Finch West Line 6 LRT

[Dan416]

A bia doesn't represent all the residents in the area. PLUS this bia was a supporter before. I'm tempted do to take the finch lrtmoney and use it to convert the Sheppard subway to lrt.

Might as well use that money to convert the TYSSE to LRT from Steeles to Vaughan Centre.

 

[officedweller]

Agreed - by extension, eliminate domestic air travel so that travellers can see the cute little towns they may want to shop in (or purchase real estate).

 

[W. K. Lis]

99% of riders do not care that they can't see all the businesses on the street as they go by on the subway. People just want to get where they are going quickly, otherwise they will drive. Thinking like this leads to Christopher Hume's absurd proposal to put a very slow streetcar on the surface along the central part of Eglinton which would probably take 2 hours to get from Scarborough Centre to the airport.

Normally the riders on the subway would not see anything, especially not the business who do not advertise outside their neighbourhood using store front signs.

 

[JoeParez]

The construction may only take a year and inbit 20% of it's potential business traffic but that may very much be enough for their business to go belly up. For you and I it is a plan and a line on a map but for them {and their employees} there is nothing hypothetical about a pink slip.

Are you sure about that?
I mean, alot of these businesses on Finch are either in strip malls or are off the street (at least what I see from between Albion to Signet) and all have their own private parking lots. It's not like the businesses on St. Clair that relied on street parking.

 

[Palma]

99% of riders do not care that they can't see all the businesses on the street as they go by on the subway. People just want to get where they are going quickly, otherwise they will drive. t.

Sure if you are going along Finch or Sheppard there is nothing to see. But there is lots to see on College, Queen, King, Dundas, St. Clair

 

[ssiguy2]

Are you sure about that?
I mean, alot of these businesses on Finch are either in strip malls or are off the street (at least what I see from between Albion to Signet) and all have their own private parking lots. It's not like the businesses on St. Clair that relied on street parking.

Very true but Finch is not St.Clair. It is a suburban roadway not an older inner city route that already was pedestrian friendly. Suburban businesses rely more on shoppers coming from their cars no just a couple blocks.

 

[Palma]

Perhaps the LRT along Finch and Sheppard can chnage all that. Have business locate at the sidewalks and do away with parking in front of their business. The parking if any should be behind the strip malls so that passengers on the LRT can see shops along the way

 

[JoeParez]

Very true but Finch is not St.Clair. It is a suburban roadway not an older inner city route that already was pedestrian friendly. Suburban businesses rely more on shoppers coming from their cars no just a couple blocks.

But that's what I mean - I'm not sure how the businesses are going to be affected if your business has it's own parking lot that won't be disrupted by the ROW or construction.

Are you saying that taking away one lane of traffic is going to impact the car flow into businesses? Honestly, I don't believe so - the clientele that filled up the parking lots, are still going to fill up the parking lots because they know they have a place to park -- it may take a little longer to get there - but I think the impact will be minimal if at all..

 

[smallspy]

99% of riders do not care that they can't see all the businesses on the street as they go by on the subway. People just want to get where they are going quickly, otherwise they will drive.

Then why would businesses go to such great lengths to put elaborate signs on the outsides of their premises? And frequently at great cost too.

You'd think that if no one saw the front of the buildings (as you seem to think) than they would better off putting advertising where the eyeballs are, such as online and in newspapers.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Well, in this case I do agree this particular "benefit" is not a good enough rationale for having transit on the ground - and frankly there isn't much to see along Finch now anyways.

AoD

 

[Dan416]

To me the only reason to have transit on the ground as opposed to underground is because you simply can't afford to have all transit underground.

Bury where its appropriate (DRL, central Eglinton, Sheppard), and at-grade where its appropriate (Finch, Jane, WWRLT).

 

[FinchConnection]

Not yet anyways.

 

[smallspy]

Well, in this case I do agree this particular "benefit" is not a good enough rationale for having transit on the ground - and frankly there isn't much to see along Finch now anyways.

AoD

I agree completely on both points. I am simply pointing out that there is more going on than just speed at play. If there wasn't, all streets would look like Richmond and Adelaide. People want convenience - the ability to go out and hop on a vehicle at any time.

As an aside, I suspect that many don't realize that there are a pretty decent proportion of riders on the TTC - I'd hate to put a number on it, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear that it was as high as 10% - that would actually rather ride surface transit than travel underground, and will go out of their way to do so.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Tulse]

there are a pretty decent proportion of riders on the TTC [...] that would actually rather ride surface transit than travel underground, and will go out of their way to do so.

I live near Danforth and Broadview, and I much prefer to get downtown via the Dundas or King streetcars than to take the subway, even though the subway is faster. The streetcars are far more pleasant, especially on a nice sunny day, and give a great view of Riverdale Park and the downtown core across it, the Don Valley, the development going on at West Don, etc. etc. etc. Plus, one can get a cell signal above ground.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I live near Danforth and Broadview, and I much prefer to get downtown via the Dundas or King streetcars than to take the subway, even though the subway is faster. The streetcars are far more pleasant, especially on a nice sunny day, and give a great view of Riverdale Park and the downtown core across it, the Don Valley, the development going on at West Don, etc. etc. etc. Plus, one can get a cell signal above ground.

+1. I do the same, for the same reasons.

Although, I'd prefer if you didn't use your cell on the streetcar -- that's you with the 'hello?' 'I'm on the streetcar.' 'Nothing much -- what about you?' conversations at the top of your lungs, is it? ;-)