A
AlvinofDiaspar
Guest
From City of Toronto Planning and Transportation Committee
www.toronto.ca/legdocs/20.../it005.pdf
AoD
www.toronto.ca/legdocs/20.../it005.pdf
AoD
|
|
|
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
D
DarnDirtyApe
Guest
That's a loooong document! I just skimmed it, reading what seemed to be the most interesting parts.
It's odd that the ToR only covers Don Mills subway station to the BD subway, not all the way downtown. Seems to me that makes no sense, given that most people using any new service would continue all the way downtown.
I also notice that BRT seems to be a popular option.
My ideal vision for the corridor would be as part of the "Downtown Relief Line" - surface LRT along Don Mills Road/Overlea, then a tunnelled line under Pape Ave, the rail corridor, then Front St. East. It would continue along Front St. West, back on the rail corridor, and up to Dundas West station.
Unfortunately that would cost a lot of money, and it looks as if the city is trying to give Don Mills the cheap treatment!
It's odd that the ToR only covers Don Mills subway station to the BD subway, not all the way downtown. Seems to me that makes no sense, given that most people using any new service would continue all the way downtown.
I also notice that BRT seems to be a popular option.
My ideal vision for the corridor would be as part of the "Downtown Relief Line" - surface LRT along Don Mills Road/Overlea, then a tunnelled line under Pape Ave, the rail corridor, then Front St. East. It would continue along Front St. West, back on the rail corridor, and up to Dundas West station.
Unfortunately that would cost a lot of money, and it looks as if the city is trying to give Don Mills the cheap treatment!
W
wyliepoon
Guest
National Post
Link to article
Don Mills rapid bus tossed in mix
Gridlock solutions: City studying ways for 'continuous' transit service from north to south
Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Published: Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Toronto city councillors yesterday moved toward a plan to improve transit and ease traffic along the congested Don Valley corridor.
The city's planning and transportation committee agreed to combine two environmental assessments: one that looks at how to move people from Don Mills to the Bloor-Danforth subway and another that connects that subway line to the waterfront district.
The integrated study will now examine options for "continuous" service from north to south.
Among the options being studied is a rapid bus route or streetcar system along Don Mills Road that could connect to Castle Frank, Broadview or Pape stations.
Bus and streetcar service will likely be the mode of transport to the waterfront.
Last year, city council ordered a $500,000-plus environmental assessment meant to come up with ways to channel more people on to an improved Don Mills Road transit route. It stemmed from an acknowledgement that Toronto is outgrowing its transit and roadway system.
The city's official plan does not allow for the expansion of any major arteries, said Joanna Kervin, a program manager in the city's transportation planning division. She noted there is no room for more cars on roads in the Don Valley corridor, which extends from Bayview Avenue to Victoria Park and includes the DVP.
"To keep pace with the [population] growth we want to get more people on public transit," explained Ms. Kervin, who is in charge of the Don Mills study.
The city is also working in conjunction with York Region to expand bus service to the Don Mills subway station on the Sheppard line.
The environmental assessments will provide a detailed analysis of all alternate transit options, whether it be buses or streetcars, and if they will operate in their own designated lanes, or be afforded partial or exclusive rights of way.
Councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale) told the planning and transportation committee yesterday that looking at the corridor as a whole is ''the right thing'' and addresses residents' concerns.
Robert Reuter, lawyer for the Castle Frank-Drumsnab-MacKenzie Concerned Residents group, said two separate studies "risk narrowing the options." For example, a streetcar system along Don Mills Road may make more sense when looking at the entire north-south corridor, he said.
"To make this useful to as many people as possible ... we need to look at expanding the route and offering people a choice," Councillor Jane Pitfield (Ward 26, Don Valley West) said after the meeting. "Not everyone is going to want to get off at Castle Frank."
And while other councillors saw the merit in integrating both studies, they suggested that the focus was misplaced. "What would really move people is an extension of the Sheppard subway [line]," Councillor Case Ootes (Ward 29, Toronto-Danforth) told the planning and transportation committee. "Why pour half-a-million dollars down an EA that isn't going to go anywhere?"
Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34, Don Valley East) noted it makes no sense to study the merits of a rapid bus route along Don Mills Road when it would be faster to take a bus along any one of the major east-west streets (York Mills Road, and Lawrence and Eglinton avenues) to get to the Yonge subway line.
The Don Mills study is slated to cost more than $500,000 and should, alongside the waterfront transit environmental assessment, be complete by the end of next year.
Council will vote on yesterday's motion at the end of the month.
nalcoba@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2006
EDIT: Edited for formatting
Link to article
Don Mills rapid bus tossed in mix
Gridlock solutions: City studying ways for 'continuous' transit service from north to south
Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Published: Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Toronto city councillors yesterday moved toward a plan to improve transit and ease traffic along the congested Don Valley corridor.
The city's planning and transportation committee agreed to combine two environmental assessments: one that looks at how to move people from Don Mills to the Bloor-Danforth subway and another that connects that subway line to the waterfront district.
The integrated study will now examine options for "continuous" service from north to south.
Among the options being studied is a rapid bus route or streetcar system along Don Mills Road that could connect to Castle Frank, Broadview or Pape stations.
Bus and streetcar service will likely be the mode of transport to the waterfront.
Last year, city council ordered a $500,000-plus environmental assessment meant to come up with ways to channel more people on to an improved Don Mills Road transit route. It stemmed from an acknowledgement that Toronto is outgrowing its transit and roadway system.
The city's official plan does not allow for the expansion of any major arteries, said Joanna Kervin, a program manager in the city's transportation planning division. She noted there is no room for more cars on roads in the Don Valley corridor, which extends from Bayview Avenue to Victoria Park and includes the DVP.
"To keep pace with the [population] growth we want to get more people on public transit," explained Ms. Kervin, who is in charge of the Don Mills study.
The city is also working in conjunction with York Region to expand bus service to the Don Mills subway station on the Sheppard line.
The environmental assessments will provide a detailed analysis of all alternate transit options, whether it be buses or streetcars, and if they will operate in their own designated lanes, or be afforded partial or exclusive rights of way.
Councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale) told the planning and transportation committee yesterday that looking at the corridor as a whole is ''the right thing'' and addresses residents' concerns.
Robert Reuter, lawyer for the Castle Frank-Drumsnab-MacKenzie Concerned Residents group, said two separate studies "risk narrowing the options." For example, a streetcar system along Don Mills Road may make more sense when looking at the entire north-south corridor, he said.
"To make this useful to as many people as possible ... we need to look at expanding the route and offering people a choice," Councillor Jane Pitfield (Ward 26, Don Valley West) said after the meeting. "Not everyone is going to want to get off at Castle Frank."
And while other councillors saw the merit in integrating both studies, they suggested that the focus was misplaced. "What would really move people is an extension of the Sheppard subway [line]," Councillor Case Ootes (Ward 29, Toronto-Danforth) told the planning and transportation committee. "Why pour half-a-million dollars down an EA that isn't going to go anywhere?"
Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34, Don Valley East) noted it makes no sense to study the merits of a rapid bus route along Don Mills Road when it would be faster to take a bus along any one of the major east-west streets (York Mills Road, and Lawrence and Eglinton avenues) to get to the Yonge subway line.
The Don Mills study is slated to cost more than $500,000 and should, alongside the waterfront transit environmental assessment, be complete by the end of next year.
Council will vote on yesterday's motion at the end of the month.
nalcoba@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2006
EDIT: Edited for formatting
B
billonlogan
Guest
Link to article
Expanded Sheppard subway best option: councillors
www.insideToronto.com
Susan O'neill
Sep. 5, 2006
Extending the Sheppard subway into Scarborough would do more to improve the daily commute for transit riders in Toronto than studying options for expanding service along Don Mills Road.
That was the argument presented by several councillors at the city's planning and transportation committee Tuesday during a debate about the terms of reference for an environmental assessment (EA) to study transit options in the Don Valley corridor.
"Talk about a lack of focus in terms of where we ought to be going with respect to transit," said Ward 29 Councillor Case Ootes (Toronto-Danforth), who argued that the extending the Sheppard subway should be the city's top priority.
"If you want to do a study on the Don Valley corridor, go ahead. But that isn't going to solve the issue of people (who) want to get downtown. We need to look at, and really focus on, what would move people. And that is the extension of the Sheppard subway line out to Scarborough. That's what we ought to focus on."
Ward 34 Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Don Valley East) agreed with Ootes, noting the money would be better spent elsewhere.
However, the Don Mills study has already been approved by council.
"We're going to go through with this report and there's going to be a lot of money needlessly spent," Minnan-Wong said.
He continued saying the transit habits of residents in his ward - many of whom use the Yonge subway line to get downtown - aren't likely to change even if an express bus route is added to Don Mills.
"If you live north of Sheppard why would you take a bus all the way down Don Mills Road to get to Castle Frank or Broadview station?" he said. "Why would anyone want to take something slower to get to work?"
But Ward 33 Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley East) said residents in her ward are crying out for an alternate transit route downtown.
"I have residents who want to be transit riders, but they're bailing on Yonge Street," she said. "They want to see another north-south route. They are desperate for another north-south route."
The terms of reference for the Don Mills EA will go to council for approval this month.
-------------------------------------
Extending Shepperd line to Vic Pk or even farther to the GO Station at Kennedy would help tremendously. Create a network of bus routes feeding the Sheppard line in north Scarborough and Markham and another set of bus routes feeding Bloor/Danforth in the south. Don Mills Rd is currently well served with exclusive HOV lanes.
Expanded Sheppard subway best option: councillors
www.insideToronto.com
Susan O'neill
Sep. 5, 2006
Extending the Sheppard subway into Scarborough would do more to improve the daily commute for transit riders in Toronto than studying options for expanding service along Don Mills Road.
That was the argument presented by several councillors at the city's planning and transportation committee Tuesday during a debate about the terms of reference for an environmental assessment (EA) to study transit options in the Don Valley corridor.
"Talk about a lack of focus in terms of where we ought to be going with respect to transit," said Ward 29 Councillor Case Ootes (Toronto-Danforth), who argued that the extending the Sheppard subway should be the city's top priority.
"If you want to do a study on the Don Valley corridor, go ahead. But that isn't going to solve the issue of people (who) want to get downtown. We need to look at, and really focus on, what would move people. And that is the extension of the Sheppard subway line out to Scarborough. That's what we ought to focus on."
Ward 34 Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Don Valley East) agreed with Ootes, noting the money would be better spent elsewhere.
However, the Don Mills study has already been approved by council.
"We're going to go through with this report and there's going to be a lot of money needlessly spent," Minnan-Wong said.
He continued saying the transit habits of residents in his ward - many of whom use the Yonge subway line to get downtown - aren't likely to change even if an express bus route is added to Don Mills.
"If you live north of Sheppard why would you take a bus all the way down Don Mills Road to get to Castle Frank or Broadview station?" he said. "Why would anyone want to take something slower to get to work?"
But Ward 33 Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley East) said residents in her ward are crying out for an alternate transit route downtown.
"I have residents who want to be transit riders, but they're bailing on Yonge Street," she said. "They want to see another north-south route. They are desperate for another north-south route."
The terms of reference for the Don Mills EA will go to council for approval this month.
-------------------------------------
Extending Shepperd line to Vic Pk or even farther to the GO Station at Kennedy would help tremendously. Create a network of bus routes feeding the Sheppard line in north Scarborough and Markham and another set of bus routes feeding Bloor/Danforth in the south. Don Mills Rd is currently well served with exclusive HOV lanes.