Snails have begun their race.


http://www.640toronto.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1169259
Launch of TTC Subway Expansion
Toronto/640toronto

11/27/2009

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was in town today, joining Mayor David Miller, Provincial Transportation Minister Jim Bradley, and other officials for the $14 million dollar Spadina subway extension announcement.

The 8.6 kilometer extension should be ready by 2015 and within 5 years of opening, is expected to carry 30 million riders a year and feature 6 stops.

Miller called it the first subway system that crosses a municipal border to link toronto and york region.



http://www.yorkregion.com/article/100275
Extension of subway into York Region will help nix 30 million car trips, officials say
Vaughan
December 04, 2009 05:00 PM

by stefania lamacchia
With gold-coloured shovels in hand, representatives across the province marked the first stages of construction for the much anticipated Toronto-York Spadina subway extension Friday.

Adam Giambrone, Toronto city councillor and chairperson of the Toronto Transit Commission, announced at the Downsview TTC station that construction is under way on the $2.6 billion infrastructure project that will connect York Region with Toronto.

"I think for many years people thought the subway was just a pipe dream and that it would never actually happen. Today, it is tangible proof the subway will be built into the City of Vaughan," Mayor Linda Jackson said.

The multi-billion transit project, jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, York Region and the City of Toronto, will account for an 8.6-kilometre extension on the existing Yonge-University-Spadina subway line.

For the first time, the TTC will cross regional boundaries with its stop in Vaughan.

The extension into the city will eliminate an estimated 30 million car trips from Toronto and York Region roads annually.

"It is not just about moving people from A to B, it is about transforming neighbourhoods and making the City of Toronto a much better place, fulfilling our commitment to Kyoto, as well as connecting neighbourhoods that for a long time have been disadvantaged," Mr. Giambrone told reporters.

The six additional transit stops will begin at the Downsview TTC station through to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, which will centre around Hwy. #7 and Jane Street. Transit riders will be able to ride the new rails come 2015.

Concord/Thornhill Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, who also chairs the Vaughan corporate centre advisory committee, was happy to see the kick-off of the subway construction that will finally link Vaughan's downtown core with Toronto's.

Stamp of approval

"With this ground-breaking, it is going to give a huge stamp of approval that yes, this is going forward. It is something we are certainly looking forward to because with our downtown area this subway is going to help us build and plan our downtown properly and appropriately," Ms Yeung Racco said.

Vaughan's downtown will provide a slew of amenities geared at establishing an urban lifestyle, including restaurants, hotels, shops, entertainment venues, urban squares and green spaces.

The success of the subway among local commuters will be dependent on the region's current transit system, including Viva Rapid Transit and York Region Transit buses, Ms Yeung Racco added.

At a time when many Canadians are facing job losses, the construction of the new line alone is set to create 20,000 jobs for Ontarians, in addition to the opportunities that will be generated once the trains begin operating.

"The subway expansion will help to create jobs today, stimulate the economy tomorrow. When it is done this subway will better serve our region for generations to come," said Jim Flaherty, Canada's minister of finance.

"Canada's economic situation is still fragile and uncertain. We are not out of the woods yet, so we have to stay the course particularly with these stimulus projects for Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area and across the country," Mr. Flaherty added.
 
So it's been reported on TV that the project is already $200 million over budget and will go up the more it's delayed, and that the tunneling machine won't be delivered for at least 18 months or so, and doubtful that it will open on time.
 
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I wouldn't get all histrionic...I think all this budget stuff is a bit old news and is all built into the contingency fund anyway. It's taken so long to get shovels in the ground it's hardly surprising the numbers have changed.

And, IIRC, there are 4 boring machines so I'd want to know more detail before getting worried about one being late.
 
FWIW, the next TTC agenda package ought to be going up here, probably tomorrow.

Said package may contain Finch West. It may contain Vaughan Corporate Metropolitan Central Terminal. It may contain both. It may contain neither.
 
"Concord/Thornhill Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, who also chairs the Vaughan corporate centre advisory committee, was happy to see the kick-off of the subway construction that will finally link Vaughan's downtown core with Toronto's."

That would make sense, if Vaughan actually had a downtown. It seems stupid to spend billions of dollars to extend the subway to an empty field that might be built upon sometime in the future.

Frankly, I don't think it's worth extending the line north of Steeles. Viva Orange runs empty all the time, and Viva has reduced service to minimum levels. If there is hardly enough demand for a bus route, then how on earth is there enough demand for a subway?

The only reason that I can think of is that Thornhill is a "swing" riding, both federally and provincially, so the governments have a political incentive to spend money in it. Building the subway might gain enough support for the Conservatives to secure the riding. However, they aren't the ones paying for actually running the thing over the long term, the TTC is. Where will they get the money to run it? Raise fares more? The city doesn't have much money, so we can't expect it from them. The federal and provincial government clearly doesn't like funding the TTC so don't expect extra money from them.
 
Why can't we build in advance?

Flushing 7 line 1920
queensline(1920).jpg


Flushing 7 line 1940
queensline(1940).jpg
 
The way I see it, we're building a line to Vaughan that won't reach capacity for many, many years whereas there's parts of the GTA that needed a subway yesterday. The DRL in particular comes to mind. You can't be building ahead of time when you're falling further and further behind all the time. It's like studying for the final while you're failing every test along the way.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
The way I see it, we're building a line to Vaughan that won't reach capacity for many, many years whereas there's parts of the GTA that needed a subway yesterday. The DRL in particular comes to mind. You can't be building ahead of time when you're falling further and further behind all the time. It's like studying for the final while you're failing every test along the way.
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So then how bout we just go all out and make sure our system's up to par, as well as start accommodating future growth, such as that in Richmond Hill and Vaughan? I know that it costs money and will immediately start causing rashes, but it's a very important investment that needs to come sometime, and definitely sooner rather than later.
 
reaperexpress said:
"Concord/Thornhill Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, who also chairs the Vaughan corporate centre advisory committee, was happy to see the kick-off of the subway construction that will finally link Vaughan's downtown core with Toronto's."

That would make sense, if Vaughan actually had a downtown. It seems stupid to spend billions of dollars to extend the subway to an empty field that might be built upon sometime in the future.

Frankly, I don't think it's worth extending the line north of Steeles. Viva Orange runs empty all the time, and Viva has reduced service to minimum levels. If there is hardly enough demand for a bus route, then how on earth is there enough demand for a subway?

The only reason that I can think of is that Thornhill is a "swing" riding, both federally and provincially, so the governments have a political incentive to spend money in it. Building the subway might gain enough support for the Conservatives to secure the riding. However, they aren't the ones paying for actually running the thing over the long term, the TTC is. Where will they get the money to run it? Raise fares more? The city doesn't have much money, so we can't expect it from them. The federal and provincial government clearly doesn't like funding the TTC so don't expect extra money from them.
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The Province see that land at Vaughan as a great place to put a parking lot to suck the traffic off the 400 and other roads to get people to use the subway to the core than drive to it.

I hear stories about this supposed downtown, but it will be 25-50 years down the road after the subway opens if at all.
 
Coruscanti Cognoscente said:
It's like studying for the final while you're failing every test along the way.
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Although the final is worth 70%, mid-terms 30%, and the labs and test along the way are a measly 10%. It matters most what the density is around the subway stations at the end of it all. If Glencairn Ave remains low density, Ellesmere/Midland remains low density, other stations that rely heavily on terminating bus services remain low density, and Vaughan Centre does end up high density office and residences then the final result is an extension to nowhere makes sense. Follow through with zone changes can mean more than initial conditions. That said, Vaughan's council seems less competent than Toronto's council considering they keep approving big boxes in the Vaughan Corporate Centre and two story office buildings in the industrial parks, located their own city hall well away from this "core area", and seem to think naming the area corporate or metropolitan makes it so.
 
junctionist said:
Just the slogan "the city above Toronto" suggests that they're provincial (ironically).
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Absolutely. That slogan is Vaughan in a metanutshell.

(Although, in the interests of fairness, there's a whiff of this phenomenon at play in Toronto whenever some civic leader labels some new initiative "world class." World class cities don't proclaim themselves to be world class. They just are.)
 
M II A II R II K said:
So it's been reported on TV that the project is already $200 million over budget and will go up the more it's delayed, and that the tunneling machine won't be delivered for at least 18 months or so, and doubtful that it will open on time.
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From the National Post

A primer on the extension of the Yonge-University-Spadina line:
The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension Project will be the first TTC rapid transit line to cross the City of Toronto boundary. The new line will run new subway trains, include 2,900 commuter parking spaces at various stations and feature artwork by both Toronto and international artists (the TTC generally allocates at least 1% of the overall cost of public spaces in stations for public art).Tunneling for the line will begin next year, and it is expected to be up and running by 2015. Six stations will be built along the extension, although their names are subject to change at this point:

1. Sheppard West
The first station on the new extension, Sheppard West, will be built on Parc Downsview Park lands, adjacent to a GO Transit station. The station -- originally budgeted at $59.2-million but now up to $102-million -- is the most advanced, with its initial designs approved by the TTC. The final design stage of the station is expected to be completed by May 2010. Artwork for the station will be by Panya Clark Espinal, a Toronto-based artist. The station is expected to be completed by May 2014.

2. Finch West
Located at the corner of Keele Street and Finch Avenue, details on the progress of this station are limited. There are no budgeted costs or progress reports available. The design of the station has yet to be made public. It will have 400 commuter parking spaces. Artwork for the station will be completed by U.K. artist Bruce McLean, who is known for his performance art, photography and sculpture.

3. York University
One of two stations on York University land, the York station will be near the university common. Expected to be completed by November 2014, the station was originally budgeted to cost $86-million, but its estimated final cost is now $115-million. Preliminary designs on the station will be completed by July 2010. Jason Bruges Studio, based in London, U.K., will provide the artwork.

4. Steeles West
The other station on York University land, Steeles West station will be built at North West Gate and Steeles Avenue, east of Jane Street. The station, which lies on the border, was budgeted to cost $133-million, but the estimated final cost has risen to $145-million. The station will have 1,900 commuter parking spaces and is expected to be completed by September 2014. The station is currently in the preliminary design stages. Jan Edler (realities: united), an art collective based in Berlin, Germany, will create public art for this station.

5. Highway 407
Adjacent to Highway 407 and Jane Street, the station is a joint project between York Region and the city. It had a budget of $95-million and its current estimated cost is $134-million. The station will have 600 commuter parking spaces and an 18-bay York Region Transit and Go Transit bus terminal. Construction is expected to be completed by late spring 2014. Toronto artist David Pearl will do artwork for the station.

6. Vaughan Corporate Centre
The last stop on the new line, is located near Highway 7 west of Jane Street. York Region plans to create a downtown centre around the new station. There are no designs, budget estimates or costs available yet. Toronto's Paul Raff Studio will do the art.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/...illion-and-construction-hasn-t-begun-yet.aspx
 
Automation Gallery said:
4. Steeles West
Jan Edler (realities: united), an art collective based in Berlin, Germany, will create public art for this station.
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Maybe these artists can draw some influence from their city of operations and build a mock Berlin wall being taken down directly along the border between TO and Vaughan. This'll signify the unification of the two cities, since the extension is frequently noted that it's connecting the two cities.
 
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