Xmas transit observations #1 - Mobility impairment

I hope some judge doesn't object to the overtly Christian title to this post - and make me move it to the footnote.

Anyway, I have a few weeks off over these holidays. This is allowing an escape from my the commute to my current assignment - and the one hour commute each way. I've become an expert on the QEW and Gardiner expressways.

Over the break, I'm trying to do as little driving as possible - walking and using transit instead. I thought I'd blog on a couple of things I found.

The first is that an large (and I'm guessing increasing) proportion of TTC riders have some level of mobility "impairment". These impairments fall into two categories - of those who can actually use most of the system:

1. Those who require a cane or other support to walk
2. Those who have noticeable difficulty walking - and more in ascending and descending
3. Those who have a baby stroller (these people are not physcally impaired - but their mobility is.)

Why am I mentioning this? Well these people have an especially difficult time reaching, boarding and alighting from the TTCs streetcars. Streetcars make life difficult for these people. In addition, streetcar average speed is noticeably slowed by the high proportion of riders who fall into these categories. In comparison, most of Montreal's surface routes (which use buses) are already low floor.

No one really knows when the TTC will get low-floor streetcars (or LRV or whatever). Just another example of transit narcissism winning out over people.