Mississauga Pearson Transit Hub | ?m | ?s | GTAA

[muller877]

So are we annexing the Airport lands to Toronto since Mississauga aren't interested to pay for transit going to and from the airport?

Mississauga already has RT to Renforth. It's just time until they extend the BRT to the Airport.

Toronto is not interested in paying for RT from Kipling to Renforth for all the Mississauga buses. Will Mississauga annex Etobicoke? Your question is illogical.

 

[mdrejhon]

I'm sure it's been discussed but what's the current plan to unify the transit at a point at Pearson so that everything isn't a major walk apart. Or is link expected to be extended south.

No current specific plan except nebulous plans by Ontario:
- Eglington West LRT (westward Crosstown extension, also known as the LRT portion of SmartTrack) is to reach Pearson
- High speed rail for Pearson
- UPX would continue

The recent posts in the last page is the most brilliant idea so far, and turns LINK into an LRT loop shared by Eglinton West LRTs and Finch West LRTs. The Finch West LRT would connect all Pearson terminals and main parking to a GO station which can also double as the VIA/HSR stop. But this is a resident led suggestion.

 

[jcam]

I almost forgot I had done that loop. The main reason I thought of it was that with the next Pier, they're going to have to extend LINK anyway, which will require a shutdown. So why not change the technology.

If you wanted to avoid the loop, you could change it to something like this.

 

[TOareaFan]

View attachment 95817 I almost forgot I had done that loop. The main reason I thought of it was that with the next Pier, they're going to have to extend LINK anyway, which will require a shutdown. So why not change the technology.

If you wanted to avoid the loop, you could change it to something like this.

In that map (as in real life) what purpose does that Woodbine station serve?

 

[jcam]

In that map (as in real life) what purpose does that Woodbine station serve?

If no LRT goes down 27, none, unless a redevelopment there pays for it.

 

[mdrejhon]

I almost forgot I had done that loop. The main reason I thought of it was that with the next Pier, they're going to have to extend LINK anyway, which will require a shutdown. So why not change the technology.

If you wanted to avoid the loop, you could change it to something like this.

Actually, the loop allows LINK to continue running while LRT is under construction!

You could run LINK between Terminals 1 & 3 (or whatever future terminal configuration), while building the LRT in the opposite half of the loop.

Once finished, you'd shut down the original LINK and start running the LRT-based LINK. It would go around the opposite half of the loop while the original Terminal 1-3 LINK is replaced with LRT-based LINK.

A loop allows partial shutdown of the loop, by having vehicles go back-and-fourth instead.

You can also even have Pearson-specific LRT vehicles that stays on the loop, making it also immune to accidents/interruptions on either Finch or Crosstown. You could have a siding with extra Pearson-specific LRVs, ready to slot when Crosstown/Finch frequencies are insufficient. A good CBTC signalling system allows 2-minute headways, increasing block-slotting flexibility.

The loop is a big advantage this way, in disruption-proofing the line.

 

[TOareaFan]

If no LRT goes down Finch, none, unless a redevelopment there pays for it.

Isn't Finch significantly north of there?

 

[mdrejhon]

BTW, I heard back from Metrolinx. They've already protected for a possible future Finch West extension to airport. This is in no way a confirmation, but "it's protected for" (aka "The Door Is Open" to the theoretical possiblity).

Hi Mark,

Thanks for clarifying your question about connecting the Finch and Eglinton Crosstown LRTs at Pearson Airport. Metrolinx is currently working with the City of Toronto, the City of Mississauga and Pearson Airport to plan for the extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT to the airport. Extension of the Finch LRT to Pearson Airport is protected for in the design and the currently planned terminus at Humber College. While detailed planning has not yet been done for this extension, we know that it would be complex and costly infrastructure because it would span the Humber Valley. Meanwhile, Pearson Airport is planning for potential reconfiguration of their terminals and ground transportation access, which could change the connections between terminals (http://www.urbanstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/PearsonConnects_20160225.pdf). As these plans move forward, Metrolinx, along with our partners, will certainly be examining all opportunities to better connect transit services and provide new mobility opportunities, including looking at how people move around the airport.

Thanks again for reaching out and I hope this answers your questions.

Have a great day

Regards

So it is already protected-for, that Crosstown West and Finch West both reach Pearson. Obviously, that's a connection opportunity and also a LINK-replacement opportunity -- in theory.

I think this substantially increases the winning odds that LINK could become an LRT in 20-25 years, presumably when LINK begins falling apart and needs to be replaced, especially if they need to rip LINK out because of a Pearson terminal reconfiguration.

From my POV, I see a political path: If they've already built Finch & Crosstown -- it becomes politics-of-lowest-resistance to "sell the idea" of Crosstown West first (while Pearson plans their LINK overhaul). There is fairly high public support for Crosstown being extended to the airport, and will probably go up after Crosstown is running. Then it can be built while simultaneously protecting for LINK-as-LRT overhaul, whether or not done at the same time as Crosstown reaching the first stop at Pearson. Once done, both LINK-as-LRT and Finch West extension becomes a "much easier sell". The Finch West terminus Humber College is very close to Pearson, but the valley & 401 create expensive obstacles, but it's otherwise a pretty short extension of Finch West.

Mind you, this is "20 to 25 years in the future" stuff, but the "protecting-for-this" talk needs to be done today. And how UPX (and its End-of-Life overhaul considerations) factors into the picture is uncertain, but it is presumed some form (even if integrated into RER) will continue running and connect to the existing stop.

 

[jcam]

Isn't Finch significantly north of there?

Corrected..down 27, from Finch,

 

[mdrejhon]

Isn't Finch significantly north of there?

Corrected..down 27, from Finch,

Humber College (Finch West LRT terminus) is only 3.5 kilometers from Malton GO, and only 2.5 kilometers from the theoretical Woodbine GO station. Both of which are candidate "Pearson GO Hub" stations.

Either way, the relatively close distance means it is really a no-brainer to protect Finch West LRT possibility, someday in our kid's lifetimes, reaching Pearson in one form or another (either as LINK-as-LRT, or extending LINK to the GO/RER station chosen to become the Pearson GO/VIA/HSR Hub).

 

[TOareaFan]

Corrected..down 27, from Finch,

never understood the thinking that takes an LRT off finch....directs it down a sparsely populated part of 27 just to get justification to build a station that has no purpose unless you did that?

 

[muller877]

Humber College (Finch West LRT terminus) is only 3.5 kilometers from Malton GO, and only 2.5 kilometers from the theoretical Woodbine GO station. Both of which are candidate "Pearson GO Hub" stations.

Either way, the relatively close distance means it is really a no-brainer to protect Finch West LRT possibility, someday in our kid's lifetimes, reaching Pearson in one form or another (either as LINK-as-LRT, or extending LINK to the GO/RER station chosen to become the Pearson GO/VIA/HSR Hub).

Similar distance as Renforth Gateway....So around $450M cost according to the request from Toronto to Mississauga

 

[steveintoronto]

There is precedent in using an LRT as the shuttle between terminals, too. Some cities do that with their LRT systems that also double as an inter-concourse shuttle. Minneapolis is one: ....

Heathrow takes it even a step further:
Getting between terminals at Heathrow

Fast, convenient transfers are available between Heathrow's terminals. Terminals 2 and 3 are a short walk from each other. Terminals 4 and 5 are served by free trains and buses.

Big thumbs up to JCAM for that post. There's quite a few airports that offer free rail transit within their area...it makes you wonder how many other bog-obvious concepts we're missing? That loop could also be used for other LRT spurs.

 

[steveintoronto]

...The loop is a big advantage this way, in disruption-proofing the line.

The Loop is an advantage in many ways, not least a break (possibly emergency) in the loop at some point still allows evacuation and access from both ends. The Loop also offers flexibility for access from another LRT leg (Miss. possibly/probably) that just won't be available to road vehicles with that degree of access.

This is one of the most original and progressive ideas in transit for Toronto region that I've seen for a while. And very low cost on the relative scale of things. With this and The Missing Link, many other ideas become so much easier, affordable and believable.

 

[jcam]

The Loop is an advantage in many ways, not least a break (possibly emergency) in the loop at some point still allows evacuation and access from both ends. The Loop also offers flexibility for access from another LRT leg (Miss. possibly/probably) that just won't be available to road vehicles with that degree of access.

This is one of the most original and progressive ideas in transit for Toronto region that I've seen for a while. And very low cost on the relative scale of things. With this and The Missing Link, many other ideas become so much easier, affordable and believable.

Thanks for that! So here would be the consensus best option? (p.s. GO City is SmartTrack, T2 could also have a surface bus terminal)