Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Look at Billings Bridge with 4 towers to go up soon. Rail is not necessarily the driver

Is the main attraction for these condos the mall? If it's not transit, then what?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Is the main attraction for these condos the mall? If it's not transit, then what?

Yes, and a scenic riverside location, Rideau River trails, being just across the bridge from a true urban and walkable neighbourhood, being at a major intersection because there will be some drivers living there.

As per my original comment, those buildings are going up not because of proximity to rail transit. They are going up for other reasons.

[Truenorth00]

Apparently we've reached the stage of trolling where TOD is not because of T.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

I don't think anybody else would necessarily disagree with any of this, but I also don't think anyone else here would just baselessly assume that we're stuck with slow trains forever and then build their entire argument around a flawed assumption like you do.

We have to be concerned. Just listen to transit riders being interviewed on radio and tv. Obviously, many are abandoning transit, and it will be very hard to get them back after all the bad experiences in the past 4 years.

We have no choice to move forward and find a solution, but I am getting the feeling that a full solution is not coming for a few years. This is an awful long time to have our only trunk transit line not working as originally advertised.

You may be looking at the long-term but most riders are wanting efficient transit tomorrow and every day. For them, problems that may be measured in years is not acceptable.

There is a pattern here and while we have royally botched our trunk line, we are not doing much better with our bus system either.

This is not about me. I don't need to use transit.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

We have no choice to move forward and find a solution, but I am getting the feeling that a full solution is not coming for a few years.

Well yes, we know this already.

You may be looking at the long-term but most riders are wanting efficient transit tomorrow and every day. For them, problems that may be measured in years is not acceptable.

In the context of generational projects like a bus tunnel or the LRT, this kind of mindset is just unacceptable. It just allows for more infrastructure debt to build up under the guise of "fixing transit now".

Mistakes have been made, but the solution wasn't and isn't to just make even more shortsighted decisions.

Most importantly, yes, there are things we can fix is less than a generation! The bus system is a great example as you helpfully pointed out, but frankly you seem all over the place when it comes to that issue as well.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Look at Billings Bridge with 4 towers to go up soon. Rail is not necessarily the driver

Billings Bridge the bridge or Billings Bridge the mall? Which ones the fourth tower? I know the one where Harvey's was, the two across the street that are near identical Hobin designs (so three Hobin towers). The fourth one escapes me.

The draw for them is what you've listed, but also the proximity to the Transitway. So not rail, but still transit.

A few buildings will go near busways, "planned" busways, or even nowhere near transit. Montreal Road, St. Laurent come to mind. I would say though that about half the proposed and u/c apartment/condo buildings are near the O-Train, Stage 1 or 2.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A few buildings will go near busways, "planned" busways, or even nowhere near transit. Montreal Road, St. Laurent come to mind. I would say though that about half the proposed and u/c apartment/condo buildings are near the O-Train, Stage 1 or 2.

Or there is the "proposed" 25 floor apartment at 1300 McWatters Rd. Definitely TOD.

It is difficult to determine how a specific development was influenced by transit service, but we can monitor trends to see how transit influences development across the city.

[DarthVader_1961]

Discussion of future track fixes…

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-lrt-tracks-1.6924296

[Fading Isle]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Or there is the "proposed" 25 floor apartment at 1300 McWatters Rd. Definitely TOD.

It is difficult to determine how a specific development was influenced by transit service, but we can monitor trends to see how transit influences development across the city.

Isn’t that 750ish metres from Pinecrest Station? That’s walking distance, no?

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

Discussion of future track fixes…

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-lrt-tracks-1.6924296

Richard Holder (director of engineering at OC) was on Ottawa Morning yesterday and provided the clearest technical explanation I have yet heard about the current status and next steps.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-1.../16000757-no-timeline-lrt-return-service

[DarthVader_1961]

Originally Posted by TransitZilla

Richard Holder (director of engineering at OC) was on Ottawa Morning yesterday and provided the clearest technical explanation I have yet heard about the current status and next steps.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-1.../16000757-no-timeline-lrt-return-service

Based on this info, it sounds like the temp speed reductions are around for a while

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Fading Isle

Isn’t that 750ish metres from Pinecrest Station? That’s walking distance, no?

Closer to a kilometer, but it's also on the phantom Baseline BRT.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

Discussion of future track fixes…

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-lrt-tracks-1.6924296

I don't think the rails in the tunnel need any work. I've never felt any of the vibration or speed reductions in the tunnel. It's never been mentioned as an issue (beyond the leaks).

A few curves need to be dealt with, starting with the Hurdman curves. Maybe two between Tremblay and St-Laurent. The one east of Cyrville. Stage 2, Blair underpass will be an issue. In the west, it will be the split after Lincoln Fields. we can get ahead of the "curve" and implement the solutions as we build these. unfortunately, it's probably too late to avoid the curves in the first place due to dumb decisions from the previous "leadership". Overall, Stage 2 is not as bad as Stage 1.

[MalcolmTucker]

Also 12 months for track changes? Unless we're talking about really major changes involving bridges, most should be weekend or week changes. It could take a long time to plan, but doing the work should not be a huge deal. Run the system on manual until all the changes are done, then recommission the control system. Sleepers on ballast with caternary have wide margins

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Fading Isle

Isn’t that 750ish metres from Pinecrest Station? That’s walking distance, no?

Maybe via drone. Walking it will actually about a 1km (depending how the sidewalks to the station will align); however, even then one has to consider the walking environment, not just the distance according to Google maps to determine if it is "walking distance." In this case it's a nasty walk on a narrow sidewalk beside a 5 lane highway passing over the Queensway. Some might choose to do this, but I wouldn't consider this TOD.

If it were me, I would either take the bus, or, if I did have to walk, use the pedestrian overpass to Queensview Station, even though it is almost twice as long a walk.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I don't think the rails in the tunnel need any work. I've never felt any of the vibration or speed reductions in the tunnel. It's never been mentioned as an issue (beyond the leaks).

A few curves need to be dealt with, starting with the Hurdman curves. Maybe two between Tremblay and St-Laurent. The one east of Cyrville. Stage 2, Blair underpass will be an issue. In the west, it will be the split after Lincoln Fields. we can get ahead of the "curve" and implement the solutions as we build these. unfortunately, it's probably too late to avoid the curves in the first place due to dumb decisions from the previous "leadership". Overall, Stage 2 is not as bad as Stage 1.

Removing the Hurdman curve seems very difficult. Wouldn't we have to do it before the bridge and move the station?

Wouldn't it be easier, and it seem inevitable anyone, to just get a new trainset? Something heavier and more suited for what we are using it for? Is there such thing as heavy low floor metro trains? Low floor entirely grade separated and built from scratch also always seemed like a weird choice. Was the idea phase 2 may use surface streets?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Removing the Hurdman curve seems very difficult. Wouldn't we have to do it before the bridge and move the station?

Wouldn't it be easier, and it seem inevitable anyone, to just get a new trainset? Something heavier and more suited for what we are using it for? Is there such thing as heavy low floor metro trains? Low floor entirely grade separated and built from scratch also always seemed like a weird choice. Was the idea phase 2 may use surface streets?

They could make some modifications to the Hurdman curve without blowing it up. I could see a total rebuild in 30 years.

Low-floor LRT was partially due to the possibility of a shared street system in the burbs, but we've seen in Edmonton and Calgary (amongst others) that high floor LRT can run on the street as well. Mostly, the City was just obsessed about low-floor LRT, they absolutely wanted that because "Ottawa's too small for a metro", and no one could convince them otherwise.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Fading Isle

Isn’t that 750ish metres from Pinecrest Station? That’s walking distance, no?

Development In The General Vicinity Of Transit != Transit Oriented Development

[Fading Isle]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Development In The General Vicinity Of Transit != Transit Oriented Development

I wasn’t suggesting it is. The development was listed as an example of something either on a busway, “proposed” busway or nowhere near transit. If I lived there I’d consider this to be near the train.

I agree that for any of these stations built along the highway there needs to be major improvements to the pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to make transit and active transportation a more appealing option. As it stands, there will be people walking from the existing apartment buildings in that area and it will be dangerous for them to do so. I seem to remember a number of cyclists being struck by drivers on that bridge recently.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Fading Isle

I wasn’t suggesting it is. The development was listed as an example of something either on a busway, “proposed” busway or nowhere near transit. If I lived there I’d consider this to be near the train.

It was listed as a development that is not TOD. lrt's friend suggested that since 4 towers were being built at Billings Bridge, the transitway station is inducing TOD. Sure someone who lives there might be able to use transit, but you can't say that because it is close to transit it is therefore TOD.