$6 Million for new Subway EA's

[rbtaylor]

While not presented as an option, an LRT doesn't need to be on the same line as the current SRT. You could build it at grade along any path you choose, really. The City didn't present that as an option, but it could be one.

Actually, this was presented as an option and discussed at length before being eliminated.

The "street network" included 3 to 4 parallel tracks from Kennedy through to Markham road. It was removed as it was considered to be a reduction in service (reliability and speed) for the SCC to Kennedy section.


If they were designing the network it may have stayed on since many bus routes could be replaced or upgraded at the same time (Kennedy, Midland, and Markham Road between Kennedy station and Steeles); but this is the fault of the official plan.

The scope of this specific project doesn't allow for it to be considered.

 

[Darkstar416]

5 - With the subway being questionable in terms of best use of a scarce resource (and perhaps overkill in transit service) the other viable option is an LRT.

I don't necessarily buy the line that resources are scarce in this economic powerhouse of ours. It's all about how we allocate the money and transit has indeed been on the backburner (until recently).

I think the point best made in the thread was that it makes no sense to have a subway to NYCC from STC and something with lower capacity to get to downtown. Clearly the latter will always have higher demand.

Excellent point and it also has a lot to do with why I feel we will be back here having the same discussion in 30 years if anything less than a subway is built as an SRT replacement. STC is one of the major "nodes" of Toronto and a backbone of heavy rail into that node is perfectly acceptable if you ask me.

 

[roch5220]

They should not spend the $1.2 Billion, but buy every commutter in Scarborough Ladas. They were $2K, probably $5K by now. That equals over 240,000 Ladas.

 

[Ed007Toronto]

STC is one of the major "nodes" of Toronto and a backbone of heavy rail into that node is perfectly acceptable if you ask me.

Its also a major growth area in Ontario's Places To Grow plan as is VCC. They should be served by heavy rail.

 

[GregWTravels]

If they were designing the network it may have stayed on since many bus routes could be replaced or upgraded at the same time (Kennedy, Midland, and Markham Road between Kennedy station and Steeles); but this is the fault of the official plan.

The scope of this specific project doesn't allow for it to be considered.

This is what gets my goat, really. I have nothing against a subway to replace the SRT if that's what the network demands, but it just seems that the city / province and feds fund capital projects instead of looking at the needs of the network and funding growth of the network. It just concerns me that at the same time the government is kicking in a billion to fund a subway to the VCC, the issues of how to assist transit along King and Queen isn't being addressed.

I just wish someone would come up with a plan to address ALL the needs of transit in Toronto, and we start building to that.

Of course, all the times they've done that in the past, it just whithers and dies, so I can understand why no one is willing to attempt it again.

Greg

 

[Ed007Toronto]

Well maybe its time for those of us downtown to speak up. The suburbanites have done a good job of this. As mentioned here previously where are the downtown politicians on this? Nowhere.

 

[Darkstar416]

Well maybe its time for those of us downtown to speak up. The suburbanites have done a good job of this. As mentioned here previously where are the downtown politicians on this? Nowhere.

Agreed. Not only is the DRL one of the cheapest subway expansion options around, it also has a huge bang for the buck (and also allows for increased capacity on other lines that can thereby be extended out even further into politically-popular suburbia).

 

[GregWTravels]

Well, I did email Mayor Miller and my councillor on the subject of the downtown relief line and the King Street Transit Mall about 6 months ago, but it'll be a good time to put some pressure on these boys as we get moving towards election time.

Of course, not sure how successful I'll be. I'm guessing I will get the same councillor after the election (very hard to unseat a sitting councillor), and Mr. Michael Walker doesn't exactly strike me as transit friendly. He did, after all, want to fund the SOS folks to the tune of $300,000 with city money.

 

[ahrvojic]

Its also a major growth area in Ontario's Places To Grow plan as is VCC. They should be served by heavy rail.

So is MCC, yet heavy rail there is swiftly branded as crazy talk

 

[Antiloop33rpm]

I don't necessarily buy the line that resources are scarce in this economic powerhouse of ours. It's all about how we allocate the money and transit has indeed been on the backburner (until recently).

Money is no where near as scarce as the days of the Harris and Chretien/Martin governments, but there is still not a strong commitment or strong flow of money coming in to fund large scale captial projects. This project is a little different in nature because it is required to replace the SRT and needs to be completed (in what ever form that takes). Its not as though there is a supply of money just waiting to be used for the next project that follows these two. Anything that is proposed is going to have to go through the same process of lobbying governments, getting public opinion on side, and ultimately begging for more sir.

Im not saying that we dont have the money, we are a wealthy country, and we do. Securing funding and actually getting the resources needed is another question though.

I suppose this debate is pretty much over as most people seem to be in favour of a subway. I still dont really agree, but, what can you do.

 

[cdl42]

Steve Munro has lots of interesting comments about the SRT report at:

www.stevemunro.ca/?p=126