Transforming Stouffville GO transit Line to a LRT line
Transform the Stouffville GO Transit Line
My vision is to transform the Stouffville GO Transit Commuter line into an Electric LRT line. Plan all GO (parking lots) stations as complete NOCs. Develop an Economic Development Plan that will drive all-day, two-way traffic in the Stouffville GO Transit line Corridor.
Phil Verster’s (President & CEO of Metrolinx) GO Transit Vision
Take the UP Express that goes from Toronto International Airport to Union Station and extend it up the Stouffville GO Line to Stouffville. Electrify the Stouffville GO Transit line and give GO transit riders frequent service, more connectivity and access even to Toronto Pearson International Airport. Plan all GO stations as Network-Oriented Communities that includes office, retail, institutional, residential, entertainment and parks.
The Province, Metrolinx, Toronto, Markham, Stouffville and York Region must work together to accomplish the following goals:
- Provide sustainable transportation choice.
- Support a compact urban land use areas
- Foster safe, healthy and complete Network-Oriented Communities
- Enable a economic sustainable destination corridor
- Protect the environment
- Improve quality of life for citizens of Toronto, Markham & Stouffville
I support the GO Transit Vision and that we do all things necessary to convert the Stouffville GO line (diesel) to LRT (electric, driverless with automate train control) and operating in 4 years. Plan all GO Stations as Network-Oriented Communities and grow Stouffville GO Line’s daily ridership 18,500 today to 350,000 by 2051.
Optimize lands, roads, Buildings and Transit infrastructure Assets
NOC Corridor Planning Objectives
- 407/GO Gov’t lands only be sold to investors when the transit corridor lands has been planned and zoned to their highest and best use
- Underground high voltage hydro transmission lines
- Bury hydro transformer stations, tank storm ponds and put parks on top
- Build public, separate schools and municipal facilities in a multi-level school buildings at or near the NOC transit station
- Ensure daily shopping needs be located at or near the NOC station
- Plan complete, high-density, NOCs that serve residents every day needs
- Develop a 10% affordable housing at all NOC corridor stations
- Develop trails, parks and playfields throughout the 407/GO Corridors
- Plan geofenced autonomous vehicles pilots around transit stations to handle the first mile/last mile (FM/LM) issues
- Plan rail corridors to be energy net-zero and reduced carbon footprint
Pilot Projects are a smart place to put stimulus dollars.
The provincial government, York Region, Toronto and Markham put money behind piloting promising solutions that offer tangible benefits, de-risk future investments and create new markets for jobs, unemployed and underemployed young people.
Yonge North Subway Extension (YNSE)
In 2014, the Ontario Government announced plans to build the Yonge Subway Extension, electrify all the GO Transit rail lines, and move to an all day 15 minutes transit service. Toronto insisted the downtown relief line be built and operating one day before the Yonge subway extension to Hwy 7 is open.
- The alternative for Yonge Subway Extension is an additional 26 lanes of car traffic for north/south streets like Bathurst, Bayview, Leslie and Yonge
- Based on the Yonge Street’s new NOC Stations, building applications have been robust for all 5 NOC stations on the YNSE line.
- Metrolinx should develop a plan to offload riders to the Stouffville, Richmond Hill and Barrie lines and provide more station connectivity on these GO lines.
- Fare integration would help offload the Yonge Subway traffic to other GO Lines as people don’t want to be charged two fares when they cross municipal boundaries or change from GO Transit service or YRT Transit service to TTC transit service.
- Prioritizing densification along transit corridors will be beneficial for long-term urban sustainability. NOC Planning decisions must be guided by sound land use, transportation, energy, and design rationale, and alignment with environmental, economic, and social sustainability principles.
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