ION Phase 2 - Cambridge's Light Rail Transit

[Pheidippides]

Proposed preferred route going to committee next week.

[danbrotherston]

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/868...cambridge/

Looks like the PWC endorsed all of the Phase 2 route, except for the Preston component...

[Markster]

Oof. So close, yet so far.

[Viewfromthe42]

Punting it past, or into, an election. I bet Bob Oberholtzer has a view on this, as well as anyone running in Preston, Hespeler, or Galt.

[timc]

A "second look"? It seems that this has gone through a lot more than two looks.

[tomh009]

"We really would like to have a Cambridge-based solution," Keifer said.

What the heck does that mean?

[Viewfromthe42]

It's usually a way of saying that an area is special because it doesn't want to change. Often you hear of it in the context of developments, like how there should be a made-in-Cambridge solution to safe consumption sites because as-proposed will destroy Galt (nevermind the research showing that SCSs don't destroy places), there should be a made-in-Cambridge solution to LRT because LRT can't respect heritage (nevermind the centuries-old cities that LRT systems have reinvigorated), or there should be a made-in-Waterloo solution to developing UpTown and keeping it small because new, tall, modern buildings will destroy its heritage (nevermind the centuries-old cities which have both kept actually significant heritage elements, while blending in new development without imploding).

[KevinL]

Yes, they want every appearance that the solution came from the community, in order for it to be politically sellable.

[panamaniac]

Yes, they want every appearance that the solution came from the community, in order for it to be politically sellable.

And, if the community can't get it together, the Region will ram a solution down their throat.  Said in the nicest possible way, of course. 

[KevinT]

Yes, they want every appearance that the solution came from the community, in order for it to be politically sellable.

And, if the community can't get it together, the Region will ram a solution down their throat.  Said in the nicest possible way, of course. 

I was thinking yesterday about how fun it would be to have a RAM THE LRT THRU PRESTON anti-protest sign on my lawn.  Of course living in the south Kitchener burbs it would never be seen by any of those I might wish to annoy...

[Markster]

I was thinking yesterday about how fun it would be to have a RAM THE LRT THRU PRESTON anti-protest sign on my lawn.

I suspect that 95% of people would misread that as an anti-LRT sign. I do appreciate the joke though!

[Pheidippides]

This CBC article hints that LRT will not be well funded in the next government and does not bode well for phase 2:

Doug Ford:
"We've been preaching for 10 years in Toronto … we love subways. Rapid underground transit," Ford told reporters. He then attacked light rail, a less expensive form of transit being built in municipalities across Ontario. "They rip up two lanes of road traffic and they clunk along the street — antiquated system," he said.”

"We're going to focus on being the most modern transit system in the world. We're going to build rapid underground transit that's going to extend, not only in Toronto, but we're the first government that's going to run a regional transportation system. So folks in Pickering eventually will be able to hop on a subway and get to downtown Toronto. People of Markham and the outlying areas, over time, will be on a subway, to make sure that we get traffic moving."

And this is supposed to be the fiscally responsible party?


So a subway to Markham wouldn't be too expensive (~2km from Finch up to the other side of Steeles would technically qualify) - but the TTC's long term plan has been to extend to the Richmond Hill centre north of the 401 (~7km) would be much more expensive.

A subway to Pickering would be unbelievably expensive and such overkill given the current and future state of GO trains and express busses out of that community. At least 16km just to get to the SRT.

[danbrotherston]

This CBC article hints that LRT will not be well funded in the next government and does not bode well for phase 2:

Doug Ford:
"We've been preaching for 10 years in Toronto … we love subways. Rapid underground transit," Ford told reporters. He then attacked light rail, a less expensive form of transit being built in municipalities across Ontario. "They rip up two lanes of road traffic and they clunk along the street — antiquated system," he said.”

"We're going to focus on being the most modern transit system in the world. We're going to build rapid underground transit that's going to extend, not only in Toronto, but we're the first government that's going to run a regional transportation system. So folks in Pickering eventually will be able to hop on a subway and get to downtown Toronto. People of Markham and the outlying areas, over time, will be on a subway, to make sure that we get traffic moving."

And this is supposed to be the fiscally responsible party?


So a subway to Markham wouldn't be too expensive (~2km from Finch up to the other side of Steeles would technically qualify) - but the TTC's long term plan has been to extend to the Richmond Hill centre north of the 401 (~7km) would be much more expensive.

A subway to Pickering would be unbelievably expensive and such overkill given the current and future state of GO trains and express busses out of that community. At least 16km just to get to the SRT.

I've said it many times.  Any PC supporter who thinks they're a fiscal conservative is choosing not to pay attention.

In any case, this is blindingly stupid, given the existing GO Transit, and the sparse, frankly, empty space this would traverse.  Is Doug really this stupid, or is it simply a ploy to distract from or oppose transit, while still pretending to support it?

But yeah, bad news for our Phase 2.

[Rainrider22]

This CBC article hints that LRT will not be well funded in the next government and does not bode well for phase 2:

Doug Ford:
"We've been preaching for 10 years in Toronto … we love subways. Rapid underground transit," Ford told reporters. He then attacked light rail, a less expensive form of transit being built in municipalities across Ontario. "They rip up two lanes of road traffic and they clunk along the street — antiquated system," he said.”

"We're going to focus on being the most modern transit system in the world. We're going to build rapid underground transit that's going to extend, not only in Toronto, but we're the first government that's going to run a regional transportation system. So folks in Pickering eventually will be able to hop on a subway and get to downtown Toronto. People of Markham and the outlying areas, over time, will be on a subway, to make sure that we get traffic moving."

And this is supposed to be the fiscally responsible party?


So a subway to Markham wouldn't be too expensive (~2km from Finch up to the other side of Steeles would technically qualify) - but the TTC's long term plan has been to extend to the Richmond Hill centre north of the 401 (~7km) would be much more expensive.

A subway to Pickering would be unbelievably expensive and such overkill given the current and future state of GO trains and express busses out of that community. At least 16km just to get to the SRT.

I've said it many times.  Any PC supporter who thinks they're a fiscal conservative is choosing not to pay attention.

In any case, this is blindingly stupid, given the existing GO Transit, and the sparse, frankly, empty space this would traverse.  Is Doug really this stupid, or is it simply a ploy to distract from or oppose transit, while still pretending to support it?

But yeah, bad news for our Phase 2.

The reality is he will learn quickly that he has to listen to other municipalities too.  You cant just address GTA and forget about the rest of the province.  No point in trying to guess what will happen when the region hasn't even gone knocking on doors yet looking for financing.

[ijmorlan]

I've said it many times.  Any PC supporter who thinks they're a fiscal conservative is choosing not to pay attention.

This is exactly what is so crazy about politics right now. I can understand disagreements about things; for example, maybe I want increased spending on public transit and somebody else wants increased spending on roads. But the idea of voting for the current incarnation of the PCs because they’re fiscally responsible — that’s just nutty. Democracy won’t work if a large fraction of voters refuse to consider basic suitability for the job when making their choices.