Toronto Ontario Line 3 | ?m | ?s

Rob MacIsaac's response to my letter about the DRL:

Mr. Perz:

Thank you for your email on the Downtown Relief Line and your interest in making it a priority project for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) transit services.

The Big Move is fundamentally about building an integrated, regional transportation network. As such, an important part of the process was identifying projects that made a significant contribution to a regional network. The regional significance of individual projects was assessed by rating each based on seven general criteria. Based on our assessment, the Downtown Relief Line is a project of regional significance and is therefore included in the Big Move.

Metrolinx approaches its plan as a whole, integrated system. For example, the recommended creation of Express Rail along the Lakeshore and Georgetown GO lines with fast, frequent two-way, all-day service every 15 minute, with five minute service in peak hours, will positively impact not only the Yonge subway line, but numerous other lines as well. The complete 25-year, $50 billion plan totals over 60 new transit projects and identifies 15 priority projects. In analyzing the expansion of the existing subway system, Metrolinx considered the priorities set out by all transit operators in the GTHA, including GO Transit and the TTC.

In my view, we must continue to analyze in more detail and prioritize the 45 remaining projects. At the same time it is essential that we move forward as quickly as possible with the 15 priority projects. We have sufficient funds committed by the province of Ontario to begin building these priority projects. We will consider the DRL’s placement in conjunction with our first review of the Big Move which is anticipated to commence in the next two or three years.

Rob MacIsaac
Chair, Metrolinx
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Frankly I think waiting 2 or 3 years is an interminable delay. The DRL is needed NOW. The EA should be started NOW.

I think I should reply and restate that I think the DRL should be a first priority and put in the 10-year time-frame.

EDIT: By the way, Rob MacIsaac is the only one to reply to my email so far. Neither Bonnie Crombie, MP or Bob Delaney, MPP have replied.
 
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Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
Rob MacIsaac's response to my letter about the DRL:



Frankly I think waiting 2 or 3 years is an interminable delay. The DRL is needed NOW. The EA should be started NOW.

I think I should reply and restate that I think the DRL should be a first priority and put in the 10-year time-frame.

EDIT: By the way, Rob MacIsaac is the only one to reply to my email so far. Neither Bonnie Crombie, MP or Bob Delaney, MPP have replied.
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Yes, replying is a great idea. Did you direct him to this site and to the Facebook site?
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
Rob MacIsaac's response to my letter about the DRL....
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Any chance we could see your original letter?

Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
Frankly I think waiting 2 or 3 years is an interminable delay. The DRL is needed NOW. The EA should be started NOW.
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Perhaps, but the TTC would probably get overloaded planning and constructing 3 transit lines and a network of LRTs simultaneously. Their use of consultants is already getting out of hand.

Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
I think I should reply and restate that I think the DRL should be a first priority and put in the 10-year time-frame.
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I'd agree with you but it's a question of money. Where are they gonna find funding for that?

IMHO, pri 1 should be improving GO transit and completing fare integration with the TTC. That would provide the most bang for the buck and provide some immediate relief to the subway network. Priority 2 would be to finish key Transit City lines (Sheppard, Finch, Eglinton, WW) and the RT refurb/replacement. Priority 3 would be the DRL. And priority 4 would be the Yonge Extension. I leave the Spadina subway out since the shovels are already in the ground.

Concurrently with all that are the efforts to improve transit in the 905 with various projects (Hurontario, GO transitway, etc.). The use of transit is bismal outside the 905 and as much as the TTC needs funding, there will be no critical mass for transit until folks in the suburbs consider transit part of their daily lives just as much as any 416 resident.

This is why I support the city making the DRL a condition of the Yonge extension. It's not really needed till the line is extended. Otherwise, improvements along the Yonge line (ATC and new rocket trains) and some minor improvements at key station like Yonge/Bloor can tide us through for probably another decade or so.
 
My original letter to Rob, Bonnie, Bob and some random Metrolinx people:

Hi

I'm writing to let you know how I feel about the TTC's proposed Downtown Relief Line (DRL) that has come up as a result of the proposal to extend the Yonge subway line to Richmond Hill.

As you may know, the TTC approved it on the condition that Bloor-Yonge station be expanded to handle the additional capacity. Further, the DRL is in the Metrolinx 25-year plan, and if built, would reduce the need for the additional capacity at Bloor-Yonge station. Thus it only makes sense to build the DRL now so that Bloor-Yonge doesn't need to be expanded.

As a resident of Mississauga, the DRL doesn't directly affect me. I will still continue to take either GO downtown or the subway from Kipling. However the DRL is of utmost important to the downtown core and all the neighborhoods along its proposed route that are growing and would relieve both the Yonge line and the downtown streetcar lines (but not eliminate them).

I believe it to be the most important subway line for Toronto in a generation. I think it is of utmost importance for all Torontonians to support it.

There is a website that I'm a member of called UrbanToronto.ca and I can tell you there is a LOT of support for the DRL. And I'm sure that support isn't limited to the internet. Thanks for listening!
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tempperm said:
I m all for the DRL as long as it does not delay/stop the yonge extension.
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That ship has sailed. The Yonge extension will soon be made conditional on the DRL. So the only way the Yonge extension will happen on time is if the DRL is advanced.
 
kEiThZ said:
I'd agree with you but it's a question of money. Where are they gonna find funding for that?
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How does Scandanavia,Australia and many other developed countries and cities do it?This generous government should stop giving handouts to special groups.religions.refugees etc and start using some of that cash on our transportation infastructure.

Here is an example of a contribution of aprox $25million handed out by Ontario government that could of easly gone into our transportation infastructure.

40 ON $24,882,505 Toronto District
School Board
Citizenship &
Immigr.
Basic English language training for adult
newcomers to Canada, Contribution

I think every new Canadian should know Basic English before Canada excepts them as a landed immigrant.Let that burden be on the country of origin.
 
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kEiThZ said:
That ship has sailed. The Yonge extension will soon be made conditional on the DRL. So the only way the Yonge extension will happen on time is if the DRL is advanced.
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I think you've got the cart before the horse, politically.
 
Automation Gallery said:
How does Scandanavia,Australia and many other developed countries and cities do it?
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They certainly don't do it by diverting funds from social programs and efforts to integrate immigrants.

Automation Gallery said:
This generous government should stop giving handouts to special groups.religions.refugees etc and start using some of that cash on our transportation infastructure.
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Then we'd have subway lines but a poorly integrated citizenry that has no need to use the lines to go anywhere.

Automation Gallery said:
Here is an example of a contribution of aprox $25million handed out by Ontario government that could of easly gone into our transportation infastructure.

40 ON $24,882,505 Toronto District
School Board
Citizenship &
Immigr.
Basic English language training for adult
newcomers to Canada, Contribution
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Because 25 million dollars saved would you buy us a DRL....:rolleyes:


Automation Gallery said:
I think every new Canadian should know Basic English before Canada excepts them as a landed immigrant.Let that burden be on the country of origin.
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You obviously know very little about the immigration system. Knowledge of French or English is essential to gain entry as an independent applicant for permanent residency (it's not landed immigrant anymore). That requirement is dumbed down for family class migrants. Even with that Canada hasn't been meeting the meagre immigration quotas it has for the last few years. Where do you suppose this country is going to get the workers and young people it needs to survive. In case you haven't noticed, Canadians seem to have an aversion to baby-making (save Quebec, but that only took tens of billions of dollars to reverse). More importantly where do you propose we get the skilled trades workers to build the DRL? There certainly aren't too many high school kids these days who feel inclined to swing a hammer and turn a wrench all day.
 
Automation Gallery said:
How does Scandanavia,Australia and many other developed countries and cities do it?This generous government should stop giving handouts to special groups.religions.refugees etc and start using some of that cash on our transportation infastructure.

Here is an example of a contribution of aprox $25million handed out by Ontario government that could of easly gone into our transportation infastructure.

40 ON $24,882,505 Toronto District
School Board
Citizenship &
Immigr.
Basic English language training for adult
newcomers to Canada, Contribution

I think every new Canadian should know Basic English before Canada excepts them as a landed immigrant.Let that burden be on the country of origin.
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This is going way off topic here. Take the immigrant-bashing to Politics and 'Diplomacy'.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
Frankly I think waiting 2 or 3 years is an interminable delay. The DRL is needed NOW. The EA should be started NOW.

I think I should reply and restate that I think the DRL should be a first priority and put in the 10-year time-frame.
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Agreed.

Moreover, Mr. MacIsaac's statement that "Express Rail along the Lakeshore and Georgetown GO lines" "will positively impact" the Yonge subway line, does not seem well-founded. The catchment areas of those GO lines are quite far from Yonge subway.

GO lines that could play a role in relieving Yonge, are Richmond Hill and Stouffville. But the former is slated to get Express Rail in 25 years, while the latter, not even then.
 
Rainforest said:
Agreed.

Moreover, Mr. MacIsaac's statement that "Express Rail along the Lakeshore and Georgetown GO lines" "will positively impact" the Yonge subway line, does not seem well-founded. The catchment areas of those GO lines are quite far from Yonge subway.

GO lines that could play a role in relieving Yonge, are Richmond Hill and Stouffville. But the former is slated to get Express Rail in 25 years, while the latter, not even then.
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That would make an excellent retort to Mr. MacIsaac. Of course, you gotta wonder how much you can really put up against their canned responses.
 
kEiThZ said:
Because 25 million dollars saved would you buy us a DRL....:rolleyes:

More importantly where do you propose we get the skilled trades workers to build the DRL? There certainly aren't too many high school kids these days who feel inclined to swing a hammer and turn a wrench all day.
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I used the 25 million as an example.there is much more but im already off the original topic.which i apologize.

You would be surprised to know that there are a lot of high school kids getting into the trade nowadays and that away from the Europeans that are not imigrating lately to Canada not many of these newcomers are candidates to working outdoors, swinging hammers and turning wrenches all day.
 
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