jwill said:
The problem is that University Avenue isn't exactly the best model to appropriate. University (at only 6 lanes wide) has fast traffic which makes it unenjoyable as a pedestrian. Lakeshore will be no better.
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I'm actually fine with University. But I'm sure part of it's seeming pedestrian friendly-ness is the fact that it's totally a downtown street, and it's built to accommodate pedestrians. I can't believe Lakeshore will be built with that in the front of the planner's minds.

But I think that to put essentially all the traffic from the Gardiner onto Lakeshore definitely won't be healthy. First, Metrolinx really needs to get people out of their cars and onto public transit. It's entirely doable, but there needs to be a big effort put into it.
Once we start seeing reduced car traffic, you can start talking about tearing down the Gardiner.
 
Darkstar416 said:
I don't think Giambrone has ever stated a preference for a Queen alignment, just that he's not of the belief it can go through Union. He feels somewhere between Wellington and Queen is most likely thorugh the core.
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True. It was Rob McIsaac who said this and he referred to it as the "Queen Line". The whole alignment plan is, quite sensibly, now going back to the drawing board, and ultimately the province and Metrolinx will have the final say.
 
^ That's great news. If they finish the EA by end 2011, at least that means they can start planning for construction by the end of the decade. Once the Yonge extension comes into service, they won't have much time before the temporary relief of the new Rocket cars wears off.
 
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/...0/28/ttc-forced-to-revise-capital-budget.aspx

The Toronto Transit Commission has been asked by the city to slash its capital budget for 2010, just a month after it was approved.


A revised capital plan will be presented to TTC board members tomorrow that calls for the deferral of $548-million worth of projects slated to be carrying out in the coming years, from subway station modernization to the installation of debit card payment at ticket wickets, to a study on the downtown relief line.


The TTC just endorsed a capital plan on Sept. 24 that contained $1.3 billion in unfunded future projects. Within days the city manager, which is preparing Toronto's capital budget, asked for it to be retooled so that Toronto can reduce its debt projections and maintain its credit ratings. The TTC was told it had to chop $848 million and has put $548 million of plans on hold. Another $300 million remains on the books unfunded.


Adam Giambrone, chair of the TTC, said the changes will not affect the transit authority so much in the short-term, since capital plans for 2010 and 2011 are well-advanced and coming in under budget. But 2012 and beyond are the problem, when big payments are due on among other things, new subway cars and a new streetcar fleet.
 
DRL should be their absolute #1 priority, not cancelling the study and go ahead with overbuilding stations on the Spadina line or spending government money on streetcars (transfer city)

I'm so tired of those incompetent at City hall
 
Ansem said:
DRL should be their absolute #1 priority, not cancelling the study and go ahead with overbuilding stations on the Spadina line or spending government money on streetcars (transfer city)
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One is funded, primarily, by the feds and province. They cannot move that funding.

The other is funded by the city debt. Why are you surprised at which got cut?


If you want funds moved from Spadina extension, you need to convince Harper/McGuinty not Miller to do so.
 
Transit Toronto has a list of all the cuts here. http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2009/10/29-ttc_propos.shtml#more

I'll quote for the lazy people:
•$1.7 million for installing debit and credit card machines at ticket booths.
•$74.9 million for modernizing subway stations (although projects already underway at Dufferin, Pape and Victoria Park Stations would continue).
•$4.4 million for building transit shelters and loops.
•$25.6 million for paving.
•$24.2 million for developing bus rapid transit service along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Finch Station.
•$6.6 million for expanding parking lots at Islington and Kipling Stations.
•$30 million for repaving elevated ramps and structures such as the elevated deck at Wilson Station.
•$10 million for maintaining bridges and overpasses.
•$52 million for upgrading fire ventilation systems.
•$60.2 million for installing elevators to make stations accessible.
•$4.5 million for improving washrooms in subway stations.
•$3 million for studying proposals to build a downtown relief subway line.
•$33.5 million for buying 40-foot clean diesel buses.
•$3.7 million for installing automatic passenger counters.
•$29.2 million for installing tranist priority signals as part of the Transit City Bus plan.
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Lot of necessary upkeep seems to be cut but what aggravates me is that the $3 million for the DRL is nothing in the scheme of things, I"m sure they could find something else to cut. And yet that has a huge impact on the future of rapid transit in Toronto - it just seems so shortsighted.
I'd kind of like to email someone at the TTC about this - does anyone there actually respond to concerned citizen emails?
 
And on an off-topic note, I'm surprised that Yonge BRT was still on the books, I thought it died ages ago.
 
Given that the "$3 million for studying proposals to build a downtown relief subway line" was one item that was pushed on staff by the Commissioners, that might be simply an attempt by staff to retaliate against the Commissioners. I wouldn't be surprised if the Commission pushes back on that one.
 
We need to move as fast as possible on the DRL, and stop cutting maintenance at the TTC because it's already looking so shabby with all the litter on vehicles and brake screech and ceilings on station platforms which seem to be falling apart.
 
nfitz said:
Given that the "$3 million for studying proposals to build a downtown relief subway line" was one item that was pushed on staff by the Commissioners, that might be simply an attempt by staff to retaliate against the Commissioners. I wouldn't be surprised if the Commission pushes back on that one.
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Though now I think about it ... it was the city that foisted it onto the TTC ... so presumably the Commission won't object to it being cut, and if City Council wants it, they will reinstate it ...

junctionist said:
We need to move as fast as possible on the DRL, and stop cutting maintenance at the TTC ...
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Well, people need to complain to their councillors; they are the ones who will have to accept the TTC budget, and keep trying to keep tax increases low.
 
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