Ford Government Proposed GTA Transit Expansion Plans

So here is my take on the latest plans recently announced by the Ford government:

What’s New?

The Ontario Line – A new longer “light” subway line in place of the City’s proposed subway Relief Line

Pros
- A great move on his part – The subway light with smaller more frequent cars could result in other subway lines being built sooner than later – This could be a good option for a spur line in place of the proposed Relief Line West – Even better; I would call it “Ontario Line 2” and run it along Weston Road through Dundas West subway station, along King Street replacing the King Streetcar, and then east along Kingston Road towards Pickering (no; I am not advocating for a subway all the way to Pickering; unless they can prove that this “alternate” technology is much faster than our standard subways, the trip would be long and torturous) – However; should this new subway light be faster than our better way subways; it would also be a good option in place of my proposed MBTD Express LRT

Cons
- The termination of the Ontario Line at Ontario Place is a hint that he has very big plans for the park; let’s hope it’s not condos, a casino, or any other form of commercial development (deep down I know that's exactly what he's planning to do) – It should remain fully public recreational space – I would even go as far as to letting him have his Ferris wheel

Yonge North Subway Extension – Not really new; this has been on the books for decades; just no funds or capacity to build it – As long as the Ontario Line is complete and open before; I’m all for it (Who isn’t?)

Burying portions of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension – Doug Ford’s plan is to bury more of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension than the City had planned to – This is a positive move – The only reason the City didn’t do so was to keep costs down – It’s the right move and will allow for shorter and more direct routing

What’s Regurgitated?

The Three-stop SSE – Yeah!!! – Cutting the two stops from the Scarborough Subway Extension was a mistake; I would even go so far as adding a forth stop at Brimley and Eglinton
Making the Final Connection between the Sheppard Subway (Line 4) and the New Scarborough Subway Extension – Yeah again!!! – This will provide riders with options; it will get vehicles off the 401, and have a greater impact on ridership on Line 4 than anyone can imagine

McCowan and Sheppard Station – Yeah!!! - Ford’s plan to route the Line 4 and SSE extensions through McCowan and Sheppard is the way to go – It’s a perfect opportunity to eventually extend the subway north to Markham; it’s the right location for a major parking facility and transit hub (not Scarborough Centre and the City was planning to do)

McCowan and Lawrence Station – What can I say but, Yeah!!! – The Lawrence Avenue bus routes are some of the busiest bus routes in the city – The station at McCowan and Lawrence will result in shorter and faster trips for so many – I’m not a big fan of SmartTrack; I can take or leave the Kennedy and Lawrence SmartTrack Station, but if we have to choose, the McCowan and Lawrence Subway Station is a far superior option

"A Real Plan for Transit"

"Your plan is virtually perfect Jennifer - It's a well balanced approach - It includes the best of #SmartTrack, gives us back our 3-stop SSE, keeps the ball rolling along Eglinton, and puts the Relief Line ahead of everything else (where it belongs)" - Phil Prentice

This is my comparison of the difference in speeds and travel times between a standard LRT with frequent stops, like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and my proposed Express LRT stopping at only key connections to other transit lines (GO, Subway, LRT, and BRT Lines); plus a comparison of the difference in speeds and travel times using a faster Siemens S70 type LRT vs the Bombardier Flexity Freedom Light Rail Vehicles currently proposed for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT

- See My Proposed MBTD Express LRT at http://www.torontotransitblog.com/426314162

This is the 5th draft of Phase IV of my SmarterTracks plan for rapid transit in Scarborough

This plan includes the following:

- A four-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth (Line 2) Subway between Kennedy and Eglinton and McCowan and Sheppard [SSE]
- A subway connecting the Sheppard East (Line 4) Subway between Don Mills and Sheppard and the new SSE at McCowan and Sheppard
- A high-capacity parking facility at McCowan and Sheppard
- Preparation for an extension of the Bloor-Danforth (Line 2) Subway between McCowan and Sheppard and Markham ON
- A Markham Road LRT connecting Kennedy and Eglinton; Centennial College Progress Campus; and Malvern
- A driverless shuttlebus between Kennedy and Ellesmere GO Station; Scarborough Centre; and the Markham Road LRT at Markham and Progress and Centennial College Progress Campus
- An LRT between Ellesmere GO and UTSC connecting with Scarborough Town Centre, Scarborough Centre, and Rouge Valley/Centenary Hospital
- Preparation for a Finch East LRT between Yonge and Finch and Malvern Centre
- An Express LRT [the beginnings of an MBTD (Mississauga-Brampton-Toronto-Durham) Express LRT] along Lawrence Avenue East and Kingston Road between Lawrence GO and Highway #2 at Sheppard and Kingston Road
- A Sheppard East BRT between Scarborough Centre and Highway #2 at Sheppard and Kingston Road
- A driverless shuttlebus connecting the Toronto Zoo with the Sheppard East BRT

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MBTD Express LRT

I revised my plan for an elevated rapid transit line serving Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, and Durham Region (MBTD Monorail or HERT) to an LRT, but; I was not satisfied that an LRT will do the job, so in order to cover the distances and achieve the speeds I feel will be required, I made the line an Express LRT with limited stops instead – The line will have at least one stop in each community and connect with every major rapid transit line along its route - I am calling it MBTD Express LRT

The first phases of the route will be a Scarborough-Pickering/Ajax line, and a Mississauga-Pearson Airport line

The Scarborough-Pickering/Ajax line (First phase of a Scarborough-Durham line) line will interconnect with the following:

- Lawrence GO/SmartTrack

- McCowan Road (Scarborough) Subway

- Markham Road LRT

- Crosstown East LRT

- Sheppard LRT or BRT

The Scarborough-Pickering/Ajax line will be extended to form the Scarborough-Durham line – This next phase of the line will interconnect with Pickering GO and have the following stops:

- Pickering GO

- Pickering Centre

- (Possibly) Pickering East

- Ajax Centre

- Whitby Centre

- Oshawa West

- Oshawa Centre

- Oshawa East

The line can eventually be extended east to Clarington/Bowmanville

The Mississauga-Pearson Airport line (First phase of a Mississauga-Toronto line) line will interconnect with the following:

- Meadowvale GO

- Hurontario LRT

- Pearson Airport, UP Express, and SmartTrack LRT

The Brampton-Pearson Airport line will have its terminus and a large parking facility at Dixie and Mayfield Roads, and interconnect with the following:

- Brampton Züm BRT at three stops along Dixie Road

- The Mississauga line, UP Express, and SmartTrack LRT, at Toronto Pearson Airport

The Mississauga and Brampton lines will eventually be extended east to interconnect with:

- Weston GO

- Jane LRT or Beltline Subway

- Toronto-York Spadina Subway

- Yonge Street Subway

- Don Mills (Relief Line) Subway, and;

- The Scarborough-Durham line at Lawrence GO/SmartTrack

The Mississauga line can eventually be extended west to Milton


*** See SmarterTracks.com for the first four phases of my plans for rapid transit in Scarborough ***

Our progress on transit in Toronto over the past 50 years has been pathetic! - Think about what the city looked like 50 years ago - A good chunk of Scarborough was rural @SmarterTracks @JohnTory @ScarbTO

My Proposed Markham-GTA Beltline Subway and Brampton-GTA-Pickering/Ajax Monorail

My Proposed Markham-GTA Beltline Subway - See the Subpage "Line 2" under the Main Page "TO's Transit Lines"

For Brampton-GTA-Pickering/Ajax Monorail - See the Main Page "Monorail"

My Proposed Toronto Belt Line Subway

For more information on my proposal for a Toronto Beltline Subway see the Main page "Toronto Belt Line" on this site

The Toronto Belt Line Railway was a passenger service that was proposed, privately built, and failed in the 1890s – The route was intended “to service and promote new suburban neighbourhoods north of the city limits through the communities that eventually became Rosedale, Moore Park, Forest Hill and Swansea - The line was never profitable and it only ran for two years - Today, as part of a rails-to-trail project, the remaining part of the line is now the Beltline Trail” – Wikipedia – It was an idea that was over 125 years ahead of it’s time

See the Main page "Ahead of It's Time! - The Toronto Belt Line Railway"