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Toronto Eglinton Line 5 | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

I wrote a post in the station thread laying out that tour map. It looks like the 5 existing entrances will be maintained, but with a very different tunnel configuration. Highlights:

Mapping the street-level entrances:
eglinton-streets-entrances-png.528055

(this diagram is a bit off, the blue entrance by the CIBC should be on the east side of Yonge Street)

The underground configuration seems different from what I've seen previously. In addition to the ECLRT concourse, there appear to be two smaller concourses (I've called them -2, West and -2, East), roughly at the level of Line 1 but not directly connected to it, and with their own fare gates. It seems that the Yonge Eglinton Centre and ePlace complex will connect to these instead of the existing concourse. The entrance at the CIBC on the SE corner is still connected [...] Here I've highlighted two new escalators on the existing concourse, each descending to one of these mini-concourses.
eglinton-separate-sub2-png.528053

So someone going from the Yonge Eglinton Centre to Line 1 could:
  • Descend to (-2, West), ascend to the existing concourse, enter the fare gates, and descend to the Line 1 platform
  • Descend to (-2, West), enter the fare gates, descend to the ECLRT concourse, and ascend to the Line 1 platform
I can only assume they've done this because of some issues with utilities under Eglinton Avenue? Because I don't see any other reason for these mini-concourses to exist so deep.
 
They probably want a separate route to the ECLRT platform that does not overload the Line 1 centre platform.
They could have gotten away with just a west or east -2 level mezzanine but that would have added congestion to the existing concourse.
 
Happy New Years everyone! May this year be the year the Eglinton LRT opens up.

Lets take a moment to remember all those who are not with us today and were anxiously waiting for the LRT to open. In all seriousness, Metrolinx should acknowledge all those who waited but didn't make it to the opening.
 
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eglinton-separate-sub2-png.528053


Are those fare gates in the final locations? If so it looks like there is only one connection between Line 1 and 5 that doesnt require passengers to leave a fare zone and then re-enter...
 
what's the over/under on the crosstown being overcapacity in the first year?
It won't start service at maximum allowable frequency, and it will be with two-car trains. If it gets too busy they can first 1) up the service levels and eventually 2) run three-car trains. The West Extension trains haven't been ordered yet so a bigger order could be placed to make all trains three-car if needed.
 
It won't be overcapacity in the first year, or in the first 5 years. Probably, not in the first 10 years either. Eglinton is a popular route, but doesn't have huge trip generators or destinations.

Many of the riders will only take Eglinton to the nearest Line 1 station. Which means, all of those riders count towards the total ridership, but they do not all count as part of the peak load at the peak point. Say, if the peak load is AM rush approaching Yonge from the east, then riders who board at Weston Rd and transfer at Allen Rd do not add to that peak load. Or, vice versa.

We can't predict what happens in 20 or 30 years. If the demand for transit trips grows steadily, but the new transit construction stalls, then Eglinton might be at risk of overloading.
 
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what's the over/under on the crosstown being overcapacity in the first year?
About the same that the Sheppard East subway would be overcapacity the first year.

Which is near zero, 20-years later. I think 76 cars is more than enough to carry far more than predicted. Metrolinx says with 76 cars than can run every 190 seconds. That's 19 trains a hour (in each direction). If you guestimate a capacity of 400 per (two-car) train, that's 7,600 each hour. The predicted 2031 ridership was about 5,000 an hour - before Covid.

If somehow they have completely blown it, they can always replace service between Don Mills and Kennedy with buses, and push the trains to 3 cars, increasing capacity to 10,000 an hour.

Of course, that assumes that the line opens sometime in the 2020s.

We can't predict what happens in 20 or 30 years. If the demand for transit trips grows steadily, but the new transit construction stalls, then Eglinton might be at risk of overloading.
We can't, but there's years to order additional cars to lengthen the trains from 62 metres to 93 metres. And frequencies can get much higher.

At full capacity, they should be able to get over 20,000 an hour between Don Mills and Pearson; and the Don Mills to Kennedy section is no where near the peak point. If they break 20,000 one day, time to build an additional east-west line somewhere.
 
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I think the thing that’ll really determine how well Eglinton will work is the interface between the “subway” portion and the on-street portion and if the at grade portion really screws up the line or not. Hopefully not.
I completely agree. I think that the public will be disappointed by the long stops at traffic lights that can be seen in testing videos, both old and recent. The trains also just crawl through at-grade intersections.
My guess is that riders won't see the surface section of the line as being an improvement over the streetcar. I also don't think that the catch-up signal priority will be handled well, although I would concede that we will have to wait until the line opens.

If the surface section is as bad as I predict it will be, then I am at least hopeful it will lead to improvements in transit signal priority across the city.
 
You're willing to bet that the ridership demand will jump from a mixed traffic bus route to 90 meter underground trains in one year? You must feel lucky.
A lot has changed since the pandemic, and the route has been delayed while we've had record population growth. I'm excited to see how it all plays out when it opens! I was just curious what others' thoughts were. Glad everyone seems to think we have nothing to worry about.
 

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