Transit City Plan

[gweed123]

I really dislike the idea of the SRT being joined to Eglinton. What the SRT needs is a replacement with a couple subway stations. I don't understand the concept behind amputating the subway so close to STC.

I'm actually warming up to the idea of the SRT being joined with Eglinton. Think about it, what are the 3 biggest beefs with the SRT? It's too short, it's rickety, and it has that dumb transfer at Kennedy.

Assuming Eglinton East is grade-separated, an interlined Eglinton-SRT covers all 3 of those. The whole reason the transfer at Kennedy should be removed is because it's an un-necessary added obstacle to reaching downtown. If that transfer becomes optional instead of mandatory, does it really make a difference that people are transferring at Eglinton-Yonge instead of Bloor-Yonge to reach downtown? In fact, in many ways that's even more preferable, because it will decrease the pressure at B-Y.

With the replacement and extension, it'll no longer be rickety, and it'll go further than STC. It wouldn't just be a Scarborough RT, it would be a true midtown crosstown.

 

[Dan416]

I'm actually warming up to the idea of the SRT being joined with Eglinton. Think about it, what are the 3 biggest beefs with the SRT? It's too short, it's rickety, and it has that dumb transfer at Kennedy.

Assuming Eglinton East is grade-separated, an interlined Eglinton-SRT covers all 3 of those. The whole reason the transfer at Kennedy should be removed is because it's an un-necessary added obstacle to reaching downtown. If that transfer becomes optional instead of mandatory, does it really make a difference that people are transferring at Eglinton-Yonge instead of Bloor-Yonge to reach downtown? In fact, in many ways that's even more preferable, because it will decrease the pressure at B-Y.

With the replacement and extension, it'll no longer be rickety, and it'll go further than STC. It wouldn't just be a Scarborough RT, it would be a true midtown crosstown.

It's a lot worse because the Scarberian will have to get on the LRT and then transfer to the subway at Yonge-Eglinton. Whereas someone taking the subway from a Scarborough Centre could just get off at Bloor-Yonge and they're right downtown, no transfer required unless they're lazy and can't walk a few metres south.

 

[jje1000]

It's a lot worse because the Scarberian will have to get on the LRT and then transfer to the subway at Yonge-Eglinton. Whereas someone taking the subway from a Scarborough Centre could just get off at Bloor-Yonge and they're right downtown, no transfer required unless they're lazy and can't walk a few metres south.

You could simultaneously argue that pushing more people onto the Bloor line will inevitably overload the Yonge/Bloor station. If the SRT is connected to the Eglinton line, the point of interchange would be at the Yonge/Eglinton station, which still has some capacity. People can interchange to the Bloor line if they want at Kennedy, which is no worse than what we have now.

However, this is only provided if the Eglinton line runs as fast as the Bloor line.

 

[EnviroTO]

If the SRT is connected to the Eglinton line, the point of interchange would be at the Yonge/Eglinton station, which still has some capacity.

I think this is the flaw in your argument. Eglinton at rush hour often involves waiting a number of subway trains before finding space to get onto one. However, as a person who arrives at Eglinton daily on surface transit, the big benefit would be the choice to go 3 more stations and ride the Spadina line... a long trip on a bus but quick underground.

 

[nfitz]

Ultimately a rider coming along the SRT down Eglinton heading downtown would change to the DRL at Don Mills. Probably faster than going all the way to Yonge-Bloor or Pape-Danforth. Or they could change to the GO Express Rail line at Kennedy direct to Union.

 

[gweed123]

I think this is the flaw in your argument. Eglinton at rush hour often involves waiting a number of subway trains before finding space to get onto one. However, as a person who arrives at Eglinton daily on surface transit, the big benefit would be the choice to go 3 more stations and ride the Spadina line... a long trip on a bus but quick underground.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Only a small percentage of the people passing through B-Y are actually exiting at B-Y. Also, as I mentioned earlier, if the TTC short turns some trains at Eglinton West or Glencairn, empty trains may be enough of an incentive to get people to ride Eglinton the extra couple of stops to Eglinton West. Either option would be an effective band-aid solution for overcrowding at Bloor-Yonge.

 

[Dan416]

Whatever way you look at it, Scarborough is still screwed out of a direct line to downtown if you force them to go down Eglinton.

 

[kd86]

Whatever way you look at it, Scarborough is still screwed out of a direct line to downtown if you force them to go down Eglinton.

What are you talking about how is Scarborough screwed if the Eglinton line connectes to the SRT? FYI a subway extension of the Bloor Danforth wouldnt give scarborough residents a direct ride too downtown either, they would still need to transferr onto the YUS to head south. Considering we have limited funding how do you rationalize spending billions of dollars on a line that will contribute 0 km to rapid transit expansion g, and for the sake of eliminating one transfer. Don't mean to sound like a broken record but BD extension to STC does nothing for scarborough residents. Through route system via Kennedy will eliminate the bottle neck and provide the opportunity for BD to be extended along eglinton where it would better serve south scarborough...........yah south scarborough people seem to forget abouth them. Ps of course this is all wishfull thinking considering Metrolinx is 2 months over due on their revised transit plan, and it's looking more and more likely that the Conservatives will come into power this fall. ...........ah oh well that's Transit planning in Toronto for yah

 

[M II A II R II K]

Ideally the SRT can be replaced as a subway and split off the VP to Kennedy section from the BD line, and have a new line go south to the beaches and continue west to Union with far apart stops. That way you can get an express run to downtown from Scarborough and bypass both the Bloor and Yonge lines entirely and not have to sit thru like 20 stops on the BD line and stuff.

 

[Thoughtless Miscreant]

Whatever way you look at it, Scarborough is still screwed out of a direct line to downtown if you force them to go down Eglinton.

Does every line in this city have to go directly downtown with no transfers before it is considered worth building?

 

[gweed123]

Whatever way you look at it, Scarborough is still screwed out of a direct line to downtown if you force them to go down Eglinton.

I don't really consider Bloor-Yonge to be 'downtown'. If it was, people would be getting off at Bloor-Yonge instead of having the majority of them transferring to the Yonge line to continue southbound. Really it makes no difference if people are transferring at Eglinton-Yonge or Bloor-Yonge, because it'll be a transfer heading southbound from an E-W line to a N-S line. As far as I'm concerned, the more riders we can draw off of B-D the better. If all of Eglinton is grade-separated, that line will have a tonne of excess potential capacity, so why not use it?

 

[gweed123]

Does every line in this city have to go directly downtown with no transfers before it is considered worth building?

To be fair, that seems to work for New York City, haha. There's only 1 line that doesn't go through Manhattan. Granted Manhattan is much larger than downtown Toronto. Just saying

 

[jje1000]

I think this is the flaw in your argument. Eglinton at rush hour often involves waiting a number of subway trains before finding space to get onto one. However, as a person who arrives at Eglinton daily on surface transit, the big benefit would be the choice to go 3 more stations and ride the Spadina line... a long trip on a bus but quick underground.

I guess I overlooked that issue- Yonge is pretty much at capacity, and I doubt that either options would alleviate the issue without the DRL.

Anyways, news about the Sheppard Line!

TTC revives consulting arm to oversee Sheppard subway
March 08, 2011

Tess Kalinowski

A long-dormant consulting arm of the TTC has been re-activated to oversee the public-private financing and building of Mayor Rob Ford’s Sheppard subway extension.

“Essentially the mayor wishes to advance the P3 application with the federal government using the consulting arm of the TTC,” transit chair Karen Stintz told the Star.

“Someone just needs to be shepherding through that process and there is nowhere in the TTC that we can do that… so this consulting company has been re-established,” she said.

City councillors who sit on the Toronto Transit Commission gathered Tuesday morning to name TTC commissioner Norm Kelly (Scarborough-Agincourt) as director of Toronto Transit Consultants Ltd.

He will be assisted by TTC vice-chair Peter Milczyn (Etobicoke-Lakeshore).

“New directors will be added with expertise in P3 application,” said Stintz.

The TTCL will be responsible for taking the business case for the Sheppard subway before the federal government to make sure “our business model makes sense,” she said.

Ottawa has already committed about $300 million to a light rail line on Sheppard Ave. E., money that went directly to Metrolinx, the provincial transportation funding agency.

But Ford wants a subway on Sheppard, connecting it in the west with the Spadina line and running east from the existing Don Mills station to Kennedy.

The project is expected to cost about $4.5 billion.

It would be built and financed using private sector funding but the TTC would operate it, said Stintz.

The TTCL will meet privately during the city council lunch recess Tuesday to name other directors, likely to include some from the private sector.

The consulting company was retired in the mid-1990s. It is the same body used to show off the Scarborough RT rail technology, which was considered an international innovation.

It also provided consulting services to the Toronto Zoo after a monorail accident in 1994.

It was disbanded after the 1995 Russell Hill subway derailment, said TTC chief general manager Gary Webster, who attended Tuesday’s special commission meeting.

http://www.thestar.com/news/transpo...ves-consulting-arm-to-oversee-sheppard-subway

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The Scarborough RT and the Zoo Monorail? Doesn't sound like an incredible track record.

 

[M II A II R II K]

That's great. Particularly if they can turn Sheppard Ave into another Yonge St. north of Eglinton which also has far apart stops.

 

[leopetr]

That's great. Particularly if they can turn Sheppard Ave into another Yonge St. north of Eglinton which also has far apart stops.

I very much disagree.

There are some great restaurants near Yonge St and Yonge Blvd that I can't easily get to because it's not walking distance from either York Mills or Lawrence stations. The city made a huge mistake by not putting in a Glen Echo station when extending the Yonge line north.