Metrolinx : $400M for TTC, GO and other transit

[MetroMan]

The McGuinty government is delivering on transit!

From TheStar:

Province plans boost for transit

TTC and GO to benefit from $400M cash infusion to be announced by Ontario finance minister today
Dec 13, 2007 04:30 AM
ROBERT BENZIE
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF

The Ontario government will announce $400 million in new transit funding today, part of which will help the TTC maintain its fleet and GO Transit expand its service.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will make his fall economic statement this afternoon in the Legislature, where he will announce a cash infusion for public transit.

Duncan will disclose that $300 million will be earmarked in "state of good repair" funding for transit systems across Ontario, including the TTC.

That much-needed maintenance money will go toward fixing tracks, signals and switches, and is the first trickle of the $17.5 billion touted for GTA transit in the Liberals' Move Ontario 2020 plan for the next decade.

In addition to that, $100 million will go toward Metrolinx – known until last week as the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority – for regional transit.

The transportation authority has been asking the province to help the TTC find $424 million it needs over the next five years for a new automated signal system, more trains and crossover tracks on the Yonge line.

The automated signal system is part of the "good repair" program that Duncan will refer to today.

The government is moving today instead of waiting until a provincial budget in the spring of 2008 because the improvements are part of the "quick wins" program – projects that can be started quickly and without great cost.

Premier Dalton McGuinty endorsed the quick wins program during the fall provincial election campaign.

The Liberals were re-elected with a massive majority government on Oct. 10. The Legislature will rise for the Christmas break tomorrow and not return until March 17.

The new money comes just two days after Auditor General Jim McCarter criticized GO Transit in his annual report for poor planning.

On Tuesday, McCarter said "overcrowding and delays have gotten worse over the years" and that there was not enough attention paid to equipment failures.

In addition to the transit funding, The Canadian Press reported last night that Duncan will announce a $40 million rapid retraining program for workers who have lost their jobs because of changes in the economy.

Sources told The Canadian Press Duncan will also offer financial assistance to manufacturers and other companies struggling to cope with the economic slowdown in the United States, which, combined with the high-flying loonie and oil prices, has dealt a serious blow to Ontario exporters.

The money for Metrolinx will help it aim for a seamless transportation network through Toronto, Durham, York, Peel, Halton, and Hamilton.

As a boost to the new transit authority, the province will give $60 million to GO Transit to expand the rail fleet with 20 double-decker passenger coaches for the busy Lakeshore corridor, which should alleviate the morning and evening rush hours.

There will be $9 million for 10 new double-decker commuter buses to improve service on the Highway 407-Highway 403 corridor, and to York University. Sources say that is "a precursor to future Highway 407 east-west bus rapid transit."

There will also be $20 million for new passing-track sections for the fast-growing GO lines to Bradford and Stouffville. These will provide all-day, two-way train service between Toronto and Markham and Toronto and Newmarket and East Gwillimbury.

As well, there will be $5.6 million for new platforms at Markham's Cornell transit terminal to integrate the VIVA system with GO, York Region Transit and Durham Region Transit. "(That's) to create a new gateway to Durham region and the future Seaton urban community," a source said.

Finally, $5.5 million will pay for six new articulated diesel-electric hybrid buses for the Hamilton Upper James corridor. Articulated buses are also known as "accordion" or "bendy" buses because they have a turnable joint. Those will help commuters on routes in and around Hamilton International Airport, Mohawk College and the downtown GO terminal.

 

[Jonny5]

A slightly different story in The Globe

Ontario to deliver on $100-million it had promised for public transit

JEFF GRAY
With a report from Karen Howlett
December 13, 2007

Ontario's Liberal government will make good on an election promise today, announcing $100-million for public transit in its fall economic statement, including cash for new GO Transit coaches, buses and tracks, a provincial source said.

The statement, to be delivered by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, will also include money to help Ontario manufacturers and other industries hit hard by the rising dollar and oil prices, the source said.

The transit cash was originally promised by Premier Dalton McGuinty at a campaign stop in Mississauga in September, after a list of small priority projects, achievable in two years or less, was drawn up by the regional Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, now known as Metrolinx.

Most of the funds will go to GO Transit, which was scolded by the province's Auditor-General this week for failing to do enough to keep its trains on time and keep up with population growth.

The projects, called "quick wins," are meant to show that the newly created Metrolinx - made up of municipal politicians from across the Greater Toronto Area - is making strides in the fight against traffic congestion. They include:

$60-million for 20 new bi-level GO train coaches for rush-hour service on the Lakeshore lines;

$9-million for 10 new GO double-decker buses, for routes along Highways 407 and 403 and to York University;

$20-million in new tracks to provide all-day, two-way train service between Toronto and Markham and Toronto and Newmarket or East Gwillimbury;

For Hamilton, $5.5-million for six new articulated diesel-electric hybrid buses;

For York Region, a $5.6-million Cornell transit terminal to link Viva rapid transit to other services.

Metrolinx last month approved a second batch of so-called "quick win" requests for public-transit projects worth $791-million, but hopes those will be included in the government's full-blown budget in the spring.

 

[canrocks]

There will also be $20 million for new passing-track sections for the fast-growing GO lines to Bradford and Stouffville. These will provide all-day, two-way train service between Toronto and Markham and Toronto and Newmarket and East Gwillimbury.

Yay!!! Two steps closer to a coherent regional rail system. Now Georgetown!

As well, there will be $5.6 million for new platforms at Markham's Cornell transit terminal to integrate the VIVA system with GO, York Region Transit and Durham Region Transit. "(That's) to create a new gateway to Durham region and the future Seaton urban community," a source said.

So they're actually going ahead with Seaton? I thought that was shot down by the province or something? Isn't it in the greenbelt? I saw plans for Seaton once and it frustrated me so much; it looks like run-of-the-mill low density sprawl.

 

[Observer Walt]

So pardon my confusion, but is this the reannouncement of the original announcement, or is it the reannouncement of the reannouncement?

Rule of thumb: When it is announced for the third time, it is close to actually happening.

 

[Jdot]

It's an announcement that the first bit of money from the announcement will flow, and where it will flow. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[DENTROBATE54]

So they're actually going ahead with Seaton? I thought that was shot down by the province or something? Isn't it in the greenbelt? I saw plans for Seaton once and it frustrated me so much; it looks like run-of-the-mill low density sprawl.

Seaton will likely be reached by the new Midtown GO line which will revitalize Dupont/Summerhill and likely provide direct rush-hour service between Malvern and Yonge St en route. If ever the Pickering Airport proposal goes back on the table, it'll be a vital well-used corridor.

 

[unimaginative2]

Seaton is being developed instead of some lands on the Oak Ridges Moraine. It's not in the greenbelt, and the province swapped its land in Seaton with developers who wanted to build on the moraine so that the latter could be preserved.

 

[Markham]

Does anyone know what type of changes will occur on the Stoufville GO line? I heard that they will be getting all day train service which would be a bonus. But not sure how long a project will that would take.

 

[RedRocket191]

Does anyone know what type of changes will occur on the Stoufville GO line? I heard that they will be getting all day train service which would be a bonus. But not sure how long a project will that would take.

2010... all day hourly... to Markham station.

 

[CDL.TO]

Markham? Not Mount Joy? Good news anyway.

Prediction: within 3 years of GO Stouffville starting all-day operation, ridership will far exceed any projections. There is A LOT of pent-up demand on that line.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Although the all-day both way service is amazing and people will use it, $20 million can't be stretched to pay for the 15-20 grade separations (north of Ellesmere, the only thing it doesn't hit at road level is the 407) required to run the Stouffville any more frequent than once an hour, so look for slightly worse traffic and slower buses in Scarborough and Markham.

 

[canarob]

Are there really 15-20? I ride the line everyday and don't think it's anywhere near that number, unless you are including what's north of Markham station? I agree that this will be expensive and won't be finished for ages.

Also, does anyone know if all-day service includes more night trains? I don't care as much about the hourly service during the day, but I've noticed in the last little while that many of the night buses to Markham station have been filled with people standing in the aisle. At the very least, GO needs to add more night buses.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Starting north of Ellesmere: Progress, Sheppard, Havendale, Huntingwood, Finch, McNicoll, Passmore, Steeles, Kennedy, Denison, 14th, #7, Eureka, Main, Kennedy (again), McCowan, Snider, Markham, 16th, Bur Oak, Major Mack, etc.

Some of these crossings don't need to be changed (like Havendale or Eureka) but there's a good 15 crossings in that list that, if not changed, will cause traffic and transit nightmares (most of them have bus routes). Imagine what would happen to Kennedy or Steeles in rush hour if the train barriers were coming down every 15 minutes...it's bad enough now at once an ~hour.

 

[RedRocket191]

Starting north of Ellesmere: Progress, Sheppard, Havendale, Huntingwood, Finch, McNicoll, Passmore, Steeles, Kennedy, Denison, 14th, #7, Eureka, Main, Kennedy (again), McCowan, Snider, Markham, 16th, Bur Oak, Major Mack, etc.

Some of these crossings don't need to be changed (like Havendale or Eureka) but there's a good 15 crossings in that list that, if not changed, will cause traffic and transit nightmares (most of them have bus routes). Imagine what would happen to Kennedy or Steeles in rush hour if the train barriers were coming down every 15 minutes...it's bad enough now at once an ~hour.

I respectfully disagree that it will cause a transit nightmare. In my opinion, it will be no different that adding another stoplight to the road. It may cause congestion around the stations when the train is moving at slow speeds, but when its running at full speed, the crossing gates will be down for around a minute or less, about the same as a typical traffic light cycle.

And, by including the crossing gates in the traffic control system, you could synchronize all the lights in the area to lessen the impact.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

not to mention virtually every road crossing of LRT trains in Edmonton and Calgary are at grade and running at times every 5 minutes. True the trains are less, but the general impact is the same, and few problems are caused in traffic. It's really only when you have a 20-30 car freighter train that causes backups. Like RedRocket said, the biggest delay would be where the train is running slower approaching and leaving stations, but that is still minimal. I don't see them running more than 4 or 5 cars a train during the midday.