Even gridlock-plagued Los Angeles is kicking Toronto’s butt in transit development

If Rob Ford is right about light rail transit, then Los Angeles must be teetering on the brink of certain doom. Since 2008, the car-dependent city has used a half-cent sales tax hike and an inventive federal loan agreement to start building or planning—brace yourself, Mr. Mayor—12 light rail and bus rapid transit lines. Toronto could learn from the city’s ambitious transit overhaul, John Lorinc argues (for the second time) in today’s Globe and Mail; the city pushed through its plan using creative taxation, compromise and cooperation with higher levels of government—all three somewhat foreign at Toronto city hall of late. But hey, the article features a photo of L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa riding public transit with the common folk—at least T.O. has that one covered. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

(Images: Los Angeles, HarshLight; Toronto, elPadawan)