[Filip]

Nevermind the fact that Ford has NO Eglinton line in his transit plan.

He said he'll monitor the possibilities.

When he sees that Eglinton is engineered and through most of the hurdles (to subway specs, no less) he'll probably be more willing to just build it as a subway (the tunneled portions) and forget the rest.

I also see him pushing for Sheppard. Depends how generous McGuinty is feeling. If he's worried for his future he'll fund Ford's new plan.

 

[Dan416]

He said he'll monitor the possibilities.

When he sees that Eglinton is engineered and through most of the hurdles (to subway specs, no less) he'll probably be more willing to just build it as a subway (the tunneled portions) and forget the rest.

I also see him pushing for Sheppard. Depends how generous McGuinty is feeling. If he's worried for his future he'll fund Ford's new plan.

I think we're more likely to get Sheppard than Eglinton at this point, simply because Sheppard is on his plan and Eglinton is not.

 

[Filip]

I think we're more likely to get Sheppard than Eglinton at this point, simply because Sheppard is on his plan and Eglinton is not.

I see McGuinty and Ford having a long, dragged on discussion where McGuinty will probably convince him to allow the Sheppard LRT (BUT) make it so that the Sheppard subway is still extendable due southeast (to STC) by putting the LRT in the concourse level; simply because the plans are truly far along on that stretch. For that I see McGuinty pushing for Eglinton as a subway in the central section and the SRT replacement subway.

I think that would be considered a win win for both sides.

 

[Chuck]

The Eglinton tunnels are being built to subway specs. So strictly speaking, there isn't a need for a new EA.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall reading somewhere that due to the smaller dimension of LRT vehicles, the designers opted to use one larger diameter tunnel two tracks wide as opposed to two separate smaller tunnels or a box cut with columns down the middle. Because of the larger size of subway vehicles, two parallel subway trains could not fit in the same space as two parallel LRT vehicles, thus the Eglinton tunnels cannot fit existing subway vehicles.

I have conceded that an LRT based Eglinton line is ok, provided that:

1) The tunnels are signaled so that the operation of the vehicles is not up to the drivers' whim.
2) Gap trains are consistently made available for underground portions to maintain frequency, in case surface vehicles are tied up by weather or traffic lights.
3) The portals are designed such that extension of the main line underground would be easy enough in the future to not be a deal breaker.
4) Fares are paid to enter the station, not to the driver.
5) Platforms are raised to the level of the doors, and sufficiently long to accommodate full length trains in the future.

If the underground portion will be identical in nature to the underground section of the Harbourfront line, especially Queen's Quay station, it will be just dreadful.

 

[Filip]

Nah, the Eglinton LRT is being built with two bored tunnels, just like our subway extensions.

In fact, the bored tunnels will even be larger than a subway one due to the catenary requirements of streetcars.

Far too easy to be converted to subway at this point. Hopefully his new worship sees the light.

 

[nfitz]

Ford's mantra is getting rid of the Gravy Train.

Surely if he was to consider retaining the underground portion of the Eglinton line, he would also do what was necessary, rather then unneeded extra capacity of subway. If you put a full-scale subway under Eglinton, you'd be building the Gravy Train!

 

[Ansem]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/881691--ford-confirms-streetcar-scrapping-in-doubt?bn=1

Mayor-elect Rob Ford is backing further from campaign musings about “phasing out” streetcars, saying if cancelling a $1.25 billion order for a replacement fleet “is going to cost the taxpayers an arm and a leg, then obviously we can’t do it.”

Ford, who takes office Dec. 1, made the comment Wednesday on John Oakley’s AM640 radio show, after saying on another show any Torontonians afraid of his plans can call him to talk about it.

On Sept. 8, Ford told the Toronto Sun: “I’d like to slowly phase out streetcars and replace them with buses. Streetcars congest traffic . . . that is the No. 1 issue I hear.” His deputy campaign manager, Nick Kouvalis, suggested replacing streetcars with buses could take a decade.

But on Tuesday, Ford’s brother Doug, his campaign manager and replacement as councillor in Ward 2, told the Star they have no plans to “start yanking up streetcars and throwing them in the lake.”

Oakley asked Ford about cancellation fees or penalties if Toronto scraps the $1.25 billion contract with Bombardier for 204 streetcars to replace the existing fleet. The city has committed to pay two-thirds of the cost, with the Ontario government paying the rest.

“I’m going to have to sit down with Mr. (Ontario Premier Dalton) McGuinty. I talked to Mr. McGuinty two nights ago and we’re going to be setting up a meeting and taking it from there,” Ford said.

“We’re going to see — if it’s going to cost the taxpayers an arm and a leg, then obviously we can’t do it, but we’ll see what we can do.”

Asked if he thinks McGuinty will “play ball” with him on transit, Ford replied: “I’m sure he will. He has to face the voters” in a provincial election next October.

McGuinty said he remains open to discussing future transit plans with Ford.

“My job is to listen. We’ve got a new council . . . the people have spoken,” the premier said Wednesday.

Ford’s $4.7 billion transit blueprint proposes a halt to Transit City, the provincially funded plan to build light-rail lines from downtown to the suburbs. More than $116.3 million has already been spent.

Ford instead wants to finish the Sheppard subway from Downsview to Scarborough Town Centre and convert the Scarborough RT into a subway. He has said he will try to convince McGuinty to divert billions of Transit City dollars to his plan.

Ford also revealed that retiring Ward 29 (Toronto-Danforth) Councillor Case Ootes is chairing his transition team.

Ootes told reporters that Kouvalis, who has a reputation as a hard-nosed conservative strategist, will become Ford’s chief of staff. Also on the transition team are: Mark Towhey, the Ford campaign’s policy adviser; Claire Tucker-Reid, a former city commissioner of parks and recreation; Gordon Chong, a former councillor; and Amir Remtulla, a former Ootes executive assistant.

Neither Ford nor Ootes would reveal who will get senior roles but a source familiar with deliberations said candidates include Karen Stintz for TTC chair, Doug Holyday for deputy mayor, Frances Nunziata for speaker, and Doug Ford for budget chair.

Also Wednesday, Ford was asked on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning what he says to Torontonians who did not vote for him and are afraid that “some of the things they love in this city will disappear.” He replied: “Nothing’s going to disappear. We’re going to have a clean, safe city and they have nothing to worry about . . .

“If people didn’t vote for me, I have to convince them to vote for me next time. If they want to call me and talk to me they’re more than welcome to, and I’ll try to respond to all the calls,” he said.

 

[Ansem]

I guess streetcars are going nowhere...
It's obvious he's setting the stage to back off from removing the network and cancelling the Flexcity order.

I predict a very generous McGuinty. I took it upon myself to read what political experts outside of Toronto thought about the election.
They all say Bad day for Mcguinty and a good one for Harper who will try harder to convince Toronto to vote for him...
More money for Transit? likely

Like I kept saying, McGuinty is very worried at this time and I doubt he'll want to risk loosing Toronto and his neck for a plan that he didn't even designed. Take the fall for Giambrone/Miller's Transit City...Not happening...

 

[nfitz]

One potential positive coming out of this.

I can't see how Hudak goes into the next election without making some kind of transit promises in Toronto; so whatever scheme McGuinty and Ford cook up in the next few months may have a chance of surviving if there is a change of government.

 

[Ansem]

Conservatives never bothered in the past because Toronto always voted Liberal, now that things have changed...Conservatives will try much harder...
Best example I have in mind (sorry for that)

Quebec City vs Montreal

Montreal always votes Liberal=Conservatives acts and Provincial Liberal act like they don't exist
Quebec City voted conservatives= Conservatives gives Quebec City whatever City whatever they want, so are the provincial liberals...

Same will happen with Toronto

 

[rbt]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall reading somewhere that due to the smaller dimension of LRT vehicles, the designers opted to use one larger diameter tunnel two tracks wide as opposed to two separate smaller tunnels or a box cut with columns down the middle.

This was looked at and determined that building stability would be compromised which would make construction more difficult/costly.

The amount of dirt on either side of the single large tunnel was not enough.

 

[rbt]

One potential positive coming out of this.

I can't see how Hudak goes into the next election without making some kind of transit promises in Toronto; so whatever scheme McGuinty and Ford cook up in the next few months may have a chance of surviving if there is a change of government.

Getting a promised subway extension while going 5 years with minimal repair to the current system isn't any better; and really how we got into this mess in the first place.

 

[rbt]

Conservatives never bothered in the past because Toronto always voted Liberal, now that things have changed...Conservatives will try much harder...

Both Lastman and Harris (in '95 and '99) got a fair amount of vote within the North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke areas.

Toronto (old city of Toronto) didn't vote in majority favour for the Conservative candidate (Ford) this time either.

 

[gweed123]

Nevermind the fact that Ford has NO Eglinton line in his transit plan.

I have confidence that he won't be able to derail that one. His fight is in Scarborough, he just needed some way to make the funding work out (which it still didn't, because he was using $700 million from York Region).

Addition: Like I said before, I think where McGuinty will be most willing to play ball is the B-D extension to STC. It's the least farthest along in terms of the funded TC projects, and it can be used as a token "look, we compromised, and delievered transit" by the McGuinty government. Beat Hudak to the punch if he tries to say "Queen's Park is not looking out for the interests of Toronto transit".

 

[Rainforest]

^ I also have a feeling that some form of rail transit on Eglinton will be built, even though it wasn't in Ford's election platform.

Whether it will be LRT or HRT, and how long that line will get, is a subject of guessing at this point.