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Danforth Line 2 Scarborough Subway Extension

Hopefully they will read the line that says the fully grade-separated option has the best benefit / cost ratio.
But when 1/2, 2/3 or more is already grade-separated, there is a whole lot of logic to do the whole thing.

Some logic, but money, not so much. Upgrading every project means cancelling some of them at the end of the day.
 
Maybe he thinks an ugly win is still a win...

Jennifer PagliaroVerified account‏@jpags
In op-ed defending Scarborough subway, Tory suggests critics want to leave immigrants behind https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/06/27/why-i-support-the-scarborough-subway-john-tory.html…

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That was... inappropriate. A cheap shot at best, a flat out lie at worst, and sure to get people up in arms.

Lets just add this to the ever growing list of why I think Tory is an incredibly poor mayor.

Toronto hasn't done itself any favours with it's approach to LRT.

Nearly all cities that spend big bucks on LRT make sure that the lines are rapid. They have ROW, rail crossing priority, intersection lights that give transit 100% priority and not just preferred, have fewer stations, over/underpasses at busy intersections................in short they are fast.

Toronto with it's LRT down the middle of the road with stops every 3 blocks, trains that still have to wait for cross traffic and left turns, and 50 or 60km/hr maximums. They will certainly be more comfortable, reliable, pleasant, and quieter but no faster than a regular bus in a bus lane.

Toronto spends mega-bucks on LRT which is little more than St.Clair but people want FAST transit like Calgary's CTrain. It too is LRT but light years ahead of TC in terms of speed and reliability.

Agreed entirely.

I see Toronto's approach to LRT and I can almost see where the subways-only crowd is coming from.

Almost.

Seeing some of the planning on Eglinton West gives me some hope. That said, there is a different - I think - between a corridor like Eglinton West and say, Finch, in terms of room to make use of? Though i haven't looked so close so I could be wrong.
 

Tory saying the right things. Bottom line we need only to be looking for ways to bring down the price tag of the B-D SUBWAY extension and stop bringing back up a dead debate over SLRT. The criticism in the media hasn't been constructive and completely one sided. It's the same crap over and over with nothing useful. Looks like the segregated City dream is one step closer to being a dead once and for all ...
 
Tory saying the right things. Bottom line we need only to be looking for ways to bring down the price tag of the B-D SUBWAY extension and stop bringing back up a dead debate over SLRT. The criticism in the media hasn't been constructive and completely one sided. It's the same crap over and over with nothing useful. Looks like the segregated City dream is one step closer to being a dead once and for all ...

I've been saying for over 4 years that those who want to bring back the LRT with transfer are responsible for much of the mess we are in. The pro rapid transit people made several attempts to compromise (connected SRT-Eg., subway along a number of routes), but the LRT promoters refused to budge 1 inch.
 
^So... its a game rigged in favour of the subway? "See? When you ignore all the other plans, the subway is the best choice!"

Heres the thing regarding that transfer. Right now, its bad. I'll admit that. Except the LRT was supposed to change that. You'd still need to transfer, but not walk up four flights of stairs. And I don't think spending 4 billion dollars to remove a staircase is exactly worthwhile.

Tory saying the right things. Bottom line we need only to be looking for ways to bring down the price tag of the B-D SUBWAY extension and stop bringing back up a dead debate over SLRT. The criticism in the media hasn't been constructive and completely one sided. It's the same crap over and over with nothing useful. Looks like the segregated City dream is one step closer to being a dead once and for all ...
I'm really not sure implying that people who disagree with the subway extension are racist is "the right thing" to say, even if unintentional.
 
Blah, blah, blah. So much stability just a few years ago with tri-level governmental agreement on what to build has devolved into utter chaos. Just build the subway now. The mistake of the Scarborough (L)RT must not be perpetuated into even another decade, much less another generation.
 
^So... its a game rigged in favour of the subway? "See? When you ignore all the other plans, the subway is the best choice!"

Heres the thing regarding that transfer. Right now, its bad. I'll admit that. Except the LRT was supposed to change that. You'd still need to transfer, but not walk up four flights of stairs. And I don't think spending 4 billion dollars to remove a staircase is exactly worthwhile.


I'm really not sure implying that people who disagree with the subway extension are racist is "the right thing" to say, even if unintentional.


Racist? It's more of an socio-economic comment. The areas that house most of the City's wealth & transit infrastructure are the biggest opposers to connecting Scarborough center to the subway.

The "rigged game" was when the Left tried to hack in both Scarborough Center & Sheppard with the LRT technology. A subway on the same surface route would have cost how much more? But just the fact it cost more and it would force them to actually design. They balked and tried to slap in some LRT on the existing crap route. So 2 strikes So now the game is "rigged game" for a subway. Hopefully they take a hard look at the surface option and split the middle.

As for Sheppard the LRT transfer its less of an issue with the possible Eglinton-UTSC LRT loop & Scarborough Center receiving some form of respect and hope for the future. I get what you are saying. What a few steps? Its those few steps that affect our elderly, small families and make a hard commute not any easier. Its not the way the City should be integrated. I like many avoid the RT for many reasons. This being one. LRT is great is implemented with more thought as to where the transfers are located.

Transfers to STC on a poorly designed RT route - 2nd rate
Transfers after STC -OK
Transfer to a Subway Stub in the same direction - 2nd rate

Id like to know what the cost is to change Sheppard stub to LRT, then run LRT west and also connect the Finch LRT. Worth every penny. But that would be considered a bad transit plan in Toronto & Scarborough can only choose one battle and STC is the more important of the two
 
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No, the fact that he brought up the high immigrant population is what implies racism. It has nothing to do with the conversation at all. Its a straw man argument plain and simple. Tory doesn't want to debate on the facts, so instead needs to find another way to make the pro-LRT crowd look bad.

Hack in? What? That was the original plan. Sorry sir, but you are wrong. Ford "hacked in" the subway, not the other way around.

As for converting Sheppard to LRT, I actually fully support that. After the DRL gets funded, of course. But I want that freaking stub line off the map.

Blah, blah, blah. So much stability just a few years ago with tri-level governmental agreement on what to build has devolved into utter chaos. Just build the subway now. The mistake of the Scarborough (L)RT must not be perpetuated into even another decade, much less another generation.
What about financial mistakes?
 
What about financial mistakes?

You do realize the further and further we delay building anything will only escalate the costs of whatever mode of transport we inevitably do construct, right? These debates were fought and won over several election cycles ago now. The cost of inaction is far greater than commissioning another LRT friendly EA or what have you.

The biggest complaint of the subway extension seems to be that it's a one-stop extension, never mind however that future stations can easily be roughed in at Brimley/Eglinton and Lawrence East and tail tracks could extend as far north as the 401 crossing, making it easier for future expansion. But the benefits far outweigh the risks. Better than Scarborough Centre having no mass transit for several years while the SRT corridor is shut down and retrofitted.
 
Honestly, as good as the LRT plan is, it's never coming back. People such as Josh Matlow can push and beg for it all they want but there is no way the Ontario Grits and the Federal Grits will let it be built. A subway is coming. I say just let the Bloor-Danforth extension happen with the Crosstown East extension. No more debate. No more delays. Just set in new taxes in Toronto so new money is raised for all need transit projects, mainly the Relief Line.
 

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