[M II A II R II K]

Perhaps they could tunnel both at the same time.

 

[gweed123]

As someone who takes the University line downtown daily, wait times have doubled on most of my trips due to the Vaughan extension. Crowding has also worsened at St. George station. I fear for the day that the Yonge line extension (which people will actually ride on day 1, unlike the Vaughan one) opens, because the entirety of Line 1 will swamped at rush hour.

God have mercy on subway commuters in this city if the politicians don't get behind the Relief Line.

My preference for Phase 2 of the Relief Line would be to have it continue west to Spadina, then turn north. It would pass directly overtop and just east of the east end of the existing Spadina Bloor platform, and connect to the existing Spadina Line at Spadina Station. If that's not feasible, have it go underneath the existing Spadina Bloor platform, and build a new DRL platform in a T shape underneath the east end of the Bloor platform, decommissioning the existing Spadina YUS platform and having the connection made to the Spadina Line before Dupont.

This would basically turn the Spadina Line into the western leg of the Relief Line, and would open up the St. George-Museum-Bay wye to be used in it's original configuration, offering massive relief to both St George and Bloor-Yonge stations. Especially with ATC, the movements can be coordinated to be much more efficient than they were in the 1960s pilot.

 

[M II A II R II K]

The Spadina interchange station could go under the walkway and directly connect to both of the existing platforms at both ends.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

My preference for Phase 2 of the Relief Line would be to have it continue west to Spadina, then turn north. It would pass directly overtop and just east of the east end of the existing Spadina Bloor platform, and connect to the existing Spadina Line at Spadina Station. If that's not feasible, have it go underneath the existing Spadina Bloor platform, and build a new DRL platform in a T shape underneath the east end of the Bloor platform, decommissioning the existing Spadina YUS platform and having the connection made to the Spadina Line before Dupont.

This would basically turn the Spadina Line into the western leg of the Relief Line, and would open up the St. George-Museum-Bay wye to be used in it's original configuration, offering massive relief to both St George and Bloor-Yonge stations. Especially with ATC, the movements can be coordinated to be much more efficient than they were in the 1960s pilot.

Now this is a fascinating idea.

I wonder if it would improve commutes of people on the Spadina line though, assuming that most of their trips have destinations around the Yonge-University loop.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

My cynical view....given that subway construction is an exercise in politics, I'd predict it will only really become a political priority after they've built the extension out to Richmond Hill, crippling the existing lines and the whole system becomes a NYC style crisis. The problem with the DRL is that it doesn't generate votes as it goes through safe political territory, unlike extensions out to the edges. Once the politicians have truly broken the TTC, only then it will become a political priority as they run the risk of losing votes. Until then they'll simply continue to make themselves look like they're doing stuff with studies and EAs, but no actual money will get committed to construction.

This is why the northern extension is so vital for buy-in.

We need to convince North York voters and politicians that the Relief Line is actually a North York subway line.

 

[gweed123]

The Spadina interchange station could go under the walkway and directly connect to both of the existing platforms at both ends.

Good point, it theoretically could. The existing YUS Spadina platform though would likely only be an occasional use platform, but might as well keep the infrastructure in place if you can.

Now this is a fascinating idea.

I wonder if it would improve commutes of people on the Spadina line though, assuming that most of their trips have destinations around the Yonge-University loop.

With the DRL cutting across at Queen, I would think that most destinations would be within walking distance. For those that aren't, they could transfer at Spadina. Yes, this scenario would mean a slight decrease in accessibility for Spadina Line customers, but it would mean a substantial increase in accessibility (and reduction of transfers) for riders of virtually every other line.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Perhaps they could tunnel both at the same time.

Here’s an idea:

1 stop Subway Extension to Richmond Hill Centre
5 stop Subway Line from Osgoode to Queen to Pape to Science Centre to Fairview

This is why the northern extension is so vital for buy-in.

We need to convince North York voters and politicians that the Relief Line is actually a North York subway line.

Nah, North York already will benefit from Relief Line North, the real convincing is to Scarborough.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

Umm, public transportation in Toronto is about 900 times better.

Sure it is, and no real disagreement.... but it's in places I wouldn't be able to afford the same kind of house that I live in right now, within walking distance of rapid transit. For the GTA I'd have to choose between good transit and a drastically downscaled lifestyle, or an extremely long and terrible commute. You shouldn't have to be rich to have good transit, but in Toronto and Vancouver that seems to be what's happening.

 

[MisterF]

It’s broken. We are there I have been losing employees for five years due to commutes they can’t take on a daily. Their complaints are delays and crushes on the subway. Women more often than men.

With so many big businesses downtown that presumably have the same issues limiting their potential, I've always wondered why they don't lobby harder for new subway lines. If developers in Vaughan can influence government infrastructure decisions, surely the big downtown banks, insurance companies, hospitals, universities, tech companies, and law firms could form a powerful lobby for the DRL.

This is why the northern extension is so vital for buy-in.

We need to convince North York voters and politicians that the Relief Line is actually a North York subway line.

And it's not only a buy-in issue either. The DRL north will have major operational benefits to the whole system.

 

[ADRM]

We need to convince North York voters and politicians that the Relief Line is actually a North York subway line.

Yup; the name change from DRL to RL was the first branding attempt at that.

 

[micheal_can]

This is why the northern extension is so vital for buy-in.

We need to convince North York voters and politicians that the Relief Line is actually a North York subway line.

(snip)

Nah, North York already will benefit from Relief Line North, the real convincing is to Scarborough.

Depending on the section north of Bloor/Danforth, it will most definitely be a benefit to Scarborough.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Crazy “what if” scenario here:


What if the Relief Line North (Don Mills to Pape) was built BEFORE the Relief Line South?

It would probably destroy Bloor-Yonge if no “Relief Line South Bus/Streetcar” was in place and would do little to nothing to relive Yonge south of Bloor (it would relive north of Bloor though).

 

[M II A II R II K]

Relief Line long would also relieve the Sheppard Line also.

 

[micheal_can]

Relief Line long would also relieve the Sheppard Line also.

That line needs relief?

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Crazy “what if” scenario here:


What if the Relief Line North (Don Mills to Pape) was built BEFORE the Relief Line South?

It would probably destroy Bloor-Yonge if no “Relief Line South Bus/Streetcar” was in place and would do little to nothing to relive Yonge south of Bloor (it would relive north of Bloor though).

I mean, there is a small pocket of time in between Spadina opening and ATC coming into place where we have a little bit of excess capacity. It would all be eaten up by 2031.

The Relief Line South would have to be under construction immediately after Relief Line North opened in that scenario. Such a scenario would probably help get North York (and York Region!!!) buy-in while simultaneously ensuring Relief Line South (and probably Yonge North) get funding and construction started immediately.