In some cases that might be true, but in others I'm left completely puzzled.
Apart from data, I tend to think of all the stakeholders who might have some vested interest in an outcome and think about how something that might appear dumb to us might benefit them in a narrow-minded way. Usually that's the reason things end up happening the way they do. However, I can't think of anyone who might benefit from something like putting the ROW in the median of Eglinton at Leslie, including people who don't care about transit.
Apart from the users of the line, I've identified the following stakeholders. In no way can I possibly see how it might benefit them.
1. Construction company that received the tender to do the project - no benefit, because the alignment requires crossing the eastbound lanes of Eglinton (so delays to construction, requirement to close lanes = cost overruns on a fixed budget).
2. EMS - no benefit, because the transition to median alignment of line now disrupts the flow of emergency vehicles (also can't cross into oncoming traffic, if necessary because of concrete curb in centre).
3. Local NIMBYs who demanded a stop at Leslie in the first place - no benefit, because even though they only have to cross half the width of Eglinton to get to their station, the median alignment disrupts the light cycle which slows down the efficiency of moving cars through, and most of these people primarily use cars as their means of transportation.
You see what I mean?
Great analysis Hipster; it leaves me scratching my head as well.
A couple of points: The original 2010 EA (and as far as I know) the present plan does NOT have the LRT tracks crossing the Eglinton eastbound traffic lanes. The portal will be in the median between Brentcliffe and Leslie so the LRT will emerge from the tunnel in the median (although the launch shaft is to the south of the present Eglinton Avenue East). The eastbound lanes of Eglinton will be moved so they swing south of where they are now (after the tunnelling is complete) and so Eglinton will "bulge" to the south at the point of the finished portal. The LRT will remain in the median (but cross the Leslie intersection) until it enters the portal west of Don Mills station.
As far as NIMBYs and the Leslie stop you're right but they had help by I believe two stakeholder groups: one whose motivation I still can't understand and one who while trying to make a bad plan better, went for a poor solution, explained it even more poorly and when it was shot down at public meetings reverted to the inferior original plan instead of going for one which (I believe) could have satisfied almost everyone.
The NIMBYs are the people who live in the 3 condo buildings on Leslie north of the Toyota/Lexus On the Park dealerships. I'd love to know how many of them actually take transit but they didn't want to lose their stop. Ok fair enough, if I was them I'd whine for it too, but it doesn't mean they should necessarily be satiated.
They were aided by the Leaside Property Owners Association (LPOA) (group one from above) who championed their cause and positioned it as fighting to preserve a "Leaside" stop. I'm a Leasider and they didn't speak for me, but at the public meetings last winter and in the press (local) and The Star it was spun as "Leasiders fight proposed LRT changes". The Leslie stop and those condos are NOT EVEN IN LEASIDE. Perhaps a lot of retired/former Leasiders live there now and that was LPOA's motivation but if I was an active LPOA member I'd be steamed that they were spending energy on advocating for Leslie. No Leasiders are going to walk down the hill from Brentcliffe and use Leslie stop. I still am befuddled by the LPOA's position and passion in fighting the proposed tunnel extension to Don Mills. If anything, it would improve traffic flow in Leaside by leaving the Leslie-Eglinton intersection intact and free from LRTs while allowing the LRTs to travel unbothered by traffic to Don Mills - a logical point to change the headways.
The second group that (unintentionally) helped the Leslie condo NIMBYs was Metrolinx itself. When the first plan was released in 2010, I and others asked about a south-side alignment between Brentcliffe and Don Mills. We were told there's plenty of time to look into that and "we're going to study the alignment for that stretch". Then out of the blue in late 2012, Metrolinx announces the study was done and they want to bury the whole line to Don Mills. I admit that my first (selfish) reaction was hooray! No messed up Leslie intersection, no launch shaft in the hillside in Leaside and a sensible LRT right-of-way right through to the hub of Don Mills. The launch shaft in the corner of the Science Centre parking lot would be much less disruptive during construction than the one between Brentcliffe and Leslie. I do admit though that I privately thought that tunnelling the whole thing was a bit of overkill. I knew the Leslie NIMBYs would be mad at losing their stop (although I didn't dream the LPOA would take up their cause.) What I feared most was that people would complain about the expense of the extra tunnelling.
Here's where Metrolinx really blew it. Not only was the tunnel option overkill (although I personally would be happy with it), Metrolinx started giving weak (I'm being charitable here) reasoning for their decision. They said they could NOT do the launch shaft at Brentcliffe. Later thanks to the NIMBYs, political pressure from their Councillor Jaye Robinson and (inexplicably) pressure from the LPOA and Leaside Councillor John Parker they went back to the original plan. So it turns out they COULD do the launch shaft at Brentcliffe (albeit with more difficulty than Don Mills). I and others argued for a south-side alignment (again) and then were told that we don't want to try and amend the EA as it's too volatile on City Council to change the Master Agreement. When pressed as to why the south-side (surface) alignment wasn't proposed instead of the tunnel they said that they looked at that but it was rejected during the process in winter 2012-13. When I looked back at the presentation from January 2013
http://thecrosstown.ca/sites/default/files/January 2013 Open House for web.pdf
(see page 26), they said it couldn't be done because .. (wait for it - it still doesn't resolve the problem of the Brentcliffe launch shaft!!!). Talk about going in circles.
Bottom line, south-side alignment with an at-grade Leslie stop would give NIMBYs their stop, allow Leslie-Eglinton intersection to remain intact, cost less than extended tunnelling and allow complete LRT right-of-way through to Don Mills. Operationally better all around for cars and LRT and much less disruption during construction. But it looks as though it won't happen because they gave false reasons for the changes originally, got caught in a lie and now just want "to get tunnelling" so we're not making any more changes.
Phew! It boggles my mind.
P.S. Sorry for the rambling rant above but that's the way I saw (see) it.
