Transportation modes are not at war
Framing is important
Every week, there are articles, newsletters, podcasts, and YouTube videos about the war going on between drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. This framing implies that the expansion of one mode is at the detriment of the others. Adding more bike lanes means more congestion for drivers. Signal priority for transit means longer wait times for cars.
This framing is problematic and unhelpful, not based on reality, and getting in the way of progress that would benefit everyone who needs to get from one place to another. For example, while it may seem logical that more space for transit vehicles means less for cars, that’s not the whole picture. Streetcars and busses carry many more passengers than private cars, so giving them priority benefits more people. Most importantly, giving transit vehicles priority means more reliable service, which entices more people to choose to ride transit, which frees up more space for cars and makes driving more efficient too.
It is not cars vs. transit, it is cars and transit working together, as a system. You can apply the same kind of systems thinking to bikes and cars, bikes and transit, and so forth. Every mode can support the efficient, safe, and reliable use of the other modes. This is the opposite of a war—it is a symbiosis of transportation modes all working together.
Framing is one obstacle, and timing is another. People take time to shift modes. Choosing to take transit instead of driving doesn’t happen the moment streetcars are given priority for green lights. Choosing to cycle doesn’t happen just as a new bike lane opens. People, by nature, resist change and get used to their habits, so it takes month, and sometimes years, to see enough people change modes to make a difference.
During that interim period of time, when new modes have been provided or enhanced but not too many people are using them yet, it can seem like everything is worse. And it may be worse. Car lanes have been taken away, but the new bike lanes are quite empty. Transit vehicles are getting priority at signalized intersections, but there aren’t many people on the streetcar. This is where many cities are now, including my home city of Toronto.
The danger is that we go backwards, removing the changes in non-car modes in an effort to relieve congestion. But because this encourages even more people to drive, congestions gets even worse. And the only means to relieve it—making transit, cycling, and walking more appealing—has been tried and abandoned. A downward spiral.
To achieve the most efficient, safe, and reliable transportation system for everyone, we must reframe this situation away from war, and we must be patient and persistent, trusting that over time, people will choose to cycle, take transit, and walk in enough quantities to relieve congestion. This is not a theory; there are cities in the world that have proven this works. It’s never perfect, but it results in the best possible system for everyone who needs to get from A to B.
I like that you highlight the complexity of cities, the many competing interests, and that they are all interconnected, to varying extent. I do believe that Toronto is making the difficult transition from car based mobility to transit based. There are a couple reasons for this. Roads are being clogged with more residents driving, more Ubers & Lyfts, more condos (much needed) which beget more motorists. Plus the GTHA is massively growing too, so tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands come into Toronto for events, festivals, shows, etc. GO is seeing almost all of its ridership growth in non-work commuting times, ie evenings & weekends. And 5 or so new 416 GO stations are being designed & constructed, many on rapid transit lines, and some in transit deserts. Plus Finch West & Eglinton Crosstown LRTs will open this year, vastly increasing transit mobility. More off-peak GO Train service is needed, plus electrification, which will make it a Regional Express Rail (RER) rapid transit network. Currently, it’s just the Lakeshore West & East GO lines that have this RER service. The province’s OneFare program is a massive win, allowing free transfers between TTC & GO (for the GO fare), to match the GO-local 905 transit free transfers. Bus and streetcar only lanes are much cheaper to implement than new rapid transit lines, but approach rapid transit capacity. The 504 King Crosstown priority section has boosted ridership to over 50,000 passengers a day - more than GO Train workday rush hour ridership. Otherwise, Toronto streets will continue to choke with cars, massive pickups, Uber/Lyfts feeding off transit stuck in mixed traffic.