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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

^A pretty good summary of where GO Expansion is at.

Sure looks like SmartTrack has been dropped by the roadside, some miles back down the road.

- Paul
 
^A pretty good summary of where GO Expansion is at.

Sure looks like SmartTrack has been dropped by the roadside, some miles back down the road.

- Paul
I feel like SmartTrack has been permanently replaced by GO Expansion. GO Expansion basically does everything SmartTrack was supposed to, making that service redundant.
 
GO Expansion basically does everything SmartTrack was supposed to, making that service redundant.

Not so. Plans for stations (St Clair, Bloor-Davenport, Liberty Village, Donlands, Lawrence) have vanished.

Only the Eglinton West portion is being actioned, having morphed from the original Tory heavy rail proposal into a LRT and thence into a subway.

I'm not complaining, but I am pointing out the discrepancy between the platform Tory ran on and the result that has been accomplished.

- Paul
 
^A pretty good summary of where GO Expansion is at.

Sure looks like SmartTrack has been dropped by the roadside, some miles back down the road.

- Paul

Very helpful. Easier to navigate than the Metrolinx Engage page. Just wish timelines would have been added (even approximations) for the list of items in the appendix.
 
Not so. Plans for stations (St Clair, Bloor-Davenport, Liberty Village, Donlands, Lawrence) have vanished.

Only the Eglinton West portion is being actioned, having morphed from the original Tory heavy rail proposal into a LRT and thence into a subway.

I'm not complaining, but I am pointing out the discrepancy between the platform Tory ran on and the result that has been accomplished.

- Paul
I feel like most of those stations are still in works, and will probably be built after most of the transit infrastructure has been built.
 
I feel like SmartTrack has been permanently replaced by GO Expansion. GO Expansion basically does everything SmartTrack was supposed to, making that service redundant.

Not so. Plans for stations (St Clair, Bloor-Davenport, Liberty Village, Donlands, Lawrence) have vanished.

Only the Eglinton West portion is being actioned, having morphed from the original Tory heavy rail proposal into a LRT and thence into a subway.

I'm not complaining, but I am pointing out the discrepancy between the platform Tory ran on and the result that has been accomplished.

- Paul

Also, there's the electrification/frequency portion. SmartTrack also had electrification aka piggybacked off of GO's electrification, but there's been some debate/discussion/change on the frequencies between what Tory suggested for frequencies and what I believe is now proposed under GO Expansion. Also, the RFP won't be awarded until 2021...so that's when the final numbers will be known. Steve Munro has covered this extensively.
 
Also, there's the electrification/frequency portion. SmartTrack also had electrification aka piggybacked off of GO's electrification, but there's been some debate/discussion/change on the frequencies between what Tory suggested for frequencies and what I believe is now proposed under GO Expansion. Also, the RFP won't be awarded until 2021...so that's when the final numbers will be known. Steve Munro has covered this extensively.
Besides infrastructure constructions the other piece of SmartTrack is fare and service integration with the TTC system. This is nowhere to be seen...
 
Besides infrastructure constructions the other piece of SmartTrack is fare and service integration with the TTC system. This is nowhere to be seen...
I don't think we need a brand new service for that though. Toronto is way behind in proper fare integration with the TTC and GO, and pushing forward on some deal is way smarter than building extra platforms for an ultimately redundant service.
 
Not so. Plans for stations (St Clair, Bloor-Davenport, Liberty Village, Donlands, Lawrence) have vanished.

Only the Eglinton West portion is being actioned, having morphed from the original Tory heavy rail proposal into a LRT and thence into a subway.

I'm not complaining, but I am pointing out the discrepancy between the platform Tory ran on and the result that has been accomplished.

- Paul

Damn, that was the only part of Smarttrack I really felt had any merit. Its a real shame if these stations dont get built. (minus Lawrence, as the new subway plans make it redundant, as well as Gerrard, because of the Ontario Line)

Oh also you forgot Finch East station on the Stouffville line.

Bloor/Danforth was part of the Davenport project by Metrolinx, on the Barrie Line. It was a sort of bone thrown to the people of that area (we will build this huge bridge, but here, have a station!)

I would really still like to see

St.Clair
Liberty
Donlands
Finch

stations built out as part of GO Expansion as they had some serious merit. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!
 
Damn, that was the only part of Smarttrack I really felt had any merit. Its a real shame if these stations dont get built. (minus Lawrence, as the new subway plans make it redundant, as well as Gerrard, because of the Ontario Line)

Oh also you forgot Finch East station on the Stouffville line.

Bloor/Danforth was part of the Davenport project by Metrolinx, on the Barrie Line. It was a sort of bone thrown to the people of that area (we will build this huge bridge, but here, have a station!)

I would really still like to see

St.Clair
Liberty
Donlands
Finch

stations built out as part of GO Expansion as they had some serious merit. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!
Thing is, I can't really say they've completely vanished. Recently Metrolinx revamped their projects website, which included a brand new image for their 10 year transit plan for Toronto, and many of these stations are still on it. http://www.metrolinx.com/images/greaterregion/regions/toronto/Toronto-Region-Map.pdf
 
Damn, that was the only part of Smarttrack I really felt had any merit. Its a real shame if these stations dont get built. (minus Lawrence, as the new subway plans make it redundant, as well as Gerrard, because of the Ontario Line)

Oh also you forgot Finch East station on the Stouffville line.

Bloor/Danforth was part of the Davenport project by Metrolinx, on the Barrie Line. It was a sort of bone thrown to the people of that area (we will build this huge bridge, but here, have a station!)

I would really still like to see

St.Clair
Liberty
Donlands
Finch

stations built out as part of GO Expansion as they had some serious merit. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!

In August 2019 the 6 Smartrack stations had $585 million federal funding committed to them. They are separate from GO Expansion (the province isn't involved) so wouldn't appear on the Metrolinx GO Expansion ea/tenders. East Harbour has kinda been taken over by the province due to the Ontario Line integration.

Service levels will be whatever GO decides to run. The city won't have a say unless the city kicks in an operating subsidy.


The station list still exists for the city as of May 2020.

 
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GO Expansion deal is headed to the next Executive Ctte meeting on September 23.


Includes cost-sharing deals for 10 grade separation projects:

The following five grade separations will be cost-shared per terms agreed to by Council as part of 2016.EX19.1 and agreed to in the Agreement in Principle:

- Steeles Avenue East (Stouffville GO Corridor)
- Finch Avenue East (Stouffville GO Corridor)
- Scarborough Golf Club Road (Lakeshore East GO Corridor)
- Galloway Road (Lakeshore East GO Corridor)
- Morningside Drive (Lakeshore East GO Corridor)


The City and Metrolinx have also reached agreement on a cost-sharing arrangement for the following five additional grade separations based on Canada Transportation Agency guidelines:


- Passmore Avenue (Stouffville GO Corridor)
- McNicoll Avenue (Stouffville GO Corridor)
- Huntingwood Road (Stouffville GO Corridor)
- Danforth Road / Midland Avenue (Stouffville GO Corridor)
- Progress Avenue (Stouffville GO Corridor)
It's nice to see Finch being grade separated.
 
It seems like the kitchener line might finish its 15 minute rer first, as barrie and stouffville hasnt even gone through 40% of the progress yet
 

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