Platform 27
Active Member
If we take as a given that, for at least the next few decades, ridership considerations dictate that:
Everyone hates same-direction linear transfers (see: Sheppard subway/LRT debate, Scarborough RT/subway debate etc. etc.), but they're an inevitability in a world where the Yonge subway can't run to Lake Simcoe. Assuming you're not just choosing the spot based on where you run out of money for the more expensive mode, ideally you'd want somewhere where there will naturally be a fair number of trips beginning, ending, or turning direction to minimize the number of "straight-through" riders who are needlessly inconvenienced.
For that reason I think downtown Brampton is the best potential spot on the corridor to be point x . Because it's theoretically a destination unto itself now (and ideally should grow into more of one in the future) then a significant amount of travellers will be making radial trips between it and the Brampton periphery while a reduced proportion will be travelling straight through (at least compared with other point x options along the corridor like at Hurontario & 401, Steeles, Sandalwood etc.). It's also an important "bend" point from a regional perspective: someone going between a house in Georgetown and a job at Square One can take the GO train across and then the LRT down; someone going from South Brampton to Vaughan can take the LRT up and then Queen across, someone going from North Brampton to Union can take Zum south and then the GO Train to Union and so on, and those riders avoid an extra transfer inserted somewhere into the N-S part of their journey.
- from Port Credit north to point x the corridor will use LRT; and
- from Mayfield south to point x the corridor will be either the current flavour of BRT-light Zum, or maybe be bumped up a notch to full BRT
Everyone hates same-direction linear transfers (see: Sheppard subway/LRT debate, Scarborough RT/subway debate etc. etc.), but they're an inevitability in a world where the Yonge subway can't run to Lake Simcoe. Assuming you're not just choosing the spot based on where you run out of money for the more expensive mode, ideally you'd want somewhere where there will naturally be a fair number of trips beginning, ending, or turning direction to minimize the number of "straight-through" riders who are needlessly inconvenienced.
For that reason I think downtown Brampton is the best potential spot on the corridor to be point x . Because it's theoretically a destination unto itself now (and ideally should grow into more of one in the future) then a significant amount of travellers will be making radial trips between it and the Brampton periphery while a reduced proportion will be travelling straight through (at least compared with other point x options along the corridor like at Hurontario & 401, Steeles, Sandalwood etc.). It's also an important "bend" point from a regional perspective: someone going between a house in Georgetown and a job at Square One can take the GO train across and then the LRT down; someone going from South Brampton to Vaughan can take the LRT up and then Queen across, someone going from North Brampton to Union can take Zum south and then the GO Train to Union and so on, and those riders avoid an extra transfer inserted somewhere into the N-S part of their journey.