[mrxbombastic]

The next wave of funding for the $4.9-billion, 19-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

From the article. The next wave = Phase 2. It's 767 million. The part of the crosstown being built now is fully funded.

Could the next wave of funding refer to the AFP funding for the at grade portion? The originally awarded the tunneling contract. And now there is the second large contract being tendered. Could one of these other contracts be the funding they are referring too?

I know this may come across as overly skeptical and irrational, however I don't have confidence that the gov't would release funds for this portion of Eglinton before funding projects in Hamilton or Mississauga purely on a political basis. If they do then it definitely says something about their commitment to transit and their commitment to getting it done quickly, which makes me a very happy camper and restores some confidence that Next Wave projects are going to move forward. Im going to fire off an email to Metrolinx and stop by their local Crosstown office and ask them for some elaboration.

Thanks for the info-graphic though. I was looking for something similar to that for some time now to add to my references.

 

[innsertnamehere]

they might because the Mississauga and hamilton LRTs are supposed to be funded through this budget as well, but through the transit taxes.

regardless, I feel this was just a rumour.

 

[mrxbombastic]

they might because the Mississauga and hamilton LRTs are supposed to be funded through this budget as well, but through the transit taxes.

regardless, I feel this was just a rumour.

Pretty much the same sentiment here. Those projects were under the same level of priority so that's what got me thinking. When it feels like its too good to be true and we're talking about the Libs, well chances are its damn near comical. That said, here's to hoping.

 

[mrxbombastic]

Design review and survey up for Bayview- Avenue section.

Designs for Yonge Interchange included.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Could the next wave of funding refer to the AFP funding for the at grade portion? The originally awarded the tunneling contract. And now there is the second large contract being tendered. Could one of these other contracts be the funding they are referring too?

I know this may come across as overly skeptical and irrational, however I don't have confidence that the gov't would release funds for this portion of Eglinton before funding projects in Hamilton or Mississauga purely on a political basis. If they do then it definitely says something about their commitment to transit and their commitment to getting it done quickly, which makes me a very happy camper and restores some confidence that Next Wave projects are going to move forward. Im going to fire off an email to Metrolinx and stop by their local Crosstown office and ask them for some elaboration.

Thanks for the info-graphic though. I was looking for something similar to that for some time now to add to my references.

It could, but I'm sure the Liberals don't want the LRT's to go to waste. It makes sense that it would be the tunneling contract, given that they just started it.

 

[Rainforest]

^^^ Im pretty sure they rationalized their costs and figured why take an extra charge when we are going to need the LRVS anyways in a few years time. Might aswell build the full line out. Better optics for the Libs that they are "making best use of funds and not letting more go to waste" and that they are "investing in regions future"

Personally, a more frequent 32A bus service would serve us very well as the loads, both east and west bound, in the peaks drop off once you get west of Jane. The LRT is definitely needed in the future with new developments along Eglinton out here. Its most useful purpose currently will be the RT link to the airport which imho will cannibalize the UPX ridership given the cost differences.

Better to see them building it now though than leaving its future up in the air. Cant wait to see how Hudak spins this extension as "Liberal Waste"

A significant benefit of going all the way to the airport is to eliminate a transfer for those traveling from the west. Otherwise, transfer at Mt Dennis will become a source of complains, much like the transfer at Don Mills on Sheppard.

Not sure that the LRT extension to the airport will compete with UPX. UPX is mostly for business travelers who can expense their trip. For them, it does not make any sense to switch to Spadina subway + Eglinton LRT. On the other hand, most of leisure travelers are unlikely to use UPX anyway. If LRT ends at Mt Dennis, they will still go there and then take the express bus to the airport.

 

[andrewpmk]

New display slides and info from last night's meeting on Laird - Wynford are up. Make sure you check em out and tell Metrolinx to put the Leslie stop on the south side of Eglinton.

It looks like the constraint might be putting in a new road which connects to Aerodrome Crescent near the Scenic on Eglinton development, just west of the portal. I really don't see a need for a road here, as this development can be accessed from Brentcliffe Road.

What is the point of spending money putting Don Mills underground if Leslie is not grade separated?

 

[innsertnamehere]

to accommodate a bus terminal and grade separate what is the second busiest interstection on the route.

 

[BurlOak]

It looks like the constraint might be putting in a new road which connects to Aerodrome Crescent near the Scenic on Eglinton development, just west of the portal. I really don't see a need for a road here, as this development can be accessed from Brentcliffe Road.

What is the point of spending money putting Don Mills underground if Leslie is not grade separated?

I do not see how it is a constraint. That new road, lets call it "Scenic Gate", is closed during the entire construction. When completed, the portal would be to the East of this intersection. The only question is whether the portal can be moved south 3.25m, and Eglinton shifted north 3.25m (or any other combination that adds up to 6.5m). Either way, the portal would be East of "Scenic Gate", but with the 6.5m shift, the tracks would be on a south side alignment and it could be built for the next 2km away from traffic for less traffic disruption and lower construction costs (notwithstanding the maybe $10M needed for the Don River East Branch Bridge, the 2@$10M for the tunnels through the CPR embankment) and the $5M to reconfigure the Celestica Ramp.

to accommodate a bus terminal and grade separate what is the second busiest interstection on the route.

Is Allen Road the busiest? How close would Vic Park be to Don Mills (i.e. is it 10% less busy or 50% less)? Can the bus terminal be located on the SW corner - this way the station could be constructed SW of the Don Mills/Eglinton intersection with only a pair of tracks going under Don Mills?

 

[BurlOak]

New display slides and info from last night's meeting on Laird - Wynford are up. Make sure you check em out and tell Metrolinx to put the Leslie stop on the south side of Eglinton.

For the Leslie Stop, they show a 100m diameter circle from the platform - but they actually show this as an oval. This might be true for an underground station were people can exit from one of several entrances. For Leslie, I do not think we plan for pedestrians to run across unsignalized traffic. Thus, the 100m circle (not sure why they did not show 300m or 500m) should be centred around the pedestrian crosswalk and not the east end of the platform.

It is also of note that a similar thing was not done for Ferrand. The pedestrian crosswalk is to the east of the Ferrand platform - sharing the intersection with the DVP off ramps. If they did the same 100m circle at Ferrand, there would be a total of ZERO businesses and residents within the circle.

 

[nfitz]

New display slides and info from last night's meeting on Laird - Wynford are up. Make sure you check em out and tell Metrolinx to put the Leslie stop on the south side of Eglinton.

Was anyone at the meeting? Seems to be a no brainer to put it on the south side, so they must have had some explanation at the meeting.

 

[Thoughtless Miscreant]

Was anyone at the meeting? Seems to be a no brainer to put it on the south side, so they must have had some explanation at the meeting.

Steve Munro got an explanation from them a couple of months ago.

Placing the LRT on the south side of Eglinton Avenue East in the vicinity of the West Don River/Leslie Street was included in three of five options compared to the at-that-time base case (which was underground throughout the corridor) in the Don Mills River Crossing Study prepared in February 2012 by HMM. However, the LRT would have been in a completely separate right-of-way on a new bridge across the West Don River in order to maintain current vehicle capacity of Eglinton Avenue East (i.e., no conversion of travel lanes to LRT tracks).

That report recommended one of the options that included a continuation of the bored tunnel from the west to pass under the West Don River and portal east of the Don Valley Parkway. That option was selected because the cost differential with the at-grade options was minimal, provided that a station at Leslie Street was not required. If a Leslie Station would be required, then one of the at-grade south side options was the preferred option. MX decided to proceed with the first option, and further refined that option with a launch at Don Mills Road and continuing eastward with the EA alignment, which led to the preparation of the Eastern EPR Addendum.

The at-grade south side option was not compared to the EA Option.

Generally, however, It is very difficult (if not impossible) to relocate the portal from the centre of Eglinton (as proposed in the current design) and shift it to the south side of the right-of-way and continue to use the existing bridge. The “viaduct†option that HMM reviewed, was suggested by the public and was presented during the recent consultations for the changes in the East, was more expensive and required an EA amendment. Due to project implementation timelines the project is proceeding with the EA option.

 

[mrxbombastic]

I get the feeling this was Metrolinx just deciding to do what was easiest and most convenient and not what was the best option. They've been complacent and tended to just do what they originally planned in Many circumstances.

South side may be difficult but why not just do it and do it right? If the can build tunnels under the ocean in earthquake zones, I hardly see the need for Metrolinx to whine about this being difficult.

 

[Ozman]

Steve Munro got an explanation from them a couple of months ago.

The fact is, Metrolinx bungled the handling of the Brentcliffe-Don Mills alignment. From the minute the 2010 EA came out with the median arrangement, many of us pleaded for a south-side alignment so it would be grade-separated through to Don Mills and so also the Leslie intersection would remain functional for cars. Metrolinx said they'd study it and the result was the proposal to tunnel all the way to Don Mills. This was overkill and predictably the STIMBY's (Stop in my back yard) from the Leslie condos (aided inexplicably by the Leaside Property Owners Ass.) put pressure on local MPP Wynne (who was running to be Premier) to revive the Leslie stop. By the time this process played out, most of a year was wasted and then the order was "lets get building" so they never revisited a south-side surface alignment; they just reverted to the EA.

Metrolinx claims that it's difficult if not impossible to emerge from Brentcliffe portal on the south-side. Just like a year ago they claimed it was impossible due to slope issues and soil contamination to launch at Brentcliffe at all. Hogwash!

I think another reason they are stubbornly refusing to look at the south-side alignment is that they are desperate to save every penny possible to cover massive over-runs elsewhere. Look at the plans for Eglinton-Yonge station. While I welcome them as a definite improvement over the last proposal, they won't be cheap. Extending the Eglinton subway platform (on the Yonge line) 70m north so that the station will extend directly overtop of the Crosstown platform and thus allow a direct connection! This extension will require closure of Yonge subway service from time to time and will unfortunately result in the elimination of the pocket storage track north of Eglinton.
Still in the long run this is a good solution and will be worth it!

Unfortunately the same logic isn't being applied at Leslie. That one intersection will be the weak link in an otherwise strong chain from Mt. Dennis to Don Mills. There are many possibilities for Leslie to be grade separated without incurring the huge cost of a tunnel extension but I don't believe it will even be looked at.

At least when the traffic is backed up to west of Laird waiting to turn north at Leslie and when LRT's are delayed at Leslie waiting for their turn in the 3 cycle traffic lights, the trains will be smoothly running to Laird. Even if stuffed trains from Don Mills (due to increased headway east of Laird) arrive at Laird, the good people of Leaside will enjoy the fact that every second train will be empty having been short-turned at Laird.

I think the LRT (after getting through the construction nightmare) will be ok from Mt. Dennis to Laird. If east of there even gets built (and I don't think it's a sure thing), it will be traffic and LRT chaos to say the least. Then again by the time the at-grade contract gets awarded we could see various govts. change and this whole exercise will have been academic!

 

[mrxbombastic]

I personally wouldn't mind paying higher taxes to fund an overrun if they got it right. If the project is over budget and is bungled well then we've got ourselves a whole other issue of complete incompetence.

Does anyone know if deputations are allowed at Metrolinx meetings? I'd love to say my piece as the board members usually just nod their head and collect their pay cheques.