Bus and streetcar lanes proposed
A new public transportation plan is calling for the creation of 16 dedicated bus and streetcar routes, including new routes on Eglinton Ave., Lawrence Ave. and Sheppard Ave.
City officials say the project would not only be workable, but cheaper than building subway lines, and could be put into place within five years.
The TTC unveiled the plan last week that would ease the burden on subways by putting buses and streetcars in their own lanes in outlying areas of the city. Mayor David Miller called the study both "achievable and realistic," and TTC commissioners ordered staff to return with specific costs for the streets identified for "higher order" transit.
"This plan gives people the ability to get around this city without having to use a car," said Miller. "What this plan does in a frugal way is give us a chance to enhance our transit network."
The plan — conceived by TTC and city staff — also envisions "higher order" transit projects rolling out between now and 2008 on Eglinton Ave., Lawrence Ave., Sheppard Ave., Kingston Rd., King St., Queen St., Dundas St. West, Bremner Blvd., Lake Shore Blvd. and Jane St.
There are also plans to build busways to York University from Downsview subway station, and up Yonge St. from Finch station to connect with York Region at Steeles Ave.
While no exact figures were given, it’s estimated the 16 bus and streetcar projects recommended would cost less than $1 billion, compared to the estimated $1.5-billion cost of building a subway to York University. Ten of the projects had previously been estimated at $500 million in the city’s official plan.
"It’s the right plan," said Miller. "We can actually deliver a rapid transit network that every Torontonian can access. Compared to the cost of building subways, it’s a frugal cost."
Officials say the York University subway and the completion of the Sheppard subway remain TTC longer-term priorities, but this network of "higher order" transit — which could include buses, streetcars and possibly light rail — represents a shift away from a bus network feeding subways to a network feeding high-density, mixed-use neighbourhoods.
"There is a shift in this city," said Rick Ducharme, general manager of the TTC. "We’re looking at avenues and see that the avenues are properly served by transit. We’re trying to shift to dedicated rights of way, shift roads to transit."
Most of the outlying roads identified are at least 36 metres wide, meaning they can support dedicated transit lanes down the centre while retaining at least four lanes for cars. Staff will return with feasibility studies comparing the cost and efficiency of various transit modes on each of the roads.
Joe Mihevc, vice-chairman of the TTC, said rapid transit in dedicated lanes is the way of the future.
"The answer is not subways, it has to be some kind of rapid transit in dedicated rights of way," he said. "This is the pattern that is emerging globally. We’re looking at something that’s not going to cost in the billions of dollars but in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s an intermediate strategy called ‘rights of way.’"
Right now it’s not known whether the TTC has the money for any of this. It’s trying to slash about $150 million from this year’s capital budget. Miller was hopeful that this year’s budget could be met and the future properly planned for.
If adopted, each proposal would require one to two years of environmental study and an additional two to three years to construct.
