Rebuttal

So you may have read the comment on my Toronto City Centre Airport posting. If not, here's what "growsmarter" had to say:

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Shame on you for being insensitive to those of us who live in Toronto and would like to enjoy a Waterfront free of commuter planes.Take the train if you want to come in to downtown.
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I suppose I can understand the sentiment of not wanting planes in my waterfront. I would never put Toronto's waterfront among the world leaders in nice waterfronts. Among the places my people have been, Toronto is not one where they talk about the waterfront. Are there opportunities to have a dynamic, beautiful waterfront? Probably.

However, there is an airport there, so I would expect planes to be there. The current popularity of Toronto City Centre Airport is probably as much related to the inconvenience of Toronto Pearson Airport for those living or working downtown as anything else. Don't get me wrong... I believe Pearson is a great airport, and has the pieces in place to become a true world leader. It is well positioned to be one of North America's best airports, especially now that all flights (well, Star Alliance flights anyway) are in a single terminal. But let's face facts. From downtown Toronto, particularly in rush hour, the idea of travelling to Pearson is not all that attractive. The cost of a taxi is significant and the variability in travel time is also risky. If Toronto had an efficient public transportation system linking downtown with Pearson Airport, then City Centre Airport may not be as attractive. The odds of such a link happening any time in the foreseeable future are slim.

The Toronto Board of Trade says congestion in Toronto costs Canadians $2 billion per year. Unfortunately, none of the funding recently announced by Prime Minister Harper addresses transportation between downtown and the airport (I think!). When doing business downtown, using City Centre Airport rather than Pearson is actually GOOD for Toronto. It reduces (admittedly minimally) congestion on roads and reduces (also admittedly minimally) greenhouse gas emissions in two ways. First, for every flight from YTZ (City Centre), that's up to 70 people not taking a taxi to Pearson. With 19 flights a day in and out, that's up to about 2500 trips per day not required between Pearson and downtown. Also, the aircraft being used at YTZ is a turboprop which uses less fuel and produces lower emissions than comparable aircraft used on similar missions. It's also less noisy than comparable aircraft. It also seats more people than aircraft that used to use YTZ. Overall, it's a pretty good trade-off.

Not living there, I can't tell you what the other social impacts are. I can tell you that no one is breaking any rules by operating there. And I can reaffirm that the service one receives is impeccable. When one considers paying the same amount for a ticket to Pearson, then adding on the taxi and time to downtown, it just doesn't make economic or environmental sense.

However, having said all that... I'll say one more thing and I'll leave it vague... It is important that a competitive environment be permitted at all airports.

As for the comment suggesting I take the train, I'm not sure it really warrants a serious reply. If budget were one's only issue, then yes, taking the train or even driving may make more sense. However, the whole point is that time is an extremely valuable commodity and going to City Centre Airport saves time when one's origin or destination is downtown Toronto. When one's destination is Mississauga or Etobicoke, then one is likely to want to fly to Pearson. One could drive, but one's time is often worth more than the savings as compared to flying.

Finally, it's important for growsmarter to remember that I'm just a dog. And I'm only 4 years old. If it makes you feel good to critique the thoughts and musings of a 10 pound chihuahua, well then, I'll be your target. If you'd like to engage in a values- or interests-based discussion on the topic, then again, I'm your guy.