Leo_Chan
Senior Member
Except between Yonge and Bayview. The rest is probably fine for widening.
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Steeles RT
- Thread starter Second_in_pie
- Start date
Rainforest
Senior Member
Don't disagree in general; however, I find the Steeles West bus less crowded since the Pioneer Village station opened.
Rainforest
Senior Member
Another tricky area is between Hilda and Bathurst. The R.O.W used to be very wide, but they added some highrises close to the existing lanes in the last few years.
amnesiajune
Senior Member
There's still more than enough space for a configuration like Yonge Street in Richmond Hill (currently under construction). The problem is that these are very general city-building projects, which Toronto doesn't do. Everything in Toronto has to have one focus, and anything else can't be more than an unnoticed "might as well do it now" attachment (such as the Eglinton bike lanes).
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
If Steeles does get a centre median BRT setup, will there still be 6 vehicle lanes, or reduced to just 4?
BurlOak
Senior Member
Curious about Finch West bus. The argument was always that the Spadina subway extension is helping the west end to some degree - so the priority could be switched to the DRL. Has that bus improved this year?
Unfortunately, our Councillors still put the FWLRT as the #1 priority.
amnesiajune
Senior Member
I assume that they'd keep the current configurations unchanged. They might need to drop to four lanes at the 404 crossing and west of Leslie (rail bridge) but everywhere else there should be enough space to add two new bus lanes and platforms at the major intersections. Even between Henderson/Maxome & Yonge they have enough space for one lane, and possibly two if they buy a slightly wider ROW.
In the meantime, what the city should really do is build bus-priority left turn lanes on Yonge for the 60 and Steeles East for the 53. The ROW is wide enough, it would be fairly cheap to do, and there's already precedents for it at the Sheppard West and Don Mills stations.
rbt
Senior Member
That likely depends on the makeup of city council in ~2028 as they will be approving the project.
M II A II R II K
Senior Member
Could yet be a Transit City route, with underground or elevated sections in where the streets are narrow. Since by then there’d be a few TC lines actually running so it would be known how well it’s working out.
Rainforest
Senior Member
Probably, but I rarely take the Finch bus and can't really tell.
The cost of FWLRT is trivial compared to the cost of DRL. Given the advanced state of FWLRT, I wouldn't want to kill it now.
Rainforest
Senior Member
I would go with 2 bus lanes + consistent 4 general traffic lanes + left-turn lanes at all intersections, and maybe a few right-turn lanes at some locations.
Don't see much benefit at having inconsistent width, 6 lanes in some sections and 4 lanes in others, for Steeles as well as for other major streets.
Rainforest
Senior Member
Yes, that would help. In addition, I would designate a dedicated left-turn lane southbound approaching the Finch Stn. Doesn't even need road widening, just designate the left lane as bus only and the two right lanes for general traffic.
amnesiajune
Senior Member
There's no reason not to. The city has no involvement in this project - it's all being done by Metrolinx.
TJ O'Pootertoot
Senior Member
I remember riding articulated buses on Steeles back in the 1980s so I don't think ridership is really the issue, if we're talking potential BRT.
You have to overcome Toronto's apparent BRT antipathy, generally and how they'd ever invest in a "border" project that's technically in their ROW but serving many YR riders. Seems like something that won't end up anywhere near a front burner before fare integration exists and/or Metrolinx has a greater role in operations.
(When YRT was set to do the busway on Yonge, before the subway plan fell out of the sky, TTC was looking at a continuation from Steeles to Finch. Both are now in hibernation.)
You have to overcome Toronto's apparent BRT antipathy, generally and how they'd ever invest in a "border" project that's technically in their ROW but serving many YR riders. Seems like something that won't end up anywhere near a front burner before fare integration exists and/or Metrolinx has a greater role in operations.
(When YRT was set to do the busway on Yonge, before the subway plan fell out of the sky, TTC was looking at a continuation from Steeles to Finch. Both are now in hibernation.)
innsertnamehere
Superstar
The design for the Steeles subway station accommodates a centre median BRT on Steeles.
York Region and Toronto share costs of Steeles evenly, but the road is built to Toronto standards and maintained by Toronto. Toronto is about to start widening Steeles in the east end out to the Durham border, and is splitting the cost 50/50 with York Region, even though Toronto is the one building it, maintaining it, and operating transit service on it.
Now that I think of it, Brampton maintains and operates Highway 50 as well, with York Region cost sharing it. York region seems to be getting a good deal on both of their primary border corridors.
York Region and Toronto share costs of Steeles evenly, but the road is built to Toronto standards and maintained by Toronto. Toronto is about to start widening Steeles in the east end out to the Durham border, and is splitting the cost 50/50 with York Region, even though Toronto is the one building it, maintaining it, and operating transit service on it.
Now that I think of it, Brampton maintains and operates Highway 50 as well, with York Region cost sharing it. York region seems to be getting a good deal on both of their primary border corridors.