[W. K. Lis]

What could be happening at St. George or Yonge-Bloor, and maybe even Eglinton or Eglinton West, if the Downtown Relief Line is built later instead of soon:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=axwMxUBL_ws

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Actually, Eglinton West is a lightly used station.

 

[Dan416]

The DRL (as opposed to one or a bunch of transit lines running downtown connecting somewhere to somewhere else) is a subway line, which makes this thread a bit unnecessary.

The fact that people (especially the likes of the LRT Even-If-It-Forces-A-Transfer crowd, including Steve Munro) have brought up doing it as LRT necessitates a poll. So yes I think it's an important topic, to show that the public supports a subway along the DRL.

Based on the polls, I have determined that our priorities for subways should be as follows:

1. Sheppard East (86% favour subway)
2. DRL (74% favour subway)
3. SRT (68% favour subway)
4. Eglinton Crosstown (54% favour subway)

 

[Dan416]

My DRL:

Stations at: Dundas West (existing), College West, Queen West, King West, Strachan, Bathurst South, Spadina South, Union (existing), Jarvis, Lower Sherbourne, Parliament, Cherry, Eastern, Queen East, Dundas East, Gerrard, Riverdale, Pape (existing).

 

[W. K. Lis]

The streetcar transfer points on the DRL should be similar to the old Bloor transfer platforms, or underground platforms without turning, so that transfers can be quicker.
Having streetcars (or buses) turn into an off-road platform slows down local service. Escalators and elevators would be the only addition required for an on-road transfer platform.

 

[CDL.TO]

My DRL:

Stations at: Dundas West (existing), College West, Queen West, King West, Strachan, Bathurst South, Spadina South, Union (existing), Jarvis, Lower Sherbourne, Parliament, Cherry, Eastern, Queen East, Dundas East, Gerrard, Riverdale, Pape (existing).

This is very similar to what is being proposed (just a bit less "express"), but raises a few questions.
- How would you fit your line into the Kington Sub corridor? Build a viaduct over, tunnel under, or expropriate and demolish properties?
- Why don't you feel the need to serve the Exhibition directly, a major destination that attracts thousands of people year-round?
- Why have stations at both Jarvis and Sherbourne, creating the closest together stops on the entire subway network, when they could both be reasonably served by one station?
- And for that matter, why no stop at John which would serve the Convention Centre, major Office Developments, and spread out the SkyDome crowds?
- It seems like you're planning a tunnel between Queen West and Dundas West as the line doesn't follow the rail corridor. Why?

 

[ShonTron]

The streetcar transfer points on the DRL should be similar to the old Bloor transfer platforms, or underground platforms without turning, so that transfers can be quicker.
Having streetcars (or buses) turn into an off-road platform slows down local service. Escalators and elevators would be the only addition required for an on-road transfer platform.

Or simply no transfer platform like where the streetcar stops are downtown already. The off-street loading areas increase the costs. The DRL, be it subway or light rail "pre-metro" subway, should be built simply and without frills like giant concourse levels, off street loading areas or that sort of thing. A Bloor 1954-1966 set-up isn't a bad idea at least at Queen East and Parkdale/Queen West.

Yeah, there's too many stops on the map above, and little logic. The Exhibition Stop would not only serve the CNE, MLS, Ontario Place, it would also help revitalize the property through more year-round recreational and cultural uses. Jarvis and Sherbourne together make little sense, as if it were built as a 6-car heavy rail line (which I advocate as the best option), a stop between the two would easily serve both streets.

Cherry makes more sense than Parliament because of the streetcar connections to the Portlands planned there and the new development at the DD and the Lower Donlands.

Gerrard and Riverdale themselves really should be one stop at Pape and Gerrard.

 

[unimaginative2]

Alright, people, I'm back from the dead!

The Weston corridor is more than wide enough to accommodate the additional two tracks for the DRL. If capacity is an issue, the number one priority should be for GO to acquire the Weston Sub south of the Junction in addition to the Galt Sub that it already owns. There is absolutely no way that a 4-track main could ever lack for capacity.

There's simply no question that the DRL's stations would be among the busiest in the city. Convention Centre would be extremely valuable in relieving Union Station, being the closest station to large office buildings in the John/Simcoe corridor, the SkyDome, CN Tower, and a bunch of condos.

One of the huge advantages of the DRL is that it doesn't require very many of the TTC's preposterously expensive underground stations. Cherry, Jarvis, Bathurst/Fort York, Exhibition/Dufferin, Queen West, Stirling/Sorauren, and Dundas West could all be built as simple platforms and shelters in the existing rail corridor rights of way. The cost will literally be a couple million, like a GO station.

For people concerned with Union Station, there is a plan in the old DRL study demonstrating how the station could be expanded to accommodate two additional tracks and two additional platforms for the DRL and Yonge Line (the latter being already under contstruction).

The Weston sub is really, really wide. People should go check it out. There's space for almost anything we would want to send down that corridor, short of a 6-lane expressway.

Not quite true... back in the 70s, the city planned to build an expressway right through there!

 

[Rainforest]

The fact that people (especially the likes of the LRT Even-If-It-Forces-A-Transfer crowd, including Steve Munro) have brought up doing it as LRT necessitates a poll. So yes I think it's an important topic, to show that the public supports a subway along the DRL.

Based on the polls, I have determined that our priorities for subways should be as follows:

1. Sheppard East (86% favour subway)
2. DRL (74% favour subway)
3. SRT (68% favour subway)
4. Eglinton Crosstown (54% favour subway)

Is it possible to rank all those subway proposals in a single poll? Like "given a limited funding, where would you put a subway"; first choice / second choice. YorkU / VCC and Yonge North can be included as well.

I bet that DRL will be a clear winner.

 

[doady]

I prefer if Sheppard and Danforth subways are finished first before starting the DRL, but that's just me. For Danforth it is now or never since the SRT has to be refurbished.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Ranking projects only leads to trouble. There's everyone's favourite/pet project, the most affordable projects, the "best" projects, the "would you rather" project vs project fights, the "what's most likely given X politics, Y funding, or Z something else" projects, etc., etc.

If you had a billion dollars or 6km of track or whatever to put anywhere you wanted, Yonge north of Finch would be the most profitable, but Danforth to STC would mercy-kill the RT, while putting it downtown might generate the most riders, and on and on.

 

[Dan416]

You're right about ranking projects. They all need to be done, but many are in danger of being screwed by Transit City.

 

[junctionist]

Alright, people, I'm back from the dead!

The Weston corridor is more than wide enough to accommodate the additional two tracks for the DRL. If capacity is an issue, the number one priority should be for GO to acquire the Weston Sub south of the Junction in addition to the Galt Sub that it already owns. There is absolutely no way that a 4-track main could ever lack for capacity.

There's simply no question that the DRL's stations would be among the busiest in the city. Convention Centre would be extremely valuable in relieving Union Station, being the closest station to large office buildings in the John/Simcoe corridor, the SkyDome, CN Tower, and a bunch of condos.

One of the huge advantages of the DRL is that it doesn't require very many of the TTC's preposterously expensive underground stations. Cherry, Jarvis, Bathurst/Fort York, Exhibition/Dufferin, Queen West, Stirling/Sorauren, and Dundas West could all be built as simple platforms and shelters in the existing rail corridor rights of way. The cost will literally be a couple million, like a GO station.

Since these are supposed to be busy downtown stations, often around tourist areas, isn't this line a chance to build some lovely designer stations that people will actually want to see?

 

[unimaginative2]

I completely agree, junctionist. They should definitely be beautiful. Making them attractive, though, is only a tiny percentage of the cost of a station. Most of the $100 million the TTC spends on its stops goes to digging gigantic underground spaces with vast mezzanines. A surface station could have an attractive building for only a few million dollars. After all, it's just an ordinary building -- no underground construction.

Because of the central location of the DRL, its proximity to heavily-frequented tourist spots, and its visibility owing to its surface and elevated alignments, I'd love to see design competitions for every one of the stations. It would be a great way to boost the visibility of and excitement about the project.

I completely agree about ranking projects. There's absolutely no point in ranking all of these projects. They're all essential, and they're all affordable considering the vast pot of money available through MoveOntario 2020.

 

[Dan416]

omg drum and doady didn't vote together! what what!