Toronto Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown West Extension | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

Because this will cost TTC fare and UPX will cost 9 dollars, that's why.

That's true, but the actual cost of delivering the service isn't remarkably different. We're effectively spending a big amount on capital so we can spend some additional amount on operating subsidies. Instead, we ought to just pay operating subsidies for GO Trains (UPX is a tiny GO train to me) if that's what we actually desire.
 
With a UPX station at Mt. Dennis Station, those people who need speed to get to the Pearson Transit Hub, would likely use UPX, not the Eglinton West LRT.

Those who want to get to the Toronto Airport Corporate Centre (north of Centennial Park, south of Pearson Airport) would use the Eglinton West LRT.
 
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Option 4.

Remember that The PCs ran on a platform of "burying" this line - and that it runs right by Doug Ford's house. He's got a personal interest in this - he isn't going to give funding to option 1.
 
To those that attended the meeting: was a preferred option presented? Or we're still years away?
It amazes (but not surprises) me that after all these years, we're only at this point.
 
Option 4.

Remember that The PCs ran on a platform of "burying" this line - and that it runs right by Doug Ford's house. He's got a personal interest in this - he isn't going to give funding to option 1.
Also remember that Eglinton West is now 100% a responsibility of the City of Toronto (ie: not the responsibility of Metrolinx anymore), since John Tory offered to take it off the province's hands.

Ford cant do anything to stop the line from being constructed fully elevated or at-grade.
 
To those that attended the meeting: was a preferred option presented? Or we're still years away?
It amazes (but not surprises) me that after all these years, we're only at this point.

The "preference" I sensed from conversation with some of the staff on hand was for Option 1, which is pretty much the original proposal from a couple years back. The issues being…
  • parity/similar design to the east end of Crosstown and what might be built on Eglinton East and up to U of T in Scarborough
  • a view that traffic issues had now been thoroughly studied and were manageable - no reduction in traffic volume or capacity, the view expressed was that Eglinton is full and will be full in 2041, so preserving today's capacity is the best that can be expected
  • a view that the additional stops do add value, and overall transit time is acceptable with Option 1
  • a desire to keep the cost at a level that might actually lead to Council's approval, versus a more costly option that might scare Council off altogether
I didn't engage anyone on the specifics of each intersection, although there were fairly specific panel boards on each segment of the line. I was told that the plan assumes a "moderate" level of transit priority signalling, with further priority possible but subject to "political will" as it would present a tradeoff with auto traffic.

Personally, I'm still convinced that some grade separation is worth the expense. The maps for Options 2-4 indicated that in all three scenarios the line would be underground all the way from East Mall to Scarlett Road, as opposed to duckunder/overs at key intersections. That seems like overkill to me. The part from Martin Grove to Islington is the only section that I can see as possibly justifying underground - but that's still 5 stations' worth, so not cheap.

Most notably, turnout for the meeting at Martin Grove Collegiate was heavy. I just did the tour of the panel boards, wrote out my comments and left, so I can't speak to what may have been said over the evening. But I expect the community will speak up to Councillors.

- Paul
 
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The "preference" I sensed from conversation with some of the staff on hand was for Option 1, which is pretty much the original proposal from a couple years back. The issues being…
  • parity/similar design to the east end of Crosstown and what might be built on Eglinton East and up to U of T in Scarborough
  • a view that traffic issues had now been thoroughly studied and were manageable - no reduction in traffic volume or capacity, the view expressed was that Eglinton is full and will be full in 2041, so preserving today's capacity is the best that can be expected
  • a view that the additional stops do add value, and overall transit time is acceptable with Option 1
  • a desire to keep the cost at a level that might actually lead to Council's approval, versus a more costly option that might scare Council off altogether
I didn't engage anyone on the specifics of each intersection, although there were fairly specific panel boards on each segment of the line. I was told that the plan assumes a "moderate" level of transit priority signalling, with further priority possible but subject to "political will" as it would present a tradeoff with auto traffic.

Personally, I'm still convinced that some grade separation is worth the expense. The maps for Options 2-4 indicated that in all three scenarios the line would be underground all the way from East Mall to Scarlett Road, as opposed to duckunder/overs at key intersections. That seems like overkill to me. The part from Martin Grove to Islington is the only section that I can see as possibly justifying underground - but that's still 5 stations' worth, so not cheap.

Most notably, turnout for the meeting at Martin Grove Collegiate was heavy. I just did the tour of the panel boards, wrote out my comments and left, so I can't speak to what may have been said over the evening. But I expect the community will speak up to Councillors.

- Paul

Grade separate the whole thing!

Elevated, trench, tunnel!

Jane to east of RY - elevated
RY intersection - tunnel
RY to Islington - at-grade side-of-roadway
Islington intersection - elevated
Kipling and Martin Grove - tunnel
Martin Grove to Renforth Gateway - trench on the northside adjacent the highway
Renforth to Pearson - elevated

Eglinton East would also be a prime candidate for grade separation with stops just at Midland, Danforth, Bellamy/Eglinton GO, Markham, Golf Club, Celeste, Galloway, Kingston/Lawrence/Morningside, UTSC Campus, Pan Am, Sheppard/Morningside, Malvern Town Centre.
 
Also remember that Eglinton West is now 100% a responsibility of the City of Toronto (ie: not the responsibility of Metrolinx anymore), since John Tory offered to take it off the province's hands.

Ford cant do anything to stop the line from being constructed fully elevated or at-grade.

Unless it is fully funded by the city, then it could still be meddled with. Even then, it could still be meddled with.
 
Eglinton East has already been ruined by the on street portion from Leslie to Kennedy. Because of this, the very East portion can't become rapid transit with healthy (800m) spacing.

Well, until the Relief Line opens. The Kennedy to Downtown trip will be far faster than it is currently!
 
I'm quite uncertain why going to the airport is a requirement. There is a planned transfer point at Caledonia which is sufficient for anyone from east of that point and very few live within walking distance of Eglinton to the west. $1B might buy decent mainline GO integration which is a far more useful connection.

I'm more concerned about the employment cluster south of the airport than about the air travelers. For the southern employment cluster, the LRT + GO option is far less appealing:
- It is harder to run a shuttle that connects the UPX station located north of the main airport complex to the cluster in the south.
- The extra transfer would matter. If you are boarding the LRT at Yonge / Bathurst / Dufferin / Keele, and then have to transfer to UPX / GO / RER, that's an extra 5 minutes for the walk to GO platforms, and then waiting for the train (15 min frequency, vs 6 min or better for the LRT most of the day).
- And then, the cost. Accepting the TTC fare just between Mt Dennis and Pearson won't fly (would trigger massive complains regarding other GO corridors).

If both connections were on the table then great; but they're not; currently pledged Federal + provincial money is still around $30B short of funding all SOGR + expansion plans.

IMO, Eglinton needs to be done on the cheap. If ridership above 6000pphpd appears in a couple decades then drop another $1B into it to grade separate the pain points. I suspect if we go with a more expensive option, it simply will not get funded; the province is going to be hands-off on it either way.

Sure, if selecting Option 1 is the only chance to get this thing built at all, then we should go with Option 1. It is a good option in many ways, just not the optimal IMO.

That said, we don't know when and how this project will get funded, even if the cheapest option was selected. Hence, all possibilities remain open ..
 
The same way they are trying to take over the subways.
I'll be short and sweet, it's not going to happen for various reasons. As much as i'd love for the city to be off the hook for the capital costs, John Tory got us into this mess and we'll have to find a way to pay for it. Or (most likely what will happen) add it to the city's never ending list of "approved but unfunded" projects and watch the timeline slip into 2040.
 
Option 2, 3 and 4 were basically grade separated "subway" options except Renforth. All options has Renforth Station on the surface. The turn from Eglinton onto Commerce remains at-grade. The 32 Eglinton West bus will have to remain running unless option 2 with all 10 stops were built.

I'm a bit disappointed as these "subway" options are expensive and it takes us make to the Eglinton West subway design of the early 90s. The grade separation at every major intersection was a way better idea for LRVs. It speeds up travel, keeps some local stops and have transit more visible to the neighbourhood.
 

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