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Network 2011, and what could have been. (Discussion)

innsertnamehere

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I got thinking recently.. what would toronto's transit network be like today if Network 2011 had been completed as expected? Many lines we are still bickering over today would be complete, and further transit expansion could be focused on other things. here is what I think would be happening today if the conservatives had continued the network 2011 plan instead of cancelling it.

as the network 2011 plan included an extension to york university, I believe that the vaughn centre extension would be currently happening. it would probably be due to be completed in 2013 or 2014, and the cost of the tunnelling from downsview to york university could be subtracted from this funding. That saved revenue could be sent down to an extension to Sherway gardens, as seen on my map. then comes the "transit city" $8.4 billion funding amount. I could see a subway on eglinton running from elginton west over to kennedy being part of it, at around $6 billion. the remaining $ 2 billion (with maybe some other funding coming from elsewhere) could probably be spent on a DRL extension up to eglinton, providing an extreme improvement for transit in that area.

my map;

green = currently under construction

red = already constructed subway

network2011.jpg
 
I think the Yonge line extension would be on the docket as well. Also depending on how long the DRL has been running and how successful it is, we probably would begin planning another local subway line in the downtown core. As the DRL would likely have attracted it's own growth and thus increased density to the point that discussion of another line would begin.
 
Yes, i think the new major expansion talk-points currently would probably be the yonge extension, finch LRT, jane LRT, and possibly an additional extension of the DRL to sheppard. A local downtown subway wouldnt be on the table quite yet i dont think. If/when it did come on the table i think it would take the form of an underground LRT running on queen from lakeshore LRT.
 
I got thinking recently.. what would toronto's transit network be like today if Network 2011 had been completed as expected? Many lines we are still bickering over today would be complete, and further transit expansion could be focused on other things. here is what I think would be happening today if the conservatives had continued the network 2011 plan instead of cancelling it.

as the network 2011 plan included an extension to york university, I believe that the vaughn centre extension would be currently happening. it would probably be due to be completed in 2013 or 2014, and the cost of the tunnelling from downsview to york university could be subtracted from this funding. That saved revenue could be sent down to an extension to Sherway gardens, as seen on my map. then comes the "transit city" $8.4 billion funding amount. I could see a subway on eglinton running from elginton west over to kennedy being part of it, at around $6 billion. the remaining $ 2 billion (with maybe some other funding coming from elsewhere) could probably be spent on a DRL extension up to eglinton, providing an extreme improvement for transit in that area.


The bolded part is happening now anyway as an extended part of the extension you note would have already been built....no?

The problem with any "what if" analysis/discussion like this is that it pre-supposes a continual flow of funds. I am not overly familiar with network 2011 but, presumably, there was a price tag associated with that and some (all?) of it was not spent. So some of today's expenditure (eg the extension to York) was part of that plan.....I don't think you can just say "if we had spent the money on it then, the money we are spending on it today would be available to spend elsewhere like a subway to Sherway". The amount of available funds are not infinite.
 
Fun fact: DRL in the Network 2011 plan was Skytrain rather than Toronto-style subway. The alignment went that far south because they needed a place for a new Skytrain yard.
 

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