The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Doady

Kingston has a decent transit system; ridership is same as Sudbury (~32 per capita), way better than Barrie (~20 per capita), but less to St. Catharines (~37 per capita) and Guelph (~54 per capita).

Date on those numbers? Unless its very recent Kingston would be higher now, as in the past year KT ridership is up 14% even though population is only up by about 1%.

[Doady]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Date on those numbers? Unless its very recent Kingston would be higher now, as in the past year KT ridership is up 14% even though population is only up by about 1%.

Kingston Transit had 32.1 riders per capita in 2012.

https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/81266/2012+Citizens+Report+Card+-+Vol+13 (p. 18)

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Doady

Kingston Transit had 32.1 riders per capita in 2012.

https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/81266/2012+Citizens+Report+Card+-+Vol+13 (p. 18)

Then we'd be at about 36 now. Woot

[caltrane74]

From Metrolinx





Metrolinx Yonge Relief Website Study

Thank you for visiting the Yonge Relief Network Study website. The study is a comprehensive, regional approach to address crowding on the Yonge Subway Line.

There is no single solution to addressing the congestion on the Yonge subway corridor. In the early part of 2014, the Yonge Relief Network Study Team assembled a long list of ideas with input from technical experts, The City of Toronto, York Region, the TTC and the general public in order to ensure a comprehensive assessment of potential solutions for crowding on the Yonge Subway Line.

Our process to date included three public consultations where over 150 individual ideas were tabled. These have been included for evaluation. The evaluation is underway. This website and corresponding online engagement is intended to continue seeking further input, educating the public on the study steps, clarifying how we’re evaluating the ideas we have received and ensuring that the public and our stakeholders can meaningfully engage in the evaluation of our preferred scenarios in fall 2014.

We look forward to receiving your input and working together over the coming months.

- See more at: http://www.regionalrelief.ca/metrolinx/?...egionalrelieflaunch#sthash.XO4REUF5.dpuf

[1overcosc]

^ Looks like they've determined that GO RER alone will not relieve Bloor-Yonge.

[goodthings]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Mock Up of New Eglinton LRT. The poster said it would be wireless, which was a surprise to me.

Same thing for Peel Region. Brampton residents are a bunch of whiners (so are those from Port Credit) so we'll end up with catenary-free LRT.

BRT-wise, the construction of the western section from Winston Churchill to Erin Mills is on full force.

The newly-opened shelter at the City Centre Terminal seems to have been off-limits to passengers again. Bad timing considering the rain earlier this afternoon. Maybe for installation of devices with real-time info?

Central Parkway Station is very beautiful from the outside. The other stations are still not ready it seems. Kiss-and-ride areas for Central Parkway and Tomken are still in their initial stages of construction.

Cross fingers for them to finally open on the fall.

[caltrane74]

I'm looking for some confirmation on the whole "wireless" thing.

But it was on the poster and might only apply to the Flexity Freedom model and not the Eglinton line "per se"

[Innsertnamehere]

probably just stating that the LRT cars are capable of battery operation for short periods, which is what is being planned for downtown Brampton on the Hurontario LRT. Probably a special order option that is a available that the TTC and Metrolinx will not be using on the Toronto LRTs. You will see it on the Hurontario LRT though.

[ssiguy]

I am glad they are going to make a new report on the DRL................the last 20 are getting dusty.

[Cecca]

Just curious will Confederation Line share St Laurent Station and the rest of the transitway with buses or will they be moved onto the highway permanently

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I am glad they are going to make a new report on the DRL................the last 20 are getting dusty.

please, point me to these said studies. nothing beyond a line on a map has occurred on the DRL since the 1960's, when the TTC went into somewhat detailed designs for the Queen Street subway when they were still planning to rip up the streetcar network.

[Nouvellecosse]

GO electrification is the new highrise boom to me! When the boom first started I got so excited when every new proposal was posted and I was so impatient waiting for them to get started but as time went on and the boom just got bigger and bigger the novelty sort of wore off. But the new railway proposals have got me feeling the exact same way; I'm more anxious to get this show on the road than if it were a 400m office building!

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by Cecca

Just curious will Confederation Line share St Laurent Station and the rest of the transitway with buses or will they be moved onto the highway permanently

The transitway is being fully converted to LRT from Blair to Tunney's Pasture, which includes St Laurent. It will not be shared with buses. The buses will be moved to the highway temporarily during the LRT construction. Once Confederation Line is open for business, the bus lanes will be converted to regular traffic lanes. The upstairs part of St Laurent station will still accommodate buses for local bus routes obviously.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Cecca

Just curious will Confederation Line share St Laurent Station and the rest of the transitway with buses or will they be moved onto the highway permanently

The Transitway and downtown subway will be fully converted to rail. No other types of vehicles will be able to run along the corridor. The line will be a fully grade separated metro.

Once phase 1 opens, all Transitway routes will terminate at Tunney's in the west and Blair in the east. The bus lanes on the highway are only a temporary solution for buses until they are fully replaced with the new rail line.

In the case of St-Laurent, rail will run on the lower level (instead of Transitway buses like we have today) and local bus routes will continue to use the upper level. A few other stations will also act as hubs for local bus to rail transfers.

UPDATE: someone beat me to it.

[Doady]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Then we'd be at about 36 now. Woot

I think it is interesting look at how transit ridership increase in Ontario since the Liberals got elected. I think what's happening in Kingston is merely part of something bigger.

RIDERSHIP PER CAPITA 2003-2012
City        2003    2012     +/-
Windsor     26.2    30.4    +4.2
Kingston    25.4    32.1    +6.7
Sudbury     27.6    32.2    +4.6
Brampton    22.0    34.7   +12.7
Hamilton    46.9    45.1    -1.8
Mississauga 38.3    46.8    +8.5
London      49.3    63.5   +14.2
Toronto    158.2   181.8   +23.6

I think increased funding from higher levels of governments is the main reason for these increases. But there's also crazy gas prices I guess. Also, London's transit ridership has been skyrocketing ever since Mike Harris (37.8 per capita in 1996), which is kind of weird...

Also note how Hamilton transit ridership actually declined somehow despite high gas prices and increased provincial and federal funding. That's what happens when a city is stuck in the 50s mentality, building according 50s plans, building freeways through greenbelts. And now Hamilton is worse than Mississauga, it is sad.

I've said before how crappy transit is overall in Ontario, but with the exception of Hamilton, maybe that is changing. Kingston is a good example, but there are others too.

[miketoronto]

To people in Ottawa-Gatineau.
I drew a redesigned bus route network for the Rapibus corridor routes. Check it out at the following link.
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212....429781,-75.750732&spn=0.057223,0.132093

Let me know what you think, and if you think such a network would work better.
You will notice more crosstown routes that are not all focused on the Rapibus. I think the STO is too obsessed with downtown only travel, and is not building enough anywhere to anywhere routes to capture local travel.

Loop routes would operate with clockwise and counter clockwise routes.

Anyway, would love to hear your ideas.
All routes would operate on a 15 minute or better frequency during weekday rush hour periods. And every 30 minutes or better during off peak hours and on weekends.
Routes would operate later into the night, meeting the last outbound Rapibus arrivals.

Notice how more routes converge on the shopping centre, including a new crosstown route from Aylmer.
Also, there would not be confusing rush hour and off peak Rapibus routes. Instead, one route would serve both downtown areas even at rush hour. The only difference would be that some buses could operate express to downtown Ottawa not stopping in downtown Hull. Or some local bus routes could operate express to Hull and Ottawa.

[1overcosc]

I'm not too familiar with Gatineau so I can't comment on the quality of the local route network (Acajack would be a big help!), but I can say this: your simplification of the Rapibus corridor would be godly. The 100/200/300/400 route setup is so goddamn complicated...

[Aylmer]

Nice!

However, I would drop the Aylmer-Gatineau route; there is very little traffic between the two sectors — even less by transit ― and those buses would be better invested in increasing frequency towards downtown. With a minimum headway of 7 minutes, anyone heading between Gatineau and Aylmer could very easily transfer.

Another problem is that the Rapibus would only serve Place d'accueil, which closes (literally) along with the rest of downtown (metaphorically) at 18h and I don't even believe is even open on weekends. The route also doesn't serve Chaudière, the major transfer point between almost all Gatineau buses and some OC Transpo buses. I would reroute the Ottawa line along Montcalm, Portage and Laurier instead.


There is a definite need to reorganise the Rapibus: the semi-unidirectional system is unpredictable and daunting to non-regulars. Considering the price we paid for this, it should be simple, attractive and convenient to take transit. That means frequent, direct, easy-to-understand lines (MUCH unlike today).

God, I hope we don't repeat the same mistake in the west of the city...

[SignalHillHiker]

Via Reddit, Moscow's new hybrid trams.

Drooling here...

http://imgur.com/a/kNnzB

[esquire]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Via Reddit, Moscow's new hybrid trams.

Drooling here...

http://imgur.com/a/kNnzB

Now that is a cool, bold design. I'd like to see a North American transit system go in that direction.