ION Phase 2 - Cambridge's Light Rail Transit

[danbrotherston]

On the subject of cutting corners, 2 crossings of CP's track and 3km can be removed from the route if instead of diverting to Hespeler Rd, the route stays West of CP's track and runs through Preston. I don't know that the additional cost and time of serving Hespeler Rd is worth it for the sake of development potential.


I understand that we have a group that wants to 'Stop the LRT thru Preston' but if it actually served more of Preston, then property values go up, as well as local residents' retirement savings.

In terms of value engineering, there are a couple of things that this route could accomplish.

• The route doesn't require an expensive rail-rail grade separation in a constrained corridor on Eagle St to serve Hespeler Rd
  
• The route could run on the existing or upgraded Dundas St bridge over the CP yard.
  
• Run in mixed traffic on Queenston Rd with right-in right-out at intersections for private vehicles so that less property acquisition is needed.
  
• Uses the existing median on Coronation Blvd that used to carry the Galt, Preston, and Hespeler street railway.
  

I mean, I like the thinking here, and I really really like the way this route sticks it to the Stop LRT through Preston group by diverting it even more through Preston (lets not kid ourselves, a significant number of the opponents do not care how much it benefits them).

And I really wish that our regional planning had this level of flexibility. But we don't. Changing the route to this wouldn't be a minor engineering redesign, this would necessitate a literal complete restart of the project. They'd have to do all the public consultation again, heck, the original business case, provincial approval, environmental assessments. And basically everyone who invested in the previous route (like developers, who you know, are never politically connected ) would fight this tooth and nail.

That being said, I don't think this solves our actual problem...I really really don't think this cost escalation has anything to do with WHAT we are building or WHERE it is being built. Yes, we might choose a cheaper route, but it isn't going to go back to a rational price, it's just going to be insanely overpriced but cheaper than the insanely overpriced expensive route.