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

[innsertnamehere]

I think everyone on this board agrees, but it isn't a disaster as is currently either.

 

[BurlOak]

I think everyone on this board agrees, but it isn't a disaster as is currently either.

It will not be a disaster, but it will limit the capacity in the future, it will lead to public frustration with transit planning, it will prevent the public to accept transit funding, and it will make the arguments for the DRL more difficult to promote.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Hardly. it will be just fine. Ideal? no. I sure as hell hope we have a DRL funded and transit taxes secured by 2020 regardless.

 

[M II A II R II K]

It doesn't matter about what technology is used, it's whether they are totally off the road and have enough capacity, as well as not having too many stops close together. For the uninformed the tech issue produces a knee jerk reaction that LRT is sub-standard.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I think everyone on this board agrees, but it isn't a disaster as is currently either.

When implemented, along with the FULL Transit City plans AND Transit City Bus Plans AND the Don Mill Relief Subway Line AND GO Transit expansions AND 905 rapid transit plans AND the Union Pearson rapid transit (evolving from a failed Union Person Express) line, it is only a stepping stone. However, each stone adds to the improvements we need for transit in the Greater Toronto Area.

 

[Dan416]

Just to be clear I don't think the Eglinton line will be a disaster. But the lack of foresight to have Don Mills and Leslie underground will hamper the line's potential.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Leslie shouldn't even have a stop.

 

[Dan416]

Leslie shouldn't even have a stop.

Will it really be underused? If not, it should.

 

[TFC]

Please forgive me for this possibly obvious question, but will Don Mills station be underground? The crosstown website says it'll be at surface level, yet the drawings show it as underground. I'm confused about this station. Thanks!

 

[innsertnamehere]

underground.

 

[reaperexpress]

It's now very clear where the stations are and where the stops are. I still think they should have ended the tunnel at Don Mills. It seems a more natural endpoint for the tunnelled portion.

Where the tunnel ends has absolutely no effect on operations. What does affect operations are traffic lights which do not have absolute transit priority. Since Leslie is a T intersection, placing the ROW on the south side of the street would make segment between Don Mills and Brentcliffe to be faster than a tunnel (since there is less air resistance above ground), not to mention orders of magnitude cheaper. They definitely made the right choice to have an at-grade ROW between the east portal of the main tunnel and the west portal of Don Mills (underground) station.

Tunnels are not the only form of grade separation, which is what the public seems to be forgetting. At-grade transit can still be grade separated, or it can alternatively operate just as well, with a few grade-crossings with priority.

 

[andrewpmk]

Where the tunnel ends has absolutely no effect on operations. What does affect operations are traffic lights which do not have absolute transit priority. Since Leslie is a T intersection, placing the ROW on the south side of the street would make segment between Don Mills and Brentcliffe to be faster than a tunnel (since there is less air resistance above ground), not to mention orders of magnitude cheaper. They definitely made the right choice to have an at-grade ROW between the east portal of the main tunnel and the west portal of Don Mills (underground) station.

Tunnels are not the only form of grade separation, which is what the public seems to be forgetting. At-grade transit can still be grade separated, or it can alternatively operate just as well, with a few grade-crossings with priority.

If Metrolinx doesn't change the design to put the light rail on the south side, or build a grade separated interchange (like Bayview/Lawrence?) with the light rail in the middle, then the only remaining option is to ban left turns at this intersection. I don't think this would be a popular choice at all.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I sure as hell hope they stick it on the south side, but the original EA had it in the middle of the street. Given Metrolinx's seeming need/want for separation to Don Mills, I hope it will happen.

 

[reaperexpress]

If Metrolinx doesn't change the design to put the light rail on the south side, or build a grade separated interchange (like Bayview/Lawrence?) with the light rail in the middle, then the only remaining option is to ban left turns at this intersection. I don't think this would be a popular choice at all.

Yes, I'm aware that the current design will likely result in LRT delays at Leslie.

My point is that in order to eliminate this problem we do not need to build a tunnel (under a ravine, no less!), but merely to move the ROW to the side of the street. A similar change was made on the west end, where initially the line would have run in the median through Black Creek Drive. But the new design puts it on the north side of the street, with a bridge over Black Creek Drive. On the south side of Eglinton at Leslie, a bridge (or tunnel) would not be needed since there is no road to cross.

 

[andrewpmk]

Yes, I'm aware that the current design will likely result in LRT delays at Leslie.

My point is that in order to eliminate this problem we do not need to build a tunnel (under a ravine, no less!), but merely to move the ROW to the side of the street. A similar change was made on the west end, where initially the line would have run in the median through Black Creek Drive. But the new design puts it on the north side of the street, with a bridge over Black Creek Drive. On the south side of Eglinton at Leslie, a bridge (or tunnel) would not be needed since there is no road to cross.

Maybe Metrolinx should install a "Michigan left". This means that u turn ramps are put eastbound just west of Don Mills and westbound just east of Brentcliffe, and left turns are banned at Leslie.