Ontario Line Extension West of Ontario Place (Speculation)

[facepalming_brooklynite]

Not to mention the GO Barrie Line near Dufferin. Double tracking, increased frequency 2WAD service, and stations every 2km (bloor, st clair, eglinton, lawrence, wilson) would come at a fraction of the capital and operating costs of a Dufferin subway.
Pair that with local BRT on Dufferin to feed people on/off of east-west lines.

The planned stations are on Bloor (Lansdowne) and Eglinton (Caledonia). If you're adding additional ones, there should be one on King or Queen also.

 

[TRONto]

What we don't need is a subway along eiher Dufferin or Bathurst parallel to the Allen. It's only 2 km from Dufferin to Bathurst!

The ridership + the built form of the street requires higher order transit. As ridership shows, people need to travel down Dufferin even though a subway is a few KM away.

 

[nfitz]

The ridership + the built form of the street requires higher order transit. As ridership shows, people need to travel down Dufferin even though a subway is a few KM away.

It's not a few km away! It's less than 700 metres from Wilson station to Dufferin. Sheppard West station is literally at the corner of Dufferin and Sheppard! Even Cedarvale is only 1.1 km from Dufferin - on the other hand, there's literally a subway station at Dufferin and Eglinton!

Dufferin is pretty low density from Lawrence all the way to past Dupont. Higher order transit is needed south of Bloor - and if it stops at Dufferin station (or even St. Clair!) that doesn't preclude it running along Weston Road or Dundas West (or both!) out to the burbs. Dundas West would get it to the proposed Ontario Line station at Kipling.

 

[TRONto]

It's not a few km away! It's less than 700 metres from Wilson station to Dufferin. Sheppard West station is literally at the corner of Dufferin and Sheppard! Even Cedarvale is only 1.1 km from Dufferin - on the other hand, there's literally a subway station at Dufferin and Eglinton!

Dufferin is pretty low density from Lawrence all the way to past Dupont. Higher order transit is needed south of Bloor - and if it stops at Dufferin station (or even St. Clair!) that doesn't preclude it running along Weston Road or Dundas West (or both!) out to the burbs. Dundas West would get it to the proposed Ontario Line station at Kipling.

That's the point. Even with those stations so close, Dufferin has the ridership to support higher order transit. Is it the whole length of Dufferin, or maybe up to Eglinton? that would need some analysis.

 

[nfitz]

That's the point. Even with those stations so close, Dufferin has the ridership to support higher order transit. Is it the whole length of Dufferin, or maybe up to Eglinton? that would need some analysis.

Maybe even up to Eglinton, before Line 5 opened.

We do need analysis - and we also need new system-wide ridership numbers after Line 5 and 6 opened. I'd guess the peak direction Dufferin bus ridership has dropped south of Eglinton.

 

[TossYourJacket]

Personally I like the idea of the OL servicing the lower part of Dufferin, but I don't think it makes sense to keep it on Dufferin anywhere north of Dupont. Ideally I'd have it move over to Jane and St Clair and run up Jane from there.

I feel like because of our subway lines being named for streets we often think of aligning any future subways along major streets, but subway technology allows for so much more flexibility that we might as well make use of given the high cost.

 

[facepalming_brooklynite]

I feel like because of our subway lines being named for streets we often think of aligning any future subways along major streets, but subway technology allows for so much more flexibility that we might as well make use of given the high cost.

Case in point: the Ontario line going from Queen & Spadina to King & Bathurst

 

[JasonParis]

Saw you guys talking about an extension up Jane so I made a map to visualize it. For the stops I followed the subway standard of every 800m-1km although it does increase to 1-2km north of Eglinton where density drops off. I couldn't really think of what the northern terminus for the western extension could be since Jane and Steeles isn't exactly a bustling part of the city. You could go north in Vaughan either to an interchange with Line 1 at Highway 407 or parallel line 1 to VMC. You could also have the line turn east after Shoreham and run to a Line 1 interchange at York U. As well you'll notice I don't have a stop at Jane & Steeles, and that's for 2 reasons. 1) The Black Creek neighbourhood would be far better served by a stop at Shoreham Drive which is right in the centre of the area and has multiple apartment blocks and I believe a large TCH community. 2) The Black Creek runs directly under the Jane & Steeles intersection which means a stop there would need to be built under the creek (ala York Mills) which would increase both the cost and complexity of construction. Even if you elevated the line the stop at Shoreham would still put far more people within walking distance of the station then a stop at Steeles would. Finally I really wish the stop at Jane & Finch could be called Driftwood to fit better with the rest of the station names.

View attachment 718660

Geographic map:
View attachment 718659

This is pretty much what I'd like to see. I'd also like to see Line 3 and the UPX eventually using the same technology, if not being interlined in spots. UPX should also just be a numbered subway line and continue past Union to at least East Harbour, but maybe all the way to The Beach(es).

You should post this on the Relief Line Facebook Group too!