Pan Am: sizzle or fizzle?
Re Welcome to the HOV Games, June 30 Well it’s only a short time away and the city and the police were kind enough to provide us a 12-day practice session with the HOV lanes to rehearse for the gridlock that will only get much worse when the Games launch. Are we ever in for some stressful commutes once this all begins.
The ominous cloud has been hanging over us for months through the media warning of what’s to come for the residents of the GTA when these Games begin. And for what — just a sample showcase to future Olympic committees to show them that Toronto is capable of hosting a summer Olympics?
A city of Toronto’s scope has nothing to prove. We are fully equipped. The only weak link is that our transportation system is inadequate to handle the much increased demand. Imagine, of all the modern cities in the world, it has taken us this long to open a direct rail link to our busy international airport.
I doubt there is that much interest in these Games as indicated by the poor ticket sales. And I just heard that tickets are being offered at a discount.
Pam Am could fizzle rather than sizzle but my advice to anyone who may have vacation time built up: get out of “Dodge.” Marty Fruchtman, Toronto
“Right now, I feel the Jaws music playing. I really don’t want to venture out into the water of the Pan Am Games.” PETER SHORTALL, BELLEVILLE
Does night follow day? Is anyone at all surprised to see the photos of the temporary HOV lanes in action on the day of their debut, June 29? Your story and headline story give us a preview of what will be the focus of these Games — the chaos and inability of our infrastructure to support an event of this magnitude for two months.
Sadly, it will be less about the performance of the athletes than it will be about the enormous frustrations caused by the exacerbated traffic congestion and difficulties encountered by commuters who must get to work each day.
Why are so many tickets still unsold? It is because people do not want to deal with the frustration of getting to an event, which could be held in a venue anywhere in the GTHA — and because they are overpriced.
The first rule of thumb for bidding to host an international event must be that the city or cities hosting be required to have adequate infrastructure and systems in place to continue to serve the day-to-day needs of their own citizens, as well as the huge influx of visitors associated with the event.
Please, never again! Only cities and areas in Canada with proven capacity for such large scale events should ever consider such bids. The GTHA is simply 25 years too late in their infrastructure planning. Pam Tomasevic, Mississauga While it is unfortunate that the sales of tickets are lower than anticipated, the organizers missed a good opportunity to advertise the events to Torontonians. However, instead of posting highway signs that would tell me which events I would be able to see in the locations around the city where I travel, someone decided to post mysterious codes which, I assume, would require that I search a website or brochure in order to translate. I should be able to get to that by August sometime. I have tried to make sense of them but, to no avail.
All it would take is a stick figure showing the event that is being held near that interchange and then I might have been tempted to search for tickets. David P. Brannan, Toronto Toronto is woefully unprepared. Over the past weeks the TTC has experienced numerous problems that have affected users across the GTA. Is this the infrastructure meant to support the Games? To help alleviate suspicions of our infrastructure capability, the city has enacted new HOV lanes as a means to reduce traffic congestion for certain groups. A lacklustre bandage on the gaping problem that is being a commuter in Toronto — Pan Am or otherwise. Jeremy Rogers, Toronto I have been waiting for an advertising blitz that would facilitate going to the Games. I went on the Via website and there was nothing. There has not been a movement to package travel, parking, hotel stays and restaurants. It is almost as if it is a free-for-all where one has to do everything separately and at a mysterious cost. It is fine to have a “build it and they will come” mentality, but it would be nice if all the bits came together and made the journey easier (and cheaper).
Right now, I feel the Jaws music playing. I really don’t want to venture out into the water of the Pan Am Games. Peter Shortall, Belleville, Ont. As a daily commuter, I have been observing the effects of HOV lanes for years. They are a dismal failure, mainly because the basic premise of expecting commuters to pair up is flawed.
Most cars that have two or more people have always had two or more people because of coincidental conveniences. In addition, at least one out of three HOV vehicles contains only the driver. Policing is virtually impossible.
HOV lanes add to congestion and to pollution because of the stop and go traffic. More alarmingly, they actually cause accidents because of speeding users weaving in and out of HOV lanes.
Now the government has added to this craziness for the summer months. All to benefit “dignitaries” to the games. Really? What about us — the taxpayers?
HOV lanes are a scam. The government needs to reassess the entire program. John MacNabb, Burlington, Ont. If, as we are being told, public transit is such a viable and practical option during the Games, then why aren’t the athletes, coaches, and media using it? Perhaps they have unwittingly confirmed what many GTA commuters have long known. Edward Nix, Oshawa, Ont. Every time I think about attending an event I decide that it’s not worth it fighting traffic. The media focus on the perils of traffic has put a damper on the Games. Is it too late to report some enthusiasm for the actual Games? I don’t know. Joyce Eull, Port Perry, Ont.