[Mike in TO]

Today's announcement broken down:

Flow: Canada on the Move
Roads
Trains
Buses

1. Toronto-York Subway Line Extension
Flow adds 8.6 kilometers and six new stations to the Spadina subway line, extending it into the heart of York Region. The subway extension is expected to open in 2015.

2. Brampton AcceleRide
Flow provides high frequency, bus rapid transit to connect Brampton and link it to its GTA neighbours. This first phase is expected to be compete by 2010.

3. Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit
Flow provides local and inter-regional bus rapid transit to connect communities along the Highway 403/Eglinton Corridor between Oakville and the City of Toronto. This transitway is expected to be complete by 2012.

4. York Viva Phase 2, Stage 1
Flow builds dedicated bus lanes, allowing rapid transit vehicles to cut through gridlocked traffic and keep York Region open for business. Viva Phase 2, Stage 1 is expected to be complete by 2010.

5. Durham Region Transit
Flow provides the groundwork leading to rapid transit projects in this growing region. This rapid transit project is expected to start this year.

6. Highway 404 extension
Flow drives Highway 404 another 13 kilometers north to Ravenshoe Road. Construction will begin in 2007 and the extension is expected to be open by 2012.

7 Highway 7 Widening
Flow widens Highway 7 across Durham Region to help cut congestion and commute times. Construction will begin in 2009, and the widened highway is expected to be open by 2012.

8. Highway 407 Extension
Flow takes the 407 deep into Durham, all the way to Highway 35/115, links it to the 401 and makes room for future bus or light rail service. This extension is expected to be complete by 2013.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

4. York Viva Phase 2, Stage 1
Flow builds dedicated bus lanes, allowing rapid transit vehicles to cut through gridlocked traffic and keep York Region open for business. Viva Phase 2, Stage 1 is expected to be complete by 2010.

I don't suppose this involves the bus-only lanes up the middle of Yonge Street, north from Finch station, does it? I'm pretty sure the EA is done for that one.

 

[Mike in TO]

The VIVA rapid transit system will be enhanced through the construction of dedicated bus rapid transit systems along Yonge Street, from the Finch subway station to the Richmond Hill Centre, and along Highway 7, from the Markham Centre to Yonge Street. The Federal Government is committing up to $85 million towards eligible project costs.

On closer examination on the funding details... it appears that while the materials handed out at the news conference today included the 3 road projects, that there isn't actually any funding from the federal government, the province is paying for the 404 extension, 7 widening and it is unclear if it is provincial money or the 407 ETR that is covering the 67 kilometer extension to 35/115 and two north/south connections to the 401.

 

[SD2]

^On top of it all, Toronto isn't really getting much.

 

[adma]

That thread title makes me think 93.5 is going national or something...

 

[EnviroTO]

On top of it all, Toronto isn't really getting much.

Toronto got what it declared a top priority and had an EA complete for. Only the TTC/City is to blame for the lack of more important construction. It is easy to see where subway construction is actually going to occur based on RTES... 2015 the subway to Vaughan opens, 2022 the subway from Fairview to SCC opens, and in 2030 the subway to Sherway Gardens opens. Unfortunately only beyond that point do we have a chance that Eglinton or DRL will get started. Meanwhile the number of new condos and population continues to grow along the waterfront, in Old Toronto, and along the Yonge corridor where transit is already crowded and no subway projects are planned.

I think what this announcement shows is that if the city wants to build the DRL it needs to do the EA for it and decide it is the top priority. Eventually the money comes if there is patience. The Spadina-York subway committee and lobbying from Vaughan had been going on for years. The squeaky wheel gets the grease... eventually.

 

[unimaginative2]

Exactly. It's entirely the city that made York U the subway priority. If the city insisted on a new subway in the downtown area, that's what would be funded. In fact, most of the downtown councillors oppose new subway construction.

 

[socialwoe]

I don't suppose this involves the bus-only lanes up the middle of Yonge Street, north from Finch station, does it? I'm pretty sure the EA is done for that one.

Remember the thing about Yonge St, most of the traffic north of Sheppard and especially north of Bishop is resultant of buses. Delagating all of them to a 2-lane ROW only speeds up car travellers commute not transit riders. This would also be problematic for local TTC routes 125, 42 and 97 which would still serve the intermediate Yonge stops thus congesting all traffic.

On top of it all, Toronto isn't really getting much.

We reap what we sow i.e. voted for Sorbara :lol !

Toronto got what it declared a top priority and had an EA complete for. Only the TTC/City is to blame for the lack of more important construction.

In spite of the VCC extension I still feel, perhaps funded through farebox and subsidies, a minor extension to Steeles is definitely warranted. If most of the traffic to Finch today originates in YR anyway, why shouldn't the subway extension shave an extra 2 mins off their commute? Two shot Cummer-Centrepoint bang and we're done.

2015 the subway to Vaughan opens, 2022 the subway from Fairview to SCC opens, and in 2030 the subway to Sherway Gardens opens. Unfortunately only beyond that point do we have a chance that Eglinton or DRL will get started.

So it takes 7-8 years to build extensions, darn! But why is Sherway so far down on the list and what about SRT conversion? Toronto seriously needs to lobby for 2km per year expansion. Jane Pitfield was really unto something. Modest extension sees new operational lines every 5 years instead of eternities.

Meanwhile the number of new condos and population continues to grow along the waterfront, in Old Toronto, and along the Yonge corridor where transit is already crowded and no subway projects are planned.

I don't know what's going through politicians' minds when they come to these conclusions. If they still think BD-YUS loop is still good enough for the downtown core they have to update their facts. On any given day over a half-million go through the core and seriously need better than streetcars, wake up Miller >: !

I think what this announcement shows is that if the city wants to build the DRL it needs to do the EA for it and decide it is the top priority.

I may be clouded by my own biases, but if any EA's done downtown it must be done for Queen Street or at the very least a DRL incorporated with Queen Street.

 

[unimaginative2]

We reap what we sow i.e. voted for Sorbara !

Umm...Vaughan-King-Aurora voted for Sorbara. You were calling him Sambora before...do you even know who he is?

 

[socialwoe]

Umm...Vaughan-King-Aurora voted for Sorbara. You were calling him Sambora before...do you even know who he is?

I meant 'we' as a collective we. It sure worked out for VKA though, bastards :rolleyes ! Besides the comment wasn't even directed at him intentionally but to exemplify what elected officials with an attentive populous can achieve; rather than our situation where the cross-board public apathy has allowed Toronto politicians to not give a damn about anything transit-related to the point they hail the St Clair recon as 'streetcar subway' and shitionary abhorrations like that.

 

[spmarshall]

I wonder two things about the 407 extension - going straight to 35/115. That's a long run, and tolls for that stretch will be horrendously expensive, especially since that area's not that built up (yet) and skirts the Greenbelt. Will the 407 have a two-zone toll system, which lower fares through Durham?

The road through Brooklin (where Highway 7 turns north, go straight east) and over to the Durham/Victoria Line is a great, fast way across to Peterborough. Who needs the 407? Once your're in Oshawa, Highway 401 is never that bad.

My second point is that there's yet no mention of any freeways (a 412, let's say) between the 401 and 407 that way.

 

[unimaginative2]

There's no guarantee that the 407 ETR consortium will operate the new section of highway. At this point, it seems quite unlikely because of their disputes with the province. The new section could be operated either as a provincial freeway, a government-owned tollway, or a tollway owned and operated by a private concession either related or not related to 407 ETR.

The purpose of the 404 extension is primarily to service Queensville.

 

[CSW24]

"So it takes 7-8 years to build extensions, darn! But why is Sherway so far down on the list and what about SRT conversion? Toronto seriously needs to lobby for 2km per year expansion. Jane Pitfield was really unto something. Modest extension sees new operational lines every 5 years instead of eternities."

I agree. I do not understand why the Spadina expansion cannot be completed incrementally, station-by-station so that the once Sheppard West is finished it can be opened for operation before the whole track is finished. Then on to York and so on and so on. Stations can be built by different contractors and once the tunnel meets up with them they should be opened for business, instead of waiting for the whole line.

I surely hope the argument against this idea is to safe money on reprinting route maps.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"6. Highway 404 extension
Flow drives Highway 404 another 13 kilometers north to Ravenshoe Road. Construction will begin in 2007 and the extension is expected to be open by 2012."

I'm not sure this is really necessary. The Holborn to Ravenshoe stretch runs through greenbelted areas that won't be developed, while Keswick has been given limited room for growth - not a bad thing considering there will be hardly any local jobs for people living north of Newmarket. But if it's not extended, I can see Woodbine being widened into a de facto highway.

No mention of the Bradford Bypass...these two projects are, in a way, conjoined twins.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

^ I know, but 30,000 or so people shouldn't deserve a highway, although once you're in Queensville you might as well go up to Ravenshoe. There may not be much pressure on the greenbelt around there if south Simcoe County is permitted to sprawl to its heart's content, but we'll see.