[ehlow]

Tory's GO Electrification plan is not a good idea not at all.

- it Siphons riders from the Scarb Subway, which has hardly enough ridership to justify a subway as is.
- it does nothing to relieve crowding on Line 1 or at B-Y station. This means that the Relied Line will still be necessary
- And it costs $8 Billion. That's 4x the cost of Metrolinx's practically identical GO RER plan!!!

I can't believe this is what people consider a good plan. The current GO RER + DRL plans are far more effective and much cheaper than this SmartTrack nonsense.

All it is is GO RER or Georgetown & Stouffville lines, through-routed as one line, with extra stops, and run at TTC fare prices. What's wrong with that? You can still do that + DRL.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

All it is is GO RER or Georgetown & Stouffville lines, through-routed as one line, with extra stops, and run at TTC fare prices. What's wrong with that? You can still do that + DRL.

There is nothing wrong with what you propose. But what you propose isn't what Tory has proposed. Tory wants to scrap the Relief Line and replace it with SmartTrack: a plan that will do nothing to relieve 1 Yonge Line or B-Y Station. That's my major problem with it.

 

[ehlow]

There is nothing wrong with what you propose. But what you propose isn't what Tory has proposed. Tory wants to scrap the Relief Line and replace it with SmartTrack: a plan that will do nothing to relieve 1 Yonge Line or B-Y Station. That's my major problem with it.

The thing I just described is what the smart track is... I wouldn't say it would do nothing to relieve Yonge-Bloor, but I agree the DRL is likely still needed.

But anyways if GO RER actually happens and costs regular TTC fare and is added to the TTC rapid transit map like in "Smart track": that's a huge improvement for people travelling from the north-east and north-west parts of the city. It may not relieve Yonge-Bloor much but it's still a huge improvement & addition for the system.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The thing I just described is what the smart track is... I wouldn't say it would do nothing to relieve Yonge-Bloor, but I agree the DRL is likely still needed.

Okay I lied, it doesn't so nothing. It does almost nothing

In the DTRES, the Lakeshore RT, which is very similar to SmartTrack, provided the least relief of all the options.

But anyways if GO RER actually happens and costs regular TTC fare and is added to the TTC rapid transit map like in "Smart track": that's a huge improvement for people travelling from the north-east and north-west parts of the city. It may not relieve Yonge-Bloor much but it's still a huge improvement & addition for the system.

That's nice an all, but we need to relieve B-Y and 1 Yonge Line and we need to do it now. There's no way to get around that. It's our #1 priority. All other goals are secondary. Tory has no plan to relieve B-Y or Yonge Line. That's unacceptable.

 

[ehlow]

Okay I lied, it doesn't so nothing. It does almost nothing

In the DTRES, the Lakeshore RT, which is very similar to SmartTrack, provided the least relief of all the options.



That's nice an all, but we need to relieve B-Y and 1 Yonge Line and we need to do it now. There's no way to get around that. It's our #1 priority. All other goals are secondary. Tory has no plan to relieve B-Y or Yonge Line. That's unacceptable.

Many transit projects do nothing or almost nothing to relieve Yonge-Bloor:
Eglinton Crosstown
Sheppard/Finch LRTs
UP Express
GO RER
Union Station expansion
Scarborough subway

Just because a transit line doesn't relieve Yonge-Bloor doesn't mean it doesn't have value.

 

[aquateam]

Tory's GO Electrification plan is not a good idea not at all.

- it Siphons riders from the Scarb Subway, which has hardly enough ridership to justify a subway as is.
- it does nothing to relieve crowding on Line 1 or at B-Y station. This means that the Relied Line will still be necessary
- And it costs $8 Billion. That's 4x the cost of Metrolinx's practically identical GO RER plan!!!

I can't believe this is what people consider a good plan. The current GO RER + DRL plans are far more effective and much cheaper than this SmartTrack nonsense.

+1. I'd also add in:

-The Eglinton part of it isn't feasible, considering the Richview corridor has been mostly sold off and you'd have to construct some kind of massive wye on Weston
-It does more for the suburbs than for the city (not necessarily a bad thing, but Tory isn't running for mayor of Missisauga/Unionville)
-It basically is the "do nothing" from the city option, since the province is planning on electrifying those lines anyway.

Other journalists have their own critiques, including the shakey financing. My biggest problem is that suddenly the DRL goes from being priority number 1 to being the "wrong line, wrong time". The money going towards Smart Track edges out the subway line that the city actually needs, to serve the very dense and rapidly densifying inner city/shoulder areas, and not to provide a quick route downtown for suburbanites.

 

[GenerationW]

That's nice an all, but we need to relieve B-Y and 1 Yonge Line and we need to do it now. There's no way to get around that. It's our #1 priority. All other goals are secondary. Tory has no plan to relieve B-Y or Yonge Line. That's unacceptable.

We needed it just as much 4-5 years ago, but we decided it was a better idea to spend $5 billion on Eglinton.

Chow should be absolutely hammering Tory for his DRL flip-flop, but she's not. The DRL shouldn't even be a campaign issue, she says. How does that make any sense?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

We needed it just as much 4-5 years ago, but we decided it was a better idea to spend $5 billion on Eglinton.

Chow should be absolutely hammering Tory for his DRL flip-flop, but she's not. The DRL shouldn't even be a campaign issue, she says. How does that make any sense?

And what the heck is wrong with Eglinton? Eglinton was always going to be built DRL or not.

 

[aquateam]

And what the heck is wrong with Eglinton? Eglinton was always going to be built DRL or not.

I think Eglinton was actually the most sensible transit project we've done in a while. It goes under a major crosstown artery, relieving a busy bus route. It connects to Bloor-Danforth, Yonge, and Spadina lines. It's underground where needed and above ground where there's room. It can be extended easily to the airport through the former Richview lands (most has been sold off, but they left enough for an expanded ROW). I'm really looking forward to it opening, since it's our first new transit line since the stubway. I just hope it actually gets signal priority on the surface sections and doesn't get mired in traffic lights.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Many transit projects do nothing or almost nothing to relieve Yonge-Bloor:
Eglinton Crosstown
Sheppard/Finch LRTs
UP Express
GO RER
Union Station expansion
Scarborough subway

Just because a transit line doesn't relieve Yonge-Bloor doesn't mean it doesn't have value.

The difference between SmartTrack and the projects you listed is that none of them will come at the cost of canceling the Relief Line.

Tory's SmartTrack plan means canceling the Relief Line. That's my major problem with the proposal (along with it's ridiculous price tag and the Scarborough Subway situation)

 

[rbt]

The DRL shouldn't even be a campaign issue, she says. How does that make any sense?

There is no discussion necessary. Management needs time to get it done.

Funding to perform an EA is in place and public meetings started in April. Meetings over summer/fall were cancelled due to it becoming a part of the election.

Chow could use much better phrasing with her statement. She should just say "meetings have started; management needs to be able to do their job without interference, interruption, or half baked directions from the mayors office".

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I think Eglinton was actually the most sensible transit project we've done in a while. It goes under a major crosstown artery, relieving a busy bus route. It connects to Bloor-Danforth, Yonge, and Spadina lines. It's underground where needed and above ground where there's room. It can be extended easily to the airport through the former Richview lands (most has been sold off, but they left enough for an expanded ROW). I'm really looking forward to it opening, since it's our first new transit line since the stubway. I just hope it actually gets signal priority on the surface sections and doesn't get mired in traffic lights.

Agreed and honestly, I wish they would have built the entire thing to Pearson, but Eglinton even now is the best of the LRT's. Many, many cars will be taken off the road and lots of commutes cut. This also helps Yonge Eglinton, Don Mills- Eglinton and Mount Dennis immensely.

 

[GenerationW]

And what the heck is wrong with Eglinton? Eglinton was always going to be built DRL or not.

On its own? Nothing. But nothing happens in a vacuum.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

On its own? Nothing. But nothing happens in a vacuum.

And I clearly did not say that all. There was no reason to claim Eglinton was a waste when that line has been needed just as long as the DRL.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

There is no discussion necessary. It just needs to get done without interference from mayors wanting to make a mark.

Funding to perform an EA is in place and public meetings started in April.

Chow could use much better phrasing with her statement. She should just say "meetings have started; management needs to be able to do their job without interference, interruption, or half baked directions from the mayors office".

I don't know what it takes to get it through. It's a provincial project that is funded now.