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SmartTrack (Proposed)

They're different services. Just like you'd pay more for a non-stop flight than one with two stops. I do agree that there shouldn't be a big difference in cost between ST and other TTC. Just think of the difference in cost between TTC and the GO train. It's too big, and that's without considering the cost of using both systems in one trip.
 
This discussion seems to revolve around fare integration, rather than about who should run ST or whether it needs to be a separate branded service at all. It makes no sense for TTC to build an organization to run railway trains under CRORish regulation. It similarly makes no sense for GO to maintain 'red' and 'green' fleets just to deliver a branded service.

One can do lots of things virtually, however. Just like how TTC brands express bus routes as 'Rockets' without maintaining a separate fleet. The fare considerations belong under the Fare Integration umbrella. All I can say is, keep it simple.

- Paul
 
Spoke withCity Planning staff at SmartTrack Meeting today about station constraints at proposed St. Clair West and Liberty Village stations.

At St Clair they are actively in discussions with the teams looking at bridge widening and other road improvement in the area to make sure their work is coordinated and does not accidentally preclude station integration and space for station access. So I suspect the St Clair Bridge project will be slightly delayed or modified once they integrate the needs for a new station in their plans. Likewise I was given the impression that stakeholders and property owners in this area had also been advised of the station plans to provide an opportunity for them to better integrate their proposals in accordance with whatever plans for a station may come about.

At Liberty Village station, Metrolinx is leading this work and they are anticipating property acquisitions will need to take place to fit the station into the tight grade (for the subsequent strachan underpass approach and King Bridge) and corridor width constaints
 
ssiguy2 said:
Why should scarce TTC funds be spent o0n a two-tiered system? If it's getting public money then it should be available to the entire public regardless of socio/economic standing. Canadians don't tolerate two-tiered public healthcare or public education so why should they have to tolerate it for public transit?
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great point
 
Euphoria said:
They're different services. Just like you'd pay more for a non-stop flight than one with two stops. I do agree that there shouldn't be a big difference in cost between ST and other TTC. Just think of the difference in cost between TTC and the GO train. It's too big, and that's without considering the cost of using both systems in one trip.
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well just like you pay more with a taxi to go from King to College along Yonge vs King to Hwy 7 (along Yonge) unlike the TTC
 
I think the transfer discount between systems should be universal across the GTA. Metrolinx can play a role here. So if I get a $2.25 discount on my fare when I transfer from GO to TTC or vice versa, this same discount amount should apply when I transfer between Burlington and Oakville transit systems and all systems in the GTA. This keeps it simple yet fair. As fares increase, so should the transfer discount amount.
 
mrxbombastic said:
Spoke withCity Planning staff at SmartTrack Meeting today about station constraints at proposed St. Clair West and Liberty Village stations.

At St Clair they are actively in discussions with the teams looking at bridge widening and other road improvement in the area to make sure their work is coordinated and does not accidentally preclude station integration and space for station access. So I suspect the St Clair Bridge project will be slightly delayed or modified once they integrate the needs for a new station in their plans. Likewise I was given the impression that stakeholders and property owners in this area had also been advised of the station plans to provide an opportunity for them to better integrate their proposals in accordance with whatever plans for a station may come about.

At Liberty Village station, Metrolinx is leading this work and they are anticipating property acquisitions will need to take place to fit the station into the tight grade (for the subsequent strachan underpass approach and King Bridge) and corridor width constaints
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Thanks for sharing. Any other interesting information that came out of the meeting? Are they leaning more towards Option C or D at this point? I rather see a few more additional stations personally.
 
Euphoria said:
They're different services. Just like you'd pay more for a non-stop flight than one with two stops. I do agree that there shouldn't be a big difference in cost between ST and other TTC. Just think of the difference in cost between TTC and the GO train. It's too big, and that's without considering the cost of using both systems in one trip.
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A bus and a subway train offer very different levels of service too. Splitting up a system into different parts with different fares is the wrong direction to take, instead we should be working on rolling GO and other GTA services into one as much as is possible.
 
nhui06 said:
Thanks for sharing. Any other interesting information that came out of the meeting? Are they leaning more towards Option C or D at this point? I rather see a few more additional stations personally.
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Staff said that they are leaning towards option C and will likely make that their recomendation to council because that is what provides the best service for Torontonians which is what this whole smart track exercise is supposed to be about.
 
mrxbombastic said:
Staff said that they are leaning towards option C and will likely make that their recomendation to council because that is what provides the best service for Torontonians which is what this whole smart track exercise is supposed to be about.
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Awesome, thanks. Yes, the main station of interest for me is Finch East (I think that station should stay). Would be interesting to see what will happen to the Ellesemere and Lawrence stops if Toronto/Metrolinx does revisit routing the Scarborough subway back onto the SRT route.
 
I wonder what the possibility is for GO/Smarttrack to go up to Weston station, and replace Weston with Mt Dennis for the UPX. Makes sense IMO since UPX should stop at interchanges, while GO/SmartTrack should serve more local rides.
 
I wonder why it doesn't go even further, to Islington or Woodbine. If it's going to happen, North Etobicoke is an important ridership to include in this.

- Paul
 
Don't they realize that Lawrence East and Ellesmere stations are taking away from the Scarborough subway?

2 north-south rapid transit lines that close to each other are overkill for that part of Scarborough.

Just speed up that section of GO and have it run at high speed from Agincourt to Kennedy directly
 
Cobra said:
Don't they realize that Lawrence East and Ellesmere stations are taking away from the Scarborough subway?

2 north-south rapid transit lines that close to each other are overkill for that part of Scarborough.

Just speed up that section of GO and have it run at high speed from Agincourt to Kennedy directly
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The key point is that the Scarborough subway isn't about rational transit planning and investment. Its justification is equity, the notion that folks in Scarborough deserve a subway just like everyone else in Toronto. Ridership numbers and cost really don't factor in the political calculation.
 
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