SmartTrack (Proposed)

[44 North]

This isn't a new claim from Tory.

True. Last night I guess I didn't read the quote verbatim. I thought instead of "a downtown relief line" it said "the downtown relief line".

 

[salsa]

And I believe in fiction.

 

[Rainforest]

SmartTrack, as drawn on the envelope, goes down to Union Station. Union Station would be overcrowded and would require another transfer by most to actually reach their final destination. A Downtown Relief Line would be and should be within easy reach of most commuters' destination, closer to King or Queen Streets.

However, some of the DRL proposed routes went through Union station. That would have resulted in an even greater overcrowding as DRL will have higher ridership; 15-20K pphpd versus 10K or less for SmartTrack.

I agree that King or Queen make sense for DRL, although my preference is Wellington through the central area (connecting to both King / Yonge and St Andrew, and still within a short walking distance from Union).

 

[TheTigerMaster]

However, some of the DRL proposed routes went through Union station. That would have resulted in an even greater overcrowding as DRL will have higher ridership; 15-20K pphpd versus 10K or less for SmartTrack.

Those proposals were way back in the 80s. A Union alignment isn't even under consideration in 2015.

 

[Adjei]

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/edit...te-should-be-decided-this-year-editorial.html

 

[P0per]

Looks like the sensible plan is what city staff will be recommending to council.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...onto-getting-smaller-cheaper/article28208774/

Although details have not been finalized, Metrolinx staff are expected to recommend adding only four or five new stations along the Kitchener and Stouffville corridors, and an LRT – instead of heavy rail – along Eglinton Avenue West to Pearson airport.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

So this is an extension of ECLRT bundled with RER?

 

[rbt]

Looks like the sensible plan is what city staff will be recommending to council.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...onto-getting-smaller-cheaper/article28208774/

"With ridership modelling showing that the initial proposal to run trains every 15 minutes would not attract a sufficient number of passengers, officials are looking at running trains at least every 10 minutes, and as often as nearly every five minutes in some areas, during peak periods."
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$3.5B over the GO RER cost for 5 minute peak frequencies through the central section? Deal! Lets get this thing tendered by the end of 2017.

So this is an extension of ECLRT bundled with RER?

Looks like ECLRT extension, and RER with much higher frequencies than the province promised between Mount Dennis station (ECLRT) and Kennedy station (Danforth), via Union. The section north of Kennedy to Markham is being called a future phase.

It's a good plan if they can hit 5 minute peak frequencies and move Kennedy station to make transfers easier.

Actually, the hilarious part about the SCC subway extension is many (if not most) passengers will want to transfer at Kennedy to get downtown faster and avoid Bloor/Yonge.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It's a good plan if they can hit 5 minute peak frequencies and move Kennedy station to make transfers easier.

The Union to Yonge Line transfer will be a bigger issue. It takes me 3 minutes to make that walk in rush hour, and I'm a fast paced walker. Could be closer to 5 minute for people to make that walk including wait times for Yonge Line train.

 

[Adjei]

I think this is the sensible route to take.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I agree. This is the most sensible evolution.

 

[Amare]

This is a very good compromise and it's one that many people here have been asking for. I'm glad they put the Markham line into Phase 2, also known as let's defer it indefinitely until everyone forgets it was part of the plan.

However, I can see the number of stations on the ECLRT extension and "Smarttrack" section being a big point of contention. It would make no sense to have up to 17 stations on the ECLRT extension west of Mount Dennis, and 4-5 additional stations may not be sufficient on the existing GO network to be honest.

 

[Dan416]

So that's how they're saving the SSE, by deferring the SmartTrack section north of Kennedy. Clever.

 

[Adjei]

This is a very good compromise and it's one that many people here have been asking for. I'm glad they put the Markham line into Phase 2, also known as let's defer it indefinitely until everyone forgets it was part of the plan.

However, I can see the number of stations on the ECLRT extension and "Smarttrack" section being a big point of contention. It would make no sense to have up to 17 stations on the ECLRT extension west of Mount Dennis, and 4-5 additional stations may not be sufficient on the existing GO network to be honest.

They need to eliminate some of the stops on any western extension for the ECLRT.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The original environmental assessment for the Eglinton LRT will have expired by now, and a new one would need to be done, just like how Metrolinx is redoing the Finch West LRT EA, albeit through a TPAP process.

So yea, I expect the old plan would change.