TTC: Queens Quay East BRT (Unofficial proposal)

[innsertnamehere]

More transit announcements have come from that twitter account in the last few weeks than years before

it was also the only project specifically mentioned in the budget, presumably because the province wants it funded but it is not on the Big Move list.

 

[dowlingm]

The issues for starting QQE are threefold -
Realignment of QQE by infill of Parliament Slip
Punching a streetcar shape archway under the GO embankment - and given the ramping up of GO even off peak this should happen sooner rather than later
Reworking the QQE-Cherry-Lake Shore-Gardiner vicinity bearing in mind the silos will stay

Now, a keen eye will note I haven't mentioned Union and the portal. That's because I don't think Union should be a prerequisite to beginning service when the TTC has already planned to build a loop at Parliament anyway. The Union Loop redevelopment is going to be hideously expensive and given how much has gone on at Union Station with a difficult renovation it may take a while to get a go for something which will disrupt a line already closed for a long time for the QQW work.

 

[achender]

Waterfront Toronto will be submitting a funding request to the Federal Government P3 Canada infrastructure program for the East Bayfront LRT.

From the resolutions of the May 5th WT board meeting

ON MOTION duly made, seconded and carried, it was RESOLVED:
<snip>
6. That the Board approves the submission of the East Bayfront LRT Business Case, including a $75 million commitment from Waterfront Toronto, to P3 Canada.

 

[ehlow]

The LRT must still be years away (if ever).

Why not just extend the 6 Bay bus eastwards to Parliament for now? (and increase service if necessary)

They can either create a bus loop near QQ E, or have it loop further north on Parliament near Distillery. Maybe even combine bay with Parliament as a U shaped bus line.

 

[nfitz]

The LRT must still be years away (if ever).

Why not just extend the 6 Bay bus eastwards to Parliament for now? (and increase service if necessary)

They can either create a bus loop near QQ E, or have it loop further north on Parliament near Distillery. Maybe even combine bay with Parliament as a U shaped bus line.

They've already extended Bay once, to Sherbourne; I would not be surprised if it's extended again. There's not really anything yet east of Sherbourne yet though.

They've also significantly increased service on the 6, and also the 75 Sherbourne, which is much more frequent than it used to be (and surprisingly fast to the Bloor subway).

I seem to recall discussion at one point of extending the 65 Parliament bus when there was more down there. It could easily loop south on Sherbourne and north on Parliament, without even changing the run time much compared to running on Esplanade.

 

[DSC]

The LRT must still be years away (if ever).

Why not just extend the 6 Bay bus eastwards to Parliament for now? (and increase service if necessary)

They can either create a bus loop near QQ E, or have it loop further north on Parliament near Distillery. Maybe even combine bay with Parliament as a U shaped bus line.

The Bay (#6) bus goes to Lower Sherbourne now (and has done so for the last 2 years) and as there are virtually no people living or working near Queens Quay east of Lower Sherbourne at the moment what exactly is the reason you want it to go to Parliament?

The problem with the bus is that it gets stuck on Bay Street between Queens Quay and Union. This was clearly demonstrated in the QQE Transit EA several years ago (and it's worse now). The EA conclusion was that the best way to get people to the subway at Union was to build the QQE LRT and use the Bay tunnel.

 

[ehlow]

The Bay (#6) bus goes to Lower Sherbourne now (and has done so for the last 2 years) and as there are virtually no people living or working near Queens Quay east of Lower Sherbourne at the moment what exactly is the reason you want it to go to Parliament?

I guess because of the same reason as people want the QQE LRT, because there are condos being built there.

The problem with the bus is that it gets stuck on Bay Street between Queens Quay and Union. This was clearly demonstrated in the QQE Transit EA several years ago (and it's worse now). The EA conclusion was that the best way to get people to the subway at Union was to build the QQE LRT and use the Bay tunnel.

Sure, but building the LRT while yet again digging up Union to expand the tunnel/loop will take so many years. I'm saying let's run a regular bus for now so at least it's possible to go from East QQ to the Union area. The bay bus probably already gets stuck in traffic, it's still a useful bus line.

 

[nfitz]

Sure, but building the LRT while yet again digging up Union to expand the tunnel/loop will take so many years. I'm saying let's run a regular bus for now so at least it's possible to go from East QQ to the Union area. The bay bus probably already gets stuck in traffic, it's still a useful bus line.

The 6 Bay does go from the East QQ to the Union area. And it runs every 4 minutes in the AM peak, and every 5 minutes in the PM peak.

I'm not sure what you want that isn't already there.

 

[ehlow]

The 6 Bay does go from the East QQ to the Union area. And it runs every 4 minutes in the AM peak, and every 5 minutes in the PM peak.

I'm not sure what you want that isn't already there.

"what I want", or what the idea I'm floating, as I prefer to phrase it, is that instead of looping around lower Sherbourne as it currently does, loop further east, say Small, Lakeshore, Parliament.

This can wait until the condos there are built. I'm just saying it's sufficient to serve QQE for now to extend Bay bus southern terminus eastwards a bit.

 

[DSC]

"what I want", or what the idea I'm floating, as I prefer to phrase it, is that instead of looping around lower Sherbourne as it currently does, loop further east, say Small, Lakeshore, Parliament.

This can wait until the condos there are built. I'm just saying it's sufficient to serve QQE for now to extend Bay bus southern terminus eastwards a bit.

Your phraseology is quite confused and you say two completely opposite things: "This [looping at Parliament] can wait for now" and "I'm just saying it's sufficient to serve QQE for now to extend Bay bus southern terminus eastwards a bit."

You have not explained why the bus needs to go further east to Parliament when there are currently no condos or offices there. If by the time there is demand and if the LRT is not built then the #6 could go further east or the Parliament (65) bus could extend to QQ. For now bus service to QQ is actually quite good (if too slow because Bay is a nightmare.)

 

[ehlow]

Your phraseology is quite confused and you say two completely opposite things: "This [looping at Parliament] can wait for now" and "I'm just saying it's sufficient to serve QQE for now to extend Bay bus southern terminus eastwards a bit."

You have not explained why the bus needs to go further east to Parliament when there are currently no condos or offices there. If by the time there is demand and if the LRT is not built then the #6 could go further east or the Parliament (65) bus could extend to QQ. For now bus service to QQ is actually quite good (if too slow because Bay is a nightmare.)

Sigh... I honestly don't feel that strongly about this to keep posting about it. But yes, your 2nd paragraph basically says what I was trying to say.

If there's stuff built there we can have Bus 6 go further east as a temp solution. That's all I was trying to say.

 

[ehlow]

Why, there's virtually nothing there? And it's not a long walk to either Sherbourne or Parliament/Mill.

I'm confused. If it can wait, why do you want the Bay bus extended now? There's nothing much there other than construction, and some small construction supply stores at a small TV network office. From the centre-point at Small Street, it's at most a 5-minute walk to either the Parliament or Sherbourne buses.

Sigh. I regret posting the original idea so much now lol

I was thinking the bus could be a stop-gap solution until the LRT is built, if condos are built there, or transit is needed. That's it.

I take it all back!!!

 

[nfitz]

If there's stuff built there we can have Bus 6 go further east as a temp solution.

I pointed that out above. And what about extending the Parliament bus instead so it loops Front/Sherbourne/Queens Quay/Parliament?

 

[nfitz]

Sigh. I regret posting the original idea so much now lol

I was thinking the bus could be a stop-gap solution until the LRT is built, if condos are built there, or transit is needed. That's it.

I take it all back!!!

Oh, I deleted my post when I saw it was redunant! I hadn't read the whole thread.

 

[44 North]

Couldn't find the East Bayfront/QQE thread, but this one is close enough. Apologies if I’m seemingly dragging this idea through the mud. The plan for streetcars along Queens Quay East has been delayed long enough that I think it’s worth taking another look, and I just wanted to show what I had in mind to make it clear that it’s nothing too zany or costly. *my earlier posts on this idea can be found in the Gardiner thread

The westernmost branch of this east waterfront streetcar network would be shifted one block north from QQE to a rebuilt Gardiner/Lake Shore corridor; with the line being kept as a rapid, partially-elevated streetcar spine between Union and the proposed Broadview extension. All the other proposed routes (i.e - Commissioners, Broadview ext, Cherry connection) will remain as planned.

The Queens Quay EA didn’t consider the Gardiner/Lake Shore realignment and future proposals (because they didn’t exist at the time). But if the report were to be rewritten by a neutral party (i.e – one not interested in making QQE into a postcard showcase avec streetcars), I’m certain Lake Shore would come out on top. As for keeping the line grade-separate...that just seems to make more sense if this city genuinely wants to connect the future east waterfront area. A streetcar on Queens Quay E, stopping at traffic signals every 100m, wouldn’t do a very good job of that IMO.