[Solid Snake]

Sheppard East is happening and there's no way to stop it. I always took issue with the line on the operating side of it and not the LRT itself.

That being said, Sheppard will still be an election issue in 2014 because of this:

To my understanding, Sheppard east will be built from the east westbound to Don Mills and not be ready by 2016-2017. Where will the rails be by end of 2014? Politicians being the opportunistic creatures that they are will face a Rob Ford promising subway yet again which could hand him over Scarborough again. With the revenue tools study motions that have been passed at council, he will most likely justify his subway based on them.

Now hear me out, Ford is a failure, I know. Politicians being the opportunist that they are will try to somewhat up the ante. Foolish Ford might promise to rip SELRT apart. A skilled politician might say:

-Let's continue the SELRT to Agincourt and use the new revenue tools (the motion calling to study and implement them) to build the Sheppard Subway to Scarborough Centre.

What are the odds of that?

 

[CodeMonkey]

What are the odds of the Province pulling the funding? With the Budget coming up and a minority government the Liberals will have to get support, no doubt the PCs want to axe the $8.6 billion as part of a package of other demands.

 

[Solid Snake]

What are the odds of the Province pulling the funding? With the Budget coming up and a minority government the Liberals will have to get support, no doubt the PCs want to axe the $8.6 billion as part of a package of other demands.

They might not survive the budget and if they don't, they won't be in power for awhile

 

[gweed123]

What are the odds of the Province pulling the funding? With the Budget coming up and a minority government the Liberals will have to get support, no doubt the PCs want to axe the $8.6 billion as part of a package of other demands.

The NDP would never go for that, therefore I think it's pretty safe. In fact, I would venture to say that the NDP would vote against the budget if the funds WERE pulled.

 

[CodeMonkey]

The NDP would never go for that, therefore I think it's pretty safe. In fact, I would venture to say that the NDP would vote against the budget if the funds WERE pulled.

I would think so, but the Liberals will have to make a choice, go along with the NDP list of demands that would keep the $8.6 billion safe, or go with the PCs and have the risk of the $8.6 billion cut as part of their demands.

 

[Solid Snake]

I would think so, but the Liberals will have to make a choice, go along with the NDP list of demands that would keep the $8.6 billion safe, or go with the PCs and have the risk of the $8.6 billion cut as part of their demands.

PC pulling the money would be suicide for them, just saying

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

For reasons of pure electoral calculus, there is no chance in hell that the Liberals will survive by the good graces of the PCs. It's NDP or nothing (or, I suppose, the Liberals could bribe a defector or two loose from one or both of the other parties).

 

[TheTigerMaster]

What are the odds of the Province pulling the funding? With the Budget coming up and a minority government the Liberals will have to get support, no doubt the PCs want to axe the $8.6 billion as part of a package of other demands.

The province has said that funding will not be pulled in the new budget. Also the Liberals are only one seat short of a majority and I'm pretty sure that the NDP supports the funding.

 

[CodeMonkey]

PC pulling the money would be suicide for them, just saying

Well, the difference being between Ford and the PC party is the PC party has access to spin doctors, but the PC party never really needed support of the city in the past to get elected into power. No doubt they'll point out the $8.6 billion would be well spent on taming the deficit.

 

[rbt]

To my understanding, Sheppard east will be built from the east westbound to Don Mills and not be ready by 2016-2017. Where will the rails be by end of 2014?

The component with the longest construction period is the portal and Don Mills platform extension. The entire surface component and storage yard could be largely complete (and idle) in 2014.

 

[gweed123]

The component with the longest construction period is the portal and Don Mills platform extension. The entire surface component and storage yard could be largely complete (and idle) in 2014.

Will it be paved over in between the tracks (or some kind of a hard surface), or will it be grass? If it's hard, they may want to run buses until the tunnel part is done.

 

[rbt]

Will it be paved over in between the tracks (or some kind of a hard surface), or will it be grass? If it's hard, they may want to run buses until the tunnel part is done.

Pretty certain it is concrete raised slightly above the roadbed with a rounded curb to allow emergency vehicles to use the lanes.

 

[k10ery]

The component with the longest construction period is the portal and Don Mills platform extension. The entire surface component and storage yard could be largely complete (and idle) in 2014.

All this assumes work on Sheppard starts immediately. But I believe Metrolinx is now saying that Finch is the priority, and work on Finch and Sheppard can't happen simultaneously. (I think it was John Lorinc who said this on twitter.) So it is not clear if anything at all will be done by 2014.

 

[gweed123]

Pretty certain it is concrete raised slightly above the roadbed with a rounded curb to allow emergency vehicles to use the lanes.

So even if there is a delay with the tunnel, buses can still use the ROW until the whole thing is operational. That's good news.

 

[W. K. Lis]

All this assumes work on Sheppard starts immediately. But I believe Metrolinx is now saying that Finch is the priority, and work on Finch and Sheppard can't happen simultaneously. (I think it was John Lorinc who said this on twitter.) So it is not clear if anything at all will be done by 2014.

Excluding the sewer work, water-mains, underground wires and cables, and gas mains, the laying of tracks should take about a month or less for each block. Most likely they will also just use the road allowance, that is already city property, maybe even shifting the automobile traffic lanes more to the outside of the allowance using the grass and sidewalk if needed. Its the extra work of any underground utilities that would take up construction time. Depends upon where the utilities are currently located.