Transit City: Sheppard East Debate

[Dan416]

No?

I don't know. But IIRC, its ridership started lower than the SRTs, but is now higher.

 

[Fresh Start]

The Sheppard Subway's performance level in 2008 (last year with offical stats released) compared to the Scarborough RT was 45,860 vs. 43,770 passengers per day. Pre-subway ridership levels from Sheppard-Yonge to Don Mills was 14,620 and a year after the metro opened that number rose to 33,160 or a 126% increase. So from 2003 to the present Sheppard subway ridership has gone up approximately 72%.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

It is amazing how you don't even need the performance level numbers to see the major increase in ridership on the Sheppard Subway over the last several years.

 

[kEiThZ]

It is amazing how you don't even need the performance level numbers to see the major increase in ridership on the Sheppard Subway over the last several years.

And yet apparently, the Sheppard subway is a "failure" and that's why we need to kill any further extension and deploy LRT instead.

 

[Dan416]

And yet apparently, the Sheppard subway is a "failure" and that's why we need to kill any further extension and deploy LRT instead.

That's my problem with it as well. There is this notion that Sheppard is a failure somehow but it really isn't. I think people are still bitter that North York/Sheppard got a subway over Eglinton and now just want to sabotage the corridor not realizing they're sabotaging the entire transit system.

 

[Paleo]

That's my problem with it as well. There is this notion that Sheppard is a failure somehow but it really isn't. I think people are still bitter that North York/Sheppard got a subway over Eglinton and now just want to sabotage the corridor not realizing they're sabotaging the entire transit system.

Maybe some people realize that it is unsustainable way to build much like the Spadina extension into Vaughan?

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Maybe some people realize that it is unsustainable way to build much like the Spadina extension into Vaughan?

How so? If it's generating a significant number of riders would it not be considered sustainable? If Boston/NY(?)/Etc can have subway lines with ridership that is lower than the Sheppard line does that mean that those lines are unsustainable as well? And that's with the line being literally 1/3 of it's intended length essentially limiting ridership to those heading to the Yonge line.

I remember the report about considering shutting down the Sheppard line but I forget the details about why they wanted to do it.

 

[sixrings]

Im for an extension to Vic Park but thats about it...

 

[Hipster Duck]

If you extend to Vic Park, you might as well extend it all the way to SCC and complete a northern leg of the subway network. To weigh in on this debate, I would find the "LRT is a much better use of our transit funds" argument a lot more palatable if they had decided to built the SE-LRT from Don Mills to Scarborough Town Centre. For me, the alignment is much more important than the mode choice - if the Sheppard subway would have been built out to Malvern and beyond with no connections to the existing rapid transit network I would find it just as ludicrous.

 

[sixrings]

I chose Vic park as a reasonable stop since its on the border of scarborough.. Since theres already alot of highrise and midrise housing on it.. Since a LRT going north and south on vic park might make sense in a decade or so...

 

[leopetr]

If you extend to Vic Park, you might as well extend it all the way to SCC and complete a northern leg of the subway network. To weigh in on this debate, I would find the "LRT is a much better use of our transit funds" argument a lot more palatable if they had decided to built the SE-LRT from Don Mills to Scarborough Town Centre. For me, the alignment is much more important than the mode choice - if the Sheppard subway would have been built out to Malvern and beyond with no connections to the existing rapid transit network I would find it just as ludicrous.

Scarborough (L)RT is being extended to at least Sheppard. This is funded. There's no need for two connections between SELRT and SLRT.

Edit: I appreciate that Sheppard & Markham is a somewhat longer way around than Sheppard & Brimley, if one is going North York to STC.

 

[leopetr]

Im for an extension to Vic Park but thats about it...

Heck, I like Victoria Park too, but it's not like it's permanently off the table. The new LRT tunnel from Don Mills to Consumers Road will be upgradeable to HRT. Plus, most of it will be built via cut-and-cover, which should please the "keep tunnelling costs low" contingent of the SOS brigade.

Victoria Park/Consumers Road is important because the Sheppard bridge over the DVP is a huge bottleneck for cyclists, buses, and pedestrians. By extending the underground section to Consumers Road, whether by HRT or LRT, we stitch the city back together.

 

[sixrings]

didnt know they planned on tunnelling to consumers... good idea...

 

[sixrings]

wouldnt it make sense that the eglinton line be underground untill after the dvp as well.. how will the lrt work with cars trying to get on and off the dvp?

 

[nfitz]

If you extend to Vic Park, you might as well extend it all the way to SCC and complete a northern leg of the subway network.

If you add an extra $300-million or so to tunnel from west of Consumbes to Victoria Park ... it's worth spending another approximately $1.5-billion ($1.8 total)? I doubt it ... you could build most of the Don Mills LRT and Jane LRT combined for that.