[rbt]

So the west is funded then? When does construction start?

Eglinton West isn't explicitly funded. The package of revenue tools laid out in November (December council vote), however, does include enough to cover it (to Renforth?) if council wishes to go forward on that project (approval still required) and if those revenue tools are approved by the province (road tolls require provincial approval) and if the federal government funds the other half (requires both federal and provincial approval; province might prefer RER instead).

That same funding packages could instead be used for any number of other things too; it's not earmarked and would be rapidly redirected if Tory ceased to be a popular mayor.

Eglinton West is a priority but I wouldn't call it funded yet as we are not yet in a position to write a contractor a cheque.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I might be missing something here but how does Crosstown West have funding? I thought the staff report suggested the City of Mississauga should contribute and they were negative on that idea. Further, the Etobicoke Centre MPP is pushing for several grade separations so do we even know the final budget projection for this project? Happy to be corrected if I've missed something.

Should it not be funded through the $2.6 Billion federal SmartTrack contribution?

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tr...au-pledges-smarttrack-and-go-train-funds.html

 

[Steve X]

Eglinton West isn't explicitly funded. The package of revenue tools laid out in November (December council vote), however, does include enough to cover it (to Renforth?) if council wishes to go forward on that project (approval still required) and if those revenue tools are approved by the province (road tolls require provincial approval) and if the federal government funds the other half (requires both federal and provincial approval; province might prefer RER instead).

That same funding packages could instead be used for any number of other things too; it's not earmarked and would be rapidly redirected if Tory ceased to be a popular mayor.

Eglinton West is a priority but I wouldn't call it funded yet as we are not yet in a position to write a contractor a cheque.

Until a shovel goes into the ground, it's not safe to bet if the Finch West LRT will get built. It could still be cancelled like the Eglinton west subway.

Let's just say it's a confirm extension.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The 192 rocket (not 127 Davenport) does not stop anywhere between the 3 stops in Pearson and East Mall Cres. on Dundas St West. The 192 takes the 427. Currently, one would have to take the 52A east to Carlingview and 112C south to reach Renforth/Eg. If they don't build the LRT to Perason, they could just extend the 112B to the there.

The previous report say something like 2021 start date.

Got my route numbers confused apparently, thank you. 2021, is four years, the liberals win the election to see it through.

Eglinton West isn't explicitly funded. The package of revenue tools laid out in November (December council vote), however, does include enough to cover it (to Renforth?) if council wishes to go forward on that project (approval still required) and if those revenue tools are approved by the province (road tolls require provincial approval) and if the federal government funds the other half (requires both federal and provincial approval; province might prefer RER instead).

That same funding packages could instead be used for any number of other things too; it's not earmarked and would be rapidly redirected if Tory ceased to be a popular mayor.

Eglinton West is a priority but I wouldn't call it funded yet as we are not yet in a position to write a contractor a cheque.

I wish the would begin construction this year.

 

[Allandale25]

There is no bus TTC bus from the Pearson to Renforth/Eg right now. The only route that runs from Pearson to Renfoth/Eg is the Miway route 7. The 107 drops people off at the Link train at Viscount.


Yes, it's consider funded at this stage (Renforth to Mount Dennis). It's approved and the city will budget for the project as part of SmartTrack. The city signed an agreement with the province to give them the cash to get it built. They have an estimate and will adjust the budget according to the grade separation recommendations. The city haven't clarify if the ST funding can apply to Crosstown west through. Crosstown east is not funded and not budgeted.

The city however haven't finalize how they'll find the money. Personal I find it very stupid for money having to transfer from city level upwards. It should be the other way around.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[ShonTron]

The 192 rocket (not 127 Davenport) does not stop anywhere between the 3 stops in Pearson and East Mall Cres. on Dundas St West. The 192 takes the 427. Currently, one would have to take the 52A east to Carlingview and 112C south to reach Renforth/Eg. If they don't build the LRT to Perason, they could just extend the 112B to the there.

The 332 Eglinton West night bus does.

 

[rbt]

Should it not be funded through the $2.6 Billion federal SmartTrack contribution?

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/tr...au-pledges-smarttrack-and-go-train-funds.html

That's up to the provincial government we have when the feds come to sign a contract. Feds don't fund municipal projects, they fund the province who typically asks the municipalities what they want, and the province writes that into the agreement. The province might decide SmartTrack is silly and redirect that $2.6B to other corridors like the Barrie line or Kitchener service, or even into finishing projects currently underway like Union train shed.

I wouldn't be surprised, if Brown gets elected, if Tory is forced to put every ounce of political capital he has into the mainline component of SmartTrack and has to abandon the LRT pieces.

 

[rbt]

So your assumption is Brown cancels the RER infra on Kitchener and Stouffville and Toronto tries to make up for it? I feel like that would be incredibly expensive and DRL would be higher priority.

My assumption is Brown will cancel 80% of provincial RER funding but keep construction going on a small portion of RER projects (Union trainshed, Barrie Line, and very basic maintenance facility) using federal funds in a 50/50 partnership.

Tory's SmartTrack; which currently relies on the province funding basic RER components, Union East, maintenance facilities in the East, etc.; will come up short. I expect the city will cut a deal resulting in funding 1/3rd of the Stouffville line within the SmartTrack area and the rest of the line will be deferred to the future.

I actually predict a Brown/Tory SmartTrack service will run from SCC to Aurora (7 to 10 minute frequencies), and Scarborough Subway gets killed. Stouffville service beyond SCC will have hourly diesels making most stops (no express service) so even ~5 minute rush SCC service is possible.

 

[rbt]

Pretty interesting, though I question whether the cost of changing the plans would be worth in in the eyes of the party that is supposedly most against government waste.

It's a fiscal problem; a tax cut will reduce the amount of debt the province can take on for a large capital plan and nobody in the anti-waste crowd will complain about a tax cut and deferring Wynne's wreckless (their term, not mine) spending program.

RER won't be killed, the business-case is actually quite good, but the implementation will be stretched into 2034 rather than 2024 and lean much harder on federal money early on. Tory, of course, can't wait on that new timeline; and so the game of politics begins.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

That's up to the provincial government we have when the feds come to sign a contract. Feds don't fund municipal projects, they fund the province who typically asks the municipalities what they want, and the province writes that into the agreement. The province might decide SmartTrack is silly and redirect that $2.6B to other corridors like the Barrie line or Kitchener service, or even into finishing projects currently underway like Union train shed.

I wouldn't be surprised, if Brown gets elected, if Tory is forced to put every ounce of political capital he has into the mainline component of SmartTrack and has to abandon the LRT pieces.

So your assumption is Brown cancels the RER infra on Kitchener and Stouffville and Toronto tries to make up for it? I feel like that would be incredibly expensive and DRL would be higher priority.

My assumption is Brown will cancel 80% of provincial RER funding but keep construction going on a small portion of RER projects (Union trainshed, Barrie Line, and very basic maintenance facility) using federal funds in a 50/50 partnership.

Tory's SmartTrack; which currently relies on the province funding basic RER components, Union East, maintenance facilities in the East, etc.; will come up short. I expect the city will cut a deal resulting in funding 1/3rd of the Stouffville line within the SmartTrack area and the rest of the line will be deferred to the future.

I actually predict a Brown/Tory SmartTrack service will run from SCC to Aurora (7 to 10 minute frequencies), and Scarborough Subway gets killed. Stouffville service beyond SCC will have hourly diesels making most stops (no express service) so even ~5 minute rush SCC service is possible.

Rbt don't be so cynical. Brown is not like other conservatives and we have not see his transit plan.

 

[crs1026]

The problem with Wynne's plan was its emphasis on (virtually unfettered) borrowing, there was nothing much wrong with the routes or service concepts (I'm looking forwards, not back at things already built, so let's leave UPE aside).

Brown does not need to come out as opposed to any of the current plans. He merely needs to declare a more fiscally restrained total envelope. The same projects can compete for priority, and that curve from the RER BCA that shows the big hump from 2017-2025 will spread out towards 2030 or beyond.

This will constrain the things that aren't already underway, sure, but it won't make enemies or create appearance of takeaways. My prediction is, electrification, and not routes, would be the thing pushed furthest away. So politically very palatable. We might see 30-minute diesel instead of 15-minute RER, but those routes have no all day service at the moment....so a huge step forward in a voter's eyes. Maybe good is actually good enough.

- Paul

 

[Steve X]

Rbt don't be so cynical. Brown is not like other conservatives and we have not see his transit plan.

Maybe he doesn't even have one.

Brown could just cancel the highway 427 extension, stop the highway 400 extension, kill the Mississauga, Hamilton and Sheppard West LRT. Don't electrify RER and take back the money from the Scarborough subway. Sell the 407 east/412/418. Easy $10B. Oh just cut the UPX to half hour would save $$$.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Rbt don't be so cynical. Brown is not like other conservatives and we have not see his transit plan.

Ugh, wasn't Brown regarded as being the most right wing candidate in the PC leadership race? This doesn't give me much hope that he'll do much good on the transit file.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Brown does not need to come out as opposed to any of the current plans. He merely needs to declare a more fiscally restrained total envelope. The same projects can compete for priority, and that curve from the RER BCA that shows the big hump from 2017-2025 will spread out towards 2030 or beyond.

So you're suggesting further delaying transit expansion in the GTA?

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I'm expecting Brown to cancel RER.