SmartTrack (Proposed)

[44 North]

I forget which recent report it was in, but it said they want to bring UPX to East Harbour hub. So with that potentially planned, I wouldn't be surprised if they just morph the two. Maybe not as the exact same service, but at least under the banner of whatever it is they're doing.

And has it been figured out yet how the ST/RER services will work out, like Express and Local trains. Or has it been made official that all services stop at every station.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Is UPX even going to exist in a few years, with RER and HSR serving the same corridor?

(Let’s just pretend HSR is really going to happen)

 

[TheTigerMaster]

What I don't understand about ST is why it stops at Eglinton. Why not just extend the service further north to at least Etobicoke North or even Pearson and just make the entire UPX line as part of ST. There would be, at present, no more stations to add and seeing QP is paying for electrification, it seems really short sighted to stop at Eglinton and not serve the hundreds of thousands North/West to say nothing of Pearson.

And why not expand ST to all corridors? (Politics)

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

If we were smart, SmartTrack would be UPX service extended to East Harbour and along the Stouffville Line somehow to STC.

 

[robmausser]

What I don't understand about ST is why it stops at Eglinton. Why not just extend the service further north to at least Etobicoke North or even Pearson and just make the entire UPX line as part of ST. There would be, at present, no more stations to add and seeing QP is paying for electrification, it seems really short sighted to stop at Eglinton and not serve the hundreds of thousands North/West to say nothing of Pearson.

And why not expand ST to all corridors? (Politics)

Since Smarttrack is just a concept now, being implemented within GO-RER, it will continue to Etobicoke North, and it will be on all GO train lines.

The mandate is to allow one fare for all of Toronto, on all GO train lines, not just "Smarttrack".

https://www.insidetoronto.com/news-...single-fare-for-all-transit-trips-in-toronto/

So the same train will continue all the way to Bramalea, and if you get off at Etobicoke North station, you will pay the same fare as Smarttrack. For all purposes, it will be "Smarttrack". You will observe no difference. Same train, Same fare.

We need to stop thinking of Smarttrack as this physical "thing" its just now a service modification of GO-RER.

If the council vote that I posted goes through, than ALL GO-RER lines and non-GO-RER lines (richmond hill and milton) will be the same thing as Smarttrack within the Toronto borders.

 

[nfitz]

Yes, but they can also do that at East Harbour.

Not as easily. With the current designs, changing at East Harbour will be more like changing at Spadina, while Gerrard will be more like change at Bloor-Yonge or Sheppard-Yonge.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Not as easily. With the current designs, changing at East Harbour will be more like changing at Spadina, while Gerrard will be more like change at Bloor-Yonge or Sheppard-Yonge.

Good point.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Gerard Square could be transformed into a destination in and of itself if it were another Dundas Square.

 

[steveintoronto]

Not as easily. With the current designs, changing at East Harbour will be more like changing at Spadina, while Gerrard will be more like change at Bloor-Yonge or Sheppard-Yonge.

Not to mention the lack of rolling stock to maintain the existing 15min headway. The design is out of production, with no sign of any buyers to restart it. Perhaps at a time it is electrified, new stock can be ordered to extend it.

 

[TransitBart]

Unless, reverse commuting really takes off, and then I can see the need for people to commute from Gerrard to Markham for example.

Yeah. No one drives from Riverdale to Markham or Aurora today.

 

[mdrejhon]

Yeah. No one drives from Riverdale to Markham or Aurora today.

Well, before I moved to Hamilton -- I lived in Riverdale and I actually drove to Markham for a job interview. I would have likely had to commute by car, since transit wasn't very appealing.

 

[TransitBart]

Well, before I moved to Hamilton -- I lived in Riverdale and I actually drove to Markham for a job interview. I would have likely had to commute by car, since transit wasn't very appealing.

I was bein’ facetious. Commuting in all directions willl take off as long as it’s convenient. People will do the easiest thing. It’s a given.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Yeah. No one drives from Riverdale to Markham or Aurora today.

I mean reverse commuting on GO.

Obviously the DVP is packed both directions most weekdays.

 

[TransitBart]

I mean reverse commuting on GO.

Obviously the DVP is packed both directions most weekdays.

People are commuting where, when and how it is easy. It's why I don't believe all the hand-wringing over business cases about line this and line that and how busy or not they will be. It's like "Field of Dreams". If you build it, they will come. The story on the roads tells us otherwise. If no one was going anywhere, there would not be GTA-wide gridlock - and that is not an exaggeration - seven days a week.

I personally believe that if all-day two way (with appropriate grade separations and journey times) and Relief Line opened tomorrow, they'd be busy from the get go.

 

[micheal_can]

Pretty exciting that it looks like Smart Track might be the catalyst for electrification under the PC's. I wonder if Tory can convince them to make it more than expanded GO service and maybe we can get some more subway style emus running on it.

You think the PCs will do anything when it comes to transit? Who cancelled the Eglinton subway?