In a city the size of Toronto, the most important issue for the mayoral candidates must be transportation.

Not many people living here are happy with the transportation situation. The drivers are frustrated over downtown gridlock, TTC patrons over bad service, cyclists over what they perceive to be not enough routes. Everyone is weighing in on the answers, or the lack of. Bloggers are hopping on the subject.

Several solutions have been bandied about, including one recently encouraged with the participation of city council: car sharing.

The idea of car sharing is not new. It’s been around for a few years. What is new is that in October, city council issued street parking permits for shared cars whereas before the vehicles were parked only off-road in various lots.

The two most recognizable companies are Auto-Share and Zipcar. People can rent their vehicles by the hour or the day.

Car sharing is touted as a green alternative, but the on-street parking has its critics: people who complain about the parking spaces being taken up.

There is one Zipcar parked on the street in John Filion’s ward in Willowdale. A few more will be placed on city streets this month and in March, on a trial basis.

Having the cars on the street is a big step for the companies that own them.

“For Zipcar the exposure is important,” says John Lende, general manager of the office here in Toronto.

According to him, each Zipcar removes 20 or so vehicles from the road. How does the company come up with that figure?

“We count how many people rent one car,” says Lende.

Zipcar’s claims can be disputed, since there are people who use them because they have no other vehicle, or need an extra vehicle for a couple of hours, or use them at the office instead of paying cabs. Extra cars, in those cases, are not being taken off the road.

Alain, a university student who does not own his own car, is one such example. A regular Zipcar customer, he uses the vehicles for picking up groceries, furniture, or even accompanying friends home late at night.

“It’s convenient especially for someone my age who has not had insurance before,” he says. “The only inconvenience is you have to return the cars to the location from where they were picked up. Sometimes you don’t want to return to your point of departure.”

He says gas has to be purchased from specific stations, which takes up valuable time.

“But generally it is a great alternative to cabs or TTC.”

Like car sharing, bike sharing is another solution which is being developed. The most ambitious bike sharing program in the country is run by the city of Montreal.

Bicycles are stationed throughout the city and customers make arrangements ahead of time or simply swipe their credit card at one of the various bike stations. They can then hop on a bike, use it for a quick run, and can drop it off at any one of the many other stations spread throughout the city. Different groups have tried the same thing in Toronto but on a much smaller scale.

However, if we’re going to encourage cycling, then bicycle paths and lanes have to be more widely available. Judging from the number of bicycles locked to stands, poles and fences, cycling has come of age in this city. Instead of removing bicycle lanes from main streets, as at least one mayoral candidate recently vowed, they should be increased.

That would make things safer for both cyclists and drivers and is definitely a green alternative.

Of course the most important transportation alternative for the city is the TTC. It’s the lifeblood of this metropolis. A couple of TTC strikes have amply demonstrated that. A fast, accessible and widespread public transportation system is the key to getting more cars off the road.

Unfortunately, every service expansion entails more time and money than originally planned, as witnessed by the recent St. Clair corridor project or the Sheppard line. The constant fare increases on an already expensive ride and the recent spate of very public complaints have underlined an ongoing customer service fiasco the TTC can’t get a handle on.

The TTC is not the only target of public ire. The GO service also has its share of dissatisfied customers. Delayed and canceled runs are a weekly if not daily happening.

Not everyone can afford or wants a downtown condo. Moving the working, playing - and paying - public is the priority in this city. Any candidate who is running for mayor has to make transportation the key issue of his or her campaign.