Toronto falling on Global Cities Index - transit is a part of it

The Global Index

First, check out this chart:

http://www.atkearney.com/gbpc/global-cities-index/full-report/-/asset_publisher/yAl1OgZpc1DO/content/2012-global-cities-index/10192

Follow the link above, check out the entire report - notice that there is not a single mention of Toronto in the report, at all. It's utterly un-noteworthy. It's been said "love me or hate me, but don't be indifferent" and that's exactly what Toronto is here - reflective of its tepid, insipid mediocrity. That's sad enough...but it gets worse...

Toronto's trend over the last five years?

• 10th in 2008
• 14th in 2010
• 16th in 2012

We are entrenched in the wrong direction.

Whatever opportunities there ought to be for a city that was once recognized as a top-10 global leader are being squandered by poor management.

I'm not saying we must be "number 1." There can only be one "number 1."  I am saying, getting to the top-10 is great; staying around the top-10 is better; but  plummeting out of the top-10 must be considered unacceptable, if we have any pride at all.

Leaders lead

Look at the consistent performance of the top five cities (New York, London, Paris, Tokyo Hong Kong). Clearly, these results speak to each city having a clear and strong sense of identity; they are what they are, they do what they do and, year after year, their results are recognizable, consistent, and remain at the vanguard, the standard for what a leading global city is.

The consistent performance of these true, leading cities is a reflection of a direction, of leadership, of deliberate decisions made to deliberately return results fit for the profile of the city; decisions based on a long-term view, decisions that understand long-term implications for growth. Or decline.

Toronto needs to learn how to be that; and then, by extension, how to do that. 

We didn't get to the top-10 by accident. We certainly can't halt the free-fall by accident. 

Whether it's becoming a leader, or just being smart enough to follow, Toronto's got to do something to halt - and then reverse - this disturbing downward spiral.

A hard look at transit's role in global leadership

A great place to start is public transit. Each of these great cities have expansive subway systems. That's just the way it is. Take a look:

Is the fact that New York City, London and Paris are tops on the Global Cities Index and have subway maps such as these a coincidence? I don't think so.

Is the fact that Toronto is plummeting downwards while boasting proud about the subway system - or lack thereof - that we have, a coincidence? I don't think so.

Real cities, with real subway systems, would look at this image and laugh. Toronto - and indeed Ontario and Canada - can only cry...or hang our heads in shame.

And, make no mistake - GTA transit is not a "Toronto problem." Toronto generates 50% of Ontario's GDP, and growing; and 15% of Canada's GDP, and growing. By comparison, 12% of the GDP of the United States is the entire state of California. Pound for pound, Toronto is a huge chunk of Canada.

GTA gridlock is estimated to cost upwards of $6 billion annually in lost productivity. That's "billion" with a B. Every year. And growing. I've seen estimates that triple this cost by 2031 if we don't make drastic changes to our current course.

"Lost productivity" means less jobs, less opportunity, less value, less health, less well-being, lower quality of life...for everyone in the city, province and country.

Oh, but these are much bigger cities than Toronto. Yes, but then Stockholm (pop. 872,000) and Barcelona (pop. 1.6 million) are significantly smaller than Toronto. Take a gander at their subway maps:

Barcelona:

Map from PlanetWare.com


Stockholm: 

Superimpose TTC's subway map over any of these, if you dare, and come to terms with how far behind Toronto's transit situation really is.

Here's a whole slew of subway maps from around the world - the cool thing about this site's presentation is that all the maps are rendered at the same scale, very useful for comparison.

This is, in part, why transit talk is reaching fever pitch - people are pulling their heads out of the sand and waking up to realize that we are far off track; getting back on track, pun intended, is finally being recognized as critical. 

We must decide to do better and start doing better. Now.

If our leaders don't get it, we need to get new leaders - especially if this is a typical day in the regime of our "leaders".

Better scheduling to help people get to work would be appreciated (and good for the economy, too)

Heading into the downtown core to work and participate as a productive member of society? 

Below is GO Transit's morning rush schedule for the westbound Lakeshore East GO Train, with my scribbles highlighting what I think is an issue.

6x less service to 416 commuters than to 905ers? (and it's actually more than 6x less, because 5 of those 6 rides available from Pickering are express).

C'mon, GO Transit, you can't do better than that?

Modal split across GTA

There's plenty of data showing that urban living can be healthier for very non-mysterious reasons. Recently I saw this image:

While the numbers are hard to see on this image, what does jump out quite clearly is the balanced use of transportation modes in downtown Toronto, and the gross imbalance outside downtown.

If subways are not going to lace across the entire GTA (as a real transit system should), then the bus and light rail system and service, in lieu of subways, must be competitively good at moving lots of people quickly, in order to reduce dependence on cars - and the problems created by that dependence (pollution, poorer health, etc.) - outside the downtown area.

The graph above illustrates clearly that there’s no fooling people – buses and light rail in Toronto have thus far failed to provide an equivalent degree of service beyond subways, beyond downtown, which is a primary contributor to Toronto having the longest average commute (yes, longer than Los Angeles, longer than New York City) and choking gridlock that costs the region upwards of $5 billion each year in lost productivity.

Ford Countdown Clock retired

Well, Rob Ford's appeal was upheld, he's still mayor :-(

Thus, what was once a proud page displayed prominently across the top menu is relegated to a post, retained for posterity.


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Many thanks to Keith Grachow for the delightful artwork on this countdown clock.

Check out Keith's stuff at kgrachow.com or connect via Twitter @kgrachow 

You can see the site in its full glory at fordcountdown.com. The site was conceived by Maple North and designed and built by designanddevelop.ca

A sampling of headlines covering Ford's ouster

BBC UK -  Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ordered to step down (US and Canada News)

The Economist - Model-T Ford breaks down: a city and its government stuck in gridlock

Forbes - Toronto's Bombastic Mayor Gets The Boot (Micheline Maynard)

New York Times - Judge Orders Toronto Mayor to Leave Office (Ian Austen)

Planetizen, Los Angeles - Controversial Toronto Mayor Removed From Office, (Jonathan Nettler)

Reuters (US Edition) - Toronto's combative mayor ordered to leave office (Claire Sibonney)

Washington Post - Judge orders Toronto mayor removed from office; guilty in conflict of interest case

Transcript of conflict of interest decision in Magder vs. Ford

Flashpoint, Toronto and the character of Setting

 
Flashpoint is a hit show both here in Canada as well as in the USA, and its Toronto setting is a part of its success. But, what took so long for Toronto to be front and centre?

Setting is an important part of story-telling. Setting is often actually a form of character, and certain stories can only be told in certain settings, because the character of setting impacts the story.

For some strange reason, Toronto had yet to be embraced as a setting in which a compelling story could be told...but I've never understood why. Thanks to Flashpoint, however, those days could finally be over.