Diverting traffic currently using the B-D to instead use Eglinton, and a very busy section of the Yonge line is an advantage?
The advantage was providing a rapid transit line uptown from Jane to STC in 35min. That's truly fast and potentially to the Airport like Chicago does.
What about future growth on the corridor? Attracting more residents and businesses increasing the density along the corridor. It makes senses to me to build an infrastructure that will accommodate future ridership.
What do we have now? A line split in 2 which drops drastically the ridership. Metrolinx numbers did show that Eglinton-STC crosstown would attract enough ridership to justify "a fully grade separated rapid transit line"
So what it takes people off the Bloor-Danforth line? What's that obsession of thinking that a successful subway line has to be either "overcapacity" or "needing extra personnel to put people in trains like at Bloor-Yonge"???
The extra pressure on the Yonge line would just force the hand of our politicians to push the DRL to Eglinton. Just look at the study by Metrolinx to relieve Union Station. They are willing to build from Pape to Exhibition because Union will be at overcapacity. That's what it takes to have something build in this country.
When you invest that many billions into transit, think about the next generation, not only the first 10 years of operation. Toronto will grow and won't stop growing.
The Eglinton line isn't intended as a BD-relief line. It would only function as such, because it would have wider stop spacings than Danforth.
Where in any Metrolinx publications do you see that Eglinton "fully underground" was ever meant to be a Bloor Danforth line relief?
The number one objective of that line was to add another rapid transit line going from East to West allowing people to go from one part to the other at high speed.Diverting ridership from the B-D line is a side effect.
I just came back from my first trip to Chicago and our 2 rapid transit lines is just shameful and a reminder of how much politicians failed us over the decades on the transit agenda.
We need more rapid transit line. Period
If we need to relieve the BD line from Kennedy to Yonge, then use the Stouffville GO service, which runs non-stop from Kennedy to Union in 19 minutes - hopefully faster once it's electrified.
It's been said here on so many occasions...So I'll repeat. TTC riders WILL NOT pay the extra fare to take the GO within their own city.
Presto won't change that since in Montreal they have the OPUS card and Montrealers use the STM, not the AMT trains for trips within the city.
They wont use the GO no matter how much you want it...