[steveintoronto]

Wait what do you mean by this?

Using federal and the federally overseen Infra Bank w/ investors to build what Ontario evidently can't or won't. And to do it as full electrified UIC gauge as HFR+ to the north of Toronto where premium temporally separated freight can join existing freight lines and passenger, both VIA and GO RER, can travel in tunnel, after intersecting with the present RH line, and be the "Relief Line" to the core of the city and later, further west to London.

Just like other world leading cities do...and in many cases financed in whole or in part by Cdn pension funds.

Buses always get ignored.

In all fairness, buses were mentioned by the Troglodytes, but you really have to question how credible any of what they say is, let alone become reality. The 407 Transitway was mentioned. And oddly, admission that the "High Speed Fancy" would actually be "VIA" in an expedited form. Sounds like HFR to me. Fits perfectly with doing the Relief Line as mainline rail, southern leg in tunnel but smaller loading gauge for single deck EMU, both RER/Metro and HFR.

The demand is there, and that's the key to getting this built. Governments won't do this on their own, not in this nation anyway.

If Ford's case for subway to STC is such a good one, then put it to the Market! (...Sound of Crickets sleeping...)

 

[Amare]

Buses always get ignored.

Oh buses are very crucial dont ever forget about them, especially when they can be used to replace streetcars. I mean trolley buses are pretty much the same as streetcars right?

In fact im sure there's some dodo in the Ontario governmetnt who is considering replacing RER with supplemental 30min GO bus service on RER corridors because, with their logic, it would have the same effect.

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

In fact im sure there's some dodo in the Ontario governmetnt who is considering replacing RER with supplemental 30min GO bus service on RER corridors because, with their logic, it would have the same effect.

I wouldn't be surprised. Most ministries are stocked with plenty of people who are itching to push their legacy mini pet projects into fruition. The MTO for one is heavily stocked with highway engineers who consider transit as more of a social appeasement. With the latest news about Marlene Yakabuski being the president of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) and registered to lobby the MTO it further solidifies automobile culture for the future.

 

[steveintoronto]

The MTO for one is heavily stocked with highway engineers who consider transit as more of a social appeasement.

These are the folks who think "cartography" is the mapping of highways.

 

[raptor]

Prequalified Teams Selected for Lakeshore East – West Corridor Expansion Project
November 20, 2018
Five teams are prequalified to build and finance the Lakeshore East - West Corridor Expansion project. Teams were selected based on their construction capability, experience, qualified personnel and financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and scope. They include:

• EllisDon Infrastructure Transit (EDIT)
  • Applicant Lead - EllisDon Capital Inc.
  • Construction Team - EllisDon Civil Ltd.
  • Financial Advisor - EllisDon Capital Inc.
• Steelhead Constructors (SHC)
  • Applicant Lead - Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., and Dufferin Construction Company Inc.
  • Construction Team - Aecon Infrastructure Management Inc., and Dufferin Construction Company Inc.
  • Financial Advisor - The Bank of Nova Scotia
• Graham Commuter Rail Solution (GCRS)
  • Applicant Lead - Graham Capital Partners LP, and Graham Construction and Engineering LP
  • Construction Team - Graham Construction and Engineering LP
  • Financial Advisor - Graham Capital Partners LP
• LS Constructors (LSC)
  • Applicant Lead - Ledcor CMI Ltd., and Sacyr Construccion S.A
  • Construction Team - Ledcor CMI Ltd., Sacyr Construccion S.A., and Soncin Construction Ltd.
  • Financial Advisor - PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
• Lakeshore Rail Construction Partners (LRCP)
  • Applicant Lead - Brennan Infrastructures Inc., and Bot Infrastructures Ltd.
  • Construction Team - Brennan Infrastructures Inc., and Bot Infrastructures Ltd.
  • Financial Advisor - Stonebridge Financial Corporation.

A request for proposals is expected to be released in spring 2019.
Visit here to learn more about the Lakeshore East - West Corridor Expansion project.

 

[rbt]

It's nice to see GO projects moving along at the expected pace.

I'm greatly looking forward to a stack of signed construction tenders.

 

[Northern Light]

It's nice to see GO projects moving along at the expected pace.
.

You mean slow as molasses? LOL

I know, I'm glad there's no indication of their being axed/deferred. But really, there's no need for a 4-8 month lag between the end of RFQ and the beginning of RFP.

I would argue the lag should be zero; since the RFP should be fully written prior to the RFQ such that the prospective bidders are fully aware of the nature of the undertaking.

Teams Selected should be followed by 'Here's the RFP, Bid!"

 

[rbt]

You mean slow as molasses? LOL

I know, I'm glad there's no indication of their being axed/deferred. But really, there's no need for a 4-8 month lag between the end of RFQ and the beginning of RFP.

Faster would be great but I'm still pleased to see proceeding as planned.

I don't mind slow if several projects make progress to signed construction contracts in parallel.

 

[steveintoronto]

I know, I'm glad there's no indication of their being axed/deferred.

I wouldn't rule anything out or in at this point in time.

 

[crs1026]

At the risk of being pedantic.... GO RFP's are a bit like the game they play on the Jumbotron at Jays games.... which cup is the ball under?

This is the RFQ (now an RFP) for adding the fourth track from Union to Scarboro Jct. That's good news, as it suggests that the Province is OK with completing the Unionville double tracking (on the Province's dime), and perhaps even the Smarttrack component of that route (on the City of Toronto's dime). This project garnered a small amount of bleating from local residents but has no broader political downside.

If anything, it suggests that the Province has decided to play nice with Tory over Smarttrack, so long as he is bringing the money. Considering neither ST nor the Minister's recent subway announcement make any actual technical sense, it's a case of I won't throw stones if you don't either. Politics makes strange bedfellows, or maybe there is actually honour among thieves.

Anyways - The title of this RFP is Lakeshore East, West Corridor. Commas matter.....don't read this as having anything to do with LSW. ..... ie LSE improvements are broken into three RFP's: East, Central, and West.There are two other RFP's out there for the "central" (Scarboro to Guildwood) and east (Guildwood to Liverpool) segments. Neither of these has been awarded. The older of the two has been out there for a year now.

In case I sound sceptical - I'm delighted to see this one announced, and it bodes well for more..... but with ML one has to be careful that the puffery doesn't overtake the fine details. So far, so good.

- Paul

PS: and remember, it's just another step forward in the procurement step. No shovels in the ground yet, no end date, nothing committed that can't be cancelled or deferred penalty-free.

 

[cbrown2009]

Apparently it is now for the "elites", you know those cottage dwellers who have their estates in the cottage regions.

Subways are for the common everyday people, and everyone deserves them no matter where they live.

But I would think this PC government would quickly realize that the amount of money they spent on a subway extension to Pickering, say, could go a long way toward building out a GO RER system that pretty much encompasses all existing GO corridors. And certainly everything immediately planned by the previous government. Hate the Liberals all one wants, I would hope the public outcry over the potential colossal waste of money would reach even the PC ear.

I know this is a bit off the current topic and I’ll shut up now.

 

[steveintoronto]

If anything, it suggests that the Province has decided to play nice with Tory over Smarttrack, so long as he is bringing the money. Considering neither ST nor the Minister's recent subway announcement make any actual technical sense, it's a case of I won't throw stones if you don't either. Politics makes strange bedfellows, or maybe there is actually honour among thieves.

It also raises the curiosity of the 'deal with the Devil' Verster has made with Ford Inc. Gist: 'I'll play along with your subway upload song if you sing the harmonies on my existing expansion lines already written'.

Verster, superficially at least, has involved himself unnecessarily in the *political act* of throwing support behind the subway upload, and not objectively, but very subjectively: 'It'll be easy'.

It won't be easy, by any stretch of the imagination, even if there's an argument to be made for doing it (much of which I'd support, by *people who know what they're doing!*).

Some Kid Pro Quo (sic) has happened behind the scenes...

 

[TOareaFan]

Probably part of the Ford playbook - over promise, start vague studies, say you're working on it, and never build it.

You know, for many people/areas that describes the Wynne and McGuinty era as well.

Oh buses are very crucial dont ever forget about them, especially when they can be used to replace streetcars. I mean trolley buses are pretty much the same as streetcars right?

In fact im sure there's some dodo in the Ontario governmetnt who is considering replacing RER with supplemental 30min GO bus service on RER corridors because, with their logic, it would have the same effect.

Are there any planned ReR routes that do not already have 30 minute frequencies on their GO "train" buses?

 

[timio]

Torbram Road: temporary tracks are being dismantled as permanent tracks are now on the new spans. Excuse the quality.

 

[asher__jo]

It also raises the curiosity of the 'deal with the Devil' Verster has made with Ford Inc. Gist: 'I'll play along with your subway upload song if you sing the harmonies on my existing expansion lines already written'.

Verster, superficially at least, has involved himself unnecessarily in the *political act* of throwing support behind the subway upload, and not objectively, but very subjectively: 'It'll be easy'.

It won't be easy, by any stretch of the imagination, even if there's an argument to be made for doing it (much of which I'd support, by *people who know what they're doing!*).

Some Kid Pro Quo (sic) has happened behind the scenes...

Uploading the subways isn't a bad idea in theory, but how aggressively it's being done is concerning. I think things will get ugly fast between the TTC union and QP unless there's a phased transition handover (which their probably won't be). Toronto also needs assurances that the service frequencies will be maintained.
Expect legal battles and chaos.