I'd love free transit! Or some sort of option where you don't need to pay per ride or a pass ahead of time because you pay what you used at the end of the month (already in process/happening like Moovit in Israel).
An adjacent angle I want to offer is around instant gratification and waiting. I personally walk or use TTC in midtown and choose where I live specifically around (among other criteria) the availability and closeness of at least 1 bus route. I use google maps and their texting system to see when the next bus is, and am lucky/aware that I'm able to mentally and socially plan my time around this flexibility. I have time-based anxiety and have found it helpful to do something enjoyable while waiting, and acknowledging and accepting that there may be a wait, and being willing to wait for the next bus/not rush. Obviously this is an individual answer/solution to a systemic problem and won't work, AND a mental reframe/thought shift around the amazingness of public transit can be an important tool to use as well. What if taking the bus or subway was an exciting adventure or relaxing time? It already is for a lot of people. We can use some science here to make public transit more of a default and reward/positive experience and address larger issues of traffic as well.. Another stream of consciousness around this is that time urgency is a white supremacist tenent so a potential health promotion campaign for thoughtwork is a potential...
I love your perspective on mindset. I love taking transit and I think it can be a service that others found exciting (in a good way) or relaxing. And I agree with you that for many people, it is. If we could have better service outside the downtown core, or in gridlocked areas, then even more people could experience transit as a treat rather than a burden. In general in our society the need to have instant gratification, or the need to rush, certainly causes me extra stress and I'll keep in mind your observations when I find myself impatient. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your comments!
Interesting thoughts. The very little I use TTC (almost always opting for biking or walking) has left me with the impression of a very broken system. No one who has other options wants to use it, free or otherwise. I don't know that there's any research to suggest making it free would decrease vehicle use. It also certainly wouldn't reduce bus line ups. I like the idea of more transit priority routes, like downtown King St., but even that would have to be done in conjunction with improving service or it wouldn't impact ridership. At least with a paid system there is some motivation to improve it so more people will use it. I fear that a free system would just entrench and worsen the problems (rather like our broken health care system and increasing wait times). I think improvement needs to come before fare removal - or at the very least, hand in hand.
I'd love free transit! Or some sort of option where you don't need to pay per ride or a pass ahead of time because you pay what you used at the end of the month (already in process/happening like Moovit in Israel).
An adjacent angle I want to offer is around instant gratification and waiting. I personally walk or use TTC in midtown and choose where I live specifically around (among other criteria) the availability and closeness of at least 1 bus route. I use google maps and their texting system to see when the next bus is, and am lucky/aware that I'm able to mentally and socially plan my time around this flexibility. I have time-based anxiety and have found it helpful to do something enjoyable while waiting, and acknowledging and accepting that there may be a wait, and being willing to wait for the next bus/not rush. Obviously this is an individual answer/solution to a systemic problem and won't work, AND a mental reframe/thought shift around the amazingness of public transit can be an important tool to use as well. What if taking the bus or subway was an exciting adventure or relaxing time? It already is for a lot of people. We can use some science here to make public transit more of a default and reward/positive experience and address larger issues of traffic as well.. Another stream of consciousness around this is that time urgency is a white supremacist tenent so a potential health promotion campaign for thoughtwork is a potential...
I love your perspective on mindset. I love taking transit and I think it can be a service that others found exciting (in a good way) or relaxing. And I agree with you that for many people, it is. If we could have better service outside the downtown core, or in gridlocked areas, then even more people could experience transit as a treat rather than a burden. In general in our society the need to have instant gratification, or the need to rush, certainly causes me extra stress and I'll keep in mind your observations when I find myself impatient. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your comments!
Thanks Sarah! I appreciate you taking the time/energy to respond :)
Interesting thoughts. The very little I use TTC (almost always opting for biking or walking) has left me with the impression of a very broken system. No one who has other options wants to use it, free or otherwise. I don't know that there's any research to suggest making it free would decrease vehicle use. It also certainly wouldn't reduce bus line ups. I like the idea of more transit priority routes, like downtown King St., but even that would have to be done in conjunction with improving service or it wouldn't impact ridership. At least with a paid system there is some motivation to improve it so more people will use it. I fear that a free system would just entrench and worsen the problems (rather like our broken health care system and increasing wait times). I think improvement needs to come before fare removal - or at the very least, hand in hand.