EnviroTO
Senior Member
They should really get this proposal out there quickly so that during the election we can try and get commitments from the federal parties to fund this thing.
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Metrolinx $55 Billion Plan
- Thread starter unimaginative2
- Start date
Dan416
Senior Member
If we allow the TTC to keep the SRT we'll be regretting it for a very long time. Spend the money and invest in subway to Scarborough Town Centre. Spend the money and finish the Sheppard line. Spend the money and do Eglinton properly (if LRT can do subway speed and subway capacity, fine). Spend the money on downtown.
This city needs to think BIG. Otherwise it'll collapse under the weight of all those overhead wires.
This city needs to think BIG. Otherwise it'll collapse under the weight of all those overhead wires.
299 bloor call control.
Senior Member
This is why the RTP will come with an Investment Plan to fund it... that's the difference between past plans and this plan - there's actually an implementation strategy, where all the others have been plan and wait for the cash to hopefully flow.
The SRT will be a wasted investment if we don't do anything with it. As I've stated in the past, my preference would be SRT extensions to Malvern and to the Airport via Eglinton instead of a half-assed LRDROWT.
Whoaccio
Senior Member
Just because they will suggest how to pay for something doesn't necessarily mean the province will enact the measures. Hopefully they will, but doesn't anybody think McGuinty will be loathe to impose; a.) a GTAH sales tax, b.) hike gas taxes c.) tolls on the 400-hwys or d.) all of the above?
RedRocket191
Senior Member
It's better than relying on higher levels of government to fund 100% of it. THAT will never happen.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
We already regret the RT...it's not worth keeping, not when we can replace it with faster, better, and cheaper transit.
rbt
Senior Member
At this time many tunnel repairs, the LRT order, and other funding is non-existent over the next 5 years.
Transit City funding also does not exist at this time.
A subway that dramatically increases operations subsidy requirements, which comes from City coffers, really isn't wanted by the city or TTC.
If the province picks up 10 years worth of operations for oversized investments, then I would buy it.
Is the Eglinton subway worth a 75 cent fare increase? Sheppard was the direct cause of a 10 cent fare increase.
isittimetomoveyet
Active Member
AGREED. After so much speculation, it is going to be great to get this thing out in the open and get the dialogue going. This is an opportunity that doesn't come across every couple of years... lets do it right!
doady
Senior Member
If anything, Sheppard is an example of how not enough money was spent. It would probably have much higher ridership if built to SCC as originally planned.
Spending more money to improve the system doesn't mean the efficiency of the system will increase. After all, none of the TTC's bus or streetcar routes even come close to making a profit.
k.w.l.
New Member
Looks like a pretty good plan to me. Far better than anything Giambrone and Miller have come up with so far.
Dan416
Senior Member
SRT has to be replaced anyway. Why would we replace it with something that will have the same problems as the current one? Let's get rid of it and focus on subways and LRT.
rbt
Senior Member
I don't disagree with you. In fact, I would be very in favour of a $5 fare (90 minute) if it boosted service and gave us expansion.
An expanded Sheppard, as originally intended, would likely not have been any better off on an operations standpoint than the current Sheppard is (i.e. no evidence shows ridership would triple for double the length -- TTC and Metrolinx numbers both considered here).
As such, the fare increase when Sheppard launched would have been larger than it was.
Eglinton, both TTC and Metrolinx numbers, indicate that a fare boost or tax increase would be required on launch day to cover the added operational expenses.
Is it worth it? Yes! Just remember this when the TTC wants a $50M/year (2008 dollars) boost to operations subsidies or farebox revenue to cover the added costs.
IMO, the best way to improve transportation in Toronto is to get the users to pay for it -- meaning road tolls to cover highway/street costs and 100% operations from the farebox. I would couple this with a matching drop in property taxes.
Incidentally, TTC already covers much of their own policing and is now looking to cover their own paramedic costs. Special constables come out of the TTC budget -- not the general policing budget like road enforcement does.
CGM
Active Member
The price of gas has increased at a much greater rate than fares... A fare increase would therefore be tolerated without much impact on ridership.
Hipster Duck
Senior Member
Well, the "express GO trains every 15 minutes" along the Lakeshore corridor plus Mississauga and Brampton was certainly music to my ears, as is the downtown east-west subway line. Before I get to giddy, I'd like to hear about their alignment for the "DCL" and what kind of equipment and station upgrades they plan for these express GO trains (hopefully raising platform heights and using EMUs).
I hope they understand that they can retain their existing bi-level equipment to run regional express services to our far-flung bedroom communities like Niagara, Barrie, Cobourg, Peterborough and Kitchener.
A Sheppard subway is conspicuously absent from the plan as are simple upgrades like signal priority for buses or bus-only lanes along certain strategic suburban corridors, like Hwy 2.
I hope they understand that they can retain their existing bi-level equipment to run regional express services to our far-flung bedroom communities like Niagara, Barrie, Cobourg, Peterborough and Kitchener.
A Sheppard subway is conspicuously absent from the plan as are simple upgrades like signal priority for buses or bus-only lanes along certain strategic suburban corridors, like Hwy 2.
RedRocket191
Senior Member
Absent, or omitted by the author of the article?