SIXTH SYMPOSIUM ON THE FUTURE OF CONURBATION TRANSPORT I. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM IN TORONTO AND ITS LAND USE IMPACT

The municipality of metropolitan Toronto was established in 1954, and now has a population of over 2 million in 240 square miles on the northern shore of lake Ontario. Public transportation is supplied by the Toronto transit commission through subways, buses, street-cars and trolley-buses, and 330 million passengers were carried in 1971. The first subway, 4 1/2 miles long, was opened in 1954 to replace A heavily-congested street-car line, and was immediately successful in providing effective and attractive transportation into the city centre, in promoting park-and-ride travel, and in influencing land-use and real-estate values. Since then a further 16 miles of subway have been opened, and a 5-mile extension is being built. Over the years financing of this construction has changed from entirely coming out of fares to 100 percent community finance from provincial subsidies and property taxes. Development of rapid transit has emphasized the need for co-ordinated land-use transportation planning. Rapid transit lines permit a concentration of office, commercial and high-density residential facilities adjacent to the stations with the resultant high personal convenience. There is a need for a systems approach to urban transport planning with the provision of integrated road/rail/rapid transit services through suitable interchanges and park-and-ride facilities. /TRRL/