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Life in the fast lane

Rob Fords repeated insistence on subways, subways, subways last year derailed the conversation we should be having about the TTC, especially our existing subway system. For too long, the debate has been cars and subways versus bikes and buses, instead of focusing on positive movement like expanding the network that the system covers beyond just through bus lanes.

Students at the TDSB’s School of Life Experience have created a video tackling the TTC’s inefficiencies as it compares to cycling, laying on thick the inadequacy of our subway system in comparison to the “bowls of spaghetti”-like routes in places like London. In the videos, two students do a rough and raw test of public travel, with one hopping on a streetcar while another bikes from Jarvis and Dundas in a race to Coxwell station.

Amazingly, Casey Cain, the video’s cyclist, beats the TTC rider by over ten minutes, despite having to switch bikes halfway through on account of a broken chain.

On the way, we’re treated to a cramped streetcar, cars cutting off our biking protagonist and just about every hallmark of both biking and TTC transit that you can imagine. Theres a couple of things to draw from the video, but with the shots of the crowded streetcar and the ease through which Cain makes his way back despite a snapped chain, its best suited as a tool to show just how much could be gained from improving our woeful bike lane situation. Watch the experiment below.

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