Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferreth
Here's a crazy idea:
Service the SE by extending the south LRT along the ROW of 22X with stops for Chaparral & Cranston. Turn south to meet the current ROW for the SE LRT at 52nd St.
This would require, for the south line:
1) 5 car trains
2) 8th Ave. Subway
This would not preclude building a SE LRT eventually. The capacity increases could handle adding the deep SE plus allow for some growth before a SE line would be required.
With the 8th Ave subway benefiting the west/NE line to an extent as well, might it not be worth building that instead of punching through all the industrial SE?
I would be also thinking along the lines of only expanding the South line to 5 car trains, that terminate downtown. Every 2nd train during the rush would be a 5 car train that terminates DT. 4 car trains could terminate at Shawnessy if the extra capacity is not required from there.
I'm wondering if this would be much cheaper, keeping in mind that the 8th Ave subway has to be built soon anyways, really most of the cost is to expand along the 22X ROW, I think 22X is cheaper than punching through the SE. I could see small Park 'n Rides being built along the 22X, but for the most part people in those communities would have to bus it. I'd also build minimal stations along the 22X, as once the SE line gets built the LRT may not run there anymore, or at reduced frequencies.
From what I see, the only communities that would not be served very well by such a setup would be those north of 130th: Douglasdale for the most part. BRT could keep those areas and further north serviced for the time being.
Am I missing some real deal killer with this idea? Worst disadvantage I can think of is longer commute from the SE - roughly 28KM via south line, vs 23km via SE new build - a grand total of 10 minutes more travel time, assuming average 50km/hr LRT speed.
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This notion was soundly put to bed in the late 90s, early 2000s. Last brought up/championed by Diane Colley-Urquhart.
- South line is over capacity now
- Capacity increase brought by 4/5 cars and 8th Avenue subway should be enough to satisfy the south line's catchment area, but not that plus the southeast catchment area. The southeast catchment is/will be big enough to justify no less than its own line
- This proposal would fail to serve both the area west of MacLeod and south of 22X (Silverado, etc.), as well as everything north of 130th Avenue (including Douglasdale and huge TOD opportunities at Ogden, Lynnwood, etc.).
- The only thing you may see in the distant future is a supplementary crosstown connector line along 22X that would link the south line with the southeast line.
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