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TORONTO
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 www.metronews.ca News worth sharing.
SEE PAGE 3
TTC budget could hit commuters
TIFF. Madonna
Decade’s worth of improvements may be rolled back Special meeting to deal with Wheel-Trans A proposal to alter the TTC’s crowding standards could put the squeeze on the commutes of the growing numbers of Torontonians who ride the transit system. A report on Toronto’s core service review, released yesterday by the city manager, also proposes charging a premium fare for Blue Night bus service and pushing more WheelTrans users onto the regular system. The TTC’s standard for what constitutes a crowded bus — based on the average number of people per hour riding a particular vehicle — was improved to 48 riders from 53 between 2004 and 2007. Regularly exceeding that number should trigger an increase in service on that route. The move was part of a Ridership Growth Strategy designed to attract more riders, after a period in the 1990s when fares rose and service was cut, driving thousands off
“The Blue Night network is really vital for people who don’t work 9-to-5 jobs and have to get to work for a shift.” JAMIE KIRKPATRICK, TRANSIT ADVOCATE
the system. In 2008, TTC bus service hours were also extended to match subway operations. A plan to increase the minimum bus frequency from 30 minutes to 20 minutes never materialized, however. The TTC will hold a special meeting Friday to deal with its operating, capital and Wheel-Trans budgets. TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
More on the city manager’s report {pages 3-4}
Madonna waves to throngs of fans on the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall yesterday before the premiere of her film W.E. at the Toronto International Film Festival. STEVE RUSSELL/TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
Fans show Material Girl some love Madonna’s W.E. is her first try at directing a substantial feature film, and she’s getting a lot attention. W.E. stars Andrea Riseborough and James D’Arcy, who plays Edward VIII, the British king who gave up his throne for love. More TIFF coverage, page 24.