[URBAN NOTE] On the route of SmartTrack in Toronto

[rfmcdonald]

Via blogTO, I learned about the route of John Tory's SmartTrack.

John Tory's SmartTrack is finally winging its way into existence. As the Toronto Star reports today, city planners will likely recommend building seven new stations when they release a massive transit report in two weeks time.

The SmartTrack would run along a GO corridor and would utilize stations there. The new ones include St. Clair West, Liberty Village, Unilever, Gerrard and Pape, Lawrence East, Ellesmere, and Finch East. This plan features 15 stops in total between Mount Dennis and Milliken.

The Toronto Star goes into more detail.

City planners are poised to recommend that John Tory’s signature transit line be built with seven new stations, six fewer than he promised during the mayoral campaign.

In March, city council directed staff to consider two options for SmartTrack, Tory’s plan to add transit service using existing GO Transit corridors: one that would include seven to eight new stops, and another that would include four to five.

With staff due to make their recommendation in a major transit report in two weeks, acting director of transit and sustainable transportation James Perttula said staff believe an alignment with seven stops is the best option.

The seven-stop plan would have slightly lower ridership than the four- or five-station alignment, because the additional stations would increase travel times and make service less attractive to some riders. But Perttula said ridership is only one factor that staff considered.

“By having more stations we provide improved access for more people, and more access to employment opportunities, which is a key part of this, connecting people and jobs,” he said.