2016 is the year of exciting updates and upgrades to Toronto’s transit system. Below, we share with you 6 of the upcoming major transit projects in Toronto that you should absolutely look forward to.
SmartTrack
The heavy rail that’s supposed to go along Eglington has been taken off the table, and the residents have been asked to voice out their opinion regarding extending the Crosstown LRT west of Mount Dennis. Planners involved in the project have been asked to take a look at possible new locations and how best to connect the LRT to the airport jobs hob.
Electrified GO Service
There is a plan to create a two-way all-day service by electrifying 5 of the 7 GO lines. This means that two-way service will be available at 15-minute intervals in key sections. This project will build 6 substations and 11 switching stations aside from powering 262 kilometres of track. This will also involve building 78 overhead bridges and installing barriers.
New SmartTrack/GO Stations
A short list of 50 new station locations is being looked into by the provincial agency Metrolinx as part of the electrified GO expansion. There is a huge chance that a lot of the stations will be in the city to connect SmartTrack riders. The stops included are Finch, Lawrence, Ellesmere, Gerard-Carlaw, Unilever, Bathurst-Spadina, Liberty Village, and St. Clair.
Relief Line
City Planners have unveiled their chosen route that will be from Pape station to the new hub at Nathan Phillips Square. This route was planned to reduce the crowding at the south end of the Yonge subway and the TTC’s Yonge-Bloor station. What makes this feasible is that it won’t add up to the congestion at Union Station and will promote transit and foot connections in the financial district, Regent Park, and the rest of the downtown.
Scarborough Subway Extension
As part of the move to encourage job growth at the Scarborough City Centre, the Danforth subway is planned to have an extension going there. This planned extension’s route will be along McCowan Rd. When completed, this extension will also include an eastern extension of the Crosstown LRT going to Morningside avenue all the way to the U of T campus.
Integrated Fares
To make it easier to cross municipal borders whilst in transit, one of the options being considered is a fare-by-distance or zoned system. This new development is considered crucial for SmartTrack’s success. Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat said that this will address a current bizaare situation wherein buses usually leave full of people while GO trains leave not even half full.
Another thing of note is that Metrolinx’s the Big Move (their 2008 regional transportation plan is being reviewed. The review will note any changes and information that have changed, such as the plan for the Scarborough transit.
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