Transit City Plan

[W. K. Lis]

The anti-streetcar champion Rob Ford wants to develop a “transportation” plan and not a "transit" plan. With his remarks on “the war on the car is over”, I see it as a war on bicycles and transit. I hope the other councilors will be aware of that.

Meanwhile, as if Rob Ford remark on the "war on the car is over" has any influence, the price of gasoline will be jumping 4¢ Thursday.

 

[rbt]

The anti-streetcar champion Rob Ford wants to develop a “transportation” plan and not a "transit" plan. With his remarks on “the war on the car is over”, I see it as a war on bicycles and transit. I hope the other councilors will be aware of that.

Meanwhile, as if Rob Ford remark on the "war on the car is over" has any influence, the price of gasoline will be jumping 4¢ Thursday.

If you're going to speculate then OIL is starting to seem like a sure bet 4 or 5 years out. It seems many of the most vocal complainers about high oil prices 5 years back have zero intention of funding an realistic alternative mode of transportation.

 

[Ansem]

I find it amusing that It's downtown Torontonians/media that are screaming in Outrage...while Transit City was for the suburbs...

 

[Dan416]

CBC had an interview with TTC Chief General Manager Gary Webster and he let us know what Ford told him in the meeting.

IIRC, Ford told Webster he wants Sheppard built as subway from Downsview to STC, and Danforth to STC by the time the Pan Am games start.

Webster did not tell Ford whether he thought it was feasible or not, but he said they were going to take that date and work backward to see if they could do it.

He said they're trying to come up with a new plan and they have a lot of work to do to make this plan and hopefully have it by January.

 

[nfitz]

I seriously doubt electing Hudak would be any different.

However ... given what we've gone through in the last couple of years, it seems impossible that the Conservatives would not have to take a position on transit and Metrolinx in the election campaign. I don't recall this being the case in 1995.

 

[GraphicMatt]

As Jonathan Goldsbie pointed out, the underreported quote from Ford's press conference today is his saying that "for too long, the city has focused on transit only."

 

[Dan416]

As Jonathan Goldsbie pointed out, the underreported quote from Ford's press conference today is his saying that "for too long, the city has focused on transit only."

Ford did say he'd do more things connecting roads like the Dufferin St jog. I'm not sure if there were other jogs he specifically mentioned however.

 

[GraphicMatt]

There's a big jog between the Allen Expressway and the Gardiner!

 

[SlickFranky]

As Jonathan Goldsbie pointed out, the underreported quote from Ford's press conference today is his saying that "for too long, the city has focused on transit only."

I just literally lol'd!

 

[nfitz]

Atleast part of the Sheppard East line is ready to go as a subway.

No it isn't. The tunnel diameter would change, the depth fo the line would change, and perhaps even the locaion of the line would change, as you'd now be entering an underground Consumers Drive station, which may not be centred in the middle of Sheppard. First you have to do an environmental assessment and pre-design. That's going to take you to late 2011. Then when you've settled on your alignment, you need to do design. There's probably about a year of field work alone in this. Maybe this is finished in mid 2013. By the time you get tender packages and bidding done, your into early 2014 at best. If your really optimistic, there's 4 years of construction. So opening in 2018.

 

[superman]

No it isn't. The tunnel diameter would change, the depth fo the line would change, and perhaps even the locaion of the line would change, as you'd now be entering an underground Consumers Drive station, which may not be centred in the middle of Sheppard. First you have to do an environmental assessment and pre-design. That's going to take you to late 2011. Then when you've settled on your alignment, you need to do design. There's probably about a year of field work alone in this. Maybe this is finished in mid 2013. By the time you get tender packages and bidding done, your into early 2014 at best. If your really optimistic, there's 4 years of construction. So opening in 2018.

I thought that tunnel was being built for easy conversion to subway, so I dont think the diameter (which is wider for LRT anyway) and location needs to necessarily change. Of course, there would be added costs for the station, but there would also be an elimination of the portal. I think the 2015 estimate is unrealistic though.

 

[Dan416]

The new transit EA are 6 months. And Sheppard already has an EA at least until Victoria Park (the terminus after the plan was originally cut from STC).

At this point all we can do is wait and see what Gary Webster and the TTC come back to Rob Ford with and how much of the subway Ford wants to build we can whilst keeping it revenue-neutral to the Transit City plan.

As for those LRVs we won't be needing anymore, maybe if we ask Bombardier nicely they'll let us add on to our current Toronto Rocket order?

 

[drum118]

CBC had an interview with TTC Chief General Manager Gary Webster and he let us know what Ford told him in the meeting.

IIRC, Ford told Webster he wants Sheppard built as subway from Downsview to STC, and Danforth to STC by the time the Pan Am games start.

Webster did not tell Ford whether he thought it was feasible or not, but he said they were going to take that date and work backward to see if they could do it.

He said they're trying to come up with a new plan and they have a lot of work to do to make this plan and hopefully have it by January.

Haaaaaaa!!!!!! thats a laugh by PamAm considering how long it taking for the Spadina Line now.

Come 2015, both Toronto and Ontario will have egg on their face for transit and a good thing we don't get anything else after this mess.

 

[nfitz]

I thought that tunnel was being built for easy conversion to subway, so I dont think the diameter (which is wider for LRT anyway) and location needs to necessarily change. Of course, there would be added costs for the station, but there would also be an elimination of the portal. I think the 2015 estimate is unrealistic though.

I can't imagine you'd dig a wider tunnel for 12 km just because you'd planned the first 1 km wider ... that would waste a lot of money.

But even if the diameter doesn't change, the elevation of the tunnel and the location changes ... so the tunnel width doesn't change it.

The new transit EA are 6 months.

... but then there's the pre-study, the government review, the pre-design, the tender for all of these ... I think I'm being hugely optimisitic that it could be done in a year ... we'll have lost 6 weeks just before Webster comes back with a plan - let alone how long before it gets approved.

 

[ShonTron]

I was *just* thinking that it would likely be trivially easy and incredibly inexpensive to replace all of Transit City with elevated monorail. It could loop around the city and stop at all major parking lots.

A complete monorail set from Lanley Enterprises cost only $3 Million dollars in 1993 US funds. I'm sure we could get one for C$5 Million. I think that only includes one station though.