City
Lakeshore Local Transit: Sound Plan or Just Another Dream?
Lakeshore Local Express Transit Proposal [ - view it larger - ]
Why pipedream of building new subway lines when you can pursue a more realistic plan, spend a fraction of the cost, and get efficient results?
This is what Matthew Day, candidate for city council, proposes and hopes to see come to fruition. He has a vision for a Lakeshore Local Express transit service that would use existing CN track and GO Transit stations. Building new stations at Kipling and Parklawn/Humber (and considering expansion to include a Roncesvalle stop as well) are part of the plan. Purchasing 5 sets of inexpensive diesel-electric trains, laying just 2km of new track, and forging and fine-tuning a cooperative relationship with GO Transit, VIA Rail, and the TTC are also crucial.
"I like to compare it to a new subway line along the Lakeshore, except it won't cost billions of dollars to build, and can be made to happen very quickly," Day blogs.
I recently had a chance to speak with Matthew Day, who offered some further insight into his Lakeshore transit proposal and how it might affect the citizens in his ward.
Carrying out this plan "would be of massive public benefit," he states. "Crime is here, and it's a function of under-development," adds Day. Citing geographical segregation and aging industry, Day is confident that an express transit system connecting Etobicoke south to Union Station will help spur economic development.
While 24h service and departures every 14minutes at peak, and every 30-minutes during non-peak hours may seem like ambitious targets, Day is confident that it can be done, and at a fraction of the cost of other unattainable proposals (or utopian dreams). A startup cost estimated at less than $100M, and annual projected revenues of $14.5M seem fiscally sound, if these targets are indeed attainable.
He also believes that the resulting 2% (estimated) reduction in commuter traffic on the problem-plagued Gardiner will alleviate some of the congestion and reduce emissions that contribute to pollution. Day went on to add that his ward is the second worst in Toronto for air-quality and it's constituents have higher than average instances of asthma.
When asked how quickly this new transit leg could be up and running, Day optimistically claims that between 6 and 12 months are all that would be required.
While it may seem too good to be true, I do think this proposal has merit. One of the greatest challenges, however, will be getting GO Transit on board. When asked about how the new Lakeshore Local line might affect existing GO ridership and profits, Day admits that it's a hurdle. "GO Transit's main focus is on regular, larger fare passengers," he claims. While this may be true, it doesn't really address the issue of short-trip customers.
Will GO Transit cooperate, knowing that the new line would result in loss of short-trip passengers?
What other issues might arise?
Is this a sound plan or just another transit user's dream?
(map of proposed Lakeshore Local line by Jerrold Litwinenko from public domain source image at wikipedia)
Discussion
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I applaud Mr. Day's initiative, but his efforts would be better spent lambasting the provincial and all GTA governments for the lack of a GTTA. Until I see GO Transit and TTC operating under one umbrella, then nothing will help this city.
With a Lakeshore Local, there wouldn't be a need for the super long-run streetcars. Instead, a local streetcar run along Lakeshore (say between Longbranch and the proposed Parklawn/Humber station) could continue, and the Queen 501's only going as far as Humber.
I also don't think 24h regular service on this line would be required at all. Maybe running 1 train per hour between 2am and 5am would be sufficient.
Long before I moved to the west end, I noticed that the Bloor line was ALWAYS far more crowed westbound from Yonge/Bay/St. George than the eastbound line. It would be great if something could be done to change that imbalance.
The YorkU extension on the Spadina line is in high demand, has an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion (that's $1500 million) and will take years to complete.
A Pearson link would have huge demand, is being assessed, but I've yet to hear any real cost estimates or time-lines.
This Lakeshore proposal estimates a much lower cost of $100 million (1/15th that of the YorkU plan) and can be operational with months.
Would it make sense to carry out more than one of these plans? I think so. The question remains: how can we pay for all of this?
I'm not sure if the 24 hour service makes sense, however.
For instance, how much commuter traffic would it draw from the Bloor line? Enough to warrant 24h service? Maybe, maybe not.
How many new users would exchange the long streetcar ride on the Lakeshore line now for the new express route and how many would be new passengers? Enough to make it worth the investment?
With the removal of the Gardner a hot topic once again, no doubt there MUST be an public transit alternative in the area to offset the loss (because it's going to happen sooner or later, let's face it).
This kid could be on to something.
1) GO Transit. While a majority of their riders are from the stops farther east, I see no incentive for them to allow the TTC access to their platforms.
2) CN. This is the big problem. The line is already incredibly busy with freight, via and GO trains on it and I suspect these three heavy users aren't going to like being pushed aside just so people don't have to take the Lakeshore Streetcar. And don't forget rail is a federal matter, not provincial.
3) The Lakeshore Streetcar works fine and has almost completed its new dedicated right of way along High Park.
- this doesn't have to be a TTC line, and might fare better as a private business endeavour (avoid union issues, gov red tape, etc)
- the CN tracks are being operated well below capacity, and if Via and GO can shift their "out-of-service" train movements to non-peak hours, there'd be enough room on the tracks for a local passenger service.
I think a better idea would be to better integrate the local transportation networks with GO. There should be no TTC, no Mississauga Transit, no GO. It should all be one fare interchangable system. Want to get from New Toronto to downtown? Take the bus to Mimico GO station and take the train from there. I suspect it would be much easier and cheaper to implement than a whole new service. Hopefully the GTTA addresses this (it is in their mandate).
Of course doing all of them would be terrific for the city, regular transit users and tourists (and maybe we'd get more tourists if the city was easier to navigate). I just meant, in order of prioritizing, Pearson and York would have a greater effect on traffic flow and air quality in the city as a whole. My personal opinion is that it's time to have forward vision and commit to a giant project that IS going to take a lot of time and money. It shows we believe in our city and it will have a far greater impact than patchwork solutions, like the Sheppard line to nowhere.
I also think introducing a private company is asking for more trouble. One, would you be able to transfer to and from regular TTC without paying an extra fare? Two, doesn't that give the feds an excuse to continue their non-funding of transit in the country's biggest city? Three, I really want the TTC to make a profit (see: everyone's interest in stylish merchandise) but it's also a public service. Would a private company let someone who ran out of money on for free at 3 am? TTC drivers often do, and less stranded people vulnerable in the city is better for the city as a whole. I personally have great resistance towards privatizing services that the government should step up and find funds for. Privatization rarely happens with the public good in mind. A working GTTA is, as everyone says, the first baby step.
I'd like to point out that I live on the lake and a Lakeshore line would be way more useful to me personally than the York line (never going to go there) or the Pearson extension (if only I could go there more). Obviously an election candidate is going to propose TTC expansion in their own 'hood, but a working city is about the big picture.
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