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robmausser said:
The Agenda discussed the Crosstown debacle last night


I think the opportunity to comment on how government had messed up this project many times before it even started was largely absent from the talk.

From Bob Rae and Mike Harris delaying and then canceling the original Eglinton subway, then the delay of the portion to the airport by McGuinty, to finally Rob Ford declaring the line being entirely underground, only to be reversed by city hall, the line has really gone through decades of political meddling.
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Good video and points. As much as I'd hate to blame the pandemic on the delays, it did factor a lot of the problems we're facing today. It just baffles me that they clearly underestimated how hard it would be to build under existing subway stations without doing their research. The Ontario line will be done differently as the tunnels themselves will be twice as deep as the Eglington underground stations, resulting in a lot of stairs and escalators going in.
 
denfromoakvillemilton said:
Fire Mulroney
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Not happening under any circumstance. Aside from Eglinton LRT it is important to keep in her place for the North America's largest transit expansion plan. She should be there at least till the end of this term and by then all major transit expansion projects will be executed. And then if she still has the energy in her let her lead the planning for the next batch (Ontario Line North, Eglinton West Extension to Airport, Scarborough Subway Extension West and East which will be announced for the next elections campaign)

globalnews.ca

Ford has ‘total confidence’ in Transportation Minister amid Eglinton LRT delays - Toronto | Globalnews.ca

Doug Ford has said he has 'total confidence' in his transportation minister, Caroline Mulroney, as delays to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT continue.
globalnews.ca globalnews.ca
 
toronto647 said:
Aside from Eglinton LRT it is important to keep in her place for the North America's largest transit expansion plan.
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What, you're telling me there's no one else in the province capable of drawing lines on the back of a napkin, giving contracts to corrupt consortiums, and keeping secrets from the public?
 
T3G said:
What, you're telling me there's no one else in the province capable of drawing lines on the back of a napkin, giving contracts to corrupt consortiums, and keeping secrets from the public?
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My thought process is at least something is being built. Nothing major has been built since over 50-60 years. Now finally have several lines proposed with construction started for most. No point changing the Captain and mess things up further. I am happy with the 4 major projects (YNSE, OL, EGWLRT, SSE) being built around 2030 ish.

Be careful what you wish for.
 
toronto647 said:
My thought process is at least something is being built. Nothing major has been built since over 50-60 years. Now finally have several lines proposed with construction started for most. No point changing the Captain and mess things up further. I am happy with the 4 major projects (YNSE, OL, EGWLRT, SSE) being built around 2030 ish.

Be careful what you wish for.
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I'd be happy if we stopped making silly decisions about technology, routing, etc. Line 5 is a silly mishmash. The tunneled portion should just have been a proper highfloor subway with PSDs, and the surface portion could be a separate LRT line, if not elevated subway. Golden Mile is a suburban wasteland currently.
 
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afransen said:
I'd be happy if we stopped making silly decisions about technology, routing, etc. Line 4 is a silly mishmash. The tunneled portion should just have been a proper highfloor subway with PSDs, and the surface portion could be a separate LRT line, if not elevated subway. Golden Mile is a suburban wasteland currently.
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Line 4 is Sheppard. You mean Line 5 Eglinton.
 
T3G said:
What, you're telling me there's no one else in the province capable of drawing lines on the back of a napkin, giving contracts to corrupt consortiums, and keeping secrets from the public?
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they call can so what's the point of changing anyways
 
robmausser said:
It seems like these new low floor LRT systems are having tons of issues. Including Ottawa. I wonder what the problem is?

Ion seemed to go so well.
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The issue in Edmonton doesn't stem from the equipment - which is almost the same as used on Ion or on the Crosstown - but rather from the construction of the fixed plant itself.

In this case, it would have been problematic no matter what kind of equipment was running on it.

Dan
 
smallspy said:
The issue in Edmonton doesn't stem from the equipment - which is almost the same as used on Ion or on the Crosstown - but rather from the construction of the fixed plant itself.

In this case, it would have been problematic no matter what kind of equipment was running on it.

Dan
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So is this just coincidental? What you are saying is that construction is getting shoddier lately now unrelated to the use of low floor trains. Because it seems to me that over the last 10 years construction has completely shit the bed in Canada. There were never issues like this in the past, where entire tracks had to be ripped up because the construction teams put them at the wrong level (Leslie barns track) or the tracks are the wrong distance apart (Crosstown) the billion issues on the Confederation Line, or the problems with Valley Line. Or even things like Military Road being the wrong grade and having to be redone entirely. It sounds like something has happened to the construction world where sloppiness is the standard.
 
robmausser said:
So is this just coincidental? What you are saying is that construction is getting shoddier lately now unrelated to the use of low floor trains. Because it seems to me that over the last 10 years construction has completely shit the bed in Canada. There were never issues like this in the past, where entire tracks had to be ripped up because the construction teams put them at the wrong level (Leslie barns track) or the tracks are the wrong distance apart (Crosstown) the billion issues on the Confederation Line, or the problems with Valley Line. Or even things like Military Road being the wrong grade and having to be redone entirely. It sounds like something has happened to the construction world where sloppiness is the standard.
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Good question.

Or maybe there was actually less transparency in the distant past, and things didn't reach the public ear.

Islington Subway station is a good example..... apparently it wasn't built to last. One wonders about the rest of the Islington and Warden extensions to Line 2.

Didn't Mirabel Airport have big problems with shoddy construction? Expo Stadium? Skydome?

I do wonder how many of the many condo towers that are being built in the GTA will develop premature problems. I do know of lawsuits already in very new buildings. The risks people are taking when they buy a condo may be grossly underestimated.... with a new home, at least you can watch it being built, and hire a home inspector for an existing house.

I am convinced that the move to P3 as a project model, and the emergence of super-size construction companies, may be driving some of this with respect to public infrastructure. It's obvious that the City isn't monitoring its construction any more, even the contract monitor role has been outsourced.

- Paul
 
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