SmartTrack (Proposed)

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The interesting decision will be equipment. If there is a uniform ST/RER or ST/DRL template (doesn't imply identical equipment, just compatible performance and dimensions) then both Relief Line and ST could be routed through the cross downtown tunnel that might come with the Relief Line some day.
- Paul

That arrangement (at least ST being routed through a downtown tunnel) is in the SSRA report from which ST is derived from.

AoD

 

[salsa]

They say they'll add 4-5 stops. Contenders seem to be St. Clair, Liberty Village, CityPlace/Spadina, Distillery, Unilever, Gerrard.....but that's 6....maybe Unilever is added later once they area is actually developed.

The plan was to have all of the infrastructure in place (roads, transit, etc) before developing Unilever, not the other way around. Which means there will likely be a station there in the near future even though it will be unused for a while.

 

[salsa]

The Smart Track lobby group has finally responded to the news..... by retweeting their own Toronto Sun editorial that they published just prior to the G&M article.

And then a few hours later they retweeted it again.

So their takeaway from the G&M is that people are talking about getting it built? Whatever. Keep peddling your fantasy and clinging to the alternate universe that you live.

 

[the lemur]

Does this mean that you could take a Smart Track train on the Kitchener line and then transfer to the ECLRT at Mount Dennis, or would it curve onto Eglinton? Since both lines are standard gauge, is there a potential for tram-train service?

 

[crs1026]

Does this mean that you could take a Smart Track train on the Kitchener line and then transfer to the ECLRT at Mount Dennis, or would it curve onto Eglinton? Since both lines are standard gauge, is there a potential for tram-train service?

Seems logical that ECLRT just gets extended westwards, with RER a transfer. There's little likelihood of light rail coexisting with RER and VIA south of Mount Dennis, and I can't think of any good reason why it should. With the exception of the Eglinton segment, ST has always been conceived as heavy rail.

The detail that will be devillish will be how many places RER stops. If the likely ST stops are Eglinton, St Clair, Bloor, Dundas, Queen, King.....RER shouldn't stop at them all. Do you get off RER at Weston or Mount Dennis and transfer? Is the transfer at the westernmost stop, or will RER stop at Bloor as well? Or only Bloor and you backtrack?

- Paul

 

[jcam]

Seems logical that ECLRT just gets extended westwards, with RER a transfer. There's little likelihood of light rail coexisting with RER and VIA south of Mount Dennis, and I can't think of any good reason why it should. With the exception of the Eglinton segment, ST has always been conceived as heavy rail.

The detail that will be devillish will be how many places RER stops. If the likely ST stops are Eglinton, St Clair, Bloor, Dundas, Queen, King.....RER shouldn't stop at them all. Do you get off RER at Weston or Mount Dennis and transfer? Is the transfer at the westernmost stop, or will RER stop at Bloor as well? Or only Bloor and you backtrack?

- Paul

I bet RER would stop at all the interchanges...so Eglinton, Bloor, maybe Spadina, then Danforth (Main) and Kennedy.

 

[M II A II R II K]

They'll probably have the electrified GO and this SmartTrack share the same trackage, but SmartTrack has much smaller trains, as well as trackage to bypass a station so an express train doesn't have to wait behind the local trains stopping.

 

[ssiguy2]

If "SmartTrack" ends up being integrated with UPX, which I think it could (two extra stops, at Liberty Village and at Mount Dennis), then it would solve Tory's problem and the problem of poor ridership on the UPX. It could still charge an upgrade for tickets from the airport, much like how the Canada Line has a premium on single fares from YVR.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree.

I think Metrolinx is dying to get the UPX off it's plate as it has been a ridership failure and a public relations disaster. UPX has undermined Metrolinx's reputation which is unfortunate as it has brought in a lot of needed transit improvements throughout the GTHA. As far as public perception is concerned, all it's good work has been for naught due to the negative press over the UPX being portrayed as Toronto's answer to Mirabel.

The Eglinton LRT extension is a natural and will greatly increase the line's functionality not only for Pearson traffic but also the hookup with the Mississauga Transitway.

Extra fares to Pearson, like the Canada Line you mentioned, are the norm throughout the world and most riders seem to think it's a reasonable addition to the fare structure.

 

[ssiguy2]

The real issue for Toronto will to be getting shovels in the ground as fast as possible and much could start immediately when approved such as electrification and station building. The people in Corktown and Liberty village who are desperate for improved transit will not bitch about a new rapid transit service and station due to lack of proper "community consultation".

Trudeau, Wynne, and Tory all want their political wins out of this and that won't happen with another Royal Commission by the mandarins at City Hall. With the dollar tanking, the stock market plunging, and growth slowing there is real political pressure to get these infrastructure funds flowing VERY quickly and if Toronto isn't "shovel ready" they will lose out to other cities who have projects which are ready to go.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

They say they'll add 4-5 stops. Contenders seem to be St. Clair, Liberty Village, CityPlace/Spadina, Distillery, Unilever, Gerrard.....but that's 6....maybe Unilever is added later once they area is actually developed.

So on January 5th, someone I follow on Twitter got a tour of Toronto City hall. His name is Sean Marshall (Twitter username @Sean_YYZ). He posted a picture of a City of Toronto planning map of SmartTrack that said "Phase 1". At the time I thought this was new info, but I was told I was wrong. With today's revelations in the Globe and Mail, about SmartTrack, the ECLRT extension, and the Phasing, I guess I was right about it being new information. On the map that Sean Marshall posted, it included the proposed stops for Phase 1 (Mount Dennis to Kennedy).

The City of Toronto SmartTrack Phase 1 map:

Link to tweet: https://twitter.com/Sean_YYZ/status/684511259434332160

 

[nhui06]

So on January 5th, someone I follow on Twitter got a tour of Toronto City hall. His name is Sean Marshall (Twitter username @Sean_YYZ). He posted a picture of a City of Toronto planning map of SmartTrack that said "Phase 1". At the time I thought this was new info, but I was told I was wrong. With today's revelations in the Globe and Mail, about SmartTrack, the ECLRT extension, and the Phasing, I guess I was right about it being new information. On the map that Sean Marshall posted, it included the proposed stops for Phase 1 (Mount Dennis to Kennedy).

The City of Toronto SmartTrack Phase 1 map:

Link to tweet: https://twitter.com/Sean_YYZ/status/684511259434332160

Wow great find! If they want to give downtown more relief, they could really add one more station near the Distillery District area.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

So on January 5th, someone I follow on Twitter got a tour of Toronto City hall. His name is Sean Marshall (Twitter username @Sean_YYZ).

You *do* realize he is a mod on UT right?

AoD

 

[SaugeenJunction]

You *do* realize he is a mod on UT right?

AoD

So much stuff now makes sense hahaha. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[the lemur]

Wow great find! If they want to give downtown more relief, they could really add one more station near the Distillery District area.

It's hard to see where to put one since there are so many sidings already near there. Maybe Unilever is the closest we'll get.

 

[nfitz]

Ah, good find.

So the 4 or 5 stations are presumably those in red, from west to east, are St. Clair West (near Weston/Keele), King West (near Atlantic), Spadina, Lever (Broadview extension, south of Eastern), and Gerrard/Carlaw.

And it looks like they were also considering stations at Lansdowne (south of Dundas), and Queen (at Degrassi). Presumably the Queen station would be in instead of both Lever and Gerrard.

Stations at Coxwell and particularly Warden/Danforth would fill in some holes - though we wouldn't want to have any new stations in Scarborough, would we.