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Perhaps with an STC spur they can make SmartTrack a subway with subway like frequencies. It could also annex the Line 2 spur and have an interchange at Danforth GO with a new Line 2 terminus station, and close VP station and have all the bus routes converge at Danforth instead.
 
Very detailed and interesting analysis BurlOak.

But, two key parts seem to be missing. Your service plan assumes 28 hourly trains serving the Markham and STC routes. West of the Scarborough Junction, they will be joined by quite a few Lakeshore East RER trains, and several VIA trains.

How will all those trains fit the LSE section running through East York and East Toronto? I heard that in some spots, the corridor's width only allows 3 tracks.

And, how will all those trains fit Union stations?
 
Great job Burl!

I know a few days ago we were talking about you writing up a report for the UT homepage about the RER SRT spur idea. While what you did here is great, I think it's a little too technical for the average reader to handle. If you're still interested, perhaps you could write a summary for the home page?
 
Tory will not introduce a longer / more expensive version of SSE for the council's vote if he knows the council is going to kill the whole project. He will introduce a baseline version, that has a better chance to pass.

Of course, there is a possibility that someone on the council puts forward a motion to cancel SSE, regardless to any modifications. This is more difficult procedurally, but not out of question. Or, the council may not take any initiative until the project is up to the final approval, and then vote it down instead of approving it. I doubt that either of these scenarios will happen, but they cannot be ruled out.

However, dreams of SSE-haters that the project will implode after the project team puts forward an untenable modification of the route, will not materialize. Such dreams are plain silly.

Tory was interested in including more easterly options in the study; that does not mean he favored such options.

There is no evidence he pushed very hard for them to be included. He could just mention them to the project team, and the latter decided to include them in the preliminary study as it is relatively easy to do.

Tory's main rationale may have been to appear objective and open-minded, without having any serious hope that a longer subway route may be viable. Even if he had such hope, he might look at the ridership forecasts produced by the study, realize that the gains are miniscule compared to the extra cost, and ditch the idea.

He will not present a notion that is bound to fail in the council.

I might be briefly interested in a new microwave, and ask the sales clerk a couple of questions about it. That would not imply I definitely want to buy it, or will be terribly disappointed if it appears not to have features I am looking for.
These blatant Tory apologist tales and excuse making has to stop. Are the majority of Toronto SSE haters? Because they are against the project. Is the Toronto Sun and Globe and Mail SSE haters? Because they are against it too. I guess half of council is SSE haters as well. If this dies, it was Tory's own fault for pushing smarttrack and no one else. You either support both subways (Bloor Danforth and Sheppard East) or you support none of them because of people making excuses like you are doing right now Scarborough's not getting LRT either. If they vote to kill because the alignment was moved to Bellamy at Tory's request, you better respect that and move forward.

Replace rapid transit running every 6 minutes with a spur off a heavy-rail line that runs only every 15 minutes? So what, the service on the spur would run every 30 minutes? And then most riders would have to still change at Kennedy to complete their trips? Even if SmartTrack runs 8 trains an hour instead of 4, you are still looking at one train every 15 minutes.

I don't think this is the answer.
It's not, but John wants it, so the best you can go is the frequency of trains is increased.

~~~~~~~~~~~


Great Job BurlOak. Love those plans.
 
These blatant Tory apologist tales and excuse making has to stop. Are the majority of Toronto SSE haters? Because they are against the project. Is the Toronto Sun and Globe and Mail SSE haters? Because they are against it too. I guess half of council is SSE haters as well. If this dies, it was Tory's own fault for pushing smarttrack and no one else. You either support both subways (Bloor Danforth and Sheppard East) or you support none of them because of people making excuses like you are doing right now Scarborough's not getting LRT either. If they vote to kill because the alignment was moved to Bellamy at Tory's request, you better respect that and move forward.


It's not, but John wants it, so the best you can go is the frequency of trains is increased.

~~~~~~~~~~~


Great Job BurlOak. Love those plans.

I laughed at "SSE haters" :rolleyes:
 
I show a detail of the LSE Interchange. I am assuming that the LSE can handle 4 tracks. The conflict are shown where trains need to cross other paths - which I haven't really thought if it is workable.

Just West of this interchange, there will be (at peak hour)

RER/SmartTrack
10 Trains per hour from Markham
10 Trains per hour from Malvern
10 Trains per hour from Pickering
total = 2 minute frequency.

GO
5 Trains per hour from Markham
3 Train per hour from North Pickering
10 LSE GO Trains (maybe a high estimate)
total = 3+ minute frequency.

LSE Detail.jpg
 

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These blatant Tory apologist tales and excuse making has to stop.

This blatant inability to read the posts you are responding to has to stop. Tory does not need my support. I am just showing certain UT members that Tory is not as stupid as they pretend he is.

Is the Toronto Sun and Globe and Mail SSE haters? Because they are against it too. I guess half of council is SSE haters as well. If this dies, it was Tory's own fault for pushing smarttrack and no one else.

I have no problems with people who are against SSE based on rational arguments. I support SSE, but do not deny that the opponents of it has some points.

However, I take an issue when certain UT members pretend to see troubles in the SSE progress when such troubles do not exist.

Your misrepresentation of the media and the council's position will not cut it. They have varying opinions on this projects but they are not SSE haters.

You either support both subways (Bloor Danforth and Sheppard East) or you support none of them because of people making excuses like you are doing right now Scarborough's not getting LRT either.

You are not in the position to tell me what to support and what not to support.

I explicitly support one subway to STC, and think that two subways running there would be an overkill. Excuses you are trying to make here will not change that fact.
 
I show a detail of the LSE Interchange. I am assuming that the LSE can handle 4 tracks. The conflict are shown where trains need to cross other paths - which I haven't really thought if it is workable.

Just West of this interchange, there will be (at peak hour)

RER/SmartTrack
10 Trains per hour from Markham
10 Trains per hour from Malvern
10 Trains per hour from Pickering
total = 2 minute frequency.

GO
5 Trains per hour from Markham
3 Train per hour from North Pickering
10 LSE GO Trains (maybe a high estimate)
total = 3+ minute frequency.

Is that realistic though? I thought that the way mainline trains are currently operated in the Union corridor, trains on each track must be 10 or more minutes apart. Though, I might be wrong ..
 
This blatant inability to read the posts you are responding to has to stop. Tory does not need my support. I am just showing certain UT members that Tory is not as stupid as they pretend he is.
No, what you are doing is being an apologist for a subway that might not have the numbers and won't have the numbers if pushed east. That said, the subway is here until council votes otherwise. I have never said otherwise. Tory is pushing SmartTrack which might kill the subway, who's fault is that?


I have no problems with people who are against SSE based on rational arguments. I support SSE, but do not deny that the opponents of it has some points.

However, I take an issue when certain UT members pretend to see troubles in the SSE progress when such troubles do not exist.

Your misrepresentation of the media and the council's position will not cut it. They have varying opinions on this projects but they are not SSE haters.
No, you have a problem with people who want to change the plan (I really don't care at this point, like I said the subway is here.) Half of council voted against the subway. All the new media and most traditional media is against the subway. The issue with you and the others is the fact you fail yet again to recognize that SSE opposition is not just some echo chamber on UT. It's widespread. You're ignoring that to accuse me of misrepresentation because you're more interested in pandering to the masses. This is politicking.


You are not in the position to tell me what to support and what not to support.

I explicitly support one subway to STC, and think that two subways running there would be an overkill. Excuses you are trying to make here will not change that fact.
You don't get to pick and choose which low ridership subway is better. Both of them don't meet the standard. You're only one making excuses not debate, as if the argument is over because they voted. They also voted for the SELRT and look what happened.


This idea that one subway is good but not the other is completely bogus. Same idea for the LRT, the idea that SELRT was good and the LRT replacement for the SRT route wasn't is bogus. The subway gets voted out again, however, it will be because Tory pushed SmartTrack too hard. So to say I'm representing the facts when all I have said is that there is a chance the subway may be repealed or that it will stay and Sheppard East will come and I personally don't care at this point is unfair to put it mildly. Rainforest I am not attacking you personally, I am trying to show you that this is becoming a showdown between SmartTrack and the Subways. For some reason you don't believe Sheppard East has a chance simply because of money although we have no money really for the Bloor Danforth subway. You open the door to Bloor Danforth, Sheppard East will never truly be dead. You open the door the SmartTrack, both subways die.

I laughed at "SSE haters" :rolleyes:

It's ridiculous. I have almost zero problem with the subway because that's the way the vote went. Same with Sheppard. All I have said is that once you give Scarborough one candy, they want the whole jar.

Tory wants heavy rail to Scarborough Centre? Where's this from?

I've missed that somehow in all this fantasy stuff.

SmartTrack has an STC stop, or will rather.
 
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Which STC stop? SmartTrack has never had an STC stop. The only STC stop is the one mentioned on these boards. No one from John Tory's camp has mentioned any STC stop.
 
Which STC stop? SmartTrack has never had an STC stop. The only STC stop is the one mentioned on these boards. No one from John Tory's camp has mentioned any STC stop.

Sorry, Ellesmere. I had family on the campaign and they said they would stop SmartTrack would go to STC.
 
$2.4B = Total STC Branch Cost
$1.5B = Total SmartTrack Cost
$1.5B = B-D ext. to Markham Rd. (optional)

$3.9B = Total
$5.4B = Total (with B-D ext.)

Fantastic analysis BurlOak! You really filled in a lot of the gaps with the costing, etc, that I don't have the technical know-how to undertake. Your setup was pretty much exactly what I had envisioned initially.

Great job Burl!

I know a few days ago we were talking about you writing up a report for the UT homepage about the RER SRT spur idea. While what you did here is great, I think it's a little too technical for the average reader to handle. If you're still interested, perhaps you could write a summary for the home page?

I've written something up, and it's being edited right now. I will admit, it's not nearly as in-depth as what BurlOak has produced, haha.
 
Great job Burl!

I know a few days ago we were talking about you writing up a report for the UT homepage about the RER SRT spur idea. While what you did here is great, I think it's a little too technical for the average reader to handle. If you're still interested, perhaps you could write a summary for the home page?

Thanks, but I would not want to write something until I am sure it will work.

I show a detail of the LSE Interchange. I am assuming that the LSE can handle 4 tracks. The conflict are shown where trains need to cross other paths - which I haven't really thought if it is workable.

Just West of this interchange, there will be (at peak hour)

RER/SmartTrack
10 Trains per hour from Markham
10 Trains per hour from Malvern
10 Trains per hour from Pickering
total = 2 minute frequency.

GO
5 Trains per hour from Markham
3 Train per hour from North Pickering
10 LSE GO Trains (maybe a high estimate)
total = 3+ minute frequency.

Is that realistic though? I thought that the way mainline trains are currently operated in the Union corridor, trains on each track must be 10 or more minutes apart. Though, I might be wrong ..

That is what I am waiting for some input to those who know rail operations better. Subways are easier because everything is grade-separated. Here, the main things are:
  1. Are the train frequencies assumed adequate to meet the demand?
  2. Can LSE carry 4 tracks?
  3. How will this service work as one approaches Union Station?
  4. Can the conflicts at LSE interchange be tolerated?
  5. Does the 2 track segment between Kennedy Station and Danforth have the capacity?

The interesting thing is that none of the main issues relating to the STC branch have anything to do with the STC branch or interchange.
 

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