[Palma]

That is only HALF the debate.
It has always also been about what KIND of transit expansion is needed in Toronto. TC is far better transit but is by no means rapid. The station spacing is for local service..every 2 to 3 blocks with no over/underpasses. It will also have to wait for some lights as you cannot have signal priority all the time when trains are arriving in every 90 seconds {from both directions} and still have to contend with advanced left-hand turns.
If Toronto wants expansive rapid transit then it should built the LRT like that as opposed to a slow moving system.
It's funny but despite the true need of affordable transit the TC supporters have never come out and shown how TC will be any faster or more reliable than just running articulated buses along their own ROW using POP. Exactly the same makeup but will save monsterous amounts on the Finch and Sheppard and yet be just as fast and even more reliable as buses can manuever around potential accidents along the route.

Toronto needs transit for its local population not rapid. If people want rapid then they can take GO or lobby for more GO transit. Its been said over and over, the natural progression for transit is bus, then streetcar and then subway. What is so hard to grasp with this. Buses suck. Residential areas around streetcar lines are expensive. Thats says something. Same thing cannot be said with buses or those really ugly articulated buses. Its not about being faster but since all I hear about is how pack the Finch bus is well that means the next step is streetcars or should I said ROW LRT's. And they will be faster since they will not be mixed with CARS.

 

[Palma]

I thought the old Transit city plan had a Jane LRT but I guess thats not in the cards right now it seems.

 

[Rainforest]

I agree that Don Mills is a major hub and source of transfers towards Yonge.

So why did Transit City have increased service from Laird/Brentcliffe eastward towards Yonge? The stretch from Brentcliffe to Don Mills would be so easy to place on a South Side alignment, but neither Miller nor Stintz considered this.

Stintz cannot be blamed for that (yet). Alignment from Brentcliffe to Don Mills is a relatively fine-grained detail, and she had her hands full solving the conceptual issue.

I hope that they will give more consideration to this short but very important segment. It won't require a Council meeting, and can be solved between the TTC and Metrolinx staff.

Regarding Miller's team, yes they should have considered a South Side alignment from Brentcliffe to Don Mills, and perhaps a separate bridge, much earlier in the game.

 

[Rainforest]

I thought the old Transit city plan had a Jane LRT but I guess thats not in the cards right now it seems.

Not in the cards right now. Jane LRT might make sense if built north of Eglinton and operated as a branch of Eglinton. But there exists a bunch of much higher priorities, including Eglinton to the airport and Finch West from Keele to Yonge.

 

[Palma]

I always thought the Finch LRT was going to start at Yonge and go west from there (which makes sense to me) but was surprise reading on here its going to start in the west end and come east. I don;t see why Eglinton to the airport is higher priority than Jane LRT. I would think more people travel on jane than would be taking Eglinton to go to the airport. Besides are they not building that rail link from Union Station to the airport? So then a 2nd line to the airport is not really needed ahead of other lines

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I always thought the Finch LRT was going to start at Yonge and go west from there (which makes sense to me) but was surprise reading on here its going to start in the west end and come east. I don;t see why Eglinton to the airport is higher priority than Jane LRT. I would think more people travel on jane than would be taking Eglinton to go to the airport. Besides are they not building that rail link from Union Station to the airport? So then a 2nd line to the airport is not really needed ahead of other lines

That is 11 dollars a ride palma. Very Expensive.

 

[Palma]

Guess its time for distance based fares next. I can only imagine the uproar over this.

 

[11th]

But there exists a bunch of much higher priorities, including Eglinton to the airport and Finch West from Keele to Yonge.

Out of curiosity, how is Finch West from Keele to Yonge a priority? Nothing much in terms of density and development potential, and those heading for downtown should transfer to Spadina at Finch West station.

 

[11th]

Toronto needs transit for its local population not rapid. If people want rapid then they can take GO or lobby for more GO transit.

You know that's just one side of the opinion. Who's to say the locals of Toronto doesn't need/want rapid? TTC doesn't have to money to go "rapid", that's why the LRT (Transit City version) was even considered. It's not even on the radar prior to Transit City.

 

[bobbob911]

Is there a document online (original Transit City doc I suppose) that shows the proposed design for the above ground stops? I'm curious to see if they are proposed to be covered, heated, etc. Or if they are just going to me more like Spadina/St. Clair

Thanks

 

[Darwinkgo]

More than the Spadina stops, but not much more. maybe some enclosed wind shelters with radiant heaters, but I wouldn't count on it.

All the subway interchanges included underground stations so most people won't have multiple waits out in the elements every day.

 

[EL72]

So will the 'old/new' x-town line now approved by council revert back to the original TC stop spacing scheme East of Laird (bad) or keep the new Ford/Metrolinx stop spacing in the above ground portion of Eglinton (good)?

No one seems to know...

 

[Palma]

You know that's just one side of the opinion. Who's to say the locals of Toronto doesn't need/want rapid? TTC doesn't have to money to go "rapid", that's why the LRT (Transit City version) was even considered. It's not even on the radar prior to Transit City.

But if you have rapid then that would mean less stops, wider spacing and then its back to the whole issue of how far people are willing to walk debate and the point where if the stops are too far part people will take their cars

 

[Palma]

Is there a document online (original Transit City doc I suppose) that shows the proposed design for the above ground stops? I'm curious to see if they are proposed to be covered, heated, etc. Or if they are just going to me more like Spadina/St. Clair

Thanks

I went to the open house for the design of the Keele station Thur night. The Keele station will have 3 entrances, and then down escalators and then the platform for the LRT. It appeared to be designed with glass to let lots of light in, The platforms did not seem wide enough. (Looked like they are not expecting to be carrying a lot of passengers for a long time if ever). I asked someone how wide the platforms would be and he said 3 metres but he did not seem sure. He appeared to be guessing because he did say something along the line of "probably" "should be". But i would think if they are doing a design rendering that it would be true to life. I did not like the way the open house was set up. It was not like a major presentation and then questions and answers. You were free to walk around and boards were set up and then people were there to answer questions. But it appeared to me they set it up as a divide and conquer. It would have been a lot better with a presentation that everyone hears, and questions and answers that everyone can hear.

I was also surprised when i asked about the actual building of the stations and was told they are going to tunnel the whole line and then go back and start building the stations. I was surprised because i thought as they finish the tunneling at one stop and are onto the next stop, the building of the first station would start and so forth. At least then it would be over and done with and the whole street would not be all tied up in a mess. To wait so many years before even seeing the actual station feels like the line will never finish.

I read your posts and realized you meant stops with above grade stations which Keele is not.

 

[CapitalSeven]

I haven't been to any of the open houses, but my impression is that they staff showed up prepared to talk about the design of the stations, but most of the discussion amounted to bellyaching about other aspects of the plan, its cost, or the mere existance of the project. Not very productive.