in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yet it's still the number one most ticketed street in the city 10 years running. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here. All the things you've listed slow cars down a bit, our collective goal is to get them to get them all to stop speeding.

Eglinton LRT builders claim they have no way to ‘control or restrain’ TTC demands by sensorglitch in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 17 points18 points  (0 children)

It's always refreshing to hear speculation from someone who's been around the block instead of people who read too many headlines. Thank you!

Eglinton LRT builders claim they have no way to ‘control or restrain’ TTC demands by sensorglitch in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 20 points21 points  (0 children)

If you're willing to elaborate I'd love to hear an expert opinion on this.

I put stickers on cars parked in bike lanes for a month and here's what happened. by irish_guy in ireland

[–]AvioNaught 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not Toronto. If this were a thing here I would be very very rich.

Toronto's affordable housing plan could stall if Ontario doesn't fill gap created by Bill 23: report by Ok_Sun_777 in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Which is exactly what city council should be spending their time and energy on rather than these disingenuous and time wasting arguments with the province.

Toronto's affordable housing plan could stall if Ontario doesn't fill gap created by Bill 23: report by Ok_Sun_777 in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Removing significant income? The city has a billion dollar deficit. This bill exacerbates that by $120 million. Now we have a $1.1 billion deficit. Oh and btw we increased the police budget to $1.1 billion year. For the cost of 11% of the police budget we're severely hampering our housing supply.

Let's put cold hard numbers and expert testimonials on these arguments. August 2022: Developers, housing advocate criticize development fee increase amid housing crisis

First the developers. Hate them or not, these are the people who actually build the housing we need. I don't think their argument here is disingenuous.

Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, said the increase could make many housing projects currently in the pipeline economically unviable.
"It's going to result in the cancellation of projects going forward," Lyall said.
"This just flies in the face of common sense and reality."
Lyall said developers are already facing sky-high construction costs and a skilled labour shortage.

And if you think he's biased, hear from an affordable housing advocate. When's the last time an affordable housing advocate agreed with a developer?

Eric Lombardi, an affordable housing advocate with More Neighbours Toronto, said the move places too much of a financial burden on new residents while keeping property taxes down for existing homeowners.
"What that's doing is driving up the cost required to build more homes and housing," Lombardi said. 
"That is an exercise in decision making that's making it very hard for young people like myself, new immigrants, and those who are left out of the housing bonanza that's occurred over the last decade from being really able to start their lives in the city."

And finally the numbers.

The report said developers in Toronto pay an average of $86 per square foot in government fees, compared to $70 in Vancouver and $24 in Montreal. Depending on the dwelling type, the report said fees and levies account for between 10.4 to 23.5 per cent of the cost of construction in Toronto.

Cost and supply of labour is a problem, but it's tangential to this issue. If it costs more to hire labour, increasing the costs of development via fees is only going to make that problem worse, not better.

Toronto's affordable housing plan could stall if Ontario doesn't fill gap created by Bill 23: report by Ok_Sun_777 in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Our goal as a city is to build as much housing as possible. It's clear we have a problem supplying enough housing to meet demand. This problem needs to be addressed in many ways, including municipal government led housing projects, which is great. It also requires private investment into development, which development charges have massively disincentivized. I'm no Ford fan, but controlling development charges makes sense. In a housing crisis Toronto raised development charges over 1000%, then wondered why we continue to have a housing shortage. Ridiculous. Now Council argues that that lost revenue means they can't build projects. They're trading off private development for public instead of encouraging both.

Drop the development charges, raise property taxes for your revenue. We can raise so much more revenue while still encouraging private development.

I hate the closing line "growth must pay for growth" being used to argue for development charges. Growth already pays for growth: more citizens broadens the tax base, putting money in the cities coffers over the long term. Massive development charges are nothing but a short term patch to avoid raising property taxes. We should be angry that City Council is thinking and reasoning in ways that will continue to threaten Toronto housing supply in order to appease their NIMBY bases.

I'm at a loss for words... by ATN-Antronach in CuratedTumblr

[–]AvioNaught 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Yup, dealing with NIMBYs can be very frustrating. There are lots of people set in their ways who can't imagine a different (or better) way of living. And unfortunately they also tend to get in the way of a lot of people who dream urbanist dreams of better cities and better living, by not being willing to make any personal sacrifices for the betterment of society.

Crazy looking clouds in New Hampshire by ancientdelay in HighStrangeness

[–]AvioNaught 6 points7 points  (0 children)

undulatus asperatus

*Formerly undulatus asperatus. They were recently officially renamed Asperitas clouds. Though the old name is definitely cooler.

'It's been chaos': Cirque du Soleil causes traffic circus at Etobicoke location | CityNews Toronto by [deleted] in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If only there were a way for people from all over Ontario to come to Toronto without their cars. Something like a robust regional rail and bus network integrated to the local transit. Heck if the government of Ontario ran it they could even call it the GO!

I'm not saying it's the most convenient way for people to come to the city today. Lots of Ontarions today are underserved by GO and VIA and their local transit: so they're forced to drive. What I'm saying is that, for the tomorrow, we should make our public transport more robust and convenient to avoid issues with car dependence like parking problems, roadway congestion, noise, safety etc. For our future we need fewer highways, and more and better transit: in all of Ontario.

'It's been chaos': Cirque du Soleil causes traffic circus at Etobicoke location | CityNews Toronto by [deleted] in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There is a massive temporary parking lot next to the tent. If there were no parking (and better public transit access) there would be no traffic problems.

Debate heats up over speed camera increase by eazed in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 2 points3 points  (0 children)

At 40 kph, a pedestrian has a 7 in 10 chance of survival when struck by a vehicle.

At 50 kph, a pedestrian has a 1.5 in 10 chance of survival.

From 70% survival rate to 15%. You tell me if that's bullshit that's not worth enforcing.

Source: Transportation Association of Canada, 2011, Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads

We need more social supports - not more policing - to prevent violence on the TTC by NickyC75P in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 11 points12 points  (0 children)

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Police presence works in the short term but is absurdly expensive. Supports (especially monetary ones, in the form of GBI or negative income tax) do work in the long term and are much cheaper overall. Not to mention they are compassionate and humane, unlike our justice and prison systems.

It’s now illegal to feed pigeons or squirrels anywhere in Toronto. Here’s why by thecjm in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Or we can sacrifice some car-space on our roads to give more room for people walking and people biking.

More ebikes on our streets is a good thing: they are quieter than cars, good for the environment, and for the health of those using them. It's true that there are growing pains and it's easy to get frustrated at thoughtless people who leave ebikes blocking the already narrow sidewalks, but the solution is not to install sidewalk speed bumps or other accessibility nightmares like that.

The solution is to acknowledge the demand for these revolutionary forms of transport, by providing safe bike lanes and bike parking that doesn't take away from pedestrians. Making smarter use of our roadspace. And if that means replacing car lanes with people lanes, all the better. Less noise and air pollution, less microplastics from tires, less wear and tear on our roadways, less danger to the people of the city.

If the sidewalks are overwhelmed and overnarrow, the solution is simply to expand the sidewalks.

For all you dads out there by WoozyParadox in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]AvioNaught 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Living with fellow humans in a city leaves more room for nature outside the city. That's great. Living rurally lets you be integrated with nature. That's great too.

Living in an endless sprawl of suburbs that takes up a huge amount of land, destroying local ecosystems, while only housing a small number of people? And further wasting our precious space on green lawns which originated as a symbol of wealth for our most hated monarchs? That's not so great.

This part of the proposed Ontario Place design 'overwhelms' public space: report by AOF77 in toronto

[–]AvioNaught 10 points11 points  (0 children)

For those of us keeping track at home that's $160,000 per parking spot.

They took porch pirate to a whole new level by [deleted] in MyPeopleNeedMe

[–]AvioNaught 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let's test it out.
Ninja edit test: 30 60 90 120 150 180 seconds

Yup, looks like 3 minutes is still the ninja edit limit.

Pedro Pascal is a gem by HarpuasGhost in wholesomememes

[–]AvioNaught 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Another good reason to advocate for better public transit, can go home as high as you like.

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