The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is telling commuters in the Toronto area to brace themselves for a general strike at 4 a.m. on Monday Morning (April 21 2008) if they cannot reach an agreement by Sunday. On our end we have seen a massive spike in new members in Toronto – each with a common refrain – they are desperate for desperate for help and feel stranded.

This brings up a huge issue – what is ones transportation Plan B? This has rolled around in my head for a while since the inception of PickupPal . What would happen if the price of Gas spiked and commuters really could not afford to drive any longer? Most cities public transportation systems operate at maximum capacity right now and if demand increased by 10% over a few months they simply could not handle the increase in load. So the question is what do people then do in this situation? Employers generally are sympathetic to a day or so of having staff stay at home but it is not sustainable and for the vast majority of us – transportation is a necessity not a luxury. Options for transportation is vital as we enter into this era of increasing gas prices and increased demands on our transportation infrastructure. Perhaps this is a good wakeup call for some of us to exercise our Plan B’s and see how they work out. I for one am glad the snow has melted and now I can get around on my bike, now it is just a case of getting my legs back into shape!

When all is said and done I hope the strike is averted because the increased congestion and huge increase in carbon footprint during this kind of strike is really not what is needed right now. For all of the new PickupPal members that joined because of the possible TTC strike – welcome – I hope you find PickupPal to be a useful Plan B.
Cheers - Eric