Finch West Line 6 LRT

[W. K. Lis]

TTC has started up their web site for the Etobicoke—Finch West LRT.

So far they only have a PDF for the study area map.

I find the map interesting for in that the line could have its west end terminal at the Humber College north campus, my old college. A few years or decades late for me.

 

[RedRocket191]

Finally a transit city line which isn't riled in controversy (I hope )

 

[Edward]

Want controversy? Stop it at Finch West and throw the money towards extending the Sheppard subway to Downsview.

 

[CDL.TO]

I'd have thought that serving the Humber College and UofGuelph campus would be a no-brainer. Maybe they've left it like this intentionally so they can "listen to public input".

I'll toss in another bit of controversy... run it in the hydro right-of-way between Yonge and Weston Rd! It's very close to Finch, will save money, and travel times matter!

 

[Voltz]

Im just waiting for for the 'of course the ttc would want to build not one, but two billion dollar streetcar lines for underpriviliged jane and finch' comment

but in all seriousness, I would like to see this line meet up with the eglinton line at the airport somehow

 

[ShonTron]

The argument against putting the LRT in the hydro corridor is valid, and a good case can be made for it, even though I do not fully agree. From Jane or the 400 to the Yonge Line, a hydro alignment makes a lot of sense, less so west from there.

However, I think the Finch West, even in the median, will be one of the best of the lot for Transit City - it does not pre-empt any advanced alternative heavy rail plans, it creates a decent link, and does not introduce any new transfers.

 

[taal]

Hold on ... from Yonge to Jane at the very least there is know one is considering putting it in the hydo lines correct? That would suck.

 

[Rainforest]

Rainforest

In some places, LRT in the hydro corridor will be un-welcomed by the residents. The corridor runs pretty close to the property lines.

And in the non-residential area between Dufferin and Keele, ironically the LRT in hydro corridor would conflict with the TTC's planned temporary busway to YorkU. Since the Finch LRT is supposed to operate before the subway extention is completed, the busway will still be needed.

On the other hand, LRT in the hydro corridor would make for a much easier connection at Yonge. Connection at the Yonge / Finch intersection will be tricky, as the intersection is rather narrow.

 

[RedRocket191]

I wonder what potential Finch East has? I think there's a strong case to go to at least Seneca College @ Don Mills, and the higher density housing doesn't start to peter out until after McCowan.

 

[Voltz]

While putting the line in the hydro corridor would make it easier to build, it would attract more riders keeping it in the street, as that is where people actually live and work.

Finch East has potential, its current ridership is pushing the limits of what busses can handle, but it is embarrassingly close to the Sheppard subway. So it would be a hard sell politically

 

[CDL.TO]

While putting the line in the hydro corridor would make it easier to build, it would attract more riders keeping it in the street, as that is where people actually live and work.

But how do you know that it will carry more passengers if it's in the street rather than a couple hundred metres away? Does the walk from Bay Street to Yonge discourage people from riding the subway? That's about the same distance from Finch to the hydro corridor. Finch Station has its Kiss and Ride in the Hydro Corridor and the other end of the station at Finch... a subway station can span that distance. It's about 300m from the intersection of Danforth and Greenwood to the entrance of Greenwood station. It's really not a long distance we're talking about here.

Toss in the fact that the hydro corridor could offer a much faster ride, and I'm pretty confident that it would have HIGHER ridership than a line in the street.

How many people actually live or work ON Finch? It's a suburban arterial, most of the activity actively shuns the street.

Even Steve Munro has advocated running LRT in the Weston Sub corridor, off of parallel arterials.

A question for everyone: Is there any LRT system anywhere in the world built within the last 40 years that runs SOLELY in streets like the transit city plan?

 

[taal]

How would the connection with Finch station work ... walk up to the corridor (power lines) ??
That doesn't make much sense.

 

[doady]

How would the connection with Finch station work ... walk up to the corridor (power lines) ??
That doesn't make much sense.

How does the Spadina streetcar connect with the subway?

 

[CDL.TO]

How would the connection with Finch station work ... walk up to the corridor (power lines) ??
That doesn't make much sense.

Finch Station is already located under the hydro corridor. Its Passenger Pick Up/Drop Off, Park and Ride lots, and regional bus terminal are all located under the power lines, connected directly to Finch Station. The TTC bus terminal is 150 feet/45m away from hydro pylons. "Walking up to the corridor" means nothing more than walking up a flight of (already existing) stairs.

Even if the Finch LRT runs in the street, how is the connection with Finch Station supposed to work anyway? There's no room near Finch Ave... they would have to either go underground or build in the Hydro corridor anyway.

 

[RedRocket191]

My concern with the hydro corridor is that it limits the placement of stations to locations where pedestrian connections to Finch Avenue can be placed. This might require some expropriation to make the connections (very few, but there are some), or could require an additional bus route along Finch. And, if there is an additional bus route along Finch, will people migrate to the LRT?