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  #1  
Old Posted Apr 18, 2014, 2:31 AM
Dr Nevergold Dr Nevergold is offline
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Moving Commuters and Businesses More Quickly Across the GTHA

Straight from the government:

http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2014/0...-the-gtha.html

Quote:
April 17, 2014 10:15 a.m.Office of the Premier
The new Moving Ontario Forward plan would work toward phasing in electric train service every 15 minutes on all GO lines.

GO Regional Express Rail would provide faster, more frequent service on GO corridors, in both directions, all day long. The service would create a viable alternative for people driving on busy highways from communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) by providing a faster, more flexible way to get in and out of Toronto's downtown core. It would also give commuters within Toronto another way to get downtown by increasing service between GO stations and Union Station. A commuter could get to Union Station from Danforth GO Station in just 9 minutes, or from Bloor GO Station in just 15 minutes.

This is part of the government's long-term transit and infrastructure plan, Moving Ontario Forward. This plan would make nearly $29 billion available over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructure projects across the province, including public transit, roads, bridges and highways.

Making smart investments in public transit is part of the government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow. The comprehensive plan and its six priorities focus on Ontario's greatest strengths - its people and strategic partnerships.
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  #2  
Old Posted Apr 18, 2014, 2:32 AM
Dr Nevergold Dr Nevergold is offline
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These are plans, and we all know how plans sometimes go, but its a good starting point. Toronto needs frequent, electrified regional rail transit. I'm extremely impressed, its the first thoughtful regional plan in decades.
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  #3  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2014, 3:22 PM
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It's a good start. Hopefully we'll actually see something more than just paper talk about what could be done. There's a whole other thread on Toronto's transport woes. For me he three main points desperate for improvement are:
1: Much greater expansive network of subway lines cover far more of the city.
2: Better highways into the downtown core and for getting from the east side to the west side of the GTA (and vice-versa)
3: Better use of all the GO lines throughout the day and weekend. Lines such as the Barrie one to be used other than rush-hour times.

I know that's a simplistic view, and there's much more that could be added and discussed, but its a start for me.
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  #4  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2014, 5:15 PM
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highways into downtown? no thank you. No thank you to new highways in general. Highways in general just create induced demand.

As for subways, they are absurdly expensive. its to the point where you could build 10km of subways for the same price of upgrading 4 of the GO lines to 15 minute electrified service, covering several hundred km. its insane really. subways are only needed where demand is really, really high such as the Yonge extension and DRL.
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  #5  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2014, 12:09 PM
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Look at the likes of London. Have viable alternatives to driving and people use it. Had Toronto built a decent subway network decades ago instead of just debating and postponing multiple times, it would have cost a lot less to construct. When I lived there I can count on my hands the number of times I drove into central London rather than take the train and underground.

As for highways, I said better, not more, into downtown. The DVP and Gardiner are a joke for their congestion. And Kingston Road needs a vast improvement to facilitate traffic flow.
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  #6  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2014, 4:15 AM
Dr Nevergold Dr Nevergold is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere View Post
highways into downtown? no thank you. No thank you to new highways in general. Highways in general just create induced demand.

As for subways, they are absurdly expensive. its to the point where you could build 10km of subways for the same price of upgrading 4 of the GO lines to 15 minute electrified service, covering several hundred km. its insane really. subways are only needed where demand is really, really high such as the Yonge extension and DRL.
I would of course debate the point about subway only being purposeful for extending Yonge and DRL.

Extending the Danforth subway to replace the Scarborough RT is the best choice for that corridor. Scarborough LRT is just replacing a mistake (the RT) with another mistake. It'll function if they switch back to LRT, but its an overall less than optimal solution and induces the same transfer-transfer-transfer problem the RT has.

Really, however, these old tired debates mean nothing in terms of regional rail. Its about time Toronto got frequent, multi-line, fast moving electrified regional rail.
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  #7  
Old Posted May 29, 2014, 4:23 PM
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How bout converting Yonge & Bay to one-way streets to move people and goods more quickly? Traffic signals on one way streets can be timed to provide smooth signal progression, creating less stops at red lights for drivers which leads to increased average speeds.
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  #8  
Old Posted May 30, 2014, 5:35 AM
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What about a "congestion toll" to pay for transit?

Have it that If you drive on a 400 series highway during the week that you get tolled. If you drive it on the weekends, then you don't?
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  #9  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2014, 1:29 AM
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Kind of congestion themed, but I am trying to compile a list of all road widenings and general projects occuring around the GTA this summer. Beyond the 400 series expansions starting this summer (401 widening to the credit river from Hurontario, 410 widening, 407 additional lane between 400 and 427, 404 extension, 407 extension, and 427 HOV lanes), these are the ones I'm aware of, with the lane change amounts beside each project in brackets:

Bloomington Road, Yonge street - the 404, RICHMOND HILL (2-4)
Brock Road, Third Concession - Taunton road, PICKERING (2-4)
Warden Avenue, 16th Avenue - Major Mackenzie, MARKHAM (2-4)
9th Line, Donald Cousens Parkway - Hoover Park Drive, MARKHAM / STOUFFVILLE (2-4)
York Durham Line, Steeles Avenue - Highway 7, MARKHAM (2-4)
Creditview Road Mayfield Road - Fairhill Avenue, BRAMPTON (2-4)
Mayfield Road Dixie - Bramalea, BRAMPTON (2-6)

There are also a couple of other general road projects I am know of, any others to add to the list? Grade separations, etc.?

Main street grade separation, Milton
East Pierce Street 404 crossing (just north of highway 7), Markham
Major Mackenzie Drive realignment at 9th line, Markham
Donald Cousens Parkway extension and direct connection to Highway 48 (highway 48 will turn into Donald Cousens Parkway instead of Markham road as it does currently)
9th line realignment at Main street, Stouffville
Bolton Northwest Bypass, between king and queen street to the northwest of the town.
Birchmount Extension, In Downtown Markham connecting Birchmount to Highway 7.

Last edited by Innsertnamehere; Jun 3, 2014 at 2:00 AM.
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  #10  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2014, 10:27 PM
CoolJM CoolJM is offline
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Major Projects in Southern Ontario

-constructing the Windsor Essex Parkway
-extending Highway 407 easterly
-widening Highway 401 express and collector lanes between the Highway 401/403/410
-interchange and Hurontario Street in Mississauga
-building a new interchange at Highway 6 (Hanlon Expressway) and Laird Road in Guelph
-widening Highway 417 from Nicholas Street to Ottawa Road 174 in Ottawa

in Toronto:

-The rehabilitation of three bridges between the Humber River and Park Lawn Avenue. One lane of eastbound traffic will be closed as a result of this work.
-Replacement of the median between Ellis Road and Dufferin Road. This work will close one lane in each direction of the Gardiner.

Last edited by CoolJM; Jun 3, 2014 at 10:32 PM. Reason: These are
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  #11  
Old Posted Jun 5, 2014, 12:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CoolJM View Post
Major Projects in Southern Ontario

-constructing the Windsor Essex Parkway
-extending Highway 407 easterly
-widening Highway 401 express and collector lanes between the Highway 401/403/410
-interchange and Hurontario Street in Mississauga
-building a new interchange at Highway 6 (Hanlon Expressway) and Laird Road in Guelph
-widening Highway 417 from Nicholas Street to Ottawa Road 174 in Ottawa

in Toronto:

-The rehabilitation of three bridges between the Humber River and Park Lawn Avenue. One lane of eastbound traffic will be closed as a result of this work.
-Replacement of the median between Ellis Road and Dufferin Road. This work will close one lane in each direction of the Gardiner.
There's also the Hwy 417 widening in the West End too that everyone seems to forget about.

From 4 to 6 lanes between Hwy 7 and Palladium Drive
From 4 to 8 lanes between Palladium and March/Eagleson, where it continues on as 8 lanes.
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  #12  
Old Posted Jun 5, 2014, 2:49 AM
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I'm aware of provincial highway projects, I'm looking for municipal road widenings in the GTA. All provincial projects can be found in the southern highways program PDF, municipal projects are more difficult to come by, especially exact dates and which ones are going on this summer. York region has a large PDF showing all of the predicted widening projects required by 2021 and 2031, but its difficult to determine which ones are being done this summer. My list is just from looking at satellite imagery from google and personal knowledge.

Hurontario express collectors are done now as well, Construction on widening the Mavis bridge is being done this summer to allow for the express collectors to be extended to the Credit River starting in the next year or so.

The new interchange on highway 6 is already complete as well.

Starting soon as well is the 410 widening and HOV addition and the 427 HOV lanes north of the 409. Next summer the extension of HOV lanes on the 404 should start bringing them to Stouffville road. (now that HOV lanes can be tolled its becoming a lot more enticing to build them I guess)
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  #13  
Old Posted Jun 5, 2014, 7:26 AM
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The view that we can solve our transit problems with LRT and GO alone is troubling.
Every major city I can think of uses a multi-pronged approach, not a this or that approach. Subways are very expensive, but on some routes its the right choice. It's why cities from Beijing to London still build them.

This needs to be an LRT + GO + BRT + Subways strategy.
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  #14  
Old Posted Jun 6, 2014, 1:00 AM
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which is what is happening. There just aren't many places where subways make financial sense. Extending Yonge northward and the DRL are the only ones that truly make sense, But there are also the two more politically motivated projects on their way which are the spadina and scarborough subways.

All in all our subway network should go from 62km to just under 100km long if all of the current lines planned get built, and that isn't counting the 11km long tunnelled portion of the Eglinton LRT which effectively acts as a subway.
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