[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

How so?

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

I think a Montreal LRT (subway) has a better business case than a Bank Street LRT (subway). Also because it seems that tunneling underneath the Rideau Canal and through the sandy soils around Sussex Drive is costly and risky - making the Montreal LRT an extension of the Confederation Line avoids having to do this again.

This. Would also add building a curve to interline below downtown Ottawa and the existing Confederation Line would be quite the challenge and expense.

Originally Posted by Mikeed

I have a hard time believing we will exceed the 24,000 pdph capacity of the Confederation Line after the 150' extensions anytime soon.

People have some wild ideas about ridership here. Particularly with growth.

For context, the Yonge Line in Toronto has a design capacity of 28 000 pphpd and current peak ridership is at > 31 000 pphpd (hence their push for the DRL).

Hitting 24 000 pphpd within 30 years from ~11 000 pphpd would be something.

Originally Posted by Mikeed

Automatic train control and replacing some of the lines rolling stock with trains that are full length would also goose that capacity in ways we don't know.

Yep. Platform screen doors and full ATC could take that capacity limit higher.

Originally Posted by Mikeed

Coupled with the continuation of decentralization we've been seeing and I don't think we'll ever need an expensive boondoggle like a bank street subway.

I would love to live in that world, but I'm of an opinion we're better looking at at holistic regional needs that foster growth that continues to make Ottawa one of the greatest & most livable cities in the world.

Regional rail, Crosstown BRT, Carling Tram/BRT all important keys to unlocking more of Ottawa with rapid transit.

This forum has an intense focus on getting downtown. To me that only comes from folks who use transit to commute. You can't have a great city and a great transit system without making more of the city accessible by rapid transit. The entire southern half of the area inside the Greenbelt will still suck, even after building the Baseline-Heron-Walkley BRT. There's also holes like Montreal. Addressing these would all be higher on my list than just moving people faster along Bank.

Originally Posted by Mikeed

We really should have had the Confederation Line tunnel under Laurier to better capture walkups from Centretown but that ship has sailed.

A decade ago, I attended the public information sessions and complained about exactly this. There's a huge chunk of downtown north of the highway that is still way too far from the Confederation Line. And that entirely Parliamentary precinct to the north is hardly some huge trip generator (most tourist come in on coach buses). Oh well. C'est la vie.