There are a couple of issues with the map, even though it's "not to scale". The LRT should extend a little further north and passed the blue "Missing Link" line. The map is missing the Lakeshore West Corridor. I don't know why they didn't name the Corridors.
I don't see a blue line through Union Station so I don't understand the comment about freight going through it. Has anyone been able to get the "Maps" section to open? It keeps crashing on me.
I do see the issue Allandale has, it's an obvious fault on the first diagram, but it's not of great consequence. The subsequent diagram and maps make the case clear.
I also had some trouble getting downloads to function as they should, but thought it was a glitch my end, I did eventually get the links to open as requested. Their server might be having a bad day. There's nothing new on the site to those of us who've pored over this in the past, but I am very impressed that Mississauga (which led this concept) has the where-with-all to promote it, and the *value* of it.
I call the Link the "Ring that binds them All", inasmuch as it should be top priority over any other major GO project, not to mention being in the interests of CP and CN, and VIA and the GTA in general, but I'm *very* skeptical on funding to see this through.
I do see a case as follows: Minister of Transport issues an Order in Council under the Transportation Act for CP, CN and Other Parties to enter into an agreement to form a consortium, to which the Feds will also commit/guarantee a large sum (*note later), and the Province in granting land use of provincial land (the hydro corridor, provincial law (Electricity Act) stipulates multi-use where possible for corridors) to build a twin running line for the link for both CP and CN, with the option of passenger access too with caveats, and this 'consortium', at least for the inception and interim, is the ward of the Federal Government (ostensibly the DoT) until such time as a *land swap* that follows is completed to exchange ownership of surrendered RoWs to the Province for ownership of the corridor land offered. Needless to say, this would happen *before* the Hydro One sale is completed.
It would be very difficult to negotiate land sales back and forth as trades, but the mechanism for outright land swap (like for like) (without sales and the complications) is contained in the Transportation Act.
There might also be good cause to include the Ontario Pension Funds (Teachers, etc) in this scheme in buying and providing ancillary services, but not the RoW proper.
There are precedents of this happening prior in Canada. The real question isn't whether this can happen or not, it's a case of *where is the leadership?*
Mississauga's dedicated site for this is obviously just PR, but it's a damn good start. Hopefully the word is out to Toronto and the other involved cities and town to do same....or even better, merge them all onto one site for this. It's a good step to making this an issue the Province and the Hill can't shy away from.
[ to which the Feds will also commit/guarantee a large sum (*note later)]:
This commitment, or underwritten value, is later recovered through land sales parceled out of the traded RoWs released for passenger only use. (In fact, limited temporal freight might have to be permitted on some lines) The Feds, unless it is via VIA, really don't want to be in the biz of running railroads it doesn't own, albeit that is worthy of discussion. Much better to grant some of the value to the Province in lieu of cash infrastructure grants. This is where the Pension Funds can come in, to help neutralize how the massive funding for this appears on the books. Done right, very little will appear as debt on Federal or Provincial ledgers. That's important, as it allows other grants associated with building stations, electrifying, etc to be still available.
The bottom line is none of this will happen if left to the various potential partners on their own. CP and CN are not prone to realize mutual benefit, or any of the other parties, Wynne et al's photo-op with CN besides. They'd rather freeze in the dark than agree they'd all stay warm if they huddled together.
It's the *FEDS* who can and must make this happen. They'd damn well best be discussing this seriously behind closed doors right now! Time is wasting.
And another crucial point: *Vast sums of fund money* are available to make this happen, at least in part, but even the Funds can't do what the Feds can and should with the powers of the Transportation Act. We need the Feds to take leadership.
