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Spadina Subway Extension

fiendish:

I don't think anyone questioned the politics behind funding the Spadina Line (do note however he suggested taking it to VCC, which isn't likely to be the case) - but the way he put forth his arguments.

As to smiling and nodding his head, well, considering he has gotten ejected from here AND skyscraperpage...

AoD
 
AreBe was arguing that extending the subway to the 905 would somehow improve the subway within the city. One can look at all the subway expansion that has been done and obviously the political will seems to be in expanding the subway to places that have land uses which don't support it and no expansion is happening where the land use does support it. There is no way that "taking it to the 905" provides the transit that the 416 would like to see.
 
What was it? AreBe Centre?

Those were the halcycon days I tells ya.
 
AoD: I'm being facetious, of course. The main issue here is that although I'd love to see the extension funded, I wonder how/whether it can be operated. It seems to me that operating funds for the TTC need to be increased in proportion to the cost of operating the Spadina extension itself, and I don't think that is a foregone conclusion.
 
Not to be negative, but I will believe this when I see it (shovels in the ground, that is). A new line of some kind to replace the Scarborough light rail will surely have to be a higher priority.
 
fiendish:

Indeed re: operating cost - that requires a committment on the part of the province and we all know how tenuous that can be. Still, at least they are paying attention on the issue of infrastructural deficit, and it's high time something is done about it. I would imagine the extension would have a higher level of benefit than the current Sheppard Line however, given the presence of a major node that is York University...

AoD
 
Seriously... nowhere does "1km/year" or anything like it. Things just don't work like that when you have to pay for tunnel boring machines and construction crews. When it comes to big projects like subway lines, usually the most economical way of doing things is to announce it then build it as quickly as reasonably possible. Just look at Madrid.
 
I choose not to defeat ourselves before beginning because no one currently does it. Where's your entrepreneurial spirit?

To have a stated goal of: We wish to build at least 1km of subway each year.
Fantastic, no one's gonna bitch if 0.6 km is built one year, and 1.2 the next. The idea is you announce a 5km line today, and in 4 years time you announce where the next line is going to be. And if they choose to go over the 1km/year target, even better.

I don't need a 50 year road-map, just a commitment from the provincial/federal government that this goal is one to be strived for in the long run, with acceptable variances in the short-term.


Heck, you can substitute 1km/year with xxx million/year dedicated to Subway construction, the goal I'm looking for is a commitment of funding towards the extension of the subway network. Sparadic announcements and plans at will of changing governments is a system that needs to be corrected.
 
"I choose not to defeat ourselves before beginning because no one currently does it."

I choose to respect the practices of other cities which have had much, much, much, much, much more experience building subway lines than us.

Basically, the point is that a statement like "an average of 1km per year" is pointless because there are far too many variables in play, with the differences in cost between building 1km of elevated line, 1km underground in a dense urban setting, and 1km in a suburban setting just being part of it. What would make far more sense would be to define it by cost, not distance. Maybe "$300 million per year for continued rapid transit expansion"?

Edit: I see you beat me to it. Of course, "sparadic announcements and plans at will" probably wouldn't be such a bad thing if governments were interested in making subway expansion announcements and plan at all.
 
Build 1 km a year, every year.

No stop and go, just continuous small goings...
 
Taking what was said by the presenter at a Rocket Riders meeting a few months back...

The York U extension could potentially be operationally profitable if there was enough population living along the line. What the province and city should be doing is announcing construction of the line along with the creation of a development agency given the responsibility of transforming the land along the extension to high-density development. Basically all the land along the proposed extension is redevelopable, and development charges could help pay for the construction of the line. A quick look at Google Maps shows how much land is available for development within proximity of the Finch/Keele intersection.
 
That's a good idea... couple that with 1km/year and you've got a fantastic idea.
 
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