Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

[Eug]

How safe is Kennedy Station anyways these days? Acquaintances of mine say it's not bad although not good either. It certainly doesn't have a reputation of being a place you want to be late at night, but sometimes reputations aren't really justified.

 

[Amphibius]

or if safety is pretty much independent of the changes?

Yup! Hoodlums can congregate anywhere. Public Safety/peace of mind stems from surveilence cameras cautioning would-be thugs that they're being watched so don't try anything, and the presence of transit police especially at major interchange stations like Kennedy.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

How safe is Kennedy Station anyways these days? Acquaintances of mine say it's not bad although not good either. It certainly doesn't have a reputation of being a place you want to be late at night, but sometimes reputations aren't really justified.

Having spent many cumulative hours in Kennedy, one of the main reasons for the lack of safety (real or perceived...and it's not just perceived) is the pointless transfer to the RT, the long waits for buses, and the profoundly stupid station design - and Scarborough's demographics, of course - all of which combine to force people to spend time in a place they'd rather not. Two thugs (or any two people) can get in a fight anywhere, but the odds of it happening when you're standing around (there's really nowhere to sit) in a rather dark station waiting for a half-hourly bus (and getting frustrated by the relatively poor service) only go up. The mezzanine floor is also kinda creepy.

If Kennedy was an interchange of one subway line (to STC) and one continuous Eglinton line, as they both need to be, safety would be improved, particularly if the two lines were not 3 storeys away from each other.

 

[Earlscourt_Lad]

A tunnel between Keele and Jane makes absolutely no sense because that area is in a valley. Why not simply elevate the guideway through that stretch, with an above-grade station (Black Creek) directly serving the GO corridor?

Your geography is a bit off. From Jane, westward, it's uphill to Weston Rd., then down slightly to Black Creek and then uphill to Keele. Which precludes that idea, nevermind the railway line between Weston & Black Creek, which is above road level.

 

[kEiThZ]

What is concerning is that there is as of yet no confirmation that the SRT and Eglinton LRT are to be linked. That was the one benefit of not getting a subway extension to STC; the promise of a one-seat ride to Yonge for at least some riders from Scarborough. Now it seems that the TTC is determined to continue to impose a useless transfer on a significant proportion of riders from Scarborough.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

What is concerning is that there is as of yet no confirmation that the SRT and Eglinton LRT are to be linked. That was the one benefit of not getting a subway extension to STC; the promise of a one-seat ride to Yonge for at least some riders from Scarborough. Now it seems that the TTC is determined to continue to impose a useless transfer on a significant proportion of riders from Scarborough.

That's not a benefit - everyone will continue to transfer to the subway at Kennedy and ride the Danforth line over rather than take something that stops at red lights.

 

[Eug]

What is concerning is that there is as of yet no confirmation that the SRT and Eglinton LRT are to be linked. That was the one benefit of not getting a subway extension to STC; the promise of a one-seat ride to Yonge for at least some riders from Scarborough. Now it seems that the TTC is determined to continue to impose a useless transfer on a significant proportion of riders from Scarborough.

If Kennedy was an interchange of one subway line (to STC) and one continuous Eglinton line, as they both need to be, safety would be improved, particularly if the two lines were not 3 storeys away from each other.

What would you guys prefer, an Eglinton to SC-Malvern link, or an Eglinton to SRT link?

I'd prefer the former, but I think most would prefer the latter.

That's not a benefit - everyone will continue to transfer to the subway at Kennedy and ride the Danforth line over rather than take something that stops at red lights.

Probably true for the majority of riders, but Yonge and Eglinton is becoming a large focus of activity nowadays too.

 

[kEiThZ]

^ How about both? They could send some to STC (or even on to Malvern) and some on the SMLRT (maybe a short-turn at UTSC?). My priority would be STC.

If they don't connect the lines though, 'Transfer City' is a perfectly accurate term because there will be very few riders from Scarborough who will see a reduction in the number of transfers. For most of them the number of transfers will stay the same if the Eglinton line is not tied in to some of these other lines.

 

[kEiThZ]

That's not a benefit - everyone will continue to transfer to the subway at Kennedy and ride the Danforth line over rather than take something that stops at red lights.

Would it not be useful if you were heading to Eglinton and points north? And if the promised speed materializes maybe the line could capture riders to Davisville and St. Clair. For the distance from Kennedy to Yonge we are talking a few minutes of difference. My crude maths (using google distances):

Kennedy to Yonge/Bloor (14 km) @ 32kph = 26.25 mins
Kennedy to Yonge/Eglinton (11 km) @ 22 kph = 30 mins.

4 mins difference, and if the tunnel can boost speeds a little it might not be all that bad.

 

[kettal]

What are they thinking? I'd remove #s 5, 7, 9, 11, 29, 31 and 35 right off the bat. The line has to maintain a high level of speed and frequency in order to be a true LRT service (~35km/h NOT 23km/h). The Jane/Weston, VP/Pharmacy and Brentcliffe/Leslie stations could be merged as all these pairings are within 300m of eachother. Where the heck's Laird Dr, the major N/S artery of Leaside? A tunnel between Keele and Jane makes absolutely no sense because that area is in a valley. Why not simply elevate the guideway through that stretch, with an above-grade station (Black Creek) directly serving the GO corridor? And regarding the Airport Study in the URL; why don't they just swing the LRT up the hydro corridor to the immediate west of Martin Grove, then run it across Dixon into Pearson? At least then the line would be accessible to the high concentration of hotels, bars, eateries and convention centres lining the stretch from Hwy 27 to Carlingview. There's no reason why the bus can't takeover west of Martin Grove/Eglinton Stn.

Emmet Avenue can go, but the other west end stations should stay. Remember, they still have to serve the locals if you like it or not. I'd say the LRT can skip these stops when nobody requests, but that may require standing at the next major intersection in order to maintain headways.

Merging Jane & Weston is also a horrible idea. They're both major transfer points.

It's going to be sweet, there's not even 10 intersections between the tunnel and the airport. It's not as slow as the pessimists are making it out to be at all.

 

[kettal]

Would it not be useful if you were heading to Eglinton and points north? And if the promised speed materializes maybe the line could capture riders to Davisville and St. Clair. For the distance from Kennedy to Yonge we are talking a few minutes of difference. My crude maths (using google distances):

Kennedy to Yonge/Bloor (14 km) @ 32kph = 26.25 mins
Kennedy to Yonge/Eglinton (11 km) @ 22 kph = 30 mins.

4 mins difference, and if the tunnel can boost speeds a little it might not be all that bad.

If the destination is ultimately north of St Clair, you'd be losing time to use Bloor.

Please post obligatory red lights!!! retort below this line:

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[Voltz]

One possible benefit to connecting the SRT and eglinton together is I doubt they would connect the two lines together unless eglinton is grade separated.

But I would still prefer to leave eglinton operating straight through rather than diverted to the SRT corridor.

And am I going to be the only one to point out that subways also stop at red lights? they also stop at stations when no one is getting on or off.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Please post obligatory red lights!!! retort below this line:

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The only obligatory thing here is your moronic post.

Looking back, the one-seat ride to Yonge keithz was talking about was running the RT along Eglinton, not an LRT. The RT would not stop at red lights.

Of course, this still means connecting places that make no sense connecting, and at the direct expense of other needed connections. If people are beginning north of Eglinton (north of Kennedy station) and ending up north of Bloor, the east/west link that makes sense for them is running the Sheppard subway to STC. For those beginning their trip east of Kennedy station, one continuous line along Eglinton makes sense for them. There really isn't that much along Eglinton, and a whole lot of nothing between Yonge and the airport.

edit - and, of course, no one is beginning their trip at Kennedy station itself, so they *are* all coming from farther east or north, many of them quite a ways east or north, so starting the stopwatch on theoretical trips to Yonge at Kennedy station serves no purpose.

 

[kEiThZ]

^ To clarify I meant some combination of Eglinton and the SRT replacement (which I am hoping will be a LRT). So that might mean stops at red lights but no transfer at Kennedy. I would not want to see the RT resurrected just so they can have a single line from Malvern to the airport.

Do you think my estimate is reasonable? I think 22 kph is more than reasonable for the Eglinton LRT even with the above ground portion. Supposedly the tunnel would boost it to 25 kph. In which case, the time difference to Yonge from Kennedy would be mere seconds. That's why I think it makes sense to combine the SRT replacement with the Eglinton LRT. That would give us a Eglinton-Scarborough LRT.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Don't want to nitpick, but when did #11. Emmett Drive get its name changed from Emmett Avenue? Get a proofreader who knows the area in question.