I'm planning on making a travel-times map, am I'm thinking about how I'm going to do it. I need some info. Any ideas how what the average speed of the Transit City lines is planned to be so I can make comparisons? Where could I find such numbers?
 
I requested to join the group!

That is one long decription though. Here's my quick edit:

A project called the 'Downtown Relief Line' was approved by the TTC in 1980, but has since disappeared from all discussions of transit planning. We are an advocacy group started by members of the Urban Toronto Forum (www.urbantoronto.ca) who hope to put the Downtown Relief Line back on Greater Toronto's transportation agenda.

Essentially the DRL involves primarily using existing surface railway corridors to add subway services heading northeast and northwest from Union Station. Due to little tunnelling being required, this alignment offers a huge "bang for the buck" and would easily improve transit in all of Toronto.

Downtown Toronto has been suffering from a generation of unreliable east-west travel through the core, we therefore advocate that the Downtown Relief Line be returned to the agenda for the following reasons:

1. Cost and return on investment: Basically, a huge expansion to our subway system at a relatively low cost.
2. Rail service to some of the city's densest underserved areas (i.e. Parkdale, Liberty Village, Fort York, CityPlace, St. Lawrence, Portlands, etc.) Eventually, Thorncliffe Park, Flemingdon Park, Weston, Rexdale, etc.
3. Relief of pressure on both the Y-U-S and B-D subway lines, including Yonge-Bloor Station.
4. Meaningful, accessible service to Toronto-Pearson Airport. It would bring true rapid transit to the Weston corridor at the price of a TTC fare.

Please write your politicians, invite interested parties to our group and start discussing the return of the Downtown Relief Line!
Click to expand...

It could also be cleaned up a bit more and possibly shortened slightly more. The first sentence/paragraph should make the reader go "oooh, there was this magical subway that was planned and then killed inexplicably, and this magical subway would have been of great benefit to me!"
 
Remember, this is targeting average people, not forum geeks...the message can't start with describing costs and rail corridors, it needs to start with saying downtown gets a much-needed subway from Dundas West to Union to Pape, that crowds at Yonge & Bloor will be relieved, etc.
 
Yeah it definitely needs to capture the imagination of the general public.
 
Lyle Lanley: Well, sir, there's nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
DRL!
What'd I say?

Ned Flanders: DRL!

Lyle Lanley: What's it called?

Patty+Selma: DRL!

Lyle Lanley: That's right! DRL!

[crowd chants `DRL' [softly and rhythmically]

Miss Hoover: I hear those things are awfully loud...

Lyle Lanley: It glides as softly as a cloud.

Apu: Is there a chance the track could bend?

Lyle Lanley: Not on your life, my Hindu friend.

Barney: What about us brain-dead slobs?

Lyle Lanley: You'll be given cushy jobs.

Abe: Were you sent here by the devil?

Lyle Lanley: No, good sir, I'm on the level.

Wiggum: The ring came off my pudding can.

Lyle Lanley: Take my pen knife, my good man.

I swear it's Toronto's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!

All: DRL!

Lyle Lanley: What's it called?

All: DRL!

Lyle Lanley: Once again...

All: DRL!

Marge: But Yonge Street's still all cracked and broken...

Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!

All: DRL!
DRL!
DRL!

[big finish]

DRL!

Homer: DR... D'oh!
Click to expand...

i'm sure the characters could be substitued by our very own members here on UT.
 
The bold alternative plan is exactly the plan I want to see with the red lines being subway rather than something slow and at street level. It has the loop line hitting all the centres, the GO line into Mississauga Centre, subway extensions where practical. This Metrolinx group actually has the potential to get it right if properly funded.

143937_1_0.jpg
 
CDL.TO said:
I'm planning on making a travel-times map, am I'm thinking about how I'm going to do it. I need some info. Any ideas how what the average speed of the Transit City lines is planned to be so I can make comparisons? Where could I find such numbers?
Click to expand...

*cough cough* Hello, anyone?
 
EnviroTO said:
The bold alternative plan is exactly the plan I want to see with the red lines being subway rather than something slow and at street level. It has the loop line hitting all the centres, the GO line into Mississauga Centre, subway extensions where practical. This Metrolinx group actually has the potential to get it right if properly funded.
Click to expand...

That loop line doesn't hit *all* the centres (Brampton, cough, cough), and is probably the misguided 407 GO Transitway, even though it is shown as "REX" (not a terrible name for regional rail).
 
smuncky said:
i'm sure the characters could be substitued by our very own members here on UT.
Click to expand...

Here's my try:

It seems to me,
That all we see
Is congestion and traffic
And a slow TTC
Where are those good ol' fashioned subways,
On which we used to rely?

Lucky there's a DRL,
Lucky there's a plan who,
Positively can do
All the things where streetcars will only fail
It's our DRL!
 
SeanTrans said:
That loop line doesn't hit *all* the centres (Brampton, cough, cough), and is probably the misguided 407 GO Transitway, even though it is shown as "REX" (not a terrible name for regional rail).
Click to expand...

I'm not sure Brampton needs more than a REX on the Georgetown line and the surface LRT/BRT to Mississauga. Is there much in the way of projects going on around the Brampton railway station to increase the density of that node? I do hope they acquire that property on Mill St south of Railroad St though so trains might eventually be able to come up from Streetsville and into Brampton Station before heading over the top of the city.
 
SeanTrans said:
Here's my try:

It seems to me,
That all we see
Is congestion and traffic
And a slow TTC
Where are those good ol' fashioned subways,
On which we used to rely?

Lucky there's a DRL,
Lucky there's a plan who,
Positively can do
All the things where streetcars will only fail
It's our DRL!
Click to expand...

I love it, post it on the Facebook group!
 
We are up to 70 members in less than 24 hours. Not bad, but we can do better!

Allabootmatt is going to work on our intro at some point soon. Don't worry, it'll be simpler, snappier and better able to caputre people's imagination.
 
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