That design makes assumptions about how traffic patterns might change to ensure efficient streetcar movement. Dedicated lanes *guarantees* it.

I've read the deck. For me the primary concern is that the streetcar lanes are dedicated. All else is secondary, IMO

I suppose for the pilot project your right. I expect it or were to be made permanent some kind of platform could be accommodated. Still, I don't see this as any kind of safety or efficiency concern - it's essentially status quo.

Such as? You're exaggerating here - crossing would certainly be with the lights at intersections, same as St Clair or Spadina.

So it looks to me like only one option has physically separated streetcar lanes - the other two pedestrian friendlier options only have "streetcar priority" lanes. Seems to me the choice is obvious - is the goal here to optimize transit speed or is it worth diluting that to get extra pedestrian...

My understanding is that proposal 1 and 3 have dedicated streetcar lanes that cars cannot enter? I'm certainly not in favor of any plan that allows cars into the streetcar lanes.

I like to think of myself as a fairly progressive person, but IMO the first two preferred options are completely stupid. What's the point of having cars on King street when they are forced to turn every block? Its going to be a confusing disaster that will make the new Queen's Quay look as...

The problem here is that it is unpalatable to run shuttle buses to replace the SRT while the replacement is being built. Politically and practically.

Point taken, but I have to believe the cost and effort required is lower than setting up an entire tolling infrastructure on DVP/Gardiner (for example)

Not sure about the former - If the province gives permission to tax but the city implements it, I don't think the province really owns that decision. And besides, clearly the 416 voter base is on board with new revenue sources for transit. I really think it would be a wash or net positive to the...

I honestly cant figure out the provincial political calculus that says a local sales or payroll tax is a bad idea. A sales tax minimally affects the 905 (in fact you could argue it incentives 905 retail shopping) and it taxes visitors to the city - a major revenue pool with no blowback at the...

I would be willing to bet big dollars that Wynne figured if she substituted the dollar amount from tolls that we could get on with the same level of infra planning. Whoops. Now she's backed into a corner. Very unfortunate for all, unless it leads to the province allowing Toronto a muni sales...

Your thinking would be..... wrong. Google "induced demand"

I am certain that optional enrollment played a factor in this school closure, but this article seems to suggest it also leads to overcrowding at desirable schools: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/12/09/optional-attendance-is-killing-neighbourhood-schools.html Isn't optional...

Bluffs Nation :) In all honestly - I'd rather be affiliated with Scarborough than the snootiness of the Beaches!!

I do'nt think so. Its an arbitrary timeline that only serves to overinflate the cost with very little precision. Do you have any confidence in staff estimates of maintenance costs for the year 2116? We probably won't even be using cars by then :) A 30 year estimate is much more typical for any...

Has anyone parsed out that new $3.6B price tag to reconfirm what the build costs are vs the 100-year maintenance estimate? Obviously the latter is not really funded by any road tolls in the next couple of years, its completely irrelevant.

It's not an either/or but I think a payroll tax is probably just as fair as a road toll. The problem with road tolls is they will take a long time to get up and running, and the unintended consequences (traffic diversion, etc) are not well understood. A payroll tax could be implemented almost...

Then I suppose the easiest one to implement would be a payroll tax. Not as good as sales tax because it doesn't cover visitors to the city, but it does cover 905 commuters and can be easily made progressive to income.

Couldn't it be structured as a provincial regional hike and transfer to the city? If the Feds need to okay it were screwed, but I think the province would 100% agree to it. Was that the Harper government that said no? If so the Trudeau government might be a little more flexible