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Although I can see the logic of the proposal, $800 million is a lot of money which Toronto doesn't have and even if they found it wouldn't that $800 million be better spent extending the Sheppard to the Spadina ext? By the time you add in the extra cost of LRT to Spadina the price would probably be the same but it would be faster and could be then be automated to cut operational costs.
 
Old blog post, but I agree 110% with this guy.

http://andreweckford.blogspot.ca/2012/03/zombie-sheppard-subway-must-die-rant.html

*Convert the Sheppard subway to LRT
* Extend westward
* Connect the Sheppard line with the (yet to be built) Finch line

What about, like I said earlier, keepng it a subway but extending it westward to Downsview/Keele+Finch/YorkU and keeping Don Mills the terminal station. But maybe, (pretty big maybe I know) have the Sheppard East LRT turn onto Don Mills and keep going south to meet up with the Eglinton Crosstown at Don Mills and Eglinton as well as the future DRL (subway). Here we have Don Mills and Eglinton being the terminal station of this redirected Sheppard East (Don Mills)LRT as well as a DRL. Easy connection to downtown and the area realizes it potential as another node.
 
I do not understand the NDP. Do they think that by next spring the Liberals will become even worse and they will be polling in the high 40's?

There is a chance that the PC's will win a majority, but due to Hudaks popularity, it may not be that high. The Liberals have done a terrible job for 10 years and I do not think there is anyone stupid enough to support the Liberals now who did not support them two years ago. The Liberals have nowhere to go but down. This means that Horvath has a very good chance of beating the Liberals and then forming a coalition with them - but with NDP in the premiers seat and not as a silent partner. Horvath could even do this is the PC's get the most seats, but not enough for a majority.

by the way, I think the PC's relinquished power in about 1984, not the 1990's. There were those arrogant tax-and-spend Liberal years under Pederson that allowed Rae to get in.

It might not be politically feasible for them to form a coalition, and if that were to fall through, they would be left with no control of government as the PCs would largely side wit the liberals to get bills passed. I rank a PC majority chances extremely low. The fact is that the NDP are essentially the ones running the government right now and they have a fairly high chance they would lose that if an election were called. Saying that however, I wouldn't be surprised if they call one this spring. For transits sake I hope they don't, but I wouldn't be surprised. I feel if the liberals switch out the HST hike in their transit tax for a corporate tax hike the NDP would be willing to pass the budget. Only time can tell however.
 
Use third rail for the LRT in the old subway tunnels, switching to overhead capillarity for outside.
They tried this in London and Hamburg, and found it to be a maintenance nightmare. From a trainset perspective, you have twice as many electrical components to maintain, and a problem in either set keeps the train out of operation. Both eventually converted to overhead-only.

What about, like I said earlier, keeping it a subway but extending it westward to Downsview/Keele+Finch/YorkU and keeping Don Mills the terminal station. But maybe, (pretty big maybe I know) have the Sheppard East LRT turn onto Don Mills and keep going south to meet up with the Eglinton Crosstown at Don Mills and Eglinton as well as the future DRL (subway). Here we have Don Mills and Eglinton being the terminal station of this redirected Sheppard East (Don Mills)LRT as well as a DRL. Easy connection to downtown and the area realizes it potential as another node.
The Sheppard East LRT is meant to meet the Sheppard subway at platform level. That said, TransitCity did include a Don Mills LRT between B-D and Steeles. The south terminal would fall somewhere between Castle Frank and Donlands (if east of the Don River, it'd be tunneled).
 
I have a feeling that a Modern Don Mills LRT would terminate at Eglinton and have the DRL south of that as it would have to be tunnelled anyways.
 
I never agreed with linking Finch and Sheppard LRTs. I like the idea of converting Sheppard even less. Frankly, it will never happen.
 
No reason it cant. The line should have ridership similar to Finch West. Both are replacing the two most used busses in the city.
 
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Why can't the LRT go on Finch east exactly?

It should.

For Transit City, they probably wanted to feed something into Sheppard subway, hence they added Sheppard East LRT. After that, they did not want to have two lines 2 km apart for Phase I of Transit City, as it would look like giving a preference to one area.

In addition, there is a problem with Finch East street width between Yonge and Don Mills. It can be overcome, either by tunneling a section of the line or by shifting the problem section to the Hydro Corridor; but that increases the project complexity.

Strategically, Finch West + Finch East Crosstown is preferable to linking Finch with Sheppard. There is nothing wrong with having LRTs on both Finch East and Sheppard East, as the demand warrants them.
 
Why can't the LRT go on Finch east exactly?

The original Miller plan for the Finch LRT was it to continue on past the Finch West station to connect with the Finch Station on Yonge. Metrolinx even later presented an option for it to continue to Don Mills to connect with the Sheppard East. Both were cut back to Finch West Station on the Spadina extension, to become a phase one and to save money.
 
. After that, they did not want to have two lines 2 km apart for Phase I of Transit City, as it would look like giving a preference to one area..

Not just appearance, but it would also reduce the ridership on Sheppard Subway. A good transit plan should find a way of utilizing an existing $1B+ piece of infrastructure, instead of just ignoring it.

I like the Sheppard Subway interlined with the northern part of the Spadina line. This would allow Finch and Steeles (and Sheppard) West to connect with the Sheppard Subway for travel all the way to Don Mills (and beyond).
 
I like the Sheppard Subway interlined with the northern part of the Spadina line. This would allow Finch and Steeles (and Sheppard) West to connect with the Sheppard Subway for travel all the way to Don Mills (and beyond).

That would be great; but the ship probably has sailed since they did not make provisions for such interlining in the Spadina extension design. It would be a lot easier to build such connection from the onset than to add it afterwards to the tunneled line.
 
I like the Sheppard Subway interlined with the northern part of the Spadina line. This would allow Finch and Steeles (and Sheppard) West to connect with the Sheppard Subway for travel all the way to Don Mills (and beyond).
Might look like a cool idea, but doesn't work from the number of passengers. The piece of YUS north of Downsview will have the lowest ridership of the entire line. It's the last piece you'd want extra service on. A better idea is to split the YUS line just north of Downsview, and have one piece curve back down to Sheppard, and turn into the Sheppard line. Essentially Sheppard would become a branch of the YUS. Those who want to travel from York U to Don Mills would simply change at Downsview.
 

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