Megaton327
Senior Member
Is there that much demand for east-west 407 service? I'm not aware of it, certainly. Trains go to Union because that's where people need to go, namely for work.
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407 Transitway
- Thread starter BMO
- Start date
Is there that much demand for east-west 407 service? I'm not aware of it, certainly. Trains go to Union because that's where people need to go, namely for work.
A Transitway in this instance is the right solution. The opportunity to have multiple bus routes enter and exit and various points along the Transitway allows for much greater flexibility than a forced transfer between modes. For example, a Zum bus that runs its usual pattern along Steeles, and then runs express to Highway 407 Station via the Transitway once it reaches York Region.
Eventually, I see this Transitway extending further west along the 407 to Lisgar GO, then down the empty space between the 407 and Ninth Line, and extending all the way down to a new GO station on the Lakeshore line around Ford Dr. Eastward, extending along the 407 to the 412, then down the 412 terminating at Whitby GO. The flexibility for various bus routes to use small or large segments of this Transitway to connect to various nodes far exceeds that of a fixed rail route. And the extra capacity that rail would provide isn't really needed on this corridor.
Eventually, I see this Transitway extending further west along the 407 to Lisgar GO, then down the empty space between the 407 and Ninth Line, and extending all the way down to a new GO station on the Lakeshore line around Ford Dr. Eastward, extending along the 407 to the 412, then down the 412 terminating at Whitby GO. The flexibility for various bus routes to use small or large segments of this Transitway to connect to various nodes far exceeds that of a fixed rail route. And the extra capacity that rail would provide isn't really needed on this corridor.
DonValleyRainbow
Senior Member
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I could see the justification for both one day (BRT/LRT to serve more local needs, GO trains for regional distance), but not right now. What we're talking about here is a rapid transit service along a new corridor, with unbuilt and unproven ridership. Hard to make a case for a passenger rail corridor, which would have a high capital cost due to property, grade separations and geometric requirements (grade and curvature), and a likely a non-optimal operating ratio since land use around the 407 isn't very dense. Furthermore, some work would need to be done to create optimal connections in some places. Just looking at current 407 GO bus service: Hamilton/West Harbour GO, Meadowvale/Lisgar GO, Bramalea GO, Richmond Hill Centre, Unionville GO. And then there are others that buses serve away from the 407: McMaster U, Oakville/Sheridan College, Scarborough, Pickering, UOIT, Oshawa. BRT provides flexibility to dart off the highway to a nearby destination. Hurontario LRT and TYSSE are notable exceptions in that they're ready to go, however.
There are other outstanding questions, too. What will service look like: is this just for GO buses, or other local buses? What/how many local access point will there be? How does this mesh with the freight bypass?
robmausser
Senior Member
If they did a paved LRT style track like with St.Clair/Spadina streetcar lines, they could have both LRT and BRTs running along the same corridor. LRT would just stop at the stations on the Transitway, and would be useful to quickly transfer between the various GO Train lines the 407 intersects. BRTs would act like milk runs and feeder buses, bringing people in from other stops and routes.
I don't see a business case for anything above LRT for a long time on this corridor in terms of ridership. The LRT could still be owned and operated by GO transit and work as a regional style LRT. It wouldn't be too far off from the GO-ALRT plan of yesteryear.
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
Will the whole section of the Transitway be Grade sepatated, as in almost all elevated or tunnelled, or will only certain parts be grade separated, like intersections and rails only (the rest at ground level).
LNahid2000
Senior Member
It's running in the middle of a grade separated highway, so it will obviously be grade separated.
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
It's running in the middle of the highway? Not North or South of it?
Dan416
Senior Member
I wonder how similar this will look to the Mississauga Transitway along the 403.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
it is going to be grade separated if you look at the plans, exactly like the 403 transitway.
Allandale25
Senior Member
Where did you see the plans?
innsertnamehere
Superstar
On the website linked a few pages back.
smallspy
Senior Member
There's nothing unproven about the ridership along the corridor - GO wouldn't be running buses better than every 15 minutes on weekdays if that wasn't the case.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.
DKsan
Active Member
The section from Highway 400 eastwards is planned to be south of the highway, grade separated from intersections. It veers northwards, in a tunnel or bridge, to connect to the proposed Richmond Hill subway station (Yonge/7) and at Markham Centre (Unionville GO).
Likely section west of Highway 400 will be south of the highway, except to meet up with Bramalea GO.
Likely section west of Highway 400 will be south of the highway, except to meet up with Bramalea GO.
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
So it will most likely be ground level for the most part except for intersections and stations?