Category Archives: Toronto

Thinking #Crackstarter? Why not donate to a deserving charity instead?

Posted on 21 May 2013 by Greg Burrell

Crackstarter has raised over $100,000 for crack dealers and public humiliation. I’m no fan of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, and there’s lots of reasons I’d like to see him removed from office, but we can put our money to better uses than this.

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Dear Toronto City Council: Support Bixi

Posted on 21 April 2013 by Greg Burrell

Rather than extending or guaranteeing more loans that will make Bixi less viable, Toronto should invest in the valuable public service by purchasing it outright. The purchase of Bixi’s outstanding debt would be no more than a footnote in the city’s budget.

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Talking about the Big Move

Posted on 18 March 2013 by Greg Burrell

Today the region’s business leaders agreed that we’re on the right track. Our region’s economy won’t shrivel up and die because we agreed to pay for transit expansion. What it won’t survive is continuing to do nothing.

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On the economics of commuting

Posted on 16 March 2013 by Greg Burrell

In basic economics, the demand for a commodity is a function of the supply of that commodity and the price paid to acquire it. We can use the supply-demand model to compare commuting choices.

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2013 Metropass update

Posted on 1 January 2013 by Greg Burrell

Last year, when I did this, I made myself a handy template so that I could just punch in the new numbers when the TTC inevitably hikes fares every year. Most years, anyway. If you want to read about the …

Posted in Finance, Living, Toronto | 1 Comment

Queen East replacement bus: tips from a daily commuter

Posted on 8 May 2012 by Greg Burrell

This summer the City of Toronto is rebuilding Queen Street between Coxwell and Connaught Avenues, doing badly-needed reconstruction of the road, sidewalks and streetcar tracks. Since streetcars won’t be able to get through with the tracks torn up, the iconic …

Posted in Living, Toronto | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Cyclists Union is dead. Long live the cyclists union.

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Greg Burrell

Tonight, the Toronto Cyclists Union voted to do away with the organization’s name. By a very slim margin, the members decided to scrap the old name and move forward with a new name, Cycle Toronto. I voted against the change, …

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What’s in a name?

Posted on 19 April 2012 by Greg Burrell

Last month, members of the Toronto Cyclists Union received an email from the organization’s Board of Directors, introducing the new name they had chosen for the organization. At the upcoming Annual General Meeting, members will vote on accepting the Board’s …

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Open letter to Toronto Council’s “left wing”, re: rapid transit

Posted on 27 January 2012 by Greg Burrell

Dear esteemed councillors, In today’s Globe and Mail, I have read that some of you are being asked to vote against Councillor Stintz’s revised proposal for the Eglinton Light Rail. As you likely know, this plan restores the surface light …

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Metropass economics: 2012 edition

Posted on 15 January 2012 by Greg Burrell

The Toronto Transit Commission has done a good job of making the Metropass only attractive to people who use transit as their main method of transportation. For the average commuter, tokens are now the better deal.

Posted in Finance, Toronto | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments