Except that none of these options address what the WELRT is proposed to be built for: transporting riders along the waterfront who also want to connect to additional services at Union Station and get into the downtown core proper.
Options c, d, e, and f all accomplish connecting to Union. So does Dave's suggestion (let's call surface track on Bay as option g)
c) run tracks on the surface, on York, from Queens Quay to Bremner, and build a loop at the south entrance to Union Station by the Scotiabank Arena. Stay on the surface around the portal.
-->I dont see what this would accomplish, and there's no space for any kind of loop around Scotiabank Arena at surface level.
It would provide direct service from Union Station to Queens Quay East. But it would be 100% on the surface, with a loop at the south doors to Union Station. You wouldn't loop around Scotiabank. You'd build a loop in the square at the northwest corner of the arena. Yeah, Queens Quay East cars would have a different loop at Union than Queens Quay west cars.
d) run tracks from Queens Quay up Yonge to Lakeshore, and then run from there to the loop mentioned above.
-->Sure, if you want to have 10 streetcars bunched up in horrid traffic with an added 20-30 mins just trying to reach the station. The TTC just re-routed the 97 to terminate north of Front because even they say how screwed up the traffic is south of there. Good luck trying to run streetcars south of there.
I'd assume you'd put it in a ROW. But yes, there's impacts to cars.
e) run tracks up Yonge, but to Front, and then along Front, and switch to two-ended streetcars, with a terminus in front of Union Station
-->Same problem as I mentioned above, and the TTC isnt moving to double ended streetcars. That ship has long sailed.
I'd say all the option ships have sailed. My point is that it's time to go outside the box, because I don't see how the near $4 billion is going to happen.
f) similar to e), but use the proposed Church/Cooper street tunnel under the tracks - (which will avoid the whining about losing lanes).
-->Sure, but you would be using funds inefficiently and your problem at Union station would still exist. Thus, nothing is really being solved.
Surely it would be even more efficient, not less. The premise is that the tunnel from Church to Cooper is going to happen anyway, so the cost of including tracks would be less than putting tracks on Yonge or York.
Yeah, there's weaknesses in all the plans. But mostly if you compare them to the $4 billion plan. If that become untenable, the question would be are any of those cheaper options better than the status quo.
... I want to add.
The current Union Station Streetcar Loop does not meet Fire Code , this is a huge part of the cost. The alternative, if one leaves the existing loop in place, capacity issues notwithstanding, is that if a fire were ever to occur, there may be a considerable loss of life. I don't think one can really set that aside. The moment you decide to alter the loop/station to meet code, you've opened the can of worms to the tune of several hundred million, it hardly makes sense not to finish the job.
A good point. Though the cost to deal with fire code at the Danforth Line stations hasn't required 100 million per station. All you need is a fire exit on the platform. A low-cost stairwell with fire-doors from the east-side of the current platform to just south of the southeast corner of Bay and Front would accomplish that. It doesn't need finishes and form. Just function.
I'd love to see an upgraded loop, with a new portal leading to Queens Quay east. And connections up (and down!) Cherry and Broadview. And Commissioners. But with that kind of cost, I fear we will have nothing.
So why has the city not considered a surface line on Bay?
That would be the beauty of that option (and perhaps going up York or Cooper/Church too). Is that then you don't have to stop at Union, but can connect better into the Financial District. The ROW would be difficult though.
In an ideal world, they'd tunnel under Bay from Union to Dundas or something. But that would be more like $20 billion - and you'd have to lower the existing loop to go under the subway tracks!
Maybe in 2100 or so ...
