[W. K. Lis]

Report on bus priority lanes is up:

http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2020/July_14/Reports/5_Bus_Lane_Implementation_Plan.pdf

View attachment 256316

From the report:

Bus lanes on the Eglinton East corridor are anticipated to increase transit reliability and reduce transit travel time on average between two-to-five minutes per trip. These time and reliability savings present an opportunity to achieve operating budget savings of 500 fewer service hours per week, equivalent to about $2.5 million per year and a capital cost avoidance of seven fewer peak buses equivalent to approximately $6.3 million.

**
The Eglinton East corridor is 10.9-km in length and runs from Kennedy Station to the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC). It follows three major streets: Eglinton Avenue East, Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue. The service would be an interim solution to the future Eglinton East LRT service. The existing HOV lanes would be converted to priority bus lanes, while curbside general purpose lanes on Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue would be converted to priority bus lanes

**

Through the implementation of the bus lane on the corridor, stops would also be consolidated to speed up service and mimic the proposed LRT stops. Figure 3 shows the proposed service and stops on the corridor

View attachment 256320

**

Note, that at this time, bus lanes will only be implemented from Brimley Road to Ellesmere Road. Construction of the Scarborough Subway Extension by Metrolinx is expected to start in spring 2021, which will require lane closures from Kennedy Station to Brimley Road. Once construction is complete, it is anticipated that bus lanes will be extended west to Kennedy Station. During the Scarborough Subway Extension

View attachment 256321

One step before those corridors get light-rail in the future.

 

[Northern Light]

From the CEO's Report............this caught my eye:

In particular, I’d like to thank our crews for completing a special cleaning blitz post- construction at Chester. We assigned three pressure-washing crews to the Line 2 station, each comprised of two employees. The first pair of crews was assigned to deep-clean each platform while the third crew tackled the mezzanine and station entrance level with a hot-water pressure washer. After some intensive and extensive work, Chester Station was left in a dazzling condition. Kudos to the Stations team who worked at Chester

Uh......there is no mezzanine level in Chester Station, unless that's how we're describing the mid-staircase landing.....

 

[Amare]

Rick Leary's knowledge of the TTC is truly outstanding. He definitely knows the ins and outs, even of hidden spots that dont exist!

 

[DSC]

Rick Leary's knowledge of the TTC is truly outstanding. He definitely knows the ins and outs, even of hidden spots that dont exist!

You seriously think he writes these Reports?

 

[Northern Light]

You seriously think he writes these Reports?

Honestly, he should at least read them first; and be able to correct mistakes.

Whoever wrote that...............sigh.

 

[Amare]

You seriously think he writes these Reports?

Not one bit, but you'd think he would at least proof it before it gets published. After all, it's a reflection of his take on things.

 

[Allandale25]

Wasn't sure where to put this so I'll throw it here. I hadn't realize the City was formally expropriating Obico Yard.

2020 CanLII 42808 (ON LPAT) | Obico Rail Yard (GP) Inc. v Toronto (City) | CanLII

Is this for the new Line 2 Yard? cc @smallspy @crs1026

 

[Northern Light]

Wasn't sure where to put this so I'll throw it here. I hadn't realize the City was formally expropriating Obico Yard.

2020 CanLII 42808 (ON LPAT) | Obico Rail Yard (GP) Inc. v Toronto (City) | CanLII

Is this for the new Line 2 Yard? cc @smallspy @crs1026

From the link above:

The claimant accepted a w/o prejudice offer of $48,000,000 on November 13, 2018, (so the City is now in possession.)

But is now asking for $247,400,000

***

Yes this property is destined to be the new Line 2 Yard. It may/may not also serve Metrolinx/GO. (not sure)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From the link above.

They claimant accepted a w/o prejudice offer of $48,000,000 on November 13, 2018, (so the City is now in possession.)

But is now asking for $247,400,000

***

Yes this property is destined to be the new Line 2 Yard. It may/may not also serve Metrolinx/GO. (not sure)

Perhaps the claimant ought to have sued their lawyers instead.

AoD

 

[Amare]

I'm no legal expert, but how can someone go and accept an offer and than turn around 2 years later and sue the buyer because you want more money? The clamant's case should be dismissed just for being laughable and outlandish.

That would be like a home owner agreeing to the city's offer (pre-expropriation), and than turning around years later after most things were settled and suing to somehow get more than what you as a home owner agreed to sell for.

 

[Allandale25]

I asked Steve Munro for his view of this legal link and he provided the following. Posted with permission.

Yes. They [the City/TTC] got shafted on that by inaction at a time they (and GO) should have gone after this property. TTC already had Kipling Yard on the books as part of the Line 2 regeneration plan under Andy, but Leary sat on that and eventually killed it as part of his game-playing about budget cutting. Now, of course, it's back. As you can see from the ruling, the new owners want a huge amount for the land based on potential development.

What's intriguing is that we don't know how much they actually paid for the land, and that will play a role in the final settlement I'm sure. Also this is a case where it would be amusing to see DoFo intervene as a matter of provincial interest, but he's unlikely to swat a developer.

It would also be interesting to find out just who the developer is (ie political connections).

 

[Amare]

So Leary wanted to kill off plans for another Yard? What a bozo; I knew this guy had no clue what he was doing, and this just further proves it.

 

[Towered]

So Leary wanted to kill off plans for another Yard? What a bozo; I knew this guy had no clue what he was doing, and this just further proves it.

How did he get the job again after the high standard that Byford set?

 

[lenaitch]

Not a lawyer but my interpretation of a 'without prejudice advance offer' strikes me similar to a deposit in a standard real estate offer. It is supposed to 'show good faith' while negotiations continue. The 'without prejudice' part simply means the claimant, in accepting the money (I don't know if it has to be held in trust), waives no rights, arguments or confidentiality.

 

[smallspy]

Wasn't sure where to put this so I'll throw it here. I hadn't realize the City was formally expropriating Obico Yard.

2020 CanLII 42808 (ON LPAT) | Obico Rail Yard (GP) Inc. v Toronto (City) | CanLII

Is this for the new Line 2 Yard? cc @smallspy @crs1026

The idea is that this property is going to be for a whole lot of different things - a western storage facility for the Bloor-Danforth is part of it. (It should be noted that as planned this is not a replacement facility for Greenwood, but something more akin in size to Davisville Yard.)

If the deal goes through, the plans are that it is ultimately also going to be used to build a new facility to replace much of the heavy maintenance work done on the bus fleet at Hillcrest, AND provide for a new bus garage capable of handling both regular and wheel-trans fleets.

Dan