Bureaucromancer
Active Member
Of course, by the time the Malvern corridor was dead some idiot had decided the only way to use the ROW was tunnelling north of Sheppard.
You honestly think that a refurbishment of the SRT and extension above ground to Malvern would cost the same as a Scarborough Subway to Sheppard?
Wow, thats just all sorts of wrong I dont even know where to begin....
You are right, the cost would most likely end up being over the $600 million estimated in 2006, but to say that it would cost the same as a subway line? Just...no....
and even to play devils advocate, even if it DID cost as much, it would service way more people and have a better ROI.
But it wouldnt. I'm sorry. Unless there was some kind of corruption involved, underground transit is always exponentially more expensive than above ground, especially when you take into account that a large portion of that transit system is already completed and would only need refurbishment...
but now you are asking if it will cost same as SSE.
I was playing devils advocate. Even if it DID cost the same as SSE, it serves more people and has a better value.
That was my argument there. But it won't cost as much.
The transfer at Kennedy is really not a deal breaker in my opinion. Not like the one at Don Mills for the Sheppard LRT.
Because Kennedy will be a transit hub, with GO-RER, Line 2, Line 3 (if kept SRT) and the Eglinton Line.
So a lot of people will be transferring anyways to various modes of transportation, not all taking Line 2.
If GO-RER has fare integration and 7 minute frequencies like promised, youre going to see a lot of people transferring from Line 2 at Kennedy to a 6 minute ride right downtown on an electric GO train, and the lack of a transfer point on the subway extension is going to seem pretty silly, because people will be transferring at Kennedy anyways.
In terms of the above, consider that six minutes Kennedy to Union number with proper GO RER.
At even double that time it does more for passengers than eliminating the transfer.
Line 4 extension to STC + OL extension the Sheppard, provides better coverage than just SSE. Cost may be comparable if they cheapen out on OL and uses the GO RH ROW.A lot of transit lines are subsidized these days, SSE will not stand out on that account.
The number of riders who wish to travel from the STC area south-west via Kennedy is about twice as large as the number of those who wish to travel west towards North York. Hence, trading SSE for a Sheppard extension doesn't strike like a great idea.
Furthermore, SSE has reached a much more advanced planning stage than a Sheppard subway extension. Trading the former for the latter would greatly increase the risk of neither getting built at the end.
This must replace the SRT or renovate it. They can't just leave the low income neighbourhood east of Lawrence East with nothing.Line 4 extension to STC + OL extension the Sheppard, provides better coverage than just SSE. Cost may be comparable if they cheapen out on OL and uses the GO RH ROW.
But like you said, because SSE is at an advanced planning stage, we don't really have a choice at this point.