YTZ (Porter) gets a tunnel.

[altiplano]

Looks like a done deal, I'm only surprised that Deluce didn't get in the picture...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/s ... onto-.html

[ahramin]

I wonder if they'll get the math right.

Passengers going into the tunnel from downtown will enter through a pavilion, and head down through elevators.

As much as we all like the ferries, and I have all kinds of great memories riding them as a boy, lining up for one when you are rushing for a plane does not qualify as world class.

I predict we're going to be seeing lots of world class lineups for the elevators.

[Beefitarian]

You'd think they could get an excavator machine. It's going to take those four decades to dig a tunnel.

[DanWEC]

FINALLY!!!

[ch135146]

Great news.

[180]

You'd think they could get an excavator machine. It's going to take those four decades to dig a tunnel.

Hahahahahahahhaaaahahahaaaahahhahahaaahahahahahaaahhahahahahahahahaha.

Good one!

[Magnetron]

You'd think they could get an excavator machine. It's going to take those four decades to dig a tunnel.

Hahahahahahahhaaaahahahaaaahahhahahaaahahahahahaaahhahahahahahahahaha.

Good one!

Maybe by then man will learn how to walk on water!

[dashx]

Politicians and salesmen with shovels......

Wait, I know there is a joke somewhere there......

[EI-EIO]

Looks like a done deal, I'm only surprised that Deluce didn't get in the picture...

Not enough of a Party man like the four guys who are pictured?
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/711905

[goleafsgo]

thats probably the most exercise rob ford has gotten in a while

[Beefitarian]

Possibly but I note his shovel is full. They all quit after the cameras left. Tough to get decent labour these days.

[dashx]

Tough?

[Beefitarian]

Tough?

Yes, should I fix it?

[dashx]

Not to dampen things but yes

yaw all need to fix it....

Oh cheet that's another topic.........

[mcrit]

Hey David Miller. Screw you.

[FL_CH]

So does this mean the airport will have the ability to be open 24/7? Gives Porter an opportunity to get in late following a bad ops day.

[YYZSaabGuy]

Hey David Miller. Screw you.

Along with all of the "not in my backyard" Toronto Island residents/squatters who fought the development of Billy Bishop Regional tooth and nail for all those years. If you don't like it, move. And the last one out can turn off the lights.

[aileron]

So does this mean the airport will have the ability to be open 24/7? Gives Porter an opportunity to get in late following a bad ops day.

No, curfew is relevant to the local residents not the ability to run the ferry.

Right now the check-in process, on the island, relies on the ferry to deliver the customers. That means every 15 minutes (or longer if there are mechanical issues, medical issues, weather, etc) there is a bottleneck of passengers who flood the check-in hall; by having a steady stream of passengers - by way of a tunnel - the check-in process is much more efficient and efficiency equals better in/out performance at the gate.

When the tunnel is complete the ferry will continue to run, although on a reduced schedule, to deliver fuel, airport vehicles, ambulances, and other materials too large for the tunnel.

[HighT5]

Porter gets a tunnel?

Air Canada passengers will still have to use the ferry???

[Deltawidget]

The benefits seem to be overstated a bit... You will still have to queue up for the elevator take take you down to the tunnel and then up again on the other side.

The ferry carries on average 50-75 people and sometimes regularly at its capacity (130 i believe) in rush hour. Funny how no one has asked how big the elevators will be and how
Many there will be. Additionally, elevator reliability is usually crap. If planes malfunctioned as much as elevators do we'd all be dead.

Maybe this will save 5-10 mins on the total time to cross but not much more..

[EI-EIO]

TBH I liked the view from the ferry. The view of the downtown is one of the best reasons to Fly Island. Some nights you're just in a hurry though and being able to speedwalk through a tunnel would work too.

For a tiny fraction of the 8 billion the province is giving Rob Ford's council or a small fraction of what's being spent on the Air Rail Link, the Bathurst and Harbourfront streetcars could be extended 200m down to the quay, diving into a portal, another 100m under the Gap and into a loop track at YTZ similar to the one you find at Spadina station. I wouldn't time it to open until the spanking new Flexity cars arrived though - the high floor cars just won't cut it if you've got a bag to lug. The Porter shuttle is great but being able to pass under the huge cab lineups on the way to Union or Bloor/Bathurst would be better.

[gustind]

Air Canada passengers will still have to use the ferry???

You don't fly Air Canada out of the island, it's Sky Regional.

[HighT5]

Air Canada passengers will still have to use the ferry???

You don't fly Air Canada out of the island, it's Sky Regional.

Last I looked the planes had Air Canada's paint job. They're Air Canada's passengers. Sky Regional is a Tier II contracted company to fly on behalf of Air Canada. Just like Jazz and Air Georgian are operating flights with Air Canada's passengers on board. Sky Regional is paid by Air Canada to fly Air Canada passengers around. Air Canada sells the tickets, not Sky Regional.
Thus, passengers flying out of YTZ on SkyRegional are Air Canada's passengers.

Just find it odd the original poster's subject claims that the tunnel is only for Porter.

[DanWEC]

Eh, 90% of Torontonians don't even know the airport has a purpose or even a name other than "Porter".
Can't count the number of times I've explained to someone that I fly out of the island, not on or for Porter, and it's not called Porter Airport. Can't blame them though.

(note, this doesn't apply to the people who choose to live downtown, in the country's largest city, and proceed to complain about noise. They know every intricity of cytz's operations)

[altiplano]

Just find it odd the original poster's subject claims that the tunnel is only for Porter.

... and I find it odd that you understand my post that way...

1 - a large number of people don't know where YTZ is, I put (Porter) to clarify for the many who may be unsure as Porter is a growing presence in Canadian aviation and may be familiar. But it is obvious that everyone from all airport pax and employees to GA to medevac to Port Authority employees will be using the tunnel.

2 - that said, who do you think - a)owns the terminal it will connect?
- b)has lobbied for the connection for years?
- c)will gain the most benefit from it's construction? do you think Air Canada wants the tunnel?

Anyway news item, read into how you will.