[gweed123]

I made a comment in TigerMaster's recent thread on the Toronto Subreddit about the idea of the SmartTrack spur and seemed to have gotten a positive reaction thus far. The Toronto subreddit is very pro-LRT so you would have to convince them that the spur option is a superior option to not just the proposed subway but also the LRT.

If we can get it upvoted to the front page and convince enough people this is the way out of the Scarborough Subway predicament (the Surface Subway solution to Scarborough), hopefully it would get the attention of some people.

It would be nice to do something more than just being an armchair transit planner for once.

Sounds good! Can you provide a link to that thread? I've never ventured over there, haha.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Link is here.

 

[Edward Skira]

I've tweeted some stuff about it, and I'd be happy to write something up for it if someone wants to post it somewhere. I've been a big supporter of that option for a while now, and I want it to get as much exposure as possible, so that average people (not just transit geeks) actually consider it a valid option.

UrbanToronto has a news page. Depending on what's written we would certainly be interested in publishing it.

 

[gweed123]

UrbanToronto has a news page. Depending on what's written we would certainly be interested in publishing it.

Sounds good, I'll try to put something together this weekend!

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

UrbanToronto has a news page. Depending on what's written we would certainly be interested in publishing it.

Then we could link to it on reddit and social media, generating traffic to UT. Sounds ideal.

 

[Edward Skira]

It certainly does.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Then we could link to it on reddit and social media, generating traffic to UT. Sounds ideal.

We could circumvent all this nonsense by implementing that UT's armed coup of Toronto's government that I proposed years ago. But nobody listens to Tiger :/

 

[dowlingm]

I wonder if we can get the idea of a SmartTrack spur line in social media. Maybe a thread about it on the Toronto subreddit, the Toronto media and politicos do follow the subreddit page.

There would be significant technical impediments to a Stouffville spur to STC. (SRT would have to be shut down to free up the guideway, compatibility between existing stops/track spacing/weight bearing ability of the SRT guideway and mainline rail coaches, whether the spur would be a flat crossing of the mainline or grade separated to minimise hit on overall line capacity, whether the number of track slots practically available on the Stouffville line allows for reasonable service to both STC and Markham)

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

There would be significant technical impediments to a Stouffville spur to STC. (SRT would have to be shut down to free up the guideway, compatibility between existing stops/track spacing/weight bearing ability of the SRT guideway and mainline rail coaches, whether the spur would be a flat crossing of the mainline or grade separated to minimise hit on overall line capacity, whether the number of track slots practically available on the Stouffville line allows for reasonable service to both STC and Markham)

All worthy questions. That's why the option needs to be subject to an environmental assessment.

I don't have the engineering background to answer these, but I think these are solvable problems if we throw money at it. If the Scarborough subway is canceled (and/or Eglinton West SmartTrack) there would certainly be more than enough money to do it.

As for the SRT it is a major screw-up regardless of what option is chosen, it is way beyond its expiry date. The problems with the SmartTrack spur goes the same for the LRT option. The subway option will require millions to maintain the decaying SRT well into the 2020s. Tory wants SmartTrack underway before the next election cycle, the few years of shuttle buses may very well cost less than maintaining the SRT into the 2020s.

 

[M II A II R II K]

It would be better for Line 5 to get one of these extensions instead, particularly since it'll be in the middle of the road and have a lot more stops. People going to the Danforth or downtown can just transfer off at Kennedy on either Line 2 or SmartTrack.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It would be better for Line 5 to get one of these extensions instead, particularly since it'll be in the middle of the road and have a lot more stops. People going to the Danforth or downtown can just transfer off at Kennedy on either Line 2 or SmartTrack.

Are you talking about an eastern extension of Line 5 (aka Scarborough Malvern LRT)? If so, yes please. That would just about complete Scarborough rapid transit.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Yea, but as a single line. And to complete it better, include an Ellesmere to zoo line via Centennial as well.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Yea, but as a single line. And to complete it better, include an Ellesmere to zoo line via Centennial as well.

Oh now we are getting dangerously close to my fantasy scarborough map.

edit: Interestingly many of the discussions over the past few pages are repeats from previous discussions. (No surprise)

Rainforest's STC-Kennedy shuttle service idea in-depth
Hopkin's STC-Malvern SmartTrack Routing

 

[christiesplits]

So, at this point do you reckon Mayor Tory is secretly plotting to destroy the SSE, thus emboldening the merits behind SmartTrack, all the while keeping his hands clean?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Are you talking about an eastern extension of Line 5 (aka Scarborough Malvern LRT)? If so, yes please. That would just about complete Scarborough rapid transit.

Yea, but as a single line. And to complete it better, include an Ellesmere to zoo line via Centennial as well.

If the contributions from the City and the feds, which total about $1 Billion, were redirected to SMLRT, it could happen