2014 Municipal Election: Toronto Transit Plans

[sixrings]

... and Tory will concede that extending the Eglinton RT west is a better use of resources ... and everyone will shake hands, and end this farce.

Please God let it happen...

 

[44 North]

She really is the classic "downtown elitist" who thinks everybody can walk or bike to work and transit isn't for moving people but rather for social integration......something fun and enjoyable as sooooo urbane. She has the nerve to try to say that she is the only one who truly understands the needs or working families and will be more than happy to talk about it to you over a martini at the Four Seasons. She is the type who feels that her message is misunderstood and that people simply "don't understand" her ideas. The reality is quite different. Torontonians understand her and her plan very well and like neither one.

I wouldn't vote for her, but that's utter nonsense. And I think if she viewed transit as some urbane theme park ride, she could do a lot better than offering buses.

 

[nfitz]

Please God let it happen...

Can you ever see them building a subway under Eglinton West, that starts at Weston Road, and goes to Mississauga with only one stop in Etobicoke?

The travel demand numbers for the Eglinton LRT there were very low, and extremely low west of about Royal York or Islington. Part of the reason they put that piece of the line on the back burner.

It's pretty clear that no one on Tory's team realized that under the Ford government that the old right-of-way was given to Build Toronto and sold off for development!

 

[sixrings]

Can you ever see them building a subway under Eglinton West, that starts at Weston Road, and goes to Mississauga with only one stop in Etobicoke?

The travel demand numbers for the Eglinton LRT there were very low, and extremely low west of about Royal York or Islington. Part of the reason they put that piece of the line on the back burner.

It's pretty clear that no one on Tory's team realized that under the Ford government that the old right-of-way was given to Build Toronto and sold off for development!

of course not... Tory's Eglinton portion makes zero sense.. I always assumed that it was just a easier way to draw a map for the uneducated public but what would happen is that the UPX would be re-purposed which is fine with me but Id like Eglinton to Pearson as well..

 

[salsa]

ssiguy2's post is so full of nonsense that I'm not gonna bother wasting my time on it. It's obvious that he has so fallen for Tory and his Dumtrack plan, that no amount of reality is capable of penetrating his head at this point. Oh, but it's Olivia Chow that he accuses of writing on the back of a napkin. Hilarious!

 

[nfitz]

of course not... Tory's Eglinton portion makes zero sense.. I always assumed that it was just a easier way to draw a map for the uneducated public but what would happen is that the UPX would be re-purposed which is fine with me but Id like Eglinton to Pearson as well..

I don't even understand WHY Tory would suggest turning the line at Mount Dennis, and then building only two more stops in Toronto on Eglinton West. If he had gone north along the tracks, he could have had more stops in Toronto, and it would have been far cheaper. I have to think this is part of him thinking he's running for Premier here, and not Mayor - and wanting to connect to Metrolinx's Renforth hub.

 

[sixrings]

I don't even understand WHY Tory would suggest turning the line at Mount Dennis, and then building only two more stops in Toronto on Eglinton West. If he had gone north along the tracks, he could have had more stops in Toronto.

because it looks like he completes eglinton this way... i dont believe that the eglinton line the way it was drawn by Tory was a mistake. Rather it was calculated to make the crosstown look finished and if he was honest and said it was going to be on the UPX north of eglinton that would bring a bunch of debate since that line is close to opening where as eglinton is a long way off. But I am sure that Tory knows his Eglinton portion doesnt make sense and it will either be LRT or he will use the UPX or it will simply stop at mount dennis. Even those who no very little about transit could just take 15 minutes on a urbantoronto transit thread and know that his plan doesnt make any sense. As a result i have to believe its a calculated move or hes a compete idiot... Ill go with political move for the win.

 

[ehlow]

I don't even understand WHY Tory would suggest turning the line at Mount Dennis, and then building only two more stops in Toronto on Eglinton West. If he had gone north along the tracks, he could have had more stops in Toronto.

Obviously I'm speculating here, but I would guess the primary motivation was to get to the Mississauga office parks near Eglinton, rather than going to the airport or Brampton along the existing GO tracks, since like Markham, that area is a major suburban employment area.

I think one of their goals was to connect major employment areas.

The above was probably combined with the misinformation that Richview corridor would allow easy routing beside Eglinton, which lead to that spur.

 

[nfitz]

The above was probably combined with the misinformation that Richview corridor would allow easy routing beside Eglinton, which lead to that spur.

Which really, really makes me question how closely John Tory pays attention to Toronto politics ... it's not like he didn't have a paid job to pay attention to what was going on in politics ... and really, what about the rest of his team?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The SmartTrack plan has solidified that any RER-style implementation must be:
- Be fare integrated with the TTC
- Be high frequency (every 15 min or better)
- Include infill stations

I know the province has stated that they intend to fulfill these characteristics anyway. But, as with all projects, there is good reason that believe that RER will eventually face reality check/rationalization/cutbacks/The Cheapening® (however you may wish to refer to it). Tory getting elected with SmartTrack as part of his platform will help ensure that RER will meet these three characteristics within the city of Toronto. It will also help ensure that high frequency, fare integrated RER service is a higher priority to the province than RER to Kitchener or Barrie or some other 905 community where there isn't a high-profile mayor with RER as a major plank is his or her platform.

This is compared to Olivia's position, which doesn't seem to call for improved service at all (look at her opposition to double tracking of the Stouffville line) as long as Kitchener and Lakeshore are electrified. Ford's position seems to be either "I don't give a crap!", "What the hell is GO transit?", or "I'm opposed because it's not underground subways".

That said, I think Olivia could take the steam out of Tory's SmartTrack more effectively by, rather than focussing on the details, putting the provincial RER concept in her platform (for ALL GO corridors) and saying that "I will do what's needed to ensure that the province delivers on the RER as they promised. On time, fare integrated, frequent, fast, and convenient".

People need to read this over and over. This is what people are missing when they criticize John Tory.

Hang on. You don't start with an EA. There'd be pre-EA studies and consultation first. With the accelerated EA process, there isn't enough time in the 90-day EA to develop a shortlist of options and consult on the recommended option.

If you look at the DRL studies, there's almost a 2-year study preceding the 6-month EA.

View attachment 35662

Council doesn't first meet until December. Even if they approve this day 1, and contractors are hired immediately, your not looking at a conclusion until late 2016, so at best the EA could be completed in mid-2017. But that seems optimistically fast to me.

I expect what will really happen, is there'll be a meeting with Tory and the province, and they'll convince him that they are already building SmartTrack, toss him a bone of 15-min frequencies and consider a couple more stations, and perhaps a through train from Mount Dennis through Union and up to Stouffville, and Tory will concede that extending the Eglinton RT west is a better use of resources ... and everyone will shake hands, and end this farce.

I prefer your scenario to be honest, but I think John Tory won't give it up so easily. Either way, we will see something done on Eglinton West sooner rather then later. Another Benefit is that DRL would go to Eglinton on both ends now too.

 

[nfitz]

I prefer your scenario to be honest, but I think John Tory won't give it up so easily. Either way, we will see something done on Eglinton West sooner rather then later. Another Benefit is that DRL would go to Eglinton on both ends now too.

I'd think if the SmartTrack is built, it's even less likely that the DRL would continue west of University ... or at least Bathurst. Why would you think it would go to Eglinton?

 

[WislaHD]

Personally I don't want the DRL to go up to Eglinton on the west end. SmartTrack using UPX routing can do that.

I want to see it go west to Bathurst in phase 1, then all the way to Sunnyside along Queen, then eventually over the Humber to the Queensway. As well as a WWLRT from Union along the waterfront to Humber Bay Shore.

Like this we have rapid transit both north of the rail corridor/Gardiner, and south of it at the Exhibition, serving different areas. I believe Steve Munro envisions something similar.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I'd think if the SmartTrack is built, it's even less likely that the DRL would continue west of University ... or at least Bathurst. Why would you think it would go to Eglinton?

I didn't mean smarttrack. I mean if the Eglinton West LRT is built.

 

[Hopkins123]

I don't even understand WHY Tory would suggest turning the line at Mount Dennis, and then building only two more stops in Toronto on Eglinton West. If he had gone north along the tracks, he could have had more stops in Toronto, and it would have been far cheaper. I have to think this is part of him thinking he's running for Premier here, and not Mayor - and wanting to connect to Metrolinx's Renforth hub.

With luck, his dubious "Jane/Scarlett" stop translates to a stop at each of those intersections. I can't see Royal York, Islington and Martin Grove omitted for long either. I think the good thing to take away from SmartTrack proposal as flawed as it might be is that it shows Tory intends to do something about the Eglinton West corridor immediately so that it can be opened concurrently with the Crosstown Line, not a distant post-2022.

 

[salsa]

This is getting annoying.