Transit City: Sheppard East Debate

[DavidH]

The Transit City LRTs will be rapid...... in comparison with the Queen car.

Exactly.

I don't know, I find that I'm getting very pessimistic about much of the Metrolinx plan. The GO enhancements look pretty good, and there is some potential in the Eglinton LRT due to the tunneled central section. Otherwise, it seems like we're spending a huge amount of money for very inadequate improvements to transit.

Sigh.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I am assuming that the purpose of the LRT is to provide rapid transit to people in the area, but then again, I might be mistaken.

We're spending the better part of a billion dollars on transit infrastructure that will allow vehicles to travel barely 2-3km/hr faster than the buses, so "rapid" is a highly subjective term. Frequencies will probably be cut, too, so real travel times may actually go *up* for some trips.

 

[Dan416]

Exactly.

I don't know, I find that I'm getting very pessimistic about much of the Metrolinx plan. The GO enhancements look pretty good, and there is some potential in the Eglinton LRT due to the tunneled central section. Otherwise, it seems like we're spending a huge amount of money for very inadequate improvements to transit.

Sigh.

It does seem like these improvements will really be marginal unless all the LRTs are underground with subway-style spacing. Which is not what we're getting, except on Eglinton (and only on a portion of the route anyway--so why not just spend the extra money and build a full-on subway to begin with?)

 

[lead82]

Where are those 'Transit-City' like photos from? The true LRT pics look like Edmonton/Calgary. Are the other photos from San Francisco? (a guess with the hilly terrain)

 

[andomano]

Where are those 'Transit-City' like photos from? The true LRT pics look like Edmonton/Calgary. Are the other photos from San Francisco? (a guess with the hilly terrain)

The one sign says "Do Not Enter Except Muni", so yes.

 

[lead82]

 

[Second_in_pie]

Okay. I can settle on a "real" LRT. I'm thinking that could work pretty well on Sheppard, and I guess at least the big auto retailers won't be discouraged from their business, right?

Just wondering whether anyone thinks integrating the Sheppard Subway with the above mentioned LRT technology would be acceptable, as well.

 

[kEiThZ]

Just wondering whether anyone thinks integrating the Sheppard Subway with the above mentioned LRT technology would be acceptable, as well.

Personally, since it looks inevitable I'd like to see the subway converted to LRT so that they can get rid of the transfer. While they are at it they could also add 5 or so stations to the current subway portion of the corridor.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I suggest sheppard SUBWAY supporters message Mayor Miller on Twitter (mayormiller) and let him know you don't want LRT. Miller actually uses twitter. Maybe if he gets a flood of tweets in support of the sheppard subway he'll change his mind. We have to assume he's a rational person.

Assumption is the mother of all fuckups.


I already told him what I thought when I ran into him at Nuit Blanche last year. I don't think he likes me.

But I'm all for twitter-bombing him.

 

[SunriseChampion]

It does seem like these improvements will really be marginal unless all the LRTs are underground with subway-style spacing. Which is not what we're getting, except on Eglinton (and only on a portion of the route anyway--so why not just spend the extra money and build a full-on subway to begin with?)

Probably because it's too bold for the ninnies we call politicians. That, or it makes too much sense. Perhaps because people are worried about all the wrong things. Or, because doing things properly and thinking ahead are not "fiscally responsible (blah, blah, blah)".

 

[Dan416]

Assumption is the mother of all fuckups.


I already told him what I thought when I ran into him at Nuit Blanche last year. I don't think he likes me.

But I'm all for twitter-bombing him.

If you don't assume someone is rational, then you have no hope anyway. I'd rather assume someone was rational than give up entirely. The whole Transit City plan needs to be re-thought.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I agree. It seems to have been either one of two things: hastily put together or--as has been mentioned--just a social engineering scheme.

On second thought, it's probably both.

 

[Second_in_pie]

If you don't assume someone is rational, then you have no hope anyway. I'd rather assume someone was rational than give up entirely. The whole Transit City plan needs to be re-thought.

Agreed. Maybe we could all tweet Miller about that?

Really though, the City is acting like a child; they just saw something they liked and now they want it everywhere. This whole plan needs to be reworked, and us responsible citizens should do something before they start construction on Sheppard.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The Yonge and Queen subway was just lines on a map when the 1946 referendum was approved on condition that the federal government could subsidize by 20%. Never got the subsidy, but construction began anyways on just the Yonge subway in 1949. It opened on 1954. So, 3 years to start and 8 years from lines on a map to opening.
The Sheppard East LRT were just lines on a map in 2007, though the planning was years in the making. With experience gained by the subway and streetcar tunnels, we could be starting construction in the fall of 2009, 2 years after the presentation vs 3 years for the subway. It should take less construction (by 2012?) time to finish as well.

 

[DTGeek]

Personally, since it looks inevitable I'd like to see the subway converted to LRT so that they can get rid of the transfer. While they are at it they could also add 5 or so stations to the current subway portion of the corridor.

I would think that adding 5 underground stations (it typically costs what, $100 million per station?) to the existing line and converting all the tracks would probably be just as expensive as extending the line to say Warden.