News   Jun 18, 2024
 292     0 
News   Jun 18, 2024
 784     2 
News   Jun 18, 2024
 418     0 

Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

TTC staff seem to have a problem with being asked to be the public face of the project and to be community liason (take all the heat) for a timeline they know will make a very large number of people unhappy.

And a timeline over which they have no control, since Metrolinx is calling all the shots on the project.
 
If you read the motion that passed on Steve Munro's website - http://stevemunro.ca/?p=6372 - there's nothing in it about TTC endorsing the timeline. The opposite actually, as the motion said "Request Metrolinx/Infrastructure Ontario to respond to the issues and concerns around project finance, cost, schedule and delivery model raised in this paper ..."
 
Even better, once they grade separate Danforth Ave, they can run GO South fully automated!

But don't forget that there is a Hub at Main (Danforth) similar to Kennedy. This means that there would be another switching of trains needed here. Train would go back and forth between Kennedy and Main - but they would make a convenient transfer so you could get onto the Main to Union train.
 
A forced transfer for no reason when the two modes of transit are identical is just stupid. I don't know why some of you people are so anti-one-seat-ride. Transit riders don't care about TTC operational issues with headways. If the TTC were a competent organization and designed the Eglinton East LRT competently then the headways wouldn't be the problem they could be with how they're building it now.

The design of Eglinton is being designed the same way the Sheppard East LRT is, which really has no rhyme or reason but goes out of its way to reduce ridership.

Tell me, what kind of transit organization builds something to minimize ridership?

The TTC is so goddamn cheap it drives me bananas. I guess it's a good thing I live in Mississauga and drive.

Thing is, they will be different corridors. The Eglinton line will be focusing on crosstown west-east trips, while the Scarborough line will be focusing on north(east)-south(west) trips in the east end. If the Viva ever becomes an LRT and the Finch LRT ever comes to Yonge, it would be like saying that they should run through since they are both LRTs.

One could argue it should be extended as a subway, since the Danforth line does begin to follow along the same corridor path, but I will suggest something different: Maybe the Danforth line should have stayed along Danforth and run along Kingston Rd., while the SRT could run from Victoria Park to McCowan. Ain't going to happen, but at least Kennedy is looking to become a real hub rather than a needless transfer.

Anyways with all the talk about delays, could the TTC begin operating parts of the line in 2020, even if the whole thing is not finished? Perhaps between Jane and Eglinton West or Yonge, and then run buses between this point and where it continues on the surface in the east until the tunnel is complete?

Returning to the discussion at hand, this could also be used as an experiment to see if through running the Scarborough LRT would be a good idea. If a lot of people who board the SLRT continue along the line across Eglinton, we would be able to see that there is demand from eastern Scarborough to points along Eglinton, rather than fearing that everyone on board would simply overcrowd the Yonge line.
 
From a public relations perspective, partially or fully closing 15 North/South streets simultaneously is going to be crazy. You can see the impact of a single station at Keele and Finch. Now imagine this is done to every street between Jane and Don Mills simultaneously.

Nobody is saying they will all happen simlataneously - except that TTC staff report which is trying to paint the worst case scenario. If the TTC's model is it takes 8-10 years of continuous construction to build a few LRT stations, then time to try a different model, IMO.
 
Lets say half the B-D to Yonge transfers decide to stay on Eglinton and go over to Yonge. This effectively reduces the transfers from B-D to Yonge since it is split between 2 stations and not all at one. This means the dwell time at the Yonge-Bloor station would be less and more trains could run on the Yonge line. It may actually help relieve the Yonge line - although I doubt it would help to any degree in reality.

If the DRL were ever built to Eglinton, these riders would transfer onto the DRL - thus relieving the Yonge line of those riders and reducing the dwell time at both Yonge-Bloor and Yonge-Eglinton stations.

Something should run through at Kennedy - either the SRT or the Eglinton-Morningside-Malvern (or whatever its called). I would say it should be the one with the higher ridership.

If you say that the transfer is warrented because an SRT rider can get off and transfer to Eglinton LRT, GO, or B-D, then a similar thing should be done with GO. have GO stop at a Kennedy north platform. Riders can either switch to Eglinton LRT or B-D, or have a simple along-platform transfer to the new Kennedy south platform, where they can take the GO into Union. The advantage is that now you can have different headways on Eglinton LRT, Morningside LRT, B-D, GO north (GO train going between Kennedy and Stouffville) and GO south (GO train between Kennedy and Union).;)

That is actually a good point, however I fear that half and half might be too optimistic. Depending on how fast the line ends up operating at and the convenience of eliminating one transfer, I could see the vast majority of riders opting to stay on the Eglinton-Scarborough in favour of transferring on to the Bloor line.

Almost 10 years ago now, I was at Centennial College's residence and had my classes at their CCC campus in East York (Pape and Mortimer). This trip required 2-3 transfers: bus to SRT, SRT to subway, and subway to bus. The total trip would take about 50-60 minutes. If I could take a S-E LRT trip to Don Mills and catch a bus from there thus skipping a transfer, I very well might opt for that instead.

Being dramatic, I could see the Danforth line becoming not much busier than Sheppard is today. That said, see my last post to see if I can be proven wrong. In hindsight, this furthers my belief that Queen should have received a subway, Bloor-Danforth as an LRT, and Eglinton as a full subway.
 
Nobody is saying they will all happen simlataneously - except that TTC staff report which is trying to paint the worst case scenario. If the TTC's model is it takes 8-10 years of continuous construction to build a few LRT stations, then time to try a different model, IMO.

Dunno about that.

Tendering in 2014 without a completed design, and finishing in early 2018 for handoff to the operator to prove the system pretty much guarantees simultaneous excavation of the stations doesn't it?

The companies building the Spadina line will be the same ones building Eglinton. How long are stations on the Spadina line taking?

Believe me, I want it done. I do see why TTC doesn't want to be the public face of the project though. I think with this setup I would feel like I was about to be thrown under the bus.
 
Last edited:
Well, maybe. I would doubt early 2018 in any case. But how hard can it be to dig 5 holes and deck them over in two years, then move 1 km down the road and do the same thing for the next 2 years?

One issue is that, if Canada Line is anything to go by, the AFP will not give the contractor any incentive to minimize traffic disruption. So even if staggering station construction is possible in the time frame, they might not do it anyway.

Finally, my prediction: The compromise will be that Sheppard is contracted as DBB, and the rest will be as planned. With the interchange stations and MSF already going as traditional contracts, that means TTC will control about half the money for all projects, and Infrastructure Ontario will control the other half.
 
With the interchange stations and MSF already going as traditional contracts, that means TTC will control about half the money for all projects, and Infrastructure Ontario will control the other half.
The MSFs are the only thing everyone agreed from day one should be done through IO.

But even assuming that the 3 MSF cost $300 million each, and 3 interchange stations are $200 million each, how is $1.5 billion even close to half of $8+ billion?
 
Well, maybe. I would doubt early 2018 in any case. But how hard can it be to dig 5 holes and deck them over in two years, then move 1 km down the road and do the same thing for the next 2 years?

It isn't hard, and is more or less what TTC staff recommended. They don't believe Metrolinx's presented 2020 opening day timeline will allow this to be done.
 
That is actually a good point, however I fear that half and half might be too optimistic. Depending on how fast the line ends up operating at and the convenience of eliminating one transfer, I could see the vast majority of riders opting to stay on the Eglinton-Scarborough in favour of transferring on to the Bloor line.
Why call it Eglinton_Scarborough. Is it not the Eglinton Crosstown?. Its like calling it York-Eglonton. There is no more Scarborough.
 
There is a difference. Have you ever been in a car that drives itself?

Does the people mover at YYZ count?

It can move linearly (forward and backwards, but not sideways) just the same as an LRT. I think people would be more concerned about a bus without a driver since it is not constrained by the tracks - although I think Google has a car that drives itself.
 
There is a difference. Have you ever been in a car that drives itself?

A lrt is running on rails which is a set course. I think his example of a elevator is better than yours as a car since cars have to weave in and out of traffic and can turn any time depending on the route. Besides even using your example of cars, there are articles about companies are working on cars which can be driven through satellite instead of people.
 
A lrt is running on rails which is a set course. I think his example of a elevator is better than yours as a car since cars have to weave in and out of traffic and can turn any time depending on the route. Besides even using your example of cars, there are articles about companies are working on cars which can be driven through satellite instead of people.

Then there are options to let the car park itself.
 

Back
Top