I’m sure at a certain threshold you have to start considering movators… like what used to be at Spadina. I find VMC makes sense considering all the necessary connections are too far apart to have a single entrance or two. I suppose this begs the question if this would add to the cost at Cummer, or if something like it has already been accounted for.
Of course, it does set a murky precedent however (The McCowan route on the Scarborough Subway)
Here I disagree. That's not the "real reason." The real reason - which many still find difficult to accept - is to enable massive suburban intensification in a key node, the plans for which go back concretely more than 15 years now and, really, another 10 or 15 years prior to that. I don't really care whether Toronto residents are frustrated because they don't understand the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. I'm not going to roll my eyes for the umpteenth time when I hear David Miller opining that RH residents really would be best served by the (not viable) GO improvements when he and I both know that he probaly hasn't been within 10km of Silver City Richmond in his life, much less reviewed the (pre-MZO) Langstaff Gateway Secondary Plan. Objectively, that position is simply wrong and (speaking to what I've heard him say, not you) is ignorant of intensification patterns and plans as well as how people in south York Region travel and use transit.
As for Vaughan "already getting a subway," it's 2.5 stops on the opposite side of the municpality and, again, Torontonians can be frustrated if they're ignorant of growth in the 905 but I'd suggest they should be far more concerned about their own declining inner suburban population, how they've messed up transit in Scarborough (which will become VERY clear before the end of the year), how they're wasting money on SmartTrack and the Gardiner, and a half dozen other transit/growth-related issues before dwelling unduly on how "their" infrastructure is allowing for less auto-centric development in their suburban neighbours. IMHO.
Agreed. This, no one can dispute.
Maybe so, but those VIVA services will feed directly into the subway extension, along with a handful of the most well-used GO buses.
I'll give you all that for sure. Let's see what happens. At least York Region is embracing transit. That's the good side. RHC will be a great example of transformation in the region. The subway only enhances that.
That no longer seems to be the driving philosophy behind subway projects. The idea now seems to be that the subway should behave like a GO train, at the expense of screwing over the people in the actual city who may need to use it.
The problem is that incredibly expensive deep mined stations that cost upwards of $500M each are not well suited to providing fine grain local service except in the densest of areas (eg downtown). We need to solve the cost problem if we want to change that. Perhaps cut and cover can be an option. I know some jurisdictions are also looking at large bore tunnels with the station largely/entirely in the the tunnel (relying more on elevators for access). The most likely option to me is elevated, which OL might become the prototype for in Toronto--hopefully it is something that expands the overton window of politically acceptable transit solutions.
Elevated subways are an eye sore and create lots of noise, shadows and pollution
Electric subways create pollution? yes the 6 lane arterial roads are so much better for the environment. since when do cars and trucks create noise pollution, visual pollution, and air pollution, oh and kill people on bikes, walking, and other drivers. The issue is those damn electric subways behind noise walls that are the issue. You know i agree Huston is the pinacol of sustainable and efficient transportation and Toronto would learn a thing or two about city planning.
you forgot to add in the \S\ at the end.
I think many people are taking the not so great experience of the SRT as the measuring stick for elevated rail. we have seen countless examples even in canada where properly constructed elevated rail works.
I am talking about the areas around it. The areas under the elevated portions became un-used and polluted. Similar to the areas under the Gardiner Expressway.
Source? You don't see Tokyo as being a wasteland. They got more elevated lines just in Tokyo than all of metrolinx. They are 10x more cleaner than any toronto street.