Gweed how much would your bus route cost in comparison to a single LRT on Finch?????? Also I always thought ROB FORD didnt like LRT or Streetcars since they might hinder HIS driving experiences more then others.. SInce I cant imagine him spending too much time on Finch West why is LRT a probloem here other then finances?
Marginally more than what the current bus route costs. Think about it, if the ridership on the two routes (buses in HOV lanes on Finch proper + buses on the busway) are carrying a similar number of people as the current Finch bus is, then a similar number of buses are just split between the two routes. Couple that with the fact that some of the frequency on the busway will be non-TTC vehicles (GO, YRT, VIVA), those add no operating expenses to the TTC's bottom line.
There will also be an increase in efficiency in the existing FW bus service, because instead of being stuck in traffic, the bus will have a free-flowing lane, which could shave up to 5 minutes off the trip. That allows the bus to turn around and head back in the other direction sooner, increasing the frequency of the line without actually changing the number of buses running the route.
Will some supplementary buses be needed? Probably. But the splitting of demand onto two parallel routes (express and local), increase in efficiency of the lines, and introduction of articulated buses would all be ways of increasing the capacity of the Finch routes, without substantially increasing the operating costs.
And I think LRT is a problem on Finch because it doesn't do a very good job of addressing the two distinct types of travel patterns that exist on the corridor: local, and long-haul. The stop spacing is too wide to effectively cater to the local traffic patterns (it works out that about every 2nd bus stop is being taken out, not very good for the seniors and people with strollers), while there are still too many stops to be an effective long-haul line. Does it increase the reliability of the line? Absolutely. Does it increase capacity? Absolutely. But when you try to accommodate two distinctly different (and completely opposite) travel patterns with the same line, you end up making too many compromises. Two distinct routes with two different purposes, running ~300m apart I think is the best way to ensure that the local travel patterns, and the accessibility of having local stops is maintained (while still improving the efficiency of service), while still making sure that a truly rapid and express corridor exists to effectively serve the long-haul demands that exist in northwest Toronto.
Hopefully this answered your question for you.