[LAz]

Well considering the EA has already been done, and so has some of the engineering, I'd say pretty feasible (especially since there's already a tunnel being dug there regardless). And it's a 2 stop extension.

And with Ford at the helm, this could possibly be the only subway extension he could legitimately deliver in his 4 year term.

Er, I meant one stop beyond victoria park. To VP is the absolute minimum. I just figure that that is where the street starts to curve northwards... there is probably some north-south transferring... I dunno, thought maybe it might look good if it was one more big street to the east of that. Warden or whatnot, I forgot the name and am too tired right now to bother to look. :/

 

[gweed123]

It may well be the only thing he can deliver in the timeframe he promised.

Was the EA completed for the leg of Sheppard from Yonge to Downsview?

To be honest with you, I'm not sure. I know that the stretch from Don Mills to Vic Park was one of the top priorities in RTES, so they put a lot of planning and engineering resources into it. I would suspect they maybe even did preliminary station designs.

 

[gweed123]

Building code for subways has changed since the first stage of Sheppard was prepared (tunnel diameter at very least). That stretch would need to be redone to a certain extent. Good chance materials requirements have also been changed (improved upon).

The EA itself may or may not be valid. Ford, would be unwise to use an old EA to accelerate a specific solution. He ran on a "listening to the public" campaign and as such is somewhat required to do a full Individual EA on Sheppard to decide what should be built. He can't claim to be listening to the public and not perform a lengthy public consultation.

Given the above, 2 years is optimistic.

I expect it will be March before a decision is made to cancel/continue the current project, June to negotiate with the province, +6 months for an EA (shortened process, could be much longer) + 3 years for engineering the new solution.

If a Sheppard subway is tendered during Fords first term I would be very, and pleasantly, surprised.

You can hold public consultations without needing to redo the EA. Whatever gets built will be nearly identical to what was proposed with the original Sheppard Subway and with the RTES. For something like this, I expect that the public consultations would be much like they were for TC: token.

The EA had to be redone for the Eglinton Crosstown. Even though the first was for a heavy rail version, the current incarnation had to be done again, this time for tunnels under Eglinton that can handle both heavy rail and light rail.

But that was because there was a change in technology, and a muuuuuch longer route. The EA for Sheppard would be same route, same length, same technology. Not much has changed from an EA perspective there since 2002. I strongly suspect they will need an updated EA, not a start-from-scratch EA proposal.

The queue jump lanes will be a different story though. Those will likely need a new EA, but won't take nearly as long to build and won't require a very extensive EA. Even with the delay, they would likely open at the same time as the ROW, with the subway opening soon after.

 

[rbt]

You can hold public consultations without needing to redo the EA. Whatever gets built will be nearly identical to what was proposed with the original Sheppard Subway and with the RTES. For something like this, I expect that the public consultations would be much like they were for TC: token.

A token consultation is one of the things Ford ran against and promised to eliminate from city hall. It would surprise me if he did push forward without an extensive consultation process.

Either way, we will probably know in a few months what will happen.

I still believe Eglinton is the only subway which could begin construction in a meaningful way during his first term at office. I would like to be proven wrong.

 

[gweed123]

A token consultation is one of the things Ford ran against and promised to eliminate from city hall. It would surprise me if he did push forward without an extensive consultation process.

Either way, we will probably know in a few months what will happen.

I still believe Eglinton is the only subway which could begin construction in a meaningful way during his first term at office. I would like to be proven wrong.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"... I really don't think the public consultation process will change very much. I believe that was just election rhetoric, same as the whole "we need to get rid of streetcars" thing.

 

[W. K. Lis]

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"... I really don't think the public consultation process will change very much. I believe that was just election rhetoric, same as the whole "we need to get rid of streetcars" thing.

Mayor Ford has to persuade the other city Councilors to follow his advice. Mayor Miller was able to persuade, but has Councilor Ford persuaded a majority or even a minority on city council on any of his proposals in the past 10 years? Maybe the novices on the next city council who don't know the ropes yet will follow him for a while, but for how long?

 

[kEiThZ]

Mayor Ford has to persuade the other city Councilors to follow his advice. Mayor Miller was able to persuade, but has Councilor Ford persuaded a majority or even a minority on city council on any of his proposals in the past 10 years? Maybe the novices on the next city council who don't know the ropes yet will follow him for a while, but for how long?

Given the mandate given to him by the voters of this town, I'd say it'd be in the best interests of most councillors to co-operate with him. If they wish to be combative for the next 4 years, they do so at their own peril.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Actually, having seen the past patterns, I would say being combative would have no effect on way or another - and may in fact make them more popular. Besides, what's the nature of the mandate, exactly? As far as I can tell, it's more of a mandate re: gravy train than anything else.

AoD

 

[GraphicMatt]

The proposed narrative that any councillor that doesn't immediately support the mayor (who was elected with 47% of the vote) could face defeat next election is ridiculous. If all that matters is popular support, then all the downtown councillors should vote against Ford every time out. It's the Will Of the People and all that.

If Ford isn't able to work with council then it's likely he'll be the one getting turfed in favour of someone who can actually play well with others.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

The proposed narrative that any councillor that doesn't immediately support the mayor (who was elected with 47% of the vote) could face defeat next election is ridiculous. If all that matters is popular support, then all the downtown councillors should vote against Ford every time out. It's the Will Of the People and all that.

If Ford isn't able to work with council then it's likely he'll be the one getting turfed in favour of someone who can actually play well with others.

Or find a group of councillers that are willing to work with him and let those that disagree yell all they want. Sounds a lot like Miller's council...

 

[ian]

Mayor Ford’s first stop: Hit brakes on Transit City

Peter Kuitenbrouwer November 30, 2010 – 12:00 am

Rob Ford has called a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday morning at which he is expected, in his first move as mayor, to tell the head of the TTC to stop building the Transit City light-rail network

The Toronto Transit Commission has already lost its spokesman for Transit City.

“Ryan Bissonnette moved on a couple of weeks ago,” said TTC spokesman Brad Ross, who will be answering all future Transit City questions.

According to a source, Mr. Bissonnette, the Transit City spokesman, left the TTC after his bosses told him to stop talking to reporters. His departure came a few days after he took the National Post on a tour of Transit City projects on Sheppard Avenue East.

Mr. Ross confirmed the new mayor will meet Gary Webster, chief general manager of the TTC, on Wednesday but would not discuss the subject matter.

Mr. Ford said during the campaign he wants no light rail: only a subway to Scarborough.

A little more than three weeks after the election, on Nov. 19, Rob Prichard, the chairman of Metrolinx, the provincial transit authority, and Bruce McCuaig, Metrolinx CEO, met on the 16th Floor of City Hall’s west tower with four members of Mr. Ford’s transition team: Nick Kouvalis, Mr. Ford’s chief of staff; Mark Towhey, his director of policy; and former city councillors Gordon Chong and Case Ootes.

Metrolinx sought the Ford team’s blessing for the light-rail plan, but got nowhere.

“There was no sense of backing off,” said a source. “They are pretty keen on a subway.”

[...]

Mr. Ford’s appointee to head the TTC, Councillor Karen Stintz (Eglinton-Lawrence) has been a longtime supporter of Transit City, whose centrepiece is a light-rail line along Eglinton Avenue, with its central stretch travelling through a tunnel. In April Ms. Stintz campaigned alongside Mayor David Miller at the Eglinton subway station to “save Transit City,” saying, “I fully support Mayor Miller and his initiative and I’m proud to stand here beside him and get the message out.”

But on Monday Ms. Stintz conceded that things have changed.

“The Metrolinx plan will be revisited and I will continue to support the Metrolinx plan as it gets revised provided it meets the objectives of the administration,” she said. “I campaigned on the Metrolinx plan.”

Full article here: http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/30/mayor-ford’s-first-stop-hit-brakes-on-transit-city/

 

[Filip]

So it started.. Wonderful news nonetheless!

Stintz seems to have done a 180 on Transit City, no doubt she was handed a carrot to convert Eglinton to a full subway line, something she could never say no to. I also don't understand the drama about Sheppard and the underpass being constructed under the GO line. Shouldn't this be done regardless of TC? If GO is to bolster service like planned, then all level crossings have to be eliminated.. Streetcar or not.

 

[drum118]

So it started.. Wonderful news nonetheless!

Stintz seems to have done a 180 on Transit City, no doubt she was handed a carrot to convert Eglinton to a full subway line, something she could never say no to. I also don't understand the drama about Sheppard and the underpass being constructed under the GO line. Shouldn't this be done regardless of TC? If GO is to bolster service like planned, then all level crossings have to be eliminated.. Streetcar or not.

There has always been a plan to grade seperate the GO line and it will still go ahead regarless what happens the the LRT.

Sad day intown.

 

[Calrissian]

There has always been a plan to grade seperate the GO line and it will still go ahead regarless what happens the the LRT.

Sad day intown.

Yep. There will be no new transit in Toronto.

 

[Asterix]

Stintz seems to have done a 180 on Transit City, no doubt she was handed a carrot to convert Eglinton to a full subway line, something she could never say no to.

So who is now going to pay for this? Will this cost now be dumped exclusively on Toronto taxpayers instead of the provincial money through Metrolinx?