News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 02, 2020
A Message to Our Readers
 8.5K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
EarthCam Time-Lapse Documents Rafael Viñoly-Designed New Stanford Hospital Construction
 39K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
Resort Town
 4.7K     0 

rbt said:
That's 15 minute frequencies in peak period.

Off-peak during the day it's 20 minutes on most branches, and in the late evenings and weekends it pushes hourly.

I'll take GO Lake Shore service over Pleasanton BART service. Spent a week in Pleasanton in February, so I'm pretty familiar with that BART route.
Click to expand...

What did you find better about GO Lakeshore vs BART?
 
^Frequencies? at least thats what I get from his post.. every 30 minutes all day with express services and local services at peak making frequencies approach 10 minutes.
 
innsertnamehere said:
^Frequencies? at least thats what I get from his post.. every 30 minutes all day with express services and local services at peak making frequencies approach 10 minutes.
Click to expand...

Oh I didn't realize GO Lakeshore was 10 minutes at peak, for some reason I thought it was 30 min both peak and off peak. (I guess because they say 30 min all day)

Sorry I almost never take GO.
 
So my post about Canadian Tire at Eglinton and Laird moving into the Future Shop space was premature. It will be a new concept Canadian Tire store opening up in the Future Shop space. The existing Canadian Tire will remain along side it for the near future.
 
Northbound Allen Expressway could close for nearly two years

From The Star, at this link:

Metrolinx and the city are looking at a potential closure of a section of Allen Rd.


By: Tess Kalinowski Transportation reporter, Published on Fri Apr 11 2014

A partial closure of the busy Allen expressway, previously rejected as too disruptive to motorists, is back on the table at Metrolinx and the city.

If it goes ahead, the northbound lanes of Allen Rd. between Eglinton and Lawrence Aves. could be closed for nearly two years to accommodate launch and extraction shafts for the giant tunnel boring machines near the Eglinton West subway station.

The construction, which is already reducing traffic lanes in both directions, and limiting turns onto the Allen, is also frustrating local traffic and pedestrians, who have lost one crossing signal.

Closing the Allen would allow more room for construction staging. But it would also mean that 150 trucks a day hauling soil away from the tunnel site could avoid driving on Eglinton and the southbound Allen, said Metrolinx spokesman Jamie Robinson.

Work began early this year on the shafts for the boring machines that will be pulled out of the ground on the west side of the Eglinton West station and relaunched on the east where they will continue driving toward Yonge St.

“The reality is this is long-term. . . . This work is underway now until summer 2016,†said Robinson.

Although construction of the station will continue to affect traffic until the LRT opens in 2020, it won’t require the Allen’s closure.

Councillor Joe Mihevc said construction is already making life difficult for people who live and work along Eglinton.

“I am very supportive of this project as are people in our community. We would look at this request from Metrolinx very seriously. We want to see (the Eglinton Crosstown LRT) done as quickly as possible,†he said.

Robinson said turn adjustments, portable signs and other communications encouraging motorists to avoid using Eglinton as a throughway, have already reduced traffic. Metrolinx is suggesting drivers use north-south alternatives to Allen such as Bathurst St. and Avenue Rd.

Councillor Josh Matlow said he won’t support an Allen closure until he sees evidence that it’s the only option. “I accept facts but Metrolinx has not demonstrated to me the need for closing the Allen yet. I am open to actively listening to them but until they do that it’s not something I support,†he said.

The city is also awaiting traffic data, said Martin Maguire, manager of transit projects for transportation services.

When the issue of closing the Allen arose about two years ago, the mayor’s office asked Metrolinx to look at other options.

The agency came up with alternatives and a report that was being prepared for the works committee never moved forward, said Maguire.

“It’s come up again and . . . we need to understand the area traffic impacts if this was to go ahead . . . as well as some description of the benefits that an Allen closure would have to their project in terms of schedule and costs,†said Maguire “The closure might allow them to accelerate the tunnelling activities but it’s not absolutely required in order to complete the project.â€

Metrolinx, which is consulting the community on the issue, hopes to see a report on the Allen closure’s impact go to the city’s public works committee in June and on to council in July.

If that doesn’t happen, it won’t get looked at until 2015, after this year’s municipal election, Maguire said.
Click to expand...
 
ehlow said:
What did you find better about GO Lakeshore vs BART?
Click to expand...

GO has good peak frequencies from major stations like Oakville and Pickering; 12 and 11 trains respectively from 6:30am to 8:30am, platform shelters (GO's enclosed areas are far more effective against wind/rain; there's no winter quite like summer in San Francisco), and little things like the seats (not a fan of shared benches).

Minor complaints include varying length trains since 6-car trains still show up at peak periods when 9-car trains should be used resulting in ridiculous crowding on the end car. The announcement system is hilariously ancient for a high-tech city; yes, it does announce train length but many passengers still get caught offguard. Despite being the main route to the airport aisle space is sorely lacking for the numerous suitcases.

The ticket system will let you enter without enough money on the card to cover the trip. The top-up machines at the exit only take small change (no credit/debit or even bills) but some of the trips cost $10+. Do you regularly carry around $10 in quarters? I don't.

Also, there is a real problem with homeless camping out on BART when it rains. That in itself isn't an issue but many are drunk and some become violent resulting in stopped trains waiting for officers to remove them (happened twice in a week).


GO Lakeshore is far from perfect (RER and Overground are closer) but there are many things GO does well for North America.

Actually, the tiny (right sized?) commuter system between Salt Lake and Provo Utah is one of the better ones in the US that I've been on. Low fares, frequent service, solid announcements, great views, fare integration with local service (LRT to downtown/airport), great views from the platforms, reasonably fast, and reliable. Being a linear valley helps make rail useful for such a low population.
 
Last edited:
Perhaps a two-year closure of northbound Allen Expy will serve as a case study to how it's really no great boon to traffic in Toronto and should be filled in anyways.
 
Removing the Gardiner would do irreparable damage to the city's economy and vibrancy. Anyway, the Gardiner isn't going anywhere and will remain a key link to the core for many decades to come.
 
DarkSideDenizen said:
Removing the Gardiner would do irreparable damage to the city's economy and vibrancy. Anyway, the Gardiner isn't going anywhere and will remain a key link to the core for many decades to come.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that if the small percentage of commuters/travellers/etc. who enter the downtown core by automobile had to use Lake Shore Blvd instead of the Gardiner the economy and vibrancy of Toronto wouldn't suddenly collapse on themselves.

Just like the loss of the Allen Expy northbound for two years won't do irreparable damage to Eglinton during Crosstown construction. In the end, the area will get an LRT out of it, and that'll do great things for the vibrancy of that area.
 
I am all for filling the Allen Road.

Unfortunately, I think the city has more pressing concerns for the time being with the Gardiner and the DRL.
 
WislaHD said:
I am all for filling the Allen Road.

Unfortunately, I think the city has more pressing concerns for the time being with the Gardiner and the DRL.
Click to expand...

I'm personally skeptical about closing Allen Rd. To me there is a much stronger case for closing the Gardiner, consider it's downtown and most people take transit to go downtown.

But completely regardless of whether it is or isn't a good idea, as you mentioned, there's absolutely no priority in spending money to do so at this time given the huge costs we'll have to spend to either maintain or remove the Gardiner, the DRL, and rest of the huge list of infrastructure we need to build.

All I was saying earlier was that a temporary & partial closure to make the LRT construction easier is fine, it had nothing to do with spending a huge amount of money removing a highway :)
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top