Scarborough-Malvern LRT

[edmundoconnor]

Absent a yard at the eastern end, the deadheading that is going to be required at start of day is going to be pretty ridiculous. The trains are going to have to be spooled out of Black Creek all the way out to UTSC every morning, which is going to take most of an hour at best. You might be able to stash a few trains at UTSC overnight to mitigate the worst of the problem, but the need for an eastern yard will become pretty obvious pretty quickly. Imagine Line 1 without Davisville for a rough analogy. The line is being sold without a yard to avoid sticker shock, but a yard is needed, no doubt about that. I can see a situation where the line is beyond cancellation, and someone "realizes" they need an eastern yard. Conlins will ride again.

 

[nfitz]

Absent a yard at the eastern end, ... Conlins will ride again.

They are planning a yard; in Thursday's media briefing (http://www1.toronto.ca/City Of Toro...ing - Scarborough Transit Planning Update.pdf) they explictly note that they can save some money by not building the line all the way to Sheppard if the "MSF could be accommodated elsewhere".

 

[BurlOak]

There's a Centennial College building at the northeast corner of Morningside and Ellesmere that would be overlooked by that plan.

So if there's a stop at UTSC is is too far for Centennial people to walk. But if the stop is at Ellesmere, then UTSC people will have no trouble walking.

The current plan has 3 stops. Ellesmere/Morningside, Ellesmere/Military Trail and Military trail/Morningside.

Hopkins123 plan could have 1 stop added and still be same. UTSC, Ellesmere/Morningside and Military Trail/Morningside.

Stops close together are acceptable at a busy destination. BTW, I think the Ellesmere/Morningside stop is pretty useless.

If the UTSC stop is at grade, the Hopkins123 plan would be no more cost. Both need a bridge over Highland Creek. Hopkins plan a bit shorter and possibly less costly with more construction away from traffic

 

[DKsan]

On the EA, it shows that the LRT crosses Highland Creek bridge on a separate bridge on the east side, and continues on the east side of Morningside until Ellesmere. The proposed platform isn't inside the road ROW for Ellesmere/Morningside or Ellesmere/Military Trail. The LRT doesn't enter the road until Military Trail and I believe a ultimate UTSC master plan shows they want to pedestrianize Military Trail through campus. Although that same Masterplan shows the LRT detouring around on a new street, it shouldn't be that hard to convince the TTC/UTSC to build a transit mall (oh wait, it might).

 

[edmundoconnor]

They are planning a yard; in Thursday's media briefing (http://www1.toronto.ca/City Of Toronto/City Planning/Transportation Planning/Files/pdf/21-01-15 Breifing - Scarborough Transit Planning Update.pdf) they explictly note that they can save some money by not building the line all the way to Sheppard if the "MSF could be accommodated elsewhere".

Hm. Didn't catch that part. Thanks. Am I safe to presume that the cost of said MSF is within the magic $1 billion number?

Where would the MSF go, though? At risk of doing transit planning by Google Maps, it seems the only place for a yard would be next door to UTSC itself. There is some land just south of the 401 that looks rather tempting.

 

[nfitz]

Hm. Didn't catch that part. Thanks. Am I safe to presume that the cost of said MSF is within the magic $1 billion number?

No - I think they were going to use Conlins, which is in the Sheppard East budget - but that's already fully-funded.

Where would the MSF go, though? At risk of doing transit planning by Google Maps, it seems the only place for a yard would be next door to UTSC itself. There is some land just south of the 401 that looks rather tempting.

I have to think there's some bait-and-switch going on here ... and that ultimately there will be a connection to Sheppard, and they'll share that yard with Sheppard East.

 

[Canadian Chocho]

So if there's a stop at UTSC is is too far for Centennial people to walk. But if the stop is at Ellesmere, then UTSC people will have no trouble walking.

The current plan has 3 stops. Ellesmere/Morningside, Ellesmere/Military Trail and Military trail/Morningside.

Hopkins123 plan could have 1 stop added and still be same. UTSC, Ellesmere/Morningside and Military Trail/Morningside.

Stops close together are acceptable at a busy destination. BTW, I think the Ellesmere/Morningside stop is pretty useless.

If the UTSC stop is at grade, the Hopkins123 plan would be no more cost. Both need a bridge over Highland Creek. Hopkins plan a bit shorter and possibly less costly with more construction away from traffic

I'm not so sure it's useless, there are a lot of people that live in those apartments at Mornelle Court and that's only going to increase.

I suppose if it truly is much cheaper to build a bridge over the large wooded creek area and then somehow fit in an at grade LRT stop in between this then by all means go ahead. I'm just very skeptical about that and I cannot see the intrusion into the greenspace as being easy to accomplish without a fight from residents or even the university.

 

[salsa]

The chief planner said today that the EA envisions Kingston Rd to be reduced from 3 lanes to 2 in each direction with the LRT. Kingston has wide suburban-style lanes, and is an opportunity to narrow them to more urban standards. This sounds different from what is planned in the Golden Mile area on Eglinton, where all traffic lanes will be maintained.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

The chief planner said today that the EA envisions Kingston Rd to be reduced from 3 lanes to 2 in each direction with the LRT. Kingston has wide suburban-style lanes, and is an opportunity to narrow them to more urban standards. This sounds different from what is planned in the Golden Mile area on Eglinton, where all traffic lanes will be maintained.

Kingston Rd is like a highway. It will be fine with the lane reductions.

 

[Voltz]

The chief planner said today that the EA envisions Kingston Rd to be reduced from 3 lanes to 2 in each direction with the LRT. Kingston has wide suburban-style lanes, and is an opportunity to narrow them to more urban standards. This sounds different from what is planned in the Golden Mile area on Eglinton, where all traffic lanes will be maintained.

I have not seen any kind of report that indicates Eglinton will maintain the same number of lanes, where is this coming from?

 

[W. K. Lis]

The chief planner said today that the EA envisions Kingston Rd to be reduced from 3 lanes to 2 in each direction with the LRT. Kingston has wide suburban-style lanes, and is an opportunity to narrow them to more urban standards. This sounds different from what is planned in the Golden Mile area on Eglinton, where all traffic lanes will be maintained.

What about segregated bicycles lanes/paths?

 

[Voltz]

Kingston Rd is like a highway. It will be fine with the lane reductions.

People will complain about it of course. but drives generally stay out of the curb lane on Kingston Rd because of stopped buses, so with the buses removed from the street there will really not be much of a difference.

 

[Palma]

I have not seen any kind of report that indicates Eglinton will maintain the same number of lanes, where is this coming from?

There is no way that eglinton can maintain its lanes especially when bikes lanes are added. As it is (east of Keele anyways) there is 1 lane for cars in each direction with 1 lane on both sides for parking (except from 7-9am and 4-6pm) with dedicated busing, When you see those renderings and the bike path and also trees thrown in, it is not based in reality, The only way if if you remove the parking on both sides to be used for bikes. Fir sure some sections of Eglinton is wider but that street curves a lot and some sections retail/residential comes out close to the street anyways

 

[BurlOak]

I have not seen any kind of report that indicates Eglinton will maintain the same number of lanes, where is this coming from?

Eglinton Connects shows 2 through lanes in each direction. Now there are 3.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Eglinton Connects shows 2 through lanes in each direction. Now there are 3.

The HOV isn't a through lane during rush hour.

So the amount of rush hour lanes will be maintained. 1 lane lost outside of rush hour