The TTC now has a page within the Projects section of their website devoted to the Downtown Rapid Transit Study.
The study’s purpose is:
1. Assess the need for additional rapid transit capacity to serve the downtown core given the capacity improvements already planned by TTC and GO and recognizing forecast land use and ridership scenarios;
2. Assess alternative strategies to accommodate the forecast demand including the costs and benefits associated with various scenarios composed of the following elements:
(a) The construction of new rapid transit lines such as the previously-proposed Downtown Rapid Transit (DRT) line;
(b) Expanded GO Rail capacity (including additional GO stations in the City of Toronto);
(c) Improvements in streetcar services to enhance shorter-distance transit accessibility in the downtown; and
(d) Fare, service and other policy initiatives to increase downtown transit ridership that may be appropriate.
3. If necessary, undertake the appropriate functional design and environmental assessment studies required to obtain approval for the construction of the recommended facilities.
Information about public consultation will appear when available.
This study is important by comparison with many past efforts by both TTC and Metrolinx in its review of transit as an integration of long, medium and short distance trips, each of which has its own requirement for service. Too many studies look at only one aspect of this larger problem.
Steve Munro 
A question from last week was where would the DRL carhouse go? Well if the DRL went up to Eglinton and it was the same technology as the Eglinton tunnel section, then the carhouse could be at Black Creek. Now I’m not saying what technology, I could make arguments both ways. I would say the ridership of the 2 corridors are similar.
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Given that Metrolinx estimated in 2009 that the Downtown Relief line (from Pape to Queen) would have a 2031 peak ridership of 17,500 people per hour per direction (as reported to the January 21, 2009 TTC meeting), the DRL can’t have the same technology as that used in the Eglinton tunnel. This is well over the capacity that LRT can move, and deep into subway territory.
It seems to be far to early to be worrying about carhouse locations … there’s no shortage of vacant industrial land in the City of Toronto where carhouses can be placed. And even if there’s nothing available along the Phase 1 route, then cars can be kept at Greenwood, and a new Danforth carhouse can be placed in the vacant industrial lands in Scarborough near the existing subway.
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The Lever lands south of Eastern and east of the DVP are vacant and would be on stage one (if a Front-ish route is chosen rather than a Queen one).
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Since Metrolinx is going to be responsible for the Airport line and there is finally recognition that a DRL is needed perhaps they should look at combining them as a through route with equipment more comfortable than a standard subway but not as fancy as a GO train. There is enough room in the Weston Corridor to dedicate two tracks to the ARL–DRL This would leave plenty of capacity to serve the Georgetown Kitchener GO trains and VIA passenger trains. It would probably help to have one branch go to Bramalea GO Station and one to the airport. Bramalea can be reached without going onto the Halton sub if they stay on the south tracks. Since it would not operate on the same tracks with mainline rail it would not need to meet the buff loading requirements of the FRA or TC.
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With all the development south of Union station, it would be nice to have some higher-capacity stops down by Queen’s Quay. It would be pretty much impossible to extend Yonge-University further south, and I can’t see a DRL running that far south either.
I know the distance to Front/Union isn’t all that great, but the density in the railway lands continues to increase and while the distance isn’t great, there are major barriers like the railways and Lake Shore Blvd. that make it a longer walk than it would seem at first.
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