The Great Canadian Transit Thread - Page 195

Chadillaccc · #**3881** Posted **Mar 5, 2014, 9:50 PM**

LRT for north, southeast Calgary aim of new citizens' group
Non-profit to be unified voice calling for C-Train service on Green Line to be fast-tracked
Posted: Mar 05, 2014 7:14 AM MT

Quote:

After years of viewing each other as rivals in the push to get light rail transit in their parts of the city, some residents of north and southeast Calgary have decided to work together to get the trains running.

The newly founded citizens' group LRT On The Green met for the first time on Tuesday night.

The non-profit aims to speed up progress on the recently-approved Green Line, a separate bus-only roadway that will stretch from Harvest Hills in the city’s far north to the new hospital in the deep southeast.

It will be designed so it can later be converted for C-Train use.

Doug Hayden, who co-founded the group, said residents need a unified voice to advocate that the LRT line gets built by 2021.

“The stakeholders, and by that I mean the developers and the businesses that would be along this route, they're already in communications with planning and some of the city folk, but there's no real voice for the amount of people that are affected,” he said.

“So, that voice typically comes from community associations or homeowners associations. Those are the people we want to have one voice for, to say you know what, it's time to get this line built.”

The group is currently looking for board members and hopes to have its first committee meeting by December.

Full story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/lr...gary-aim-of-new-citizens-group-1.2560488

Also, a pretty amazing graphic showing how quickly Calgary's automobile commuting numbers are going down

https://twitter.com/DruhFarrell

ScreamingViking · #**3882** Posted **Mar 5, 2014, 10:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

LRT for north, southeast Calgary aim of new citizens' group
Non-profit to be unified voice calling for C-Train service on Green Line to be fast-tracked

Can Hamilton please borrow some of those people? It has a bunch already, but more would be handy (especially for the suburban areas)

Calgary's shift in mode share is impressive. It would be interesting to know how much of the change is auto users switching to transit and the other modes, vs. new residents using them from the outset.

GlassCity · #**3883** Posted **Mar 5, 2014, 11:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Edmonton's 2040 vision for LRT. Just back from the Mayor's lunch where he directed specific goals, requests and vision to Premier Redford sitting just in front of him.

(http://www.4lrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/lrt-map-lazin-FUTURE2040x-1170x430.png)

I'm not really a fan of having multiple lines using the same stations, but other than that looks good. Exciting times for transit in the country!

Beedok · #**3884** Posted **Mar 6, 2014, 12:39 AM**

It's a cheap way to get more transit options.

miketoronto · #**3885** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 3:10 AM**

We need to give a big applause to Calgary Transit.

Starting next week is the first wave of transit improvements, which will bring 55,000 hours of additional bus service to the network.

I can't say this is the guiding principle, but it looks like these improvements are starting to fill in and build up the Primary Transit Network.

Many routes will see service improvements so that buses run mostly every 30 minutes or less seven days a week.

Other routes are seeing Saturday and Sunday service improved to buses every 15 or 20 minutes. I think this is the part that is building up the primary transit network.

dleung · #**3886** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 4:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by dleung

It makes sense for suburbanites to prefer commuter rail to downtown from such far-away distances. That's where the Vaughan subway money should've gone. Subways are meant for huge capacities, not "I get to park my car at highway 7 instead of at finch!"

I am sorry but I have to disagree. I really don't get the hate on for the subway extensions.

Are you saying that the subway should never have gone to North York, Etobicoke, or Scarborough either? Despite the fact that riders from these areas pack the subway at 2-5 minute frequencies, seven days a week.

The fact is that the Spadina subway will offer a much better service to that area of the GTA than commuter rail can provide. It will also provide service to wide range of areas and not just downtown.

Yes there are rapid transit lines which need to be built in the inner core. But I see no problem with the Spadina extension.
It will provide the needed boost in that area of the city, to make transit attractive.

Also you don't move high volumes of people until you actually build the rapid transit lines.

Your arguments could apply equally well to Vernon BC, or Antarctica for that matter; once again completely neglecting weighing the benefits against the cost.

The Yonge and Bloor street corridors had proven ridership by the time subway was built, as is normally the case for such projects when not hijacked by politics. Labour was also a lot cheaper in 1960.

Quote:

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Vancouver transit planners seem to get this (except for night service, which seems like a union issue) whereas Halifax transit planners and councillors for example do not seem to. Up until very recently the prevailing wisdom there was that the best way to get ridership up was to make sure that milk-run buses covered as many car-dependent suburbs as possible. That is not a winning strategy.

I have found that with Vancouver's bus optimization program, that service is being made worse in many areas of the region. There have been a number of bus routes with service reduced from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes, because there is "extra capacity" on the routes. If the goal is about providing attractive service, Vancouver would not be doing this.

Well not every city has money to burn on gold-plated subways with SmartCentres, park-and-rides, and virgin farmland as destinations.

Innsertnamehere · #**3887** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 6:21 AM**

your advocacy for S-Bahn style service on GO lines wouldn't be nearly as cost effective as the subway extension, S-Bahning the Barrie line to Newmarket, while roughly 50km long of a line, would probably cost roughly 1.5 times as much as the subway extension and get less ridership. In terms of cost effectiveness, the line breaks the 1:1 mark (economic spinoff and GDP increase from it offsets costs), so why does it matter? if you want a bone to pick about cost effectiveness take a look at the Davis BRT in Newmarket. Now THAT is a waste of money.

caltrane74 · #**3888** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 8:23 AM**

The new and MASSIVE LOWER LEVEL retail Concourse Underground at Union Station. I'm sure people will be getting lost a lot as the place is so large. I'm sure even people familiar with Union Station may take some time to learn all the nooks and crannies in the place.

Metrolinx Homepage

Doady · #**3889** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 8:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dleung

Your arguments could apply equally well to Vernon BC, or Antarctica for that matter; once again completely neglecting weighing the benefits against the cost.

The Yonge and Bloor street corridors had proven ridership by the time subway was built, as is normally the case for such projects when not hijacked by politics. Labour was also a lot cheaper in 1960.

So all those buses TTC, GO, YRT, ZUM buses in and around York U have no ridership. It makes you think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dleung

Well not every city has money to burn on gold-plated subways with SmartCentres, park-and-rides, and virgin farmland as destinations.

Which city are we talking about again?

Aylmer · #**3890** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 12:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

your advocacy for S-Bahn style service on GO lines wouldn't be nearly as cost effective as the subway extension, S-Bahning the Barrie line to Newmarket, while roughly 50km long of a line, would probably cost roughly 1.5 times as much as the subway extension and get less ridership. In terms of cost effectiveness, the line breaks the 1:1 mark (economic spinoff and GDP increase from it offsets costs), so why does it matter? if you want a bone to pick about cost effectiveness take a look at the Davis BRT in Newmarket. Now THAT is a waste of money.

I don't think anyone's proposing to S-bahn (I guess this is a verb now) lines to such far-away destinations. I think it would be worthwhile to have 3 to 10-minute frequency DMU/EMUs to places like Keelsdale, Ontario Science Centre and Scarborough to relieve the Yonge Line.

It wouldn't be free - it would require new (probably electric) trains, exclusive double-tracks, total grade-separation and stations, but it would probably end up being much cheaper than the DRL or the Scarborough subway (it could easily be substituted with S-Bahn service).

caltrane74 · #**3891** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 12:34 PM**

Lakeshore and The UPX Line/Kitchener/Milton already meet those criteria.

Just need electrification and trains... the EA's are already underway.

Innsertnamehere · #**3892** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 3:05 PM**

The preliminary work for lakeshore is already underway, but it's still a decade off. Metrolinx wants to build ridership with the 30 minute service before it drops it to 15 minute service.

The UPX electrification study right now is full steam ahead, it's hoping to be electrified by 2017 provided the spring budget passes.

The new union station is huge, and while complicated, will be simpler to navigate today. The design has several key transportation corridors in it that allow for ease of movement compared to the current tangle of haphazard hallways.

begratto · #**3893** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 4:23 PM**

I don't think this has been mentioned, but Montreal's mayor wants to accelerate the construction of the Pie-IX boulevard BRT (SRB, or Service rapide d'autobus, in French), a 14km-long project . It will traverse densily-populated neighbourhoods in the east-end of Montreal, from rue Notre-Dame to boulevard Hemri-Bourassa. An extra 5km are also planned in Laval, at the northern end of the BRT. They now want to open in 2017 (vs 2019 previously). Expected ridership is 70,000 ppd.

SRB Pie-IX: Montréal met le pied au plancher for those who can read French (or you can use the Google Translate link).

Check out the destinations on the screen:

Images taken from Michel Dallaire design industriel

Innsertnamehere · #**3894** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 5:30 PM**

looks good! with ridership like that however I would be expecting it to be LRT..

MTLskyline · #**3895** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 5:47 PM**

It would be great to see an additional bridge built over the St. Lawrence connecting Pie-IX and Chemin Chambly in Longueuil.

caltrane74 · #**3896** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 6:29 PM**

The Montreal busway looks sick!

Nouvellecosse · #**3897** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 7:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

looks good! with ridership like that however I would be expecting it to be LRT..

Exactly.

GreaterMontréal · #**3898** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 8:00 PM**

A SRB is a lot less expensive. LRT 14km+ would cost $billions. $300M for the SRB

another SRB is planned. métro Sauvé - Côte-Vertu

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Station+S...8!2m2!1d-73.683063!2d45.514233!3e0?hl=fr

Innsertnamehere · #**3899** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 8:29 PM**

14km LRT on Sheppard is $1 billion and its got a 1km tunnel in it.

GreaterMontréal · #**3900** Posted **Mar 7, 2014, 8:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

14km LRT on Sheppard is $1 billion and its got a 1km tunnel in it.

announced March 16, 2007.
''The line is to be operated by the Toronto Transit Commission. Metrolinx had budgeted $944.5 million from 2009 through 2014 for the design and construction of the line.''
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheppard_East_LRT

it would cost a lot more in 2014-2017.