nfitz
Superstar
You make some decent points, and there's some truth to it ... though given that the subway station at Keele and Finch (Finch West) is already under construction, I'd think that once that is completed - and especially if the Finch West LRT is completed, then this would limit the demand reduction on northern routes.before the usual people ask me for "stats" and "proof"... I think that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, if built from Pearson to the current end point at Jane, would actually take demand off of the northern routes proposed...why?
I'm not overly familiar with travel over there, except for the odd trip to Downsview and York U, which I use the subway and transitway. Looking at the current schedule, it would improve somewhat with express routes, but the current AM southward travel time from Finch/Islington to Eglinton/Islington is 23 minutes; but only 21 minutes from Finch/Islington to Finch/Keele (Finch West station). As Finch West is scheduled to open in 2015, and Eglinton will be 2020 or later if it's constructed, then I don't think the effect you are expecting will happen. Though it will certainly start to change patterns south of 401.The travelling distance from Finch to Eglinton along the many wide suburban avenues takes just a matter of minutes, and having express routes along Weston/Royal York, Islington, Kipling and Martin Grove would surely funnel more riders DOWN to Eglinton instead of going ACROSS Finch.
Perhaps what we need for northwest Etobicoke, is to go back to the original 30-year old Sheppard subway plans, which showed a possible extension fron Downsview through Downsview Park to near Keele/Sheppard and then up to Finch and east to Highway 27. Perhaps that route doesn't make much sense anymore ... but maybe one day there's some kind of line from Downsview through the new Downsview Park development, Jane/Finch, Humber College, Woodbine ... and I guess the next obvious node is Pearson, and then the Renforth Transitway station.
OMG, I'm turning into a FFFordie! Quick, take all my cash ... you didn't see that.