Agency aims to make transit pleasant

Toronto area transportation agency Metrolinx is developing ideas for turning transit terminals into “mobility hubs” where bus, pedestrian and bike traffic would intersect with subways, trains and streetcars. The hubs would be designed as convenient and pleasant facilities - complete with showers, clean and staffed locker rooms, WIFI lounges, secure storage and cafes - more than the strictly functional (an often unpleasant) atmospheres of transit stations around the GTA.

“I’m hopeful people will see the advantage of having more really accessible places in the region where you have a combination of good transit and quite a substantial amount of development,” said Joe Berridge, a consultant with Urban Strategies Inc. who has been developing the concept for Metrolinx.

To function optimally, the mobility hubs would have to be built at the same time rail systems and bus services are expanded and pedestrian and bike amenities introduced so people truly feel they have an option, said Berridge.

The agency is also discussing ways in which biking and walking could be seen as valid transportation modes for more residents. Safe, well-lit routes for pedestrians and cyclists would encourage that shift, said Brian Hollingsworth, a Metrolinx consultant.

The discussions of mobility hubs and active transportation are among a series of green papers Metrolinx is releasing before it embarks on public consultations for its regional transportation plan, expected to be drafted by the spring.

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