Toronto St. Clair West Transit Improvements | ?m | ?s | TTC

[W. K. Lis]

If this is the way we allow streetcars on ROW to operate, it's not unreasonable to doubt that the next light rail ROW projects will be better implemented, especially because they will be built in less walkable, more car-oriented parts of the city. And frankly, it makes these projects seem a little wasteful.

They are also, at the same time, changing the zoning along those streets to be more dense, like St. Clair Avenue. That would allow for low-rise multi-use buildings (hrt subway would require high-rise buildings), no parking in front (but in back), and more pedestrian friendly design. It won't happen right away, but will over time.

 

[Dan416]

They are also, at the same time, changing the zoning along those streets to be more dense, like St. Clair Avenue. That would allow for low-rise multi-use buildings (hrt subway would require high-rise buildings), no parking in front (but in back), and more pedestrian friendly design. It won't happen right away, but will over time.

Because high-rise buildings are baaaaaaad.

 

[Justin10000]

I would take a dense corridor of low-medium rise buildings over a node of a few high-rise buildings anyday. Promotes a more livable-walkable community.

 

[Dan416]

I would take a dense corridor of low-medium rise buildings over a node of a few high-rise buildings anyday. Promotes a more livable-walkable community.

I think the nodes SHOULD be high-density, in-between should be low-medium rise.

 

[waterloowarrior]

Transit City/Avenues = low to medium density development on the lots facing the street, surrounded by single family homes and duplexes, although there are still highrises near the subway and at major intersections like Bathurst/St. Clair (22 fl, 12/15 floor buildings at other select sites)

 

[drum118]

There is a 9 story building addition to 745 St Clair W going up this year where the gas station was next to Joe office.

There are a few more low density as well high density in the planning stage now.

Got to make sure there is parking for only for 50% max of those units or less.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

At this stage, would you give the St Clair ROW a passing or failing grade?

 

[Jaye101]

Transit City/Avenues = low to medium density development on the lots facing the street, surrounded by single family homes and duplexes, although there are still highrises near the subway and at major intersections like Bathurst/St. Clair (22 fl, 12/15 floor buildings at other select sites)

Do you have the link to the rest of this document?

 

[W. K. Lis]

At this stage, would you give the St Clair ROW a passing or failing grade?

With the roads department refusing to give the streetcars true transit priority, I would give it a B-. There are two strikes against it: streetcars not getting their first go after a red light (left turn auto get priority); and the close spacing of the stops, slow the streetcars down.

 

[drum118]

I give it a ""C"" as noted above, but poor designing and spacing of poles play a big part both at the intersections. Then having 2 too many stops does not help.

Not having the Oakwood Loop in place and the screw up at Gunns puts it at ""D"".

 

[reaperexpress]

With the roads department refusing to give the streetcars true transit priority, I would give it a B-. There are two strikes against it: streetcars not getting their first go after a red light (left turn auto get priority); and the close spacing of the stops, slow the streetcars down.

The overabundance of stops is something that bothers me about St. Clair. Removing superfluous stops would significantly increase speed and make the line somewhat more LRT-like.

In particular, there seem to be too many stops around St. Clair West station. Measuring distances in Google Earth (unprofessional, I know), the average stop spacing between Wychwood and Spadina is about 200m.

One stop we could do without is the stop on the eastern ramp into St. Clair West station. Are people so lazy that they can't walk 130m to the subway station? It would really help the speed of the line if they did, since St. Clair west allows all door loading.

It also seems a bit excessive to have a stop at Bathurst and a stop a Vaughan road, seeing as they are so close together. In fact, the Westbound Bathurst stop is actually closer to the Eastbound Vaughan stop than the Eastbound Bathurst stop. Initially I was thinking of consolidating them into one stop by removing the eastbound Bathurst stop and the Westbound Vaughan stop, but then I noticed that the 7 Bathurst doesn't go into St. Clair West station but the 90 Vaughan road does. So currently, I think it makes most sense to simply remove the stop at Vaughan road.

These changes would put the average stop spacing at 340m, still quite walkable.

Any thoughts?

EDIT:
Here are the distances that I recorded between stops:
Wychwood-Vaughan: 280m
Vaughan-Bathurst: 150m
Bathurst-St.Clair West: 250m
St.Clair West-Tweedsmir: 130m
Tweedsmuir-Spadina: 190m

 

[kettal]

Bad timing for that idea. Nobody's going to close these just-built stations. At least they're skipped when nobody is waiting at the stop.

 

[Fresh Start]

The problem with St Clair isn't the number of stops, it's the lack of true signal priority.

 

[Jimbits]

At this stage, would you give the St Clair ROW a passing or failing grade?

At this stage, I'm waiting for the west end of the line to finish. I'm still served by a bus. At least I have the 512 though; To visit my sisters who live by the intersection of Jane and St. Clair, I have to wait for the infrequent 71 bus. An extension of the 512 has to come as soon as possible. As someone may have mentioned, there's going to be an Avenue study of St. Clair Avenue West between Keele Street/Weston Road and Scarlett Road. I hope the study shows the streetcar is coming.

Measuring distances in Google Earth (unprofessional, I know), the average stop spacing between Wychwood and Spadina is about 200m.

One stop we could do without is the stop on the eastern ramp into St. Clair West station. Are people so lazy that they can't walk 130m to the subway station? It would really help the speed of the line if they did, since St. Clair west allows all door loading.

There's also the issue of vertical distance; it's hard for some people to go up and down stairs. But the stop at Tweedsmuir has a purpose: if for some reason, streetcars cannot use the loop inside St. Clair West Station, people can get off here. It was used when that was the case, when the loop was reconstructed back whenever it was. And from my experience, it's lightly used and is usually skipped.

It also seems a bit excessive to have a stop at Bathurst and a stop a Vaughan road, seeing as they are so close together. In fact, the Westbound Bathurst stop is actually closer to the Eastbound Vaughan stop than the Eastbound Bathurst stop. Initially I was thinking of consolidating them into one stop by removing the eastbound Bathurst stop and the Westbound Vaughan stop, but then I noticed that the 7 Bathurst doesn't go into St. Clair West station but the 90 Vaughan road does. So currently, I think it makes most sense to simply remove the stop at Vaughan road.

From what I've seen, the Vaughan and Bathurst stops, unlike the stop at Tweedsmuir, are each heavily used at peak times. To remove one would overload the other. There'd be a lot of people waiting and getting off, and those aren't big platforms. Since they're already there, you're going to raise hell by proposing to remove them.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The 512 St. Clair should be extended west of Gunns Road. If Transit City is going with standard gauge tracks, then it would mean either a road loop around Jane, Dundas, Scarlett, and back onto St. Clair; or a loop at the north-east corner parkette at Scarlett Road and St. Clair Avenue West.

The environment assessment for the Scarlett Road/CP Galt Subdivision Rail Grade Separation was completed back in February, 2008. Don't know when the construction will first. Probably after the construction on the Dundas Street bridge over the Humber River is completed first.