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2018 Provincial Election Transit Promises

This is a great first start towards improving transit in the suburbs. Rather than a closed loop though, better to leave the ends of Sheppard subway and Bloor-Danforth open for expansion further north up McCowan and east towards Morningside Hts. Kind of like the depiction I posted a few weeks ago:



I know in my heart of hearts the NDP is just chomping at the bits to resurrect Transit City with even a subway along Don Mills vs LRT in jeopardy, so the choice is clear if you want subways.
 
Hopkins123 said:
This is a great first start towards improving transit in the suburbs. Rather than a closed loop though, better to leave the ends of Sheppard subway and Bloor-Danforth open for expansion further north up McCowan and east towards Morningside Hts.

I know in my heart of hearts the NDP is just chomping at the bits to resurrect Transit City with even a subway along Don Mills vs LRT in jeopardy, so the choice is clear if you want subways.
Click to expand...
True.... You, Onecity, coffee1, LA, Jasmine, Streety, Cobra, Sakraycore should all go out and vote for your precious subways. Somehow when I say precious I kind of think of Gollum and his precious ring.
 
Hopkins123 said:
This is a great first start towards improving transit in the suburbs. Rather than a closed loop though, better to leave the ends of Sheppard subway and Bloor-Danforth open for expansion further north up McCowan and east towards Morningside Hts. Kind of like the depiction I posted a few weeks ago:



I know in my heart of hearts the NDP is just chomping at the bits to resurrect Transit City with even a subway along Don Mills vs LRT in jeopardy, so the choice is clear if you want subways.
Click to expand...

sixrings said:
True.... You, Onecity, coffee1, LA, Jasmine, Streety, Cobra, Sakraycore should all go out and vote for your precious subways. Somehow when I say precious I kind of think of Gollum and his precious ring.
Click to expand...

I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss specific modes and alignments of the projects in this thread. All that really matters are the specific projects the parties support.
 
Leo_Chan said:
I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss specific modes and alignments of the projects in this thread. All that really matters are the specific projects the parties support.
Click to expand...

My apologies. I just couldn't help myself seeing that the Conservatives intend to carry forward plans that align so similarly with my own vision.
 
hw621 said:
PC just released their full platform. Here is the transit and infrastructure portion:

rebuilding Ontario

Ontario families deserve major infrastructure investments in both our biggest cities and our smallest towns.

We can also do more to help other parts of Ontario get moving. Whether it is by investing in expanded broadband, increasing local infrastructure funding, or exploring highway expansion across the province. Ontario businesses, families and workers can all count on an Ontario that will move faster than ever before.

We will:
  • Deliver two-way, all-day GO service, including expansions to Bowmanville, Kitchener and completing the Niagara GO Expansion, and support regional transit projects in places such as Ottawa, Hamilton, Mississauga/Brampton, Kitchener-Waterloo and London.
  • Upload responsibility for subway infrastructure, including the building and maintenance of new and existing subway lines, from the City of Toronto to the Province. Add $5 billion in new subway funding to the $9 billion already available to build the Sheppard Loop with Scarborough, the Relief Line, and the Yonge Extension while building future crosstown expansions underground. Keep responsibility for day-to-day operations, including labour relations, with the City of Toronto along with a guarantee that the City will continue to keep all revenue generated by the subway system.
  • Actively explore potential for high-speed rail and highway projects including the potential six-laning of Highway 401 to the 416 between Toronto and Ottawa. Also, complete the environmental assessment for the GTA West Corridor, invest in increasing safety on the 401 West and four-lane Highway 17 in eastern Ontario and Highway 3 in Southwestern Ontario.
  • Expand natural gas distribution to rural communities by enabling private sector participation and use the up to $100 million in savings to invest in cellular and broadband expansion.
  • Increase the Risk Management Program (RMP) cap by $50 million annually to help farmers and other producers better manage risks outside of their control.
What this will cost:

Two-Way GO/Regional Transit Projects – Will maintain current funding as detailed in Ontario’s previous transportation and infrastructure budget.

Upload Toronto Subway System - Costing to be amortized over life of subway projects once operational, plus $160 million per year for existing assets.

Highway Improvement Plan - $20 million for studies/401 improvements, $5 million per year for Highways 3 and 17 amortized over 50 years once completed.

Natural Gas and Broadband/Cellular Expansion – Up to $100 million in savings by enabling private sector to expand natural gas, with savings re-invested in broadband/cellular projects.

Risk Management Program Increase - $50 million per year, starting in year three.
Click to expand...

The PC's appear to be running deficits up to $7 Billion a year (with that deficit increasing each year), without a plan to pay for any of it.
 
Leo_Chan said:
I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss specific modes and alignments of the projects in this thread. All that really matters are the specific projects the parties support.
Click to expand...

I won’t belabour the debate, but it is significant that the loop idea was proposed by a certain Scarborough Councillor and had to be beaten back by Council. There were concerns that it favoured certain developers over what was eventually agreed to.

The debate is in one of the Scarborough threads and I’m not trying to rekindle it, but I do think it is relevant here in that Ford is clearly aligning with said Councillor and against the majority wishes of Toronto Council including its Mayor. There is a clear alliance on the island.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
I won’t belabour the debate, but it is significant that the loop idea was proposed by a certain Scarborough Councillor and had to be beaten back by Council. There were concerns that it favoured certain developers over what was eventually agreed to.

The debate is in one of the Scarborough threads and I’m not trying to rekindle it, but I do think it is relevant here in that Ford is clearly aligning with said Councillor and against the majority wishes of Toronto Council including its Mayor. There is a clear alliance on the island.

- Paul
Click to expand...
I agree that the province overruling the cities’ decisions should play a part in the debate process.
 
Honestly we can't expect any new transit project to be built within the next four years. I would be more than grateful if the existing projects can carry on and fruitate, I.e., RER, ECLRT and FWLRT. I can't ask for more.
 
On the topic of uploading the Subway, doesn't that also kind of open the door to privatization? I mean if the province does take control of the Subway what is exactly stopping them from selling it right out from under the city at a later date?
 
sixrings said:
True.... You, Onecity, coffee1, LA, Jasmine, Streety, Cobra, Sakraycore should all go out and vote for your precious subways. Somehow when I say precious I kind of think of Gollum and his precious ring.
Click to expand...
I plan on voting for the NDP if that's alright with you...Just because I support eventual construction of certain subway lines does not mean I submit to the lunacy that is Doug Ford.

If people haven't noticed, no one has shared information with regards to how they're all going to pay for their plans, and it seems fair that potential privatization of public transit (Tories) and selling Hydro One (Liberals) are going to happen if those parties are elected.
 
Hopkins123 said:
My apologies. I just couldn't help myself seeing that the Conservatives intend to carry forward plans that align so similarly with my own vision.
Click to expand...

The City will be left to fund the LRT lines and stickhandle the grade separations as they are with the EELRT design. Conservatives saying "future" lines will be underground means they have no intention on funding them whatsoever.

Hopkins123 said:
I know in my heart of hearts the NDP is just chomping at the bits to resurrect Transit City with even a subway along Don Mills vs LRT in jeopardy, so the choice is clear if you want subways.
Click to expand...

I agree NDP could flirt with further transit paralysis catering to the minority groups and unions. As a Scarborough resident I see minimal value in the one stop subway in commination with a push for further transfer LRT again.

Cons are mainly subways (with stops) for Toronto and RER. A good plan that easy to garner consensus support surrounding the areas directly impacted. Although Conservatives supporting public transit investment still needs to be seen to be believed.

Liberals have the most diverse plan with support for the worst subway solution for Scarborough. Still the safest bet on the transit file but the party looks to be out of the running this time around
 
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OneCity said:
The City will be left to fund the LRT lines and stickhandle the grade separations as they are with the EELRT design. Conservatives saying "future" lines will be underground means they have no intention on funding them whatsoever.
Click to expand...

I took that to mean the PCs would fund grade-separation, at least at the station sites, of the Crosstown from end-to-end. That means re-introducing a separated Leslie stop, abandoning Ferrand and Lebovic, and making EELRT with a pared down number of stops - likely only Danforth Rd, Bellamy, Markham Rd, Kingston, Guildwood GO, Galloway, West Hill triangle, UTSC main campus and an interregional terminal on Military Trail near Pan Am Arena. EWLRT would only have stops at the major intersections as well.

OneCity said:
I agree NDP could flirt with further transit paralysis catering to the minority groups and unions. As a Scarborough resident I see minimal value in the one stop subway in commination with a push for further transfer LRT again.

Cons are mainly subways (with stops) for Toronto and RER. A good plan that easy to garner consensus support surrounding the areas directly impacted. Although Conservatives supporting public transit investment still needs to be seen to be believed.

Liberals have the most diverse plan with support for the worst subway solution for Scarborough. Still the safest bet on the transit file but the party looks to be out of the running this time around
Click to expand...

The Liberals had the past five years to fund and build the Scarborough subway extension and it's still in planning paralysis. And look how long the Crosstown's taking to open even though the tunneling's been complete for quite some time. And overbuilding TYSSE where the massive terminals sit underutilized and empty 3/4s of the time. That party's not whom I'd trust to build us anything. The NDP have spoken favorably in the past about converting the SRT into light rail and foregoing the subway extension. In fact their leader in 2014 and in this election campaign are one in the same. How am I as a voter to have confidence that SSE would survive her election?

Can we get back to the good old days when things like a 12-stop Yonge Line could be built in under 10 years please? Or better yet the concurrently built 25-stop Bloor-Danforth and University Lines expansion that happened a decade later under PC governments? We seemed to build far more with less when the PCs were in charge.
 
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