Rainforest
Senior Member
We could change whole thing right? I like that. Have it run on finch west, or this. Or this is what I did:
I got rid of sheppard, but the idea is there.
Well, the existing Sheppard subway will not disappear, it will remain in operation in one form or another.
The most practical solution is to leave the subway as is, add Sheppard East LRT, and Finch West+East LRT. It will improve feeder ability (from LRTs to Spadina / Yonge / Don Mills / BD extension trips), although will be too slow for long crosstown trips.
An alternative (but it is probably belongs to Fantasy Maps thread due to the high total cost) is a fully grade-separate mini-metro line that incorporates the existing Sheppard subway tunnel. Features of that line would be:
- High floor (hence the conversion of existing Sheppard subway is easier than to low-floor LRT)
- Smaller footprint / somewhat lower capacity than that of the standard TTC subways, to reduce the cost
- Cost of extending to both the eastern and western limits of the city must nor be astronomical
- Ability to handle tight turns (there will be quite a few; in the west it will have to get from Sheppard to Finch somehow; in the east it will have to divert south to STC and Centennial campus, then maybe turn north and reach Malvern)
- Average speed should be higher than that of other TTC subways (say, 40 - 45 kph versus 30 - 35), but the stop spacing must not be too wide (perhaps 1 - 2 km)
- Standard motors (no linear induction motors, which have problems with snow, and bind TTC to a single supplier)
- Partial fare-by-distance, to offset the operating costs; perhaps riding up to 1/2 of the length would be for the standard TTC fare, but more than that would be for a $1 surcharge. If the line goes to Pearson, that could be for a $2 surcharge.