Metrolinx: Sheppard East LRT (In Design)

[k10ery]

Design work for Sheppard is mostly complete. You will recall some construction work has actually been tendered once then cancelled.

Dozens of firms are capable of utility moves (based on other roadwork tenders) and we know 4 or so are capable of doing trackwork.

Each of the Spadina subway tenders have had multiple bidders that did not win the contract. They will be available to perform the tunnel/portal/Don Mills platform work.

The constraint will be on timing of funds being released. Not finding contractors to perform the work.

Yes? I thought only the sewer contracts had been tendered, and of course the Agincourt bridge. TTC said it had spent only $35 million at the time of cancellation, but that would exclude work contracted through Metrolinx I guess.

Still it seems a huge job to my inexperienced eyes. Have the expropriations been done for Finch or Sheppard, for example?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

For reference, here is the original construction schedule: http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/sheppard_east_lrt/pdf/2010-01-19_overview.pdf

Finch West

http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/etobicoke_finch_w_lrt/pdf/2009-12_09_display_boards.pdf

Eglinton
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/etobicoke_finch_w_lrt/pdf/2009-12_09_display_boards.pdf
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/proj...n_lrt/pdf/2009-11-20_display_panels_part2.pdf
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/proj...n_lrt/pdf/2009-11-20_display_panels_part3.pdf

Malvern
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/proj...n_lrt/pdf/2009-11-20_display_panels_part3.pdf

Don Mills and Jane
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/don_mills/pdf/study_area_panels.pdf
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/jane_lrt/pdf/2008-08-26_open_house_panels-1.pdf
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/jane_lrt/pdf/2008-08-26_open_house_panels-2.pdf
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/jane_lrt/pdf/2008-08-26_open_house_panels-3.pdf

 

[drum118]

If Minneapolis, Minn can build 10 miles of LRT in 2.5 years along a road like Sheppard, there is no reason we cannot do the same thing for a 12.4km line. They even shut the project down over the winter months. This will be the busy year of construction for it.

The Agincourt grade separation will be completed by the fall this year and that only leaves the major work to take the line under the 404 to be done.

If this project is broken down into 6 contracts, it will take just over a year to built the whole line, other than the 404 tunnel. The current length is 14.8 km.

Unless things have change, all expropriations is completed and if not, its only a matter of a few months to finish it.

Since the design work is near completion, it will only take a few months to complete all of it to the point tenders can be call by summer, with some work getting underway by year end. Some can happen before then once the go ahead is given for the ones that were tender in 2010.

Hydro work is the killer at this time and sure hope we don't have the same issues here like St Clair, as it will push the schedule back.

Work can get underway this year for building the new storage yard, so there a place to store the new cars as they show up.

The first thing to be done is having Metrolinx draw up the contract between them and the city. Once the City manager signs the contract, then Metrolinx has to come up with a new funding plan for this line as well Eglinton. Finch funding will happen as plan, as well the SRT.

Metrolinx is on record since I asked the question last fall at a public news event, that the Sheppard line can be up and running in 2016.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Mr Drum, what about Finch and a airport eglinton extension?

 

[EnviroTO]

Still it seems a huge job to my inexperienced eyes. Have the expropriations been done for Finch or Sheppard, for example?

There are almost no expropriations to be made. The largest expropriation on the Sheppard line was in the area around Agincourt station and that would have already occurred. The other expropriations are very small slivers near intersections and with the original time line for Sheppard being relatively aggressive prior to this new council some of that may have already occurred as well.

 

[k10ery]

The Finch EPR listed something like 100 expropriations as I recall, most of them small of course. As I recall Council authorized the Sheppard expropriations in summer 2010 so am not sure much would have been completed? (No idea really.)

 

[k10ery]

If Minneapolis, Minn can build 10 miles of LRT in 2.5 years along a road like Sheppard, there is no reason we cannot do the same thing for a 12.4km line. They even shut the project down over the winter months. This will be the busy year of construction for it.

Did they rebuild roads in Minneapolis to preserve the same number of car traffic lanes?

 

[drum118]

Mr Drum, what about Finch and a airport eglinton extension?

If you are talking time line, Finch is 2015/16 at this time since this is the time frame Metrolinx CEO was worry about last year with Ford plan. Eglinton extension is somewhere after 2020 and maybe longer with the lack of funding now. I have no real date for time frame, as that was change when the government went to the 5/10 back in 2010 as well cutting funding.

As for Finch expropriations, have no idea. The line needs to run the full length of the road from west to east.

As for taking the Eglinton line to the Airport, would run it along the north bank of the Richview Express ROW, as it would be easy to bridge over the north-south routes and the line would be 100% out of traffic. You get rid of the Mich U-turns and allow traffic to flow like it does today.

You can build a cycling path and trail beside the LRT ROW.

 

[drum118]

Did they rebuild roads in Minneapolis to preserve the same number of car traffic lanes?

Without going back and doing some research, I believe there was no lost of lanes. Some lane changes took place at hwy interchange.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

If you are talking time line, Finch is 2015/16 at this time since this is the time frame Metrolinx CEO was worry about last year with Ford plan. Eglinton extension is somewhere after 2020 and maybe longer with the lack of funding now. I have no real date for time frame, as that was change when the government went to the 5/10 back in 2010 as well cutting funding.

As for Finch expropriations, have no idea. The line needs to run the full length of the road from west to east.

As for taking the Eglinton line to the Airport, would run it along the north bank of the Richview Express ROW, as it would be easy to bridge over the north-south routes and the line would be 100% out of traffic. You get rid of the Mich U-turns and allow traffic to flow like it does today.

You can build a cycling path and trail beside the LRT ROW.

Thanks. What are your personal thoughts about this whole experience?

 

[k10ery]

Without going back and doing some research, I believe there was no lost of lanes. Some lane changes took place at hwy interchange.

Well, the new University line is taking away a car lane, though it is mainly parking. That makes construction easier.

http://www.metrocouncil.org/transportation/ccorridor/ccfaq.htm#parking

 

[Palma]

One can argue that the east portion of Eglinton is not nearly as dense as Shepperd... between Laird and Warden, it's pretty much industrial land and strip plazas....

So why us there even an LRT being built out there? Why not just stop at laird? Plus then a real subway could have been built between Keele and Laird.

And with all these various dates being thrown out of when Sheppard and Finch will begin (due to funding not being released all at once) if these projects do not begin till 2014, there will be another election in 2014 and these council votes will have been for nothing. This is unreal

 

[EnviroTO]

So why us there even an LRT being built out there? Why not just stop at laird? Plus then a real subway could have been built between Keele and Laird.

The dead zone is between Victoria Park and Birchmount. Once you have LRT to Victoria Park for the sake of network connectivity it makes sense to go all the way to Kennedy.

And with all these various dates being thrown out of when Sheppard and Finch will begin (due to funding not being released all at once) if these projects do not begin till 2014, there will be another election in 2014 and these council votes will have been for nothing. This is unreal

Sheppard East will be 100% tendered out by the time fall of 2014 rolls around and the delivery date will probably be 2 years later than originally planned in 2016. Finch West was never on the early schedule so Ford cancelling it and city council reinstating it probably hasn't changed the 2019 timeline for that project. Eglinton will have TBMs boring under Eglinton and no money will have been wasted on redoing the EA east of Laird. If we are lucky we can get the DRL EA started by 2014 which would allow at least some of the many TBMs that will be operating in Toronto over the next few years to not be sold. It would seem like a waste to own 8 TBMs, all wide enough for a subway, and sell them all off before doing the DRL. The cost of the TBMs pales in comparison to the cost of operating them and finishing the tunnel mind you but still... it would seem like a waste.

 

[Dan416]

All goes well this will get cancelled by the next council or provincial funding cuts. A girl can hope, right?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Hoping for transit funding cuts because you didn't get what you want (when you don't even use it)? Classy.

AoD