"Downtown Core Line" - Possible Alignments?

[CDL.TO]

Why create a new thread on this. There is already a thread where this has been hashed out before - with a very similar title: Downtown Core Line" - Possible Alignments?

Can a moderator merge this?

Ah, there it is. I knew there was an old thread on this topic, but I searched for DRL and Downtown Relief Line and couldn't find it. That would explain why.

 

[Dan416]

Here's a map I made using the rail alignment. I don't think there's anything that needs to be hit that's not by a rail alignment.

 

[lead82]

That alignment looks good. Too many stops in your plan. I would drop every other stop. No need for stops every 400m. The stops should be no less than 1km apart.

 

[M II A II R II K]

In order to be effective it would have to go up to at least Eglinton on the east side. There isn't really anything at the DRL stops except Union for work or play.

 

[Dan416]

That alignment looks good. Too many stops in your plan. I would drop every other stop. No need for stops every 400m. The stops should be no less than 1km apart.

The DRL isn't an express line. There's no need for it to be. This is DOWNTOWN. The stop spacing should be close together.

 

[Fresh Start]

I agree with your stop spacings but not so much that alignment. I would also merge the Dundas East and Gerrard stops into one.

 

[lead82]

1km spacing is not express. 2km is express. 400m spacing of the stops is overkill and a gross waste of money. Why spend billions of dollars for a line that will take you 20 mins to get from dundas west to union. That is almost the same time it takes now. The greatest demand is for longer trips. Short trips can be handled by the trams or by walking or biking.

 

[lead82]

If we avoid spending the $100m for stops so close together than we can better spend the money taking the line up to Eglinton.

 

[Second_in_pie]

1km spacing is not express. 2km is express. 400m spacing of the stops is overkill and a gross waste of money. Why spend billions of dollars for a line that will take you 20 mins to get from dundas west to union. That is almost the same time it takes now. The greatest demand is for longer trips. Short trips can be handled by the trams or by walking or biking.

Try 12 minutes.

And if you want something to take you straight from Dundas West to Union, you might instead want to look into making the Georgetown Line electrified Regional Rail with fast headways. No stop Dundas West to Union with 10 minute headways, that even becomes competitive with 12 minutes on the DRL.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I think there are actually too few stops downtown. Could use stops at John St and the West Don Lands, I think.

 

[The Mad Navigator]

What's depressing about this thread is that it could be 10 years or more before this reaches serious discussion for funding.

 

[Second_in_pie]

I think that West Don Lands should be fine. If you put a Distillery District stop in between Trinity and Cherry St, that means that the max distance from West Don Lands to such a station would be about 500 m, aka a 6 minute walk. And, I'm not sure how big the naturalization of the Don River will constitute for. Either way, West Don Lands will be served fine. The Distillery station would basically be in the neighborhood, as much as other stations are in other neighborhoods.

Likewise, a station at John would be way too close to Simcoe/St. Andrew and Spadina stations. And a station starting at Simcoe would be halfway to John street at the other end of the platform.

 

[Dan416]

1km spacing is not express. 2km is express. 400m spacing of the stops is overkill and a gross waste of money. Why spend billions of dollars for a line that will take you 20 mins to get from dundas west to union. That is almost the same time it takes now. The greatest demand is for longer trips. Short trips can be handled by the trams or by walking or biking.

Why shouldn't it be the same time it takes now? We're not looking for it to be faster. It's meant as an alternative. As I said before, this is DOWNTOWN. DOWNTOWN stop spacing has to be closer together than in Etobicoke or North York.

 

[Dan416]

I think there are actually too few stops downtown. Could use stops at John St and the West Don Lands, I think.

The stops I put in are just placeholders really. I just looked at the streets that were named on that TTC map and put stations where I thought appropriate. There could definitely be more in places, particularly on the east leg.

 

[nfitz]

Here's a map I made using the rail alignment. I don't think there's anything that needs to be hit that's not by a rail alignment.

One can tell from your stations that your not that familiar with the area. A station at Dundas and Logan? And another on Bain between Pape and Carlaw (which for some unfathomable reason is called Riverdale). These would be some of the lowest used stations on the subway system! And then you manage to run through the dense West Donlands area without a station, even though you run through the proposed Cherry GO station.

The biggest failing though, is that your alignment is unlikely to maximise the relief of Bloor-Yonge. I've commented before that there's little point in these discussions until you have the results of a proper study indicating what various alignments will do to ridership.