Danforth Line 2 Scarborough Subway Extension

[torontologist]

When evidence is presented later this year that there is not nearly enough ridership for both the subway extension and SmartTrack, something has got to give. And it is not going to be SmartTrack.

This is faaaaaar from over.

 

[Towered]

Uh, the councillors? And they have pretty much spoken on this issue. There is really nothing to be gained by reopening this yet again and looking like a sick joke.

AoD

I'd say a 7 stop LRT fully funded by the province would be a significant gain for Toronto.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I'd say a 7 stop LRT fully funded by the province would be a significant gain for Toronto.

Yeah, or more like yet another election where this becomes an issue, endless jostling in council for "the right plan", with an end result looking more like SELRT. I don't call that a victory of any kind.

AoD

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Uh, the councillors? And they have pretty much spoken on this issue. There is really nothing to be gained by reopening this yet again and looking like a sick joke.

AoD

Well there isn't an issue being reopened. Council will have to make a decision on SSE alignment in October regardless.

Our Councillors are notorious for changing their minds. We'll see how they decide on October, when lower than expected usage and potentially higher costs are factored in.

Hopefully they stick to their previous decision.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

When evidence is presented later this year that there is not nearly enough ridership for both the subway extension and SmartTrack, something has got to give. And it is not going to be SmartTrack.

This is faaaaaar from over.

And Smarttrak is far more killable - nobody knows what it really is and hardly anyone cares given the duplication with the RER plans. Quite frankly, I'd rather shoot that ST down, let GO handle the RER and begin work ASAP on DRL instead. Once you get the initial leg of DRL started you'd get pressure to finish it as DRL long.

AoD

 

[TheTigerMaster]

And Smartrak is far more killable - nobody knows it and hardly anyone cares given the duplication with the RER plans.

AoD

Remember that John Tory based his campaign around ST. I don't expect him to let Council kill it without a fight.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Yeah, or more like yet another election where this becomes an issue, endless jostling in council for "the right plan", with an end result looking more like SELRT. I don't call that a victory of any kind.

AoD

We'll be more than three years from the next municipal and provincial election when Council makes their decision in October. That's plenty of time for construction to start, before election time. I'd expect the October decision to be their final decision.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Remember that John Tory based his campaign around ST. I don't expect him to let Council kill it without a fight.

BD extension and shovels in the ground for something (anything!) is what gets him (and will get him) the election, not what he said specifically in the campaign. Nobody would even notice once the RER works get started.

AoD

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Transit needs champions. SmartTrack has a champion in Tory. Tory campaigned on SmartTrack. Tory is not going to allow it to die.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Transit needs champions. SmartTrack has a champion in Tory. Tory campaigned on SmartTrack. Tory is not going to allow it to die.

He doesn't have to - he can just piggyback on GO and call it a day with some face-saving move. As it stands right now, nobody (least of all, his worship) even have a clue what ST is going to look like other than some lines on a map. Additional tracks? Vehicles? Stations?

AoD

 

[datamouse]

It's probably a safe bet that while council may not cancel the subway they'll never agree to spend a penny more on it. McCowan route or bust.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

They need to hurry up and build something. Nobody cares how much it costs

 

[datamouse]

They need to hurry up and build something. Nobody cares how much it costs

I wouldn't say that, cost is pretty much everything in the debate.

 

[junctionist]

They do need to hurry up and build something that's needed, like a new line to get people from the suburbs into the downtown core.

 

[coffey1]

The Star is at it again today. Divide and concur by pitting DRL vs SSE. Tough to have a fair debate against a financially rich political propaganda machine.