Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

ShonTron said:
We will have to see. Me thinks that Mike Sullivan is more radical than the Westonites as a whole. That might have been a huge asset when the community needed to be organized - a firebrand would be the one willing to invest the time and effort needed to organize the community.

Of course, continuing a strong campaign might leverage a few more concessions, or at the least, be the devil's advocate and ensure the right questions are asked.
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Lets remember, those concessions are being levered out of the rest of us......there is no endless pot of money.....the Westonites having increased the public cost of this project (while the private sector operator has to make the single concession of stopping at Weston {presumably so their trains can get egged}) have sucked money that might have been available for other projects.

Let's not make the mistake of thinking that they have wrangled money from anyone other than other projects.
 
The main qualm I have with any sort of direct rail link from Pearson to Union is the fact that it takes capacity away from other rail transport that uses the track, mainly inter-city rail.

I know this is not an issue now because intercity rail in Ontario is almost completely useless. There are only 3 VIA trains each way that use the Weston subdivision. But if the country gets serious about upgrading rail infrastructure, or if High Speed Rail becomes a possibility, the capacity on the Weston Sub will need to be there to accommodate the hourly (or less) trains from all points west.

So, I propose that instead of building a direct rail link from Union directly into Pearson, that the Eglinton LRT (grade separated, practically a subway) be expanded from Renforth (connection with Mississauga BRT), through Pearson, and to an inter-modal intercity and commuter rail station at Woodbine.

Baggage checking facilities would be placed at both at Woodbine and Renforth to help streamline the process of boarding and to help necessitate the transfer.

Express service between Woodbine and Union could still be provided by intercity trains, or by GO transit in their proposed express line to Brampton.

I've included a map for all of you to look at.

[Edit] The LRT section between Renforth and Woodbine should be a fareless zone. with a forced transfer at Renforth for outbound trains.
 
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dunkalunk said:
Express service between Woodbine and Union could still be provided by intercity trains, or by GO transit in their proposed express line to Brampton.

I've included a map for all of you to look at.
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That is exactly what the Weston people wanted......a service that was direct enough to bypass their community (therefore giving them the rail traffic without community benefits) but then did not go directly to the airport but to a transfer station at Woodbine...thus ensuring that the trains that produced that traffic were nearly empty (maybe empty trains make less noise or smell less).

;)
 
the only way i see that this is different from the original blue 22 plan is that only 1 street in weston will be closed vs 3, there will be a stop at weston and a covered trench will be constructed in weston.


there is still no plan for an electric system which will have many stops along the route with rates comparable to go transit or the ttc. i don't think many people will get on at weston to pay over $20 just to go to the airport or downtown. it doesn't make sense at all since you can take go transit downtown for much cheaper. i don't think the WCC's only objective was to get just a station and covered section built. i think they want something that can benefit many vs. only a few. i don't see how anyone can justify this as nimby since the network the WCC is proposing would literally have all kinds of people traveling through their "back yard".
 
If there are only to be 2 stops on the Union-Pearson Air Link - then are Dundas West (Bloor) and Weston the logical places? Dundas West seems a no-brainer, but wouldn't Eglinton make more sense, as it will intersect a major transit line? A GO stop in Weston seems to make sense - but how much Airport traffic will be generated at the Weston stop compared to an Eglinton stop? I suppose one could argue that the Eglinton line is heading to Pearson anyways ...

Also, I thought there had been talk of an additional GO stop between Bloor and Union - and I don't see this in the proposal.
 
Metrolinx has mentioned the intersection with Eglinton as a mobility hub - so I see a stop there coming, at least for the 'express rail' services.

I agree that the ARL would be better to stop at Woodbine at least for westward GO and VIA connections, and be the cheap place to get off at if you don't want to pay the $20-30 charge for connections to local trains eastward (like how Heathrow Express is free between terminals, they charge you only to continue to go to Paddington, Woodbine could be part of an airport fare zone)
 
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Prometheus The Supremo said:
there is still no plan for an electric system which will have many stops along the route with rates comparable to go transit or the ttc.
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This is a proposal by regional agencies for an airport express train, and enhanced GO service; neither would benefit from frequent stops. If one wanted something like that, it would be subway or LRT, which would be a TTC issue, not GO or Metrolinx. TTC has plans to service the area with the Jane and Eglinton LRTs in the same timeframe, and a long-range plan for a DRL subway, which would presumably get extended northwest of Dundas West station in a half-century or so.

They have the wrong forum - they should be at the EA for the Jane LRT trying to change the route, if they want it to go along Old Weston Road.
 
Prometheus The Supremo said:
the only way i see that this is different from the original blue 22 plan is that only 1 street in weston will be closed vs 3, there will be a stop at weston and a covered trench will be constructed in weston.


there is still no plan for an electric system which will have many stops along the route with rates comparable to go transit or the ttc. i don't think many people will get on at weston to pay over $20 just to go to the airport or downtown. it doesn't make sense at all since you can take go transit downtown for much cheaper. i don't think the WCC's only objective was to get just a station and covered section built. i think they want something that can benefit many vs. only a few. i don't see how anyone can justify this as nimby since the network the WCC is proposing would literally have all kinds of people traveling through their "back yard".
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Going back all those years, however, the RFP was for an express system to the airport. Not a multi-stop, ttc-like system.

Is it the job of one community group to dictate to the regional/provincial/federal elected representatives how they connect the nations financial centre to its busiest airport?

If there is to be a full service GO line on this corridor (which we are told there is), with a new stop at Woodbine (which we are told there is) it will be up to GO/Metrolinx to decide if they want to build/extend the people mover to Woodbine so that they can say there is a less expensive, multi-stop, transit service to the airport.

What the respondents to the RFP did was design and propose a service which, both, met the requirements of the government of the day and, in their mind, gave them an opportunity for profit.

At the end of the day, we all got an improved rail corridor which is/will be capable of supporting, both, the required improved mass/public transit and an express route from downtown to the airport.......I have no problems with this at all and really can't understand what the issue is.
 
TOareaFan said:
That is exactly what the Weston people wanted......a service that was direct enough to bypass their community (therefore giving them the rail traffic without community benefits) but then did not go directly to the airport but to a transfer station at Woodbine...thus ensuring that the trains that produced that traffic were nearly empty (maybe empty trains make less noise or smell less).

;)
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In reality, how many people in Weston have the final destination of the airport?

What type of technology is the Pearson people mover? If the Eglinton line has full grade separation, is it not possible to use this technology from Renforth to Don Mills? Or would a transfer station at Renforth make more sense?
 
lol it's automated though :)

For it's purpose it's sufficient albeit a bit bumpy at times.

So are the demand issues with this line still a problem. i.e. how many people do they foresee using it. What will the ticket price work out to so that the private operator can make a profit?
 
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