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

[Steve X]

Well the Eglinton West LRT connecting Mississauga and Toronto would've been opened in 2015, but that was canceled due to budget overruns. That would've made an irresistible photo op for Mr. Del Duca.

In all seriousness, the Crosstown LRT + Mississauga Transitway would've been a wonderful step forward. The LRT would've been as fast as subways between Mississauga and TTC Line 1, and would've also connected to Pearson Airport, which is the second largest employment centre in the country.

I believe that one of biggest mistakes we made last decade was prioritizing the UPX over the Eglinton West LRT. The LRT would've been more expensive, but also would've served far more people, and without an absurdly high operational subsidy as well. Eglinton West was the best choice for GTA "families and commuters".

The UPX is needed but it advertised to the public properly. To be honest, TTC and GO isn't making money either and need subsidies. So UPX isn't doing that bad.

The UPX only costed half a million oppose to 6+ billions. If they didn't build it, it would had become international embarrassment news as it was a commitment for the Pam Am games. But if they didn't spend that money on Pam Am games, they could had built the LRT to Pearson with that money. The games however did have a positive effect on Canadians, encourages a new generation of athletes, new stadiums around the GTA and introducing TO to South America. It hard to say which option is better.

 

[Palma]

Tory also confirmed today that the TTC will pay operating costs.

So if TTC is paying operational costs and will by running the trains is Metrolinx paying maintenance costs?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The UPX is needed but it advertised to the public properly. To be honest, TTC and GO isn't making money either and need subsidies. So UPX isn't doing that bad.

The subsidy the UPX requires is literally an order of magnitude greater than the LRT would've required, while it servicing less people than the LRT. It's absolutely the worse choice from a financial perspective.

The UPX only costed half a million oppose to 6+ billions. If they didn't build it, it would had become international embarrassment news as it was a commitment for the Pam Am games.

The embarrassment factor due to the Games is the only comellling argument for building the UPX over the Eglinton West LRT, imo.

If I'm remembering correctly, the Eglinton West LRT was initially planned to open in 2015. In an alternate universe, with better coordination it might have been possible to get the LRT open in time for the games, and use GO Transit to shuttle people between Mt Dennis and Union Station.

Anyways the Crosstown West is better designed than the Eglinton West LRT was, so maybe it's for the best in the long run.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The subsidy the UPX requires is literally an order of magnitude greater than the LRT would've required, while it servicing less people than the LRT. It's absolutely the worse choice from a financial perspective.



The embarrassment factor due to the Games is the only comellling argument for building the UPX over the Eglinton West LRT, imo.

If I'm remembering correctly, the Eglinton West LRT was initially planned to open in 2015. In an alternate universe, with better coordination it might have been possible to get the LRT open in time for the games, and use GO Transit to shuttle people between Mt Dennis and Union Station.

Anyways the Crosstown West is better designed than the Eglinton West LRT was, so maybe it's for the best in the long run.

High Speed Rail is a factor too. The HSR will provide marginally faster Downtown to Pearson travel times than UPX.

I'm not seeing a purpose for UPX with Eglinton LRT and HSR being built. HSR is capable of picking up UPX's role as a high cost, low capacity, "boutique" express service, while Eglinton LRT would've provided mass transit to Pearson and its employment lines. If we had a coordinated planning process in the GTA, I can't envision that the UPX would've been introduced.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Well the Eglinton West LRT connecting Mississauga and Toronto would've been opened in 2015, but that was canceled due to budget overruns. That would've made an irresistible photo op for Mr. Del Duca.

In all seriousness, the Crosstown LRT + Mississauga Transitway would've been a wonderful step forward. The LRT would've been as fast as subways between Mississauga and TTC Line 1, and would've also connected to Pearson Airport, which is the second largest employment centre in the country.

I believe that one of biggest mistakes we made last decade was prioritizing the UPX over the Eglinton West LRT. The LRT would've been more expensive, but also would've served far more people, and without an absurdly high operational subsidy as well. Eglinton West was the best choice for GTA "families and commuters".

They threw in the Eglinton West LRT extension (Mt. Dennis to YYZ) in with SmartTrack, after rejecting the heavy rail option along Eglinton West in Etobicoke for SmartTrack. See link. They are currently looking into doing revisions to the EA, for grade separations for some of the intersections, such as Martin Grove Road and others. In addition (make that subtraction), they may remove some of minor stops.

Wondering if they will have to change some of the stop names. Personally, they shouldn't.

 

[LNahid2000]

The TTC achieved this at Dundas/Victoria in a few days just a couple of weeks ago. The TTC has a very narrow timeframe to install tracks in a live environment and they have done better and is always on time. Maybe John Tory should had his photo ops there. This is really nothing to be proud.

Funny, that happened this morning.

 

[Eug]

I'm curious, what is it they are doing on Eglinton East in the at-grade portion of the line?

They removed the concrete median separating the eastbound lanes from the westbound lanes for a long stretch of Eglinton east. However, now they are filling in the hole left behind with asphalt. Or at least partially filling it in, leaving it looks like about an inch or two between the top of that new asphalt to the road surface.

I am just curious what this is for, and what the plan is going forward. Are they going to level all this out to road surface level, to allow for changing the lane configuration, for example to temporarily run a lane over where the median used to be?

 

[ShonTron]

I'm curious, what is it they are doing on Eglinton East in the at-grade portion of the line?

They removed the concrete median separating the eastbound lanes from the westbound lanes for a long stretch of Eglinton east. However, now they are filling in the hole left behind with asphalt. Or at least partially filling it in, leaving it looks like about an inch or two between the top of that new asphalt to the road surface.

I am just curious what this is for, and what the plan is going forward. Are they going to level all this out to road surface level, to allow for changing the lane configuration, for example to temporarily run a lane over where the median used to be?

That makes the most sense. Utility re-location is likely as the first part of the surface LRT work.

 

[smallspy]

That makes the most sense. Utility re-location is likely as the first part of the surface LRT work.

Indeed, that's exactly what it is for. To move the existing utilities out from under where the LRT tracks will go, and to put in the conduit for the LRT's own utilities.

While they're at it, they'll rebuild the road one half at a time.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Steve X]

If I'm remembering correctly, the Eglinton West LRT was initially planned to open in 2015. In an alternate universe, with better coordination it might have been possible to get the LRT open in time for the games, and use GO Transit to shuttle people between Mt Dennis and Union Station.

Anyways the Crosstown West is better designed than the Eglinton West LRT was, so maybe it's for the best in the long run.

Transit city wasn't anywhere to be completed by 2015. TTC lowballed all estimated (cost and time). Other cities are getting away with LRTs costing $40m per km while we can't even build a km for $100m. The original estimated cost was something like $2.4b for the entire 26km. Then they realized the tunnel would cost twice as much.

It wasn't going to get built by the games even if the Liberals put forth the money. Even if they did, we'll have not trains to run the line.

 

[robmausser]

They threw in the Eglinton West LRT extension (Mt. Dennis to YYZ) in with SmartTrack, after rejecting the heavy rail option along Eglinton West in Etobicoke for SmartTrack. See link. They are currently looking into doing revisions to the EA, for grade separations for some of the intersections, such as Martin Grove Road and others. In addition (make that subtraction), they may remove some of minor stops.

Wondering if they will have to change some of the stop names. Personally, they shouldn't.

This is what most likely will get built

Which I actually think is much better and actually makes an LRT rapid transit. In fact, I would do grade separations at Islington and Royal York as well, then every stop would not conflict with a major intersection at all.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The holdup for the EA revision has to do with the Pearson Transit Hub. With the current EA, the Eglinton LRT was to have its own station at Pearson, but now with the Transit Hub, it means a B-I-G station at Pearson connecting with several transportation systems.

 

[BurlOak]

This is what most likely will get built

Which I actually think is much better and actually makes an LRT rapid transit. In fact, I would do grade separations at Islington and Royal York as well, then every stop would not conflict with a major intersection at all.

East Mall seems like a very bad stop.

1. Draw a 500m circle around it and you get a lot of highway ramps, creeks, parkland, etc.
2. Those in the NE and SE quadrants of these circles (who are mostly beyond 300m) would actually be closer to Martin Grove.
3. There is nobody just highway in the NW quadrant.
4. In the SW quadrant, there are a dozen houses.
5. Roughly due south, there is 1 strip mall, and then again a few single family houses beyond the 300m mark.

The East Mall and Rangoon buses would still be in existence (going to Martin Grove Station and Commerce Station respectively) so these relatively small numbers of people would still be served no worse than today.

Agree with full grade-separation. Not much marginal cost, but plenty of benefit (auto operation, more reliable, faster, etc.)

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The holdup for the EA revision has to do with the Pearson Transit Hub. With the current EA, the Eglinton LRT was to have its own station at Pearson, but now with the Transit Hub, it means a B-I-G station at Pearson connecting with several transportation systems.

This is the EA revision for Crosstown West, correct?

When is it to be completed?

 

[Voltz]

The holdup for the EA revision has to do with the Pearson Transit Hub. With the current EA, the Eglinton LRT was to have its own station at Pearson, but now with the Transit Hub, it means a B-I-G station at Pearson connecting with several transportation systems.

Why would there be a holdup? And when was this mentioned? I don't remember the Airport grounds ever being a part of the EA's. And the map posted above shows the endpoint of the EA at the Airport property line.