Transit Fantasy Maps

[gweed123]

1. I don't agree with using LRT on the DRL. Although I understand why you did it.

Using LRT on the DRL is only predicated based on the fact that the majority of the Union-bound traffic will be using the E lines, thereby allowing the DRL to serve a more local function. It also allows the Queen streetcar to be continuous and be tunnelled through downtown. I know you're an advocate of the DRL to Union (so am I), but given the number of subway-like lines heading into Union, sending the DRL there too would simply be a redundancy.

2. I think you got carried away with adding stops on the Lakeshore line (Roncesvalles, Fort York).

Roncesvalles is there because of the interchange with the DRL, and Fort York is there because of City Place, and to serve as an alternative to Union (in order to reduce dwell times in Union, etc). I agree that they could be removed, but I put them in there so that they could potentially be an alternative to Union. Even the S-Bahns, when they get closer to the centre of Berlin, have almost subway-like stop spacing.

3. No Bloor subway extensions? You do realize there's over a million people in Peel region right? But York has two subways? And Peel doesn't have a single one?

I envision a completely grade-separated Eglinton LRT (L1), which would in essence be like a subway. MCC is really the only node that's dense enough to support a subway. I also think that connecting via Eglinton is the preferred option compared to connecting via B-D, if nothing else for cost reasons. Connecting via Eglinton can be done on the surface with only a couple overpasses, compared to tunnelling the entire section of B-D west of Sherway. Orders of magnitude difference in cost, for a very similar result: a grade-separated connection to Toronto. And there is a small Bloor extension to Sherway in there. Small, but it's there .

Also, remember that Peel Region has double the number of E lines passing through it compared to any of the other regions (York Region has 2, Durham only has 1). Under this scenario, those would be operating at subway-like frequencies anyway.

I do appreciate the comments though, it helps me look at my own designs in different ways to see if there's things that I can change with them. Keep em coming.

 

[Dan416]

I also disagree with connecting MCC with only the Eglinton line. It should be both Bloor subway, the Eglinton LRT subway, the Dundas LRT and a rerouted Milton line.

 

[leopetr]

So I've spent a bit of time creating a new transit map showing the entire GTHA. It was wayyy too big to be posted using the photo uploader here, so I had to upload the jpg onto my personal website. It's available here: http://www2.andrew.thejohnsonclan.ca/GTATransit_NTS.jpg

The Richmond Hill GO line is being extended to Stouffville Road for 2013. The new station will be called Gormley. There are also unfunded plans for a Phase II extension to Bloomington:

http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/projects.aspx

Also, did you intentionally reroute Viva Purple from Unionville GO? It currently takes a flying U south from Highway 7 through the Markham Centre development and passes right outside the station. The rapidway is being constructed along this route.

I'm not entirely sold on the super-DRL idea. Did you have full grade separation or a street median in mind for Waterfront West? I think full grade separation might be excessive.

 

[gweed123]

The Richmond Hill GO line is being extended to Stouffville Road for 2013. The new station will be called Gormley. There are also unfunded plans for a Phase II extension to Bloomington:

http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/projects.aspx

Interesting, thanks for that.

Also, did you intentionally reroute Viva Purple from Unionville GO? It currently takes a flying U south from Highway 7 through the Markham Centre development and passes right outside the station. The rapidway is being constructed along this route.

No, that was not on purpose. My VIVA stuff was simply based off of their system map. I guess I routed it in the wrong place, I'll fix that, thanks.

I'm not entirely sold on the super-DRL idea. Did you have full grade separation or a street median in mind for Waterfront West? I think full grade separation might be excessive.

It would be fully grade-separated from Eglinton to Eglinton for the L3, and from Roncesvalles to Broadview-ish for the L4. The WWLRT would be in-median, identical to the current (or former) Transit City proposal. The L3 would also be in-median on Jane and Don Mills north of Eglinton, again almost exactly like the Transit City proposal for those two corridors. They would in essence function as local lines around the ends, with a central trunk section that would be grade-separated and have a higher capacity. Think the Green Line in Boston.

I would expect that with the E lines covering a lot of the 'express' riders, that the DRL's projected ridership through downtown along Queen street would be somewhere around 10,000-15,000 pphpd (that's with the L3 and L4 combined). Beyond Eglinton it would be well within the range of in-median LRT (somewhere around 6,000 pphpd). For 15,000 pphpd, that's 50 2-car trains an hour along the central section. That's quite doable with ATO in the tunnelled sections, although the L3 cars should probably be 3 car trainsets just to add a bit more capacity.

 

[yllianos]

Simple and clean map based on current feasible plans. Click to enlarge:

 

[Dan416]

Simple and clean map based on current feasible plans. Click to enlarge:

Nicely done. Although I think you should make the Eglinton and Scarborough RT lines one line rather than two.

And I would also rename Sheppard West to Downsview Park and Downsview to Sheppard West, as per TTC recommendation.

And I would also extend Sheppard both ways. And Yonge. And Bloor. lol

 

[yllianos]

Nicely done. Although I think you should make the Eglinton and Scarborough RT lines one line rather than two.

And I would also rename Sheppard West to Downsview Park and Downsview to Sheppard West, as per TTC recommendation.

And I would also extend Sheppard both ways. And Yonge. And Bloor. lol

I haven't been current with the plans going on since I've been away, are they making the SRT and Eglinton into one line?

The renaming should make things a lot simpler~

I'm still skeptical about the Sheppard extension; our "mayor" seems like he doesn't know what to do with it. So for now I'm leaving it out.

I'll post the updated one later when I get in.

 

[reaperexpress]

I haven't been current with the plans going on since I've been away, are they making the SRT and Eglinton into one line?

The renaming should make things a lot simpler~

I'm still skeptical about the Sheppard extension; our "mayor" seems like he doesn't know what to do with it. So for now I'm leaving it out.

I'll post the updated one later when I get in.

I think you included exactly the right stuff in your map. You put in the things that are actually proceeding, whereas the Sheppard extension is just something Rob Ford would like to have.

Although the map has excellent aesthetics, I'm not entirely sold on the two-dot method of showing transfers. It works for Spadina, but I think the others should only have a single dot.

The Scarborough LRT and Eglinton LRT are planned to operate as a single line once they are connected, but initially they will be separate, with the Eglinton LRT operating roughly from Jane to Don Mills. In the long term, I assume that the full Crosstown LRT would be Line 3 and marked as blue. In the meantime, maybe the Eglinton portion would be line 3a (light blue) and the SRT would be line 3 (blue). Or maybe they would both be blue to avoid having to change signage in a decade.

 

[Dan416]

Yeah I would leave Eglinton and Scarborough the same colour (i.e. use the Scarborough colour for Eglinton). I always pictured Eglinton as using blue and DRL using red.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=2...69435,0.169086

This is my expanded Plan.
Jane and Don Mills LRT turn into subways, then being merged with the DRL through Keele and Pape.

Instead of just Finch West. I have Finch Eglinton Airport. Which connects all of Finch with All of eglinton and Terminal One.

extended Sheppard to Jane and STC, where it merges with an extended Bloor Danforth subway.


Bloor Danforth to Square One.

 

[dunkalunk]

Link is broken?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Link is broken?

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201667364391326787147.0004a975df353b3d14447&msa=0


Here

 

[ssiguy2]

Here's my 2 cents worth....
A} Extend Yonge to HWY#7
B} Extend the Sheppard Line but only west to Spadina Ext
C} Expand the SkyTrain north from STC to Malvern and wset to Pearson {why the TTC is spending over billion to replace a functioning system is beyond me} Put the heating mechanisms in with expanded stations and make the track useable for MK11
D] Extend the Bloor Line west to Dixie and east to Eglinton up to UT.Scar both using existing rail ROW
E} Humber to Uion via Weston & Dundas West and the east and north to Pape and Eglinton.

Every section that is not in an establish or already very densly developed corridor must be elevated or use existing rail ROW.

 

[MafaldaBoy]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=202456686893145754068.0004a985c03a4ca50f520
made this in a jiff, what do you think?

 

[gweed123]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=202456686893145754068.0004a985c03a4ca50f520
made this in a jiff, what do you think?

Very reasonable map. I do however find the two 90 degree curves that the DRL makes in downtown to be nearly impossible to build, if nothing else for the turning radius of the trains.

Also, if you're doing the DRL from Eglinton in the west to Don Mills in the east, you'd be better off doing the Jane and Don Mills lines as BRTs instead of LRTs. I don't think the ridership on either of those corridors would justify LRT, and it would also allow you to run VIVA routes down to Don Mills station, as opposed to forcing another transfer.

Overall a good map though.