It's a little odd to sell the airport to leverage transit improvement. What does it leave for terminal development?

AoD
There's some conflicting press surrounding that, Libs stated they wouldn't, speculative pressers said they would. I'm straddling the fence on this one, the devil is in the details, and depending on how this is played, by whom, and who is overseeing it are all very relevant questions.
 
Just to add in,

Kingston 6
North bay 4
Sudbury 7
Timmins 5
Sarnia 4
Thunder Bay 7
Salut st Marie 4

Double those for arrivals and departures.
Every level of flying is increasing at Pearson, since most people now transfer to it if they have go elsewhere.
We also have new taxes.

In 2011 8% for HST (domestic flights were PST excempt)
Increasing jet fuel tax came in 2015, grows until 2018 or so
Carbon tax on jet fuel this year
3 new taxes which adds a bit.
 
^of those I could only see the Sarnia and Kingston flights being "replaced" with train connections. Nobody is going to fly to Pearson then take a train to Timmins or Thunder Bay. Thunder bay is nearly 1,000km away.
 
Feelings around my colleagues is that the Feds will test the selling off of Ports before Airports...maybe closely following, but ports are a way to test the waters with an asset class that may draw less ire.
 
Feelings around my colleagues is that the Feds will test the selling off of Ports before Airports...maybe closely following, but ports are a way to test the waters with an asset class that may draw less ire.
Indeed, Australia and other nations (US included) have been doing this for a while, and look who's in on it:
Investing Sept 19, 2016
OMERS part of consortium buying Australia’s busiest port for US$7.3B
[...]
On Monday, Pallas said government-owned China Investment Corp will own a fifth of Port of Melbourne, while Australia's sovereign wealth fund, The Future Fund, will also get a fifth, as will Canada's Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System.

The government investment vehicle of Queensland state, New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners, California Public Employees' Retirement System and South Korean pension fund NTS will also get stakes following the sale, which is packaged as a 50-year lease.

All foreign buyers have regulatory clearance, Pallas added.

The sell-off is part of Australia's more than A$100 billion privatization program, where state and federal governments are trying to cut debt and bankroll capital works by selling "mature" infrastructure assets.[...]
http://www.bnn.ca/omers-part-of-consortium-buying-australia-s-busiest-port-for-us-7-3b-1.569478
 
^of those I could only see the Sarnia and Kingston flights being "replaced" with train connections. Nobody is going to fly to Pearson then take a train to Timmins or Thunder Bay. Thunder bay is nearly 1,000km away.

That really depends.
- Is there a direct flight option that takes them from their origin to Timmins/Thunder Bay?
- If they already connecting through Pearson (i.e. onto a regional flight to Timmins/Thunder Bay) than what aae the costs/benefits of the two options and which is preferably for the traveler. Thunder Bay may be a poor example since 1000km is approximately the distance at which air travel begins to overtake rail travel in terms of speed. But Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay would all be candidates where high speed rail travel could compete with air travel
 
^of those I could only see the Sarnia and Kingston flights being "replaced" with train connections. Nobody is going to fly to Pearson then take a train to Timmins or Thunder Bay. Thunder bay is nearly 1,000km away.
Thunder Bay is really a good example of why there is no simple "one size fits all solution" to things.

Because of Geography, TB is a 2 hour flight from Toronto but, what, a 14 or 15 hour drive? You are correct, no one in their right mind is gonna get off a plane in Toronto and connect to a train for that trip when having their bags transferred to another plane is gonna save them >10 hours in travel time.
 
Thunder Bay may be a poor example since 1000km is approximately the distance at which air travel begins to overtake rail travel in terms of speed. But Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay would all be candidates where high speed rail travel could compete with air travel
Cities representing the 24th, 47th and 51st largest population centers of any country with a population of 165k, 78k and 70k, respectively, are not usually considered worthwhile destinations for any HSR service...
 
But Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay would all be candidates where high speed rail travel could compete with air travel

There will not be money for a high speed line towards the North in our lifetimes. Nor is there the population to support it.

Hoping for even a restoration of a car-competitive day train to SSM and/or Timmins is a long shot, although I believe these would be popular and recover a reasonable share of their cost.

- Paul
(Still missing the Northlander)
 
Ho
Cities representing the 24th, 47th and 51st largest population centers of any country with a population of 165k, 78k and 70k, respectively, are not usually considered worthwhile destinations for any HSR service...

However, Sudbury would be a perfect candidate for a one-stop subway extension from Finch.
 
Cities representing the 24th, 47th and 51st largest population centers of any country with a population of 165k, 78k and 70k, respectively, are not usually considered worthwhile destinations for any HSR service...

There will not be money for a high speed line towards the North in our lifetimes. Nor is there the population to support it.

Hoping for even a restoration of a car-competitive day train to SSM and/or Timmins is a long shot, although I believe these would be popular and recover a reasonable share of their cost.

- Paul
(Still missing the Northlander)

All right I miss spoke. Pardon me. Even regular rail travel would be competitive.
 
All right I miss spoke. Pardon me. Even regular rail travel would be competitive.
Passenger rail is competitive against the air-plane if it can offer travel times which don't exceed 3-4 hours. Do you have any rough idea how much money you'd have to invest into the rail infrastructure to get those remote (and relatively isolated) cities anywhere near that time limit? Northern Ontario needs an alternative to the car, not to the plane...
 
Minister Del Duca and Mayors signal support for regional transit centre at Toronto Pearson
TORONTO, April 4, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, at an event hosted by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca and local mayors, including Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey and Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, were at Toronto Pearson to learn about the airport's transit vision. The GTAA shared new research that further supports a proposal for a regional transit centre located at Toronto Pearson, serving as a second major mobility hub for the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA).

The research shows a growing demand for transit in the West GTHA, a region currently under-served by transit but experiencing rapid growth. Along with the quantified benefits of reduced congestion and GHG emissions and economic growth, the findings demonstrated strong demand for better transit in the West GTHA:
  • The West GTHA generates more than 4.5 million trips per day, representing 35 per cent of the GTHA's trips. Only seven per cent of these trips are by public transit.
  • Nearly twice as many West GTHA commuters travel across the top of the GTA to North Toronto and York Region, the "Northern Arc," than to downtown Toronto.
  • Despite greater demand to the Northern Arc than downtown, greater than 60 per cent of transit trips require at least one connection, with more than 20 per cent requiring two or more. Only 35 per cent of trips downtown require a connection.
  • Less than eight per cent of "reverse commuters," those travelling from Toronto to jobs in West GTHA, commute to work using transit, compared to 42 per cent of West GTHA commuters heading to downtown Toronto.


The Minister and Mayors participated in a briefing on the study, following which they spoke to media about the benefits to the region. The study confirmed that even if the airport did not exist, the area around Toronto Pearson would still be the logical place for a "Union Station West."

Last year, the GTAA announced plans to build a regional transit centre on airport property to support both its growth plans and the region's need for better transit connectivity. The GTAA has indicated it will fund the development and construction of the transit centre at Toronto Pearson. It continues to work with all levels of government to advance plans on priority lines connecting into the regional transit centre.

Located between three municipalities, four major highways and a number of planned and existing transit lines, Toronto Pearson's location has the unique ability to connect the surrounding region. It's also situated to effectively serve the transit needs of the West GTHA and those travelling along the 'Northern Arc,' while also offering a strategic link to the Toronto-Waterloo Region Corridor, which travels through other important economic areas in the GTHA West, including Brampton and Mississauga. Commuters trying to get around Toronto Pearson, as well as the daily one million trips generated within the Airport Employment Zone, the second largest concentration of jobs in the country, means that a regional transit centre in the area would enable the bundling of trips, increasing the frequency of transit services.

The GTAA will be publishing the full findings in coming months.

Quotes:

"There's more alignment than ever right now amongst all levels of government. We can't miss this opportunity to have important conversations about the economic linkages between the massive employment in the airport area and this region, and the entire province, to thrive. The province is pleased to have such strong partnerships with the GTAA and Ontario's municipalities and we appreciate the opportunity we were given to be part of these discussions today. I look forward to working more closely with all partners to study the Toronto Pearson transit centre."
Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Transportation

"Mississauga, located in the heart of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), is proudly home to Toronto Pearson International Airport – Canada's national airport and an important generator of local economic development opportunities. Whether directly, or indirectly, all roads and rails must lead to the airport. I support a vision that re-imagines Toronto Pearson as the Union Station of the western GTHA which will help people travel to Pearson, and throughout Mississauga and the GTHA."
Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga

"People's lives do not stop at our border with Mississauga and Brampton, neither do our economic challenges and opportunities. Through a connection of SmartTrack's Eglinton West LRT, the transit hub at the airport will provide an efficient and easy access for Toronto residents to jobs at the Airport Corporate Centre and in Mississauga and Brampton. This hub will help address the growing gap between the region's population and employment and the growth in transit service."
John Tory, Mayor of Toronto

"The GTAA and Toronto Pearson Airport play an integral role in Brampton's and the West GTHA's economic development. A regional transportation hub at Toronto Pearson would allow our residents and businesses to have better and faster access to both regional and global markets. A regional transit hub at the airport would also offer a strategic link to the Toronto-Brampton-Waterloo Innovation Super Corridor, and will ensure we can provide the competitive advantage necessary for the second largest high tech cluster in North America. The transit need in the West GTHA is clear and Toronto Pearson would be the perfect location for a "Union Station West".
Linda Jeffrey, Mayor of Brampton

"Greater two-way all-day public transit between Toronto and Waterloo Region is extremely important to our businesses and residents. An investment in a GTAA Regional Transit Centre located at Toronto Pearson, coupled with investments in GO regional rail and high speed rail, would help alleviate gridlock on highways, and would be a significant driver of economic growth for the Canadian economy. It would also recognize the importance of the Toronto-Waterloo Region Innovation Corridor, and allow the Corridor to better compete against other similar innovation ecosystems around the world."
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener

"Waterloo is home to some of the most innovative and creative talent in the country. It is vitally important for the benefit of the broader GTHA that we have an effective regional transit network that connects communities and allows people to move quickly and efficiently throughout this large area further fueling a strong provincial and national economy. The universities and businesses in this region can envision the day when they can use high speed rail for a short comfortable trip to the future Pearson hub or Union Station. This will be an economic game-changer for Ontario."
Dave Jaworsky, Mayor of Waterloo

"This opportunity is about more than just getting people to and from the airport; it is about generating a host of benefits for people living and working in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. This starts with reduced congestion on the roads around the airport, resulting in more efficient movement of people and goods. The end result would be a more economically competitive region, and one that is better positioned to unlock the significant growth opportunities that the future holds."
Howard Eng, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

http://www.newswire.ca/news-release...nsit-centre-at-toronto-pearson-618186353.html
 
At least there's alignment between the municipalities and Province/Feds.

What I'd like to see is how they're planning to bring the Kitchener corridor under Pearson. The devil is in the details.
 

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