TTC: Yonge North Subway Extension (Finch-Richmond Hill) (Funded/Planned)

[44 North]

There are only two subway rapid transit proposals that make sense in this city. Both move 20k+ people at peak. Both remain unfounded. What a disappointment.

Unfunded, or unfounded? I don't know about the Relief Line. But yes, Yonge North is definitely "unfounded".

 

[gweed123]

The more these prices climb, the more I think that tunnelled suburban subway extensions just don't make sense. $4.6 billion could get you a BRT or LRT on Yonge, and a heck of a lot of GO RER improvements (including converting the RH corridor north of Lawrence to a double-tracked RER system, connecting to the DRL tunnel). The BRT/LRT would handle the local demand and trips that need to stay on Yonge, while the RER would handle the express trips and those bound for the CBD.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I suspect you will still need to improve Y+B regardless of DRL. The timing may vary (to a post DRL timeframe), but the problem of an awkward interchange will probably never go away. I wish they can do a complete rebuild to a proper crossed station timed to redeveloping the HBC (vs. the current T arrangement)

More info here: http://stevemunro.ca/2008/11/03/yonge-subway-headway-study-1988-part-7/

AoD

 

[Napoleon]

I'm kind of shocked that the price tag is over a billion dollars to improve Bloor-Yonge station. That seems incredibly expensive!

 

[Tulse]

I'm kind of shocked that the price tag is over a billion dollars to improve Bloor-Yonge station. That seems incredibly expensive!

It's an incredibly difficult area to do any sort of construction, with all the existing building foundations and utilities. Any sort of major change to the station will require extensive construction work.

 

[jaycola]

It looks like York Region councilors are encouraged by recent activities following the Yonge Relief Network Study.
From Yorkregion.com

Councillors applaud next step to put subway to Richmond Hill back on track
Metrolinx has recommended moving ahead with plans to build the Yonge Street subway north to Richmond Hill, a step heralded by councillors from York’s southern municipalities.

“This is an important moment for both this project and transit development in the GTA,” said Vaughan Councillor Alan Shefman.

“For years, we have been meeting with virtually everyone involved in the planning and development of transit in the region, attempting to convince them to move to the next step in this critical project. We are very hopeful that a decision to fund this recommendation will be announced shortly to allow the work to begin.”

Metrolinx (previously the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority) manages and integrates road transport and public transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

Metrolinx has approved the Yonge Relief Network Study which includes a recommendation that the Yonge Street North Subway project, which extends the existing line from Finch to Richmond Hill, should move to the next step of development.

This next step will include preliminary design concepts and the start of the engineering process, as well as a report back to the Metrolinx board in spring 2016.

The Yonge Relief Network Study noted that the extension could move forward, since it will not overwhelm the Yonge line to the south.

 

[Edward]

Surely they are going to build this after the DRL.

 

[Amare]

I like how we waste time and money building subways out to municipalities that dont need them/are not a part of Toronto, while their are places in Toronto which are bursting at the seams. A subway along Keele, King, Queen, or Dufferin all make much more sense compared to this useless proposed extension.

 

[nfitz]

I'm kind of shocked that the price tag is over a billion dollars to improve Bloor-Yonge station. That seems incredibly expensive!

It was over a billion dollars 5-6 years ago. I"m surprised it's still so cheap. Moving a live subway line to put in a middle platform is going to be terribly complex.

 

[CapitalSeven]

There was an alternative plan that involved just building a second platform on the Bloor line, similar to what happened at Union.

 

[Napoleon]

It was over a billion dollars 5-6 years ago. I"m surprised it's still so cheap. Moving a live subway line to put in a middle platform is going to be terribly complex.

Fair enough. They should just bring in some Japanese station designers. Some of the interchanges in Tokyo astound me with how well people move among the various lines, even of different systems, that are converging.

 

[nfitz]

Fair enough. They should just bring in some Japanese station designers. Some of the interchanges in Tokyo astound me with how well people move among the various lines, even of different systems, that are converging.

Perhaps they should. But I don't know how that would reduce costs. Might even drive them up.

There was an alternative plan that involved just building a second platform on the Bloor line, similar to what happened at Union.

That would cost less, and would fix some of the safety and crowding problems on the Line 2 platform. But doesn't fix the primary issue - the length of time that it takes for everyone to get on and off the Line 1 trains, leading to the longer dwell time and constraining capacity on the entire line.

 

[pstogios]

It looks like York Region councilors are encouraged by recent activities following the Yonge Relief Network Study.
From Yorkregion.com

From that article
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-stor...to-put-subway-to-richmond-hill-back-on-track/
"The Yonge Relief Network Study noted that the extension could move forward, since it will not overwhelm the Yonge line to the south."

Is that how ANYONE else interpreted the YRNS? It's pretty clear Line 1 will be overwhelmed whether the Richmond Hill extension is built or not, and obviously more overwhelmed if it does.

While it is understandable that York Region councillors care about their political careers and want to push the subway, it is in-conscionable that they can be so blind (or purposely ignorant) to the situation outside of their region. I only hope that Metrolinx has the strength to delay this extension until after a DRL is built. Otherwise we are SOL up the creek without a paddle.

 

[WislaHD]

I think it is safe to say this extension is going to happen sooner or later. York Region should not feel slighted or anything if the DRL gets funded first.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

From that article
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-stor...to-put-subway-to-richmond-hill-back-on-track/
"The Yonge Relief Network Study noted that the extension could move forward, since it will not overwhelm the Yonge line to the south."

Is that how ANYONE else interpreted the YRNS? It's pretty clear Line 1 will be overwhelmed whether the Richmond Hill extension is built or not, and obviously more overwhelmed if it does.

That interpretation is a simplification but not totally off-base. The report said that RER and ATO and the opening of the Spadina extension provide sufficient capacity relief to allow the extension to move forward without the extra relief the DRL provides. That's in the short term. Obviously the DRL is still needed but its importance is substantially mitigated by all the other stuff going on.

RER has changed the game (and SmartTrack, FWIW) in terms of the downstream capacity issues. With population growth obviously that's only temporary but it's still significant (as is Metrolinx's claim that adding RER to the Richmond Hill line would do very little to attract subway-needing riders from RH/Thornhill).