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I would have thought that if Ford was negotiating with the Province and experts from Metrolinx, he could at least bring some experts of his own to the table.
Ford DID bring in the heavy-hitter experts: the retired suburban dentist and Tony Clement's ex-chief-of-staff.
 
It seems that this process is rigidly adhered to. Was anyone at TTC reprimanded for doing any type of work on this file without Council approval?

Not this directly, you couldn't fire people for that without also reprimanding the mayor.
 
1) From somewhere on Finch East, say Warden, to downtown. You can take Finch bus to Yonge (33 min), transfer (5 min), take subway downtown (25 min); total is 63 min. Or you can take Warden bus to Sheppard (8 min), transfer (5 min), take subway to Yonge (15 min), transfer again (5 min), take subway downtown (22 min); total 55 min. It is a noticeable saving.

I think you're slightly overstating the benefits of your argument. Though I don't categorically refute your thesis that people would switch, a difference in 8 minutes is not necessarily beneficial enough for the average person to take that extra transfer. I say this as someone who used to live at Warden & Steeles and would find that extra transfer unnecessary/annoying. Taking the 68 Warden down and switching onto 85 Sheppard East or 39 Finch East only happened for me if the 53 Steeles East was taking a really long-ass time (which most of the time it didn't since it has better headways than the 68). For somebody like me at least, taking one straight bus ride all the way to Finch, getting a double-double, and then getting to choose any seat I want is much better than having to transfer twice, get no coffee, and have no seating all the way downtown, even if it's 8 minutes faster.
 
I think you're slightly overstating the benefits of your argument. Though I don't categorically refute your thesis that people would switch, a difference in 8 minutes is not necessarily beneficial enough for the average person to take that extra transfer. I say this as someone who used to live at Warden & Steeles and would find that extra transfer unnecessary/annoying. Taking the 68 Warden down and switching onto 85 Sheppard East or 39 Finch East only happened for me if the 53 Steeles East was taking a really long-ass time (which most of the time it didn't since it has better headways than the 68). For somebody like me at least, taking one straight bus ride all the way to Finch, getting a double-double, and then getting to choose any seat I want is much better than having to transfer twice, get no coffee, and have no seating all the way downtown, even if it's 8 minutes faster.

I realize that different people have different tastes; but would think that quite a few (myself included) will choose a faster trip even if it costs an extra transfer.

Moreover, in your example you trade one bus for another bus, that means no change in the service quality. In my example, the riders would trade a long bus ride for a subway ride (along Sheppard); that means a somewhat more comfortable trip, including a double-double at the station and a fair chance of getting a seat.
 
TTC is required by law to follow the will of council and to a lesser extent the commission (one handles big picture and the other the day-to-day). The last orders given by council were done under Miller. TTC did stop work on both Sheppard and Eglinton (surface) and perform engineering work to put it underground on Ford's direct request which went against standing orders from council.

Normally, council should have requested a study be performed or direct the work. TTC should not, from a legal perspective, have followed any of those directions Ford gave.

I think TTC bent over about as far as they could before receiving a private citizens lawsuit.

Not so in this case. TTC employees were working on those projects ostensibly as contractors to Metrolinx, not to the TTC. Remember, it was the Province funding the project through Metrolinx, who was going to then own the projects upon completion. The TTC was simply acting as the primary contractor. Metrolinx pulled the plug on the original Transit City project, and so the employees had to oblige their requests.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
Mind you we're fighting over what is essentially suburban transit services. Does Toronto really need to focus so heavily on improving far-suburban locations like Finch or Sheppard when the old city needs DRL now?..

Sheppard isn't an urban corridor, it is still suburban with increasing condo presence. This is really what it should be, seeing that its a suburban location...

What this is centered around is a paradox... Suburban Toronto won't become Queen West, but it needs improved transit. I have no doubt in my mind that Eglinton Crosstown would likely serve more people than the backbone of the Chicago system in years to come. I could easily see it achieve 250k riders/day. But the paradox is that a DRL in Toronto is so much more badly needed.

Maybe you should look up what "suburb" means; Sheppard also supports "urban" centres including Agincourt and Malvern.

Elsewhere someone stated that Miller is the reason that a DRL was not in the Transit City plan, LRT was the only transit he wanted. Actually, a DRL would not be needed in the original plan, there was a Jane and Don Mills LRT, this would take away the direct need for a DRL. I bring this point up here due to that they would have served the "old city", and taken some strain off YUS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_LRT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Mills_LRT

McGuinty is more to blame for cutting the transit budget, and "defering" Jane, Don Mills and Scarborough/Malvern LRTs to some time in the future.

(Personally I am all for a "DRL" running down Victoria Park and along Queen at least.)

I have a question for you, who would be served by a "DRL?" Here's a hint: Not the downtown.

Brandon717, you're wasting your breath. The parrots on this board will not listen. They're just anti-Ford, all the time, regardless of what he says, they're against it. I guess it's a shame he wants to build subway. If he wanted to build LRT, they'd be calling for his head for cheaping out on Toronto and being too fiscally conservative.

If Ford actually had a plan, preferably unlike a plan like Woodbine Live, extending a subway to STC would be fine, and hopefully it would serve the various communities along its length. However, what about approximately the other half of Scarborough along Sheppard? NINBYism and propaganda is rife in the discussions. Public transit is supposed to serve all people and their communities, not just a few, especially those with more money and/or position. Dividing the city and spreading at least half-truths will make sure that only certain people will be served, if served at all.

And for the record, I am not a parrot, I form my opinions from what info is available, and all I have seen coming from Ford and his "cult" is innuendo and propaganda.

If Ford would take his head out of the clouds and became a realist or very least a pragmatist we would have leader that will serve Toronto, not just his and his lackeys.
 
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http://torontoist.com/2012/04/lrt-t...aign=lrt-to-rain-destruction-on-apricot-trees

I really wish the police station site would be developed. Infact I would be happy if the station was relocated to the new lawrence heights redevelopment which btw the community asked for (since they were paranoid the extra ppl in the area would result in a ghetto). Same with the synagogue. Its such a huge site and would be a great spot for a midrise.
 
Aren't most of the proposed park entrances located at Everden and Eglinton where droopy pines are located?
 
Speaking of Eglinton - it would seem that LRT isn't a deterrent to densification:

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/l...g-eglinton-lrt-line-making-homeowners-nervous

And of course, followed by the requisite pushback (legit or otherwise) by area residents.

City report, from the April 19 Planning and Growth Management Commitee:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/pg/bgrd/backgroundfile-46393.pdf

AoD

AoD -- man, you're tolerant. '... the requisite pushback (legit or otherwise)'? Fears of redeveloping a parking lot 'cause the ugliest No Frills outside of the one on Parliament might be detonated? In a period of falling enrollment across the Toronto board, the possibility of some new students at the local school?

This (almost) drives me as nuts as the harped-on 'subways, subways, subways' nonsense...
 
RRR: It comes with the job.

sixrings:

I actually wouldn't mind using the park as the location - as noted in the presentation, it's more expensive to build it at the police station lot, plus eating into redevelopable space.

AoD
 
I like the idea of building the entrance in such as way that it can be incorporated into a future building at no extra cost. Then the parking lot option is not eating into developable space, it is enhancing it. But has this ever actually been done before? I don't know if the engineering isas easy as they make it sound.
 
RRR: It comes with the job.

sixrings:

I actually wouldn't mind using the park as the location - as noted in the presentation, it's more expensive to build it at the police station lot, plus eating into redevelopable space.

AoD

The park truthfully isnt that big. Which is why the police station side makes sense. PLus once a part of the police station lot goes to the ttc entrance there will be more willingness to look at potential development. AS long as the police keep their entire lot they will fight the development. ALso, you mention price being a big factor. Id like to think if we are spending this much we could at least get the entrances right. That cant be too big a request.
 

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