Going from Kipling to Honeydale to Sherway to Dixie GO is almost the same distance as following Dundas and having stations at Cloverdale and Dixie GO.
The only parts of Dundas not served would be:
- Honeydale vs. Cloverdale - a virtual trade-off since they are only a few hundred metres away from each other.
- A 1 km section through 427 and Etobicoke Creek that will never be developed.
- A 1.5 km section west of Etobicoke Creek, but I am not sure if there would have been a station at Wharton Way.
So going to Honeydale along the GO corridor is much less expensive initially, and it still maintains westwards expansion towards Dixie just as good or better than the Dundas route.
As I stated in the past and was stated by the team at the meeting, the subway extension west of Kipling using the rail corridor is dead as there is no room in it to support the 4 tracks for the Milton Line expansion and TTC.
The one thing about this terminal location and any expansion for the subway is the grade that will be needed to get under the tunnel between GO and the terminal as well the condo. You may have 400 m in total from the end of the Kipling station to the condo and this would put the grade in the range at about 5%-10% and would be the steepest in the system.
By going this route will be done my a TBM vs going along Dundas as a cut and fill.
Why I have stated using Dundas going west to Dixie, it the centre of any redevelopment along the corridor with shorter walking distance than running it beside the rail corridor on the surface. Also, you would have to expropriate everything in the way of the subway expansion that includes residential, new business and retail.
With the new extension, TTC gains the spaces it need that can't be added to Kipling for buses, as well the lost $$$ for the dead heading running time of buses to/from it including MT. A larger parking area that removes cars off Dundas going to/from Kipling today that will make Dundas more livable.
The driving factor for this location terminal is Islington itself, as it falling apart with the current roof/bus bay that has to be rebuilt and not worth the money to do so as that area is going to be replace by a condo. Its costing somewhere around $20m tobuild a temporarily terminal on the old Legion land with TTC buses using the south non roof bus bays. It doesn't have the washrooms it once had as TTC not willing to spend the money to replace them which is dumb considering how long a bus ride is to get to/from it, the extra 15 minutes going to/from Kipling or the 25 minute ride to Yonge stations with washrooms.
The only area I know on Dundas that will not see development is between 427 and the west side of
Etobicoke Creek due to ramps. Everything east of 427 is to be redevelop.
These 2 projects would cover 1/7 of the cost to built the subway extension.
One thing that struck me at the meeting was where were the Ford Brothers who represent Etobicoke and the pusher of subways? Rob was losing a battle for his seat at a mayor debate. Ford has never come out once in supporting a subway in his area, yet goes after one outside of it.
