[micheal_can]

It'll solve education, unemployment, end discrimination, cure diseases, and make the blind see again.

I thought only god can do that... Wow, I know so little.

But seriously, with an LRT, will that area be more desirable due to the low rent. Will this mean that we will see a transformation of those rougher areas?

 

[Avenue]

I don't think it'll cause/lead to gentrification that much, if at all. This is a line that is only slightly faster than other surface routes and what it does is to get you to Finch West station, which itself is still quite far from where the middle class likes to work and play. It's not a drastically better connection to the rest of the city all of a sudden. Crosstown, maybe. But with this line there's virtually no gentrification impact I'd say foreseeable future. I don't think developers will line up or the middle class will get excited about the idea of moving the Jane and Finch. There are still so many better areas in the city.

Single family housing neighbourhoods are probably already gentrifying or don't need to gentrify further and since the residents in subdivisions lead to car based lifestyle there's no reason for the LRT to make an impact. As for the tower-in-park rental building clusters, can you ever gentrify them if they are 'rough'? I don't think so. Not even downtown locations can manage that often.

 

[Rainforest]

When this line is complete, it will pass through the Jane and Finch area. It is well known as the worst part of Toronto. Will the line do anything to make that area better?

The new line might make the area a bit more desirable.

But anyway, improving the area isn't the main goal of building a transit line. The main goals is improving transit.

The riders will see notable improvements: shorter travel times, headways will become more regular, vehicles less crowded. IMO, that's good enough.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

This is a line that is only slightly faster than other surface routes and what it does is to get you to Finch West station, which itself is still quite far from where the middle class likes to work and play. It's not a drastically better connection to the rest of the city all of a sudden.

Lol what? The LRT is going to be twice as fast as the Finch West bus. Average travel speeds will be 24 km/h, up from 12 km/h today. Increases in capacity mean that, at least initially, everyone should be able to get a seat on the trains. Compare this to the current situation, where people have to let multiple buses go by, before they can squeeze in. Finally, the increased reliability of the LRT will make transit a lot more attractive. This is indeed a drastic improvement.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

David Rider‏Verified account@dmrider
From Tuesday's public works committee: Committee votes to delay Finch West LRT construction after Cllr Mammoliti threatens to walk out and break quorum, but decision could be undone by city council.

I blame Tory for this, for putting a well known moron on the City’s most important commitmee

When’s the next Council meeting?

Next Council meeting is on the 23rd, two weeks from now. Do we know for certain that this issue will be voted on in Council? I'm no too familiar with the Council procedures.

 

[W. K. Lis]

From this link, two construction updates on the Finch West LRT.

From this link, Natural Gas Line Relocation for the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT):

What: As part of the Finch West LRT project, Enbridge Gas Distribution will be relocating natural gas pipelines along the route. This portion of the work will begin on Finch Ave. West at Pelican Gate and York Gate Blvd. As a result, eastbound and westbound traffic may be impacted.
When: This work is expected to begin starting the week of May 28th, and is estimated to take approximately 18 weeks to complete. Some work may be rescheduled due to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.
Why: This work is required to accommodate the construction of the new Finch West LRT.
Where: The work will take place at the intersections of Pelican Gate and Finch Ave. West, and York Gate Blvd. and Finch Ave. West. Some work will also be taking place on Firgrove Cres and Elana Dr.

​

From this link, Finch West Closed from 7 p.m. on May 18th to 11 p.m. on May 25th, 2018:

What: All lanes on Finch Ave. West from Islington Ave. to Milady Rd. will be closed in both directions (two eastbound and two westbound lanes).
Why: A very large excavation is required to access our natural gas piplelines in order to complete the phase of work that began in 2017.
When: From Friday, May 18th at 7 p.m. to Friday, May 25th at 11 p.m.
Where: During the closure:

• Eastbound and westbound traffic along Finch Ave. West will be rerouted using Milady Rd. and Islington Ave. Residents living in and around Milady Rd. will experience a significant increase in traffic.
• Access to the Gord & Irene Risk Community Centre from Finch Ave. West will be impacted, as the west driveway will be closed, but the east driveway will remain open. In addition, people can access the community centre from the Islington Ave. entrance, north of Finch.
• Both driveways from the Harmony Village townhouse complex at Finch Ave. West and Milady Rd. will remain open.​

For the safety of transit riders, TTC bus stops in the affected area on Finch Ave. West between Milady Rd. and Islington Ave. will be relocated. Additional signage directing pedestrians will be installed. For TTC detour, please refer to the map below:

 

[micheal_can]

The new line might make the area a bit more desirable.

But anyway, improving the area isn't the main goal of building a transit line. The main goals is improving transit.

The riders will see notable improvements: shorter travel times, headways will become more regular, vehicles less crowded. IMO, that's good enough.

Can you show one location that adding higher order transit caused urban decay?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Can you show one location that adding higher order transit caused urban decay?

I understand that the introduction of Line 2 had a significant negative impact on Danforth Avenue businesses. It moved thousands of commuters underground, keeping the businesses out of view, and away from shops. This apparently caused a significant drop in business.

Of course, this won’t happen on Finch West.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I understand that the introduction of Line 2 had a significant negative impact on Danforth Avenue businesses. It moved thousands of commuters underground, keeping the businesses out of view, and away from shops. This apparently caused a significant drop in business.

Of course, this won’t happen on Finch West.

That is why street festivals that draw crowds to the street (Taste of the Danforth), otherwise they can't "see" the stores.

 

[rbt]

Can you show one location that adding higher order transit caused urban decay?

Creation of the Yonge line, coupled with consolidation of the streetcar traffic from Bay/Yonge/Victoria/Church onto the Yonge subway line made for a bleak couple decades for Church. The entire downtown struggled through that period (not really related to the subway) but Church seemed to get hit particularly hard.

It didn't really recover until the village was forced off Yonge through political policy (when it shifted to Church).

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Creation of the Yonge line, coupled with consolidation of the streetcar traffic from Bay/Yonge/Victoria/Church onto the Yonge subway line made for a bleak couple decades for Church. The entire downtown struggled through that period (not really related to the subway) but Church seemed to get hit particularly hard.

It didn't really recover until the village was forced off Yonge through political policy (when it shifted to Church).

I’m really worried this will happen to Queen and King when the DRL opens. It’s really the only thing that makes me slightly hesitant about the project. But Toronto is a lot larger than it was in the 60s, so hopefully this won’t be an issue

 

[innsertnamehere]

Queen East isn't exactly a hub of vibrant business today anyway - I wouldn't be too concerned.

Once these transit projects finish up the stretches they service tend to flourish anyway, look at St Clair. I'm looking forward to Eglinton West seeing a revival in a few years.


Every inner city on the continent struggled in the 1960s-1980's, Toronto weathered it surprisingly well, actually.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Queen East isn't exactly a hub of vibrant business today anyway - I wouldn't be too concerned.

Oh, I know. I was mostly thinking about Queen West and the Relief Line West.

Once these transit projects finish up the stretches they service tend to flourish anyway, look at St Clair. I'm looking forward to Eglinton West seeing a revival in a few years.

I expect surface projects, such as the St Clair ROW, to have a net benefit to businesses, because they result in a lot more people on the roads, passing by the businesses. There are the people on the streetcar looking out the windows, people walking to the stops, people waiting at the stops etc... Underground projects can have a negative effect because they move all the people underground, and out of view of the businesses. Again, this apparently what happened to the Danforth in the 60s (I say apparently because I wasn't around back then; I'm basing this off of historical accounts)

 

[Allandale25]

David Rider‏Verified account@dmrider
From Tuesday's public works committee: Committee votes to delay Finch West LRT construction after Cllr Mammoliti threatens to walk out and break quorum, but decision could be undone by city council.

Mammoliti at it again. Sigh.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Mammoliti at it again. Sigh.

That's what happens when JT puts the useless on committees as rewards.

AoD