The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton's central circulator proposal for continuation of low-floor.


https://i.imgur.com/1SH9Eda.png
OffWhyte on C2E

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[Beedok]

Those are some massive plans. Lots of commercial.

[Doady]

So predictable GO Transit would locate all but one of these stations on the outskirts of these cities/towns, in farmland, to maximise parking space and promote the car culture.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Doady

So predictable GO Transit would locate all but one of these stations on the outskirts of these cities/towns, in farmland, to maximise parking space and promote the car culture.

Looks like they're just taking advantage of the existing railway to me?

[osmo]

Updated Scarborough subway costs will be ready but not made public before the next election

A briefing for Mayor John Tory prepared in October says the updated costs for the controversial subway project will be ready in September 2018 but released in January 2019.

Mayor John Tory was told an updated cost of the one-stop Scarborough subway extension would be available in September — at least a month before the municipal election.

In an October 2017 briefing prepared for the mayor and obtained by the Star through a freedom of information request, the TTC told Tory that the updated costs would be ready ahead of voting day.

But city staff have said they won’t report the updated figure until after the election — in January 2019 — because there are no council meetings scheduled after July of this year. The cost is expected to rise above the current $3.35 billion.

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2...ade-public-before-the-next-election.html


Well, of course, nothing to hide here. Like I mentioned earlier there is high probability this thing won't get built. The highest order of napkin scratch and vote buying versus actual transit planning. Nobody can justify building the most expensive subway extension in history, there is no justifiable reason to continue to build this project aside from bush level politics. Even Scarborough residents are waking up as they were provided little information, with many not knowing that current RT stops would be removed and not replaced by the subway expansion.

Also, for Wynee's talk of extra funding, she is in campaign/election mode also. It all talk to the Liberals and Wynne can produce the funding on a piece of paper for Toronto Council. Until then it is nothing but smoke and can't be counted on as a formal agreement to boost funding towards the continued escalated costs.

In my own view is that the impending Scarborough Subway debacle is what made both now former TTC Chair and Chief City Planner to bolt their jobs early, but that is another story.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

Looks like they're just taking advantage of the existing railway to me?

And it's making Grimsby's proposed GO Station area much better, it's currently all big box retail, hotel and a highway service centre


https://www.collierscanada.com/16218#.WnpJsa3MwlI

[Innsertnamehere]

Grimsby already has a downtown station that is getting swapped out for a suburban one. The St Catharines and Niagara Falls stations are using existing stations near (But not in) their respective downtowns.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Doady

So predictable GO Transit would locate all but one of these stations on the outskirts of these cities/towns, in farmland, to maximise parking space and promote the car culture.

Where would you have put them? Aside from Grimsby, all are about as close as you can get to the respective downtowns along the existing track.

The potential development envisioned for Grimsby surrounding the Casablanca GO and interchange is far, far more than could be realized around the old VIA station closer to the town's centre, even subtracting out what's already being built on the north side of the QEW. That plan may actually be fairly realistic, given the growth that's been happening in that part of the town.

The north block in the St. Catharines plan from the 406 down to the rail line is largely suburban big box retail today; seems a bit too aspirational but in the long term who knows. Same for the Beamsville concept, if a station is ever built there.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Grimsby already has a downtown station that is getting swapped out for a suburban one. The St Catharines and Niagara Falls stations are using existing stations near (But not in) their respective downtowns.

Technically the Niagara Falls station is in the city's historic downtown. Just not what is normally conceived as such because tourism is clustered around Clifton Hill and the falls.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by niwell

Technically the Niagara Falls station is in the city's historic downtown. Just not what is normally conceived as such because tourism is clustered around Clifton Hill and the falls.

Historic downtown Niagara Falls is one of the most depressing areas imaginable. Realistically, all that is needed is a proper local transit connection to Clifton Hill and Fallsview.

After organizing a tour in Niagara Falls and poor and expensive transport to Pearson, regular GO Transit rail service to Niagara is something that will be most welcomed. There are untapped tourism synergies between Niagara and Toronto that frequent rail service will help promote. Congestion on the QEW is not going to get any better.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by osmo

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2...ade-public-before-the-next-election.html


Well, of course, nothing to hide here. Like I mentioned earlier there is high probability this thing won't get built. The highest order of napkin scratch and vote buying versus actual transit planning. Nobody can justify building the most expensive subway extension in history, there is no justifiable reason to continue to build this project aside from bush level politics. Even Scarborough residents are waking up as they were provided little information, with many not knowing that current RT stops would be removed and not replaced by the subway expansion.

Also, for Wynee's talk of extra funding, she is in campaign/election mode also. It all talk to the Liberals and Wynne can produce the funding on a piece of paper for Toronto Council. Until then it is nothing but smoke and can't be counted on as a formal agreement to boost funding towards the continued escalated costs.

In my own view is that the impending Scarborough Subway debacle is what made both now former TTC Chair and Chief City Planner to bolt their jobs early, but that is another story.

Why aren't they replacing the Scarborough RT with an elevated extension of the Bloor-Danforth using the same right of way? Why does it have to be an underground subway?

[1overcosc]

I lose track of Toronto's back-and-forth a lot but from what I gather the subway route would be a faster, more direct trip, and it would allow the RT to remain open while the subway is being built (as opposed to the option of reusing the RT corridor which would require a closure and thus a massive army of bus shuttle detours).

[J.OT13]

Faster and more direct, maybe, but that is partly they will be building far less stations, so other than the the elimination of one transfer for some, service will not be as good as the status quo.

I don't feel that the extra cost of a subway is worth the reduced disruption for a few years of demolition and re-construction. And considering it's only a 6.4 km independent transit line on the outskirts with a fairly low ridership of 40,000 per day (as opposed to Ottawa shutting down 10 kilometers of the Transitway that carries 200,000 per day smack in the middle of town).

[WhipperSnapper]

Oh god no to an elevated line. There's no space in the corridor for it. Second the maintenance over the next 50 years is going to cost more than just putting it underground in the first place. Underground makes the most sense over the lifetime of the extension. Additional stations can always be added like North York Centre station.

Trust me. I'm not a fan of this extension because There are greater priorities. Cheaping out here doesn't mean those saved dollars will be redirected to another transit project. They just get throwing back into the pool. Scarborough Centre is a regional transit hub. It's just going to keep growing as the city grows.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by osmo

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2...ade-public-before-the-next-election.html


Well, of course, nothing to hide here. Like I mentioned earlier there is high probability this thing won't get built. The highest order of napkin scratch and vote buying versus actual transit planning. Nobody can justify building the most expensive subway extension in history, there is no justifiable reason to continue to build this project aside from bush level politics. Even Scarborough residents are waking up as they were provided little information, with many not knowing that current RT stops would be removed and not replaced by the subway expansion.

Also, for Wynee's talk of extra funding, she is in campaign/election mode also. It all talk to the Liberals and Wynne can produce the funding on a piece of paper for Toronto Council. Until then it is nothing but smoke and can't be counted on as a formal agreement to boost funding towards the continued escalated costs.

In my own view is that the impending Scarborough Subway debacle is what made both now former TTC Chair and Chief City Planner to bolt their jobs early, but that is another story.

I'm glad that this won't be brought up before the election. I hate how screwed over Toronto gets every 4 years when somebody promises something for the TTC just to win votes. The Scarborough subway extension is an epic waste of cash but lets just finish it and be done with it.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I'm glad that this won't be brought up before the election. I hate how screwed over Toronto gets every 4 years when somebody promises something for the TTC just to win votes. The Scarborough subway extension is an epic waste of cash but lets just finish it and be done with it.

If it is funded by the federal government, the rest of the country must say no to that boondoggle. I would love to see the business case for the Scarborough extension.

[J.OT13]

I feel like we've been through this before, but can someone explain why Toronto never has to dish out municipal tax dollars for transit projects? Are we (Ottawa) the only suckers who pay 1/3+?

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

If it is funded by the federal government, the rest of the country must say no to that boondoggle. I would love to see the business case for the Scarborough extension.

The feds won't be paying anymore then they have already agreed to.

[osmo]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I feel like we've been through this before, but can someone explain why Toronto never has to dish out municipal tax dollars for transit projects? Are we (Ottawa) the only suckers who pay 1/3+?

Toronto does put up a share of money on the majority of projects. The truth is most projects are political gifts from the Province and Feds which starts the funding push with the city contributing a share.

For all the time I have been here Toronto has always struggled with the ability to construct funding initiatives towards large projects. Priorities and politics always seem to be the blame. New police stations and such always get the money they need but for big-ticket capital projects Toronto struggles.