Finch West Line 6 LRT

[doady]

QFT. This is so true it's not even funny anymore. How anyone can deny it I'm not quite sure. There's more than a few LRT fanatics on this board. That said, an LRT line along Finch West shouldn't be through a hydro corridor, no matter how much $$$ it might save. For the same reason I think the Mississauga Transitway is rather pointless, because it doesn't help Mississaugans get anywhere they need to go. It'll even be difficult to get to, especially in the west end of Mississauga. I live off Creditview, yet, there's no Creditview stop.

There will be no busway built (yet) between Erin Mills and Sq One.

A Finch Transitway would be different from a Mississauga Transitway, especially considering that it would not be built along a highway, but built along a local road instead. I hope I am not the only one who thinks there is a difference between the 403 and Finch Avenue?

That that that would really help me get to Square One. And it doesn't even extend as far as the subway. So what's the point really?

Are you claiming that the BRT buses won't serve the subway? Or that they can't? That's funny, because GO's Highway 407 buses will use the busway, yet the Mississauga busway won't be built all the way to York or McMaster University. Imagine that. Perhaps the buses will fly or something.

 

[Rainforest]

Rainforest

How will the connection between Finch LRT and Yonge subway be configured?

The Yonge / Finch intersection is kind of tight, and so is Finch just east of Yonge, near the existing bus terminal.

My understanding is that Finch subway station is essentially at level -2, mezzanine being at -1. Moreover, the mezzanine is located fully north of Finch. Hence, would it be practical to build the LRT terminus underground, at the mezzanine level and above the subway tracks?

 

[W. K. Lis]

How will the connection between Finch LRT and Yonge subway be configured?

The Yonge / Finch intersection is kind of tight, and so is Finch just east of Yonge, near the existing bus terminal.

My understanding is that Finch subway station is essentially at level -2, mezzanine being at -1. Moreover, the mezzanine is located fully north of Finch. Hence, would it be practical to build the LRT terminus underground, at the mezzanine level and above the subway tracks?

If going underground, the Finch West LRT subway could turn to parallel the Yonge HRT subway at -2. Then a second platform for the HRT could be added at -2 that would serve both "southbound" Yonge HRT train and the Finch West LRTs. They could still have double Finch West LRT tracks as the Finch West terminus, since the LRT will be low-floor. The "southbound" HRT train would have to open all doors, of course.

 

[Rainforest]

Rainforest

If going underground, the Finch West LRT subway could turn to parallel the Yonge HRT subway at -2. Then a second platform for the HRT could be added at -2 that would serve both "southbound" Yonge HRT train and the Finch West LRTs. They could still have double Finch West LRT tracks as the Finch West terminus, since the LRT will be low-floor. The "southbound" HRT train would have to open all doors, of course.

This is an interesting solution, and would make for a seamless transfer from Finch LRT to Yonge southbound.

However, this could be a complication for Finch E LRT, if the latter ever comes up.

 

[Dan416]

There will be no busway built (yet) between Erin Mills and Sq One.

A Finch Transitway would be different from a Mississauga Transitway, especially considering that it would not be built along a highway, but built along a local road instead. I hope I am not the only one who thinks there is a difference between the 403 and Finch Avenue?



Are you claiming that the BRT buses won't serve the subway? Or that they can't? That's funny, because GO's Highway 407 buses will use the busway, yet the Mississauga busway won't be built all the way to York or McMaster University. Imagine that. Perhaps the buses will fly or something.

I was exaggerating a bit, but if the buses just take the highway from Renforth, they'll get stuck in all the traffic that's there already and won't be faster than any other bus.

 

[W. K. Lis]

This is an interesting solution, and would make for a seamless transfer from Finch LRT to Yonge southbound.

However, this could be a complication for Finch E LRT, if the latter ever comes up.

Unless a mirror-image platform for a Finch East LRT is made to share with the "northbound" Yonge.

 

[lead82]

Again, I sincerely hope they do not implement a separate Finch East LRT. It would be good to have the LRT continue east and end at Don Mills and Sheppard. Yonge should just be a through stop with an LRT platform underground on an expanded mezzanine level. This would be a great way to add 2 new entrances to the subway/LRT station from the south side of Finch. Currently many residents must cross the street to enter the subway. This adds to traffic jams since cars are unable to make right turns during green lights and the right turn lanes don't exist, thus backing up through traffic.

I hope that this LRT gets expanded to Pearson in the West and Don Mills station in the East. This would be a great cross-town line with great usage. If stops are spaced out at least 500m apart (ideally 1km apart would be great). I'm looking forward to this EA.

I believe this will be one of the first lines to be built after Sheppard East LRT.

 

[Rainforest]

Rainforest

Again, I sincerely hope they do not implement a separate Finch East LRT. It would be good to have the LRT continue east and end at Don Mills and Sheppard. Yonge should just be a through stop with an LRT platform underground on an expanded mezzanine level. This would be a great way to add 2 new entrances to the subway/LRT station from the south side of Finch. Currently many residents must cross the street to enter the subway. This adds to traffic jams since cars are unable to make right turns during green lights and the right turn lanes don't exist, thus backing up through traffic.

I hope that this LRT gets expanded to Pearson in the West and Don Mills station in the East. This would be a great cross-town line with great usage. If stops are spaced out at least 500m apart (ideally 1km apart would be great). I'm looking forward to this EA.

I believe this will be one of the first lines to be built after Sheppard East LRT.

Finch Crosstown LRT service would be nice to have, either to Don Mills / Sheppard or further along Finch E. However, there will be certain obstacles. Some sections of Finch E do not look wide enough to host 2 LRT lanes plus 4 lanes of general traffic. There is a steep hill near Leslie, rail vehicles do not like those. And, the passenger density is not that high between Yonge and Don Mills.

 

[lead82]

I disagree. The passenger density is very high. That is why the 39 Finch East is the most frequent bus route in the entire city. During rush hours it is scheduled to run every 84 seconds. However, the passengers in the Yonge to Don Mills stretch mainly get on and off at the main intersections. Thus, a fully express LRT from Yonge stopping mainly at Bayview, Leslie and Don Mills would work well.

The hill between Leslie and Bayview as well as the one just west of Don Mills does pose a problem. However, I do think that some parts could be tunneled to make it easier for the train.

As for the width of the street, I still don't see how they can fit 4 lanes of traffic, plus 2 lanes of LRT + left turn lanes + bike lane on Finch West. It's only 5 lanes wide now. Something will have to give.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

A billion dollar Finch East LRT isn't needed. Frequencies would go way down, travel times won't improve, there's no redevelopment potential, half the 39's ridership could be diverted to GO or a longer Sheppard subway, etc. The Finch East bus is the only major bus route in the entire city that works fine as is. Finch could use an upgrade from an express branch to a 190-style Rocket branch, though.

 

[urbanfan89]

Once GO Transit Richmond Hill line is fully upgraded to serve as a reliever for Yonge, the Finch East bus may not be as busy.

The Old Cummer (and please change this name for heaven's sake) station could see shuttle buses radiate from it. It's not like Finch east of Yonge is capable of accomodating a ROW anyways.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Finch East is almost entirely used by people with no other legitimate transit options. There's no Stouffville line station at Finch, either. The Sheppard subway was aborted and currently isn't long enough to draw Finch riders. The Don Mills streetcar won't lure many riders but a Don Mills subway/DRL would decimate ridership crowds at Finch station. If other transit lines were built, total ridership along Finch East would go up even as peak ridership drops.

 

[RedRocket191]

Once GO Transit Richmond Hill line is fully upgraded to serve as a reliever for Yonge, the Finch East bus may not be as busy.

The Old Cummer (and please change this name for heaven's sake) station could see shuttle buses radiate from it. It's not like Finch east of Yonge is capable of accomodating a ROW anyways.

Cummer is named after Jacob Kummer and his family, who settled the area in 1797. Over the next 50 years, his descendents owned land stretching from Yonge to Bayview, and built mills, a wool factory and operated the Willowdale Post Office.

The family isn't as famous as Lord Lansdowne or Sir George Yonge (who never actually visited Canada), but they contributed quite a bit to this city and I think they deserve a street named after them.

 

[adma]

The family isn't as famous as Lord Lansdowne or Sir George Yonge (who never actually visited Canada), but they contributed quite a bit to this city and I think they deserve a street named after them.

Actually, I find the simple name "Cummer" accepted and taken for granted--kind of like "Coxwell"--it's more the modifier of "Old Cummer" that does it, bringing to mind Hef and Viagra jokes and all. And paradoxically, the street it's named after has spent the last 40 years (after Cummer was redirected northward) being taken over by the elements...

 

[lead82]

I'm curious why some folks here think a Finch East LRT would cost $1B. Since Finch East has mainly express type riders, we could put the LRT in the hydro corridor until Don Mills. Many users take the bus to get from Finch station to Seneca College. The express bus does work fine on Finch, but it's expensive to operate since many buses (and drivers) are required to shuttle all those people. It would be operationally better to run an LRT due to the cost savings in labour.
Using the hydro corridor from Yonge to Don Mills would make construction a heck of a lot cheaper.