Rainforest
Senior Member
IMO, endorsing the 4-stop SRT corrior is the only way Tory can win this debate, and finally put this subway/LRT debate to rest. This option also happens to be the best option from a network bundling standpoint.
From the network standpoint, I would still prefer the previous 3-stop McCowan subway plan. It would serve the hospital, and it would reach north of 401.
But if the above is no longer a possibility, I would not rule out the surface option.
Some thoughts on the technicalities:
1) The greatest concern is the competition for space between the subway and RER / SmartTrack; especially, for the station space. Perhaps that can be addressed by not having both of them stop at the same location, except at the Kennedy hub. The subway can have an inexpensive surface stop at Lawrence East, replacing the RT stop. SmartTrack does not have to stop there.
At Ellesmere, a subway stop is problematic anyway, as the subway has to submerge and start a gentle eastward curve. Perhaps the subway should not stop there at all, while SmartTrack can stop at Ellesmere if the ridership warrants such stop.
2) Once the subway crosses under the Uxbridge sub, should it emerge just west of Midland, and continue towards STC using a widened and strengthened guideway? Or, should it remain underground all the way to STC? The distance in question is merely 1.5 km, thus the cost of extra tunneling may be offset by not having to build a portal.
3) There are a few ways to mitigate the transit gridlock during the SRT shutdown, should the surface subway be selected. First of all, it would be quite handy to build "Eglinton East" LRT before shutting down SRT. Combined with some thoughtful bus re-routing, that LRT could probably divert 20% to 30% of riders who would otherwise require a shuttle bus between STC and Kennedy.
In addition, perhaps it is useful to build the subway in stages. The first stage would include the new Kennedy station (underground but shallow), new Lawrence East station (surface), and some length of surface rail north of Lawrence to serve as tail track. Once the Kennedy and Lawrence stations are in operation, feeder buses can be distributed between them, reducing the load on each street. The more complex underground subway curve, and the section connecting to STC, can be completed 1 or 2 years later.