Metrolinx $55 Billion Plan

[44 North]

The biggest hole in that plan is still the DRL west. Plus just a general lack of additional projects that aren't BRT projects for long range planning.

Yes it's noticeable. Unlike the original plan for 2031, we'll have huge quadrants of Peel and Durham to see no GO rail system expansion by 2041, then cities like Cambridge or Brantford left unconnected. Big downgrades for the growing region.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I still want to know how the figure downtown will only add 75,000 jobs over 25 years. Their nonsense employment and population projections are why the DRL West has fallen off the map. This plan isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

 

[salsa]

I still want to know how the figure downtown will only add 75,000 jobs over 25 years. Their nonsense employment and population projections are why the DRL West has fallen off the map. This plan isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

Considering that a lot of the growth assumptions are bunk and that half of these transit lines will probably not actually be built by 2041, this discussion could just as well take place in the Transit Fantasy Maps thread.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Yah, I don't really understand why all the BRT projects are slated for 2041+ timeline.

Couldn't they all be studied, funded, and implemented in like a 5 year timeline if the province/city desired?

It's not the timeline of how long it takes to build them, its when it is needed. You don't need Bus priority signals into Seaton today along Taunton as literally nobody lives there (well, the first few houses may be in occupancy now, but still). The map is supposed to illustrate infrastructure projects that will be needed in the next 30 years, not infrastructure projects needed today. The problem is that the map more or less looks like a map of current projects. Toronto will have close to 10 million people in 2041, how will those people get around? Certianly not on the infrastructure we are planning today to service a city of 7 million.

And as TheTigerMaster has pointed out, they are severely misplacing growth compared to actual patterns. Downtown is growing at an unbelievable pace and the document refuses to acknowledge it, even though it is the most transit captive demographic that would be the easiest to convert to transit. People wonder why this plan will only keep transit use rates at those that are here today - it's because all it proposes are BRT projects running down 6 lane arterials in extremely suburban environments, all the while misplacing growth to disproportionately occur in those environments compared to what is actually occurring. Toronto will likely see triple the employment growth downtown compared to what they are modelling. The Unilever lands alone are expected to house around 50,000 employees... How the hell do they think the entire downtown core will grow by only 75,000?

 

[muller877]

I still want to know how the figure downtown will only add 75,000 jobs over 25 years. Their nonsense employment and population projections are why the DRL West has fallen off the map. This plan isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

I think its a great goal to spread out employment lands closer to where people live. Shorter commutes (whether it is an active commute or transit) result in mentally healthier individuals which is a great goal. (not office parks but transit friendly employment buildings)

Where there is a large rapid transit network in other cities around the world you do see less of a business district and a spreading out of white-collared workers.

However, there is not a cohesive plan (land-use, transit, taxes) that allows for this to happen. They are trying but it's 2 steps forward and then 3 back as soon as NIMBY's raise any concern.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Planners cannot control where growth occurs. They can try and encourage it, but it ultimately goes where it wants. And that is downtown.