When you’ve been doing the same thing on The Better Way every day, how easily can you learn a better way to do it?  Can the energy your body expends to get underground be harnessed to help power public transit?  Suppose you could know, before the train pulls in, where on the platform the least crowded cars will stop?  

Engineering students at the University of Toronto displayed working models answering these, and many other questions, at the 2009 PRAXIS II Design Showcase all day Wednesday, April 15, 2009.  For the past couple of years, PRAXIS has focused on the TTC, noted third-year student Jane Chiu, because the students developed a particular interest in local public transit; fourth-year student Kristen Facciol explained that previously, PRAXIS had not been focused on one theme. 

First-year engineering students began the term by identifying and researching issues of TTC usability, accessibility, and sustainability.  They settled on six design challenges.  Each team of students produced a project proposal for one of them, according to Alan Chong and Jason Foster, their instructors.  And each team’s project included a cost estimate. (more…)

No, it wasn’t an elaborate April Fools Day joke…

On April 1st, the Government of Ontario announced funding a collection of transit projects across the GTHA. While many of the projects are in the central parts of the region, and there has been some criticism of this fact, these are the projects that are closest groundbreaking – some will see construction start next year. We can’t forget that we need to build a region-wide network, but we need to start somewhere.

Here’s what was announced: (more…)