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

[TheTigerMaster]

I am in full agreement with Solid Snake and Neptis regarding the Crosstown LRT. I am hoping that this report will pressure Metrolinx to elevate the line. IIRC, the option wasn't even studied back in 2011.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Yea, who needs an Ionview stop, and you could make a combined VP and Pharmacy stop in between.

 

[Solid Snake]

I am in full agreement with Solid Snake and Neptis regarding the Crosstown LRT. I am hoping that this report will pressure Metrolinx to elevate the line. IIRC, the option wasn't even studied back in 2011.

Page 73 of the report

After reviewing this report, Metrolinx staff told us that they had been reluctant to challenge the Transit City schemes because these projects already had strong political support when the organization was created in 2007. They argued against re-opening design issues relating to the Eglinton Crosstown, for which some contracts have been awarded, fearing the result might be complete cancellation of the project. We disagree.

I feel that they knew that Transit City was flawed. They should get over it. The Crosstown belongs to Metrolinx and it's time they stop bending to the whining of incompetent councillors who know nothing about transit

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Page 73 of the report



I feel that they knew that Transit City was flawed. They should get over it. The Crosstown belongs to Metrolinx and it's time they stop bending to the whining of incompetent councillors who know nothing about transit

Again, we agree. Someone once told me that people at Metrolinx were in favour of elevating Eglinton, but were afraid to say so in fear of sparking more political debate. Of course this is hearsay so take it with a grain of salt.

The only reason Metrolinx was created was to take planning out of the hands of politicians. So Metrolinx needs to do what they feel is best for the Crosstown. The problem is the funding gap. This would require another $800 Million according to this report. Perhaps if Toronto implemented its own revenue tools, we could use some of that money towards the Crosstown.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Perhaps they could make the Eglinton, Scarborough, and Sheppard ALRT into one continuous loop from STC to the Airport, and then back again.

 

[Solid Snake]

Again, we agree. Someone once told me that people at Metrolinx were in favour of elevating Eglinton, but were afraid to say so in fear of sparking more political debate. Of course this is hearsay so take it with a grain of salt.

The only reason Metrolinx was created was to take planning out of the hands of politicians. So Metrolinx needs to do what they feel is best for the Crosstown. The problem is the funding gap. This would require another $800 Million according to this report. Perhaps if Toronto implemented its own revenue tools, we could use some of that money towards the Crosstown.

I think Sheppard LRT should be cut. The Scarborough Subway (McCowan Station) will cripple the ridership west of McCowan Road which means that LRT is Overkill for Sheppard. That billion should go to Eglinton

 

[rbt]

Would you think that increased presto usage would help recover fares? Or no?

Evidence from other nearby cities (Boston, and Chicago) have shown surprise revenue gains by rebuilding their fare-gates. In conjunction to going to smart cards, they also made it more difficult to commit fare-evasion.

It's possible that Presto may find an additional $40M in paid fares through reduction of fraud. Of course, going to POP will have the opposite effect.

 

[WislaHD]

That report seems to give the impression that they think that the Crosstown's function is to be a substitute to the 401, which I don't agree with at all.

Removing Chaplin, Avenue and Laird stations seems outrageous to me. Doing so suddenly makes the Crosstown useless for me unless I only wish to use it to transfer to YUS.

I am fine with reducing the stops in Scarborough and making that portion of the line elevated however. Those are ideas that have long been advocated for.

 

[andrewpmk]

That report seems to give the impression that they think that the Crosstown's function is to be a substitute to the 401, which I don't agree with at all.

Removing Chaplin, Avenue and Laird stations seems outrageous to me. Doing so suddenly makes the Crosstown useless for me unless I only wish to use it to transfer to YUS.

I am fine with reducing the stops in Scarborough and making that portion of the line elevated however. Those are ideas that have long been advocated for.

The issue is that building an underground station is very costly. I would be hesitant to remove very many stations, but Chaplin and Oakwood definitely should be canned because they are too close to other stations and are very costly to build. Stations like Rosedale, Chester, Glencairn, Bessarion and Ellesmere have few riders and only slow the trains down while costing a lot of money to build. It only make sense to build these sorts of minor stations if they are a long walk from busier stations.

It is sort of ridiculous how little putting Leslie on the south side of the road and grade separating this section would cost compared to the cost of putting unneeded stations on the underground section. If we did that we certainly could put a grade separated, above ground station at Leslie, which only really makes sense because it is such a long walk from Don Mills or Laird and because of the possible CP interchange at this station. Obviously making Eglinton LRT was a politically motivated decision because Miller wanted LRT for everything and because Ford made such a fool of himself asking for subways that council voted against him. The whole idea of underground LRT is nearly always bad idea and that's why it isn't all that common - the underground parts cost as much as a subway but can't carry any more people than a surface LRT.

I definitely think this report is going a bit too far in advocating removing stations on the Yonge extension. There needs to be at least one station between Steeles and Highway 7, this is a 4km distance and the Thornhill area is quite densely populated. Cummer could easily be eliminated though, the tunnel from Finch Station to an office building just north of the YRT bus terminal is halfway between Finch station and Cummer Avenue anyway.

 

[Adjei]

I guess some of you didn't hear all the hysteria when thought of even removing Oakwood station came up, you think it's so easy to just remove stations without neighbourhood opposition. The same thing with the Leslie stop..

 

[Solid Snake]

I guess some of you didn't hear all the hysteria when thought of even removing Oakwood station came up, you think it's so easy to just remove stations without neighbourhood opposition. The same thing with the Leslie stop..

I think removing Avenue Road is excessive. Removing Oakwood and Chaplin is very reasonable. Metrolinx caved to fast on the Leslie stop. Leslie has a bus route that could have been increased and go to Don Mills or Laird Station.

The very frequent Ossington bus serves Eglinton and Oakwood.

The Glencairn bus could be increased and reroute to Avenue Station.

The way I understood the report, they point out how much the TTC and Metrolinx can gain by asking for developers to pitch in money to have stations like Oakwood, Chaplin, Cummer, Langstaff. Developers are already drooling at the fact that stations will be build right on top of their building. It's not normal that in 2013 we're still unable to ask them to pay a fee for having a rapid trasit line right beneath them. I think that's what the report was trying to point out and they are correct on that.

This is easy money not being collected that could help pay maintenance or build new transit infrastructure

 

[WislaHD]

I guess some of you didn't hear all the hysteria when thought of even removing Oakwood station came up, you think it's so easy to just remove stations without neighbourhood opposition. The same thing with the Leslie stop..

The opposition to removing those stations would pale in comparison to the uproar Forest Hill would evoke if Metrolynx tried to remove the Chaplin station.

In the grande scheme of things, a Leslie stop is completely pointless though.

 

[Solid Snake]

The opposition to removing those stations would pale in comparison to the uproar Forest Hill would evoke if Metrolynx tried to remove the Chaplin station.

In the grande scheme of things, a Leslie stop is completely pointless though.

I forgot that the Forest Hill bus service Level could be increased and go to Avenue Station before ending at Eglinton

 

[andrewpmk]

The opposition to removing those stations would pale in comparison to the uproar Forest Hill would evoke if Metrolynx tried to remove the Chaplin station.

In the grande scheme of things, a Leslie stop is completely pointless though.

When it costs hundreds of millions to put in a minor underused stop like Chaplin when rich Forest Hill residents will just drive anyway, there is no point of building it. Local NIMBYs can be told to walk to Bathurst station.

 

[Johnny Au]

When it costs hundreds of millions to put in a minor underused stop like Chaplin when rich Forest Hill residents will just drive anyway, there is no point of building it. Local NIMBYs can be told to walk to Bathurst station.

There is also proximity to Forest Hill Collegiate as well.