The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

The freight bypass in this announcement doesn't seem very glamorous, but the CN portion of the Kitchener line between Bramalea and Georgetown was one of the largest, if not the largest, obstacle toward improved service in the corridor. Projects such as RER, HSR and electrification will be significantly more straightforward with this initiative.

Is this new freight alignment going to run along the GO tracks like how freight and GO are separated from Pickering to Oshawa, or is there going to be an entirely new alignment some distance away?

If CN or CP are willing to move freight corridors, I know of another city that might want to talk. Moving CP trains out of London would eliminate the need for that city's BRT to have a tunnel.

[eemy]

I don't think an alignment has been set, but it would likely follow the 407 corridor to Milton and then follow the CP corridor there until it can join up with the original alignment to Burlington. Expanding the existing corridor in Brampton would be difficult.

[GreaterMontréal]

`Beginning of bridge' by Michael Berry, sur Flickr

[ainvan]

Canada backs British Columbia rail investment

THE prime minister of Canada, Mr Justin Trudeau, and the premier of British Columbia (BC), Ms Christy Clark, announced in Vancouver on June 16 the $C 900m ($US 697m) of additional funding will be made available for transport improvements in the province.

The funding, which will be back-dated to April 1 to enable projects to proceed as soon as possible, comes from the $C 10bn first phase of the Canadian government's $C 120bn Investing in Canada infrastructure initiative. The funding for BC is split between the federal government which will provide $C 460m and the BC government which will contribute $C308m, while BC's transport authority Translink will provide $C 125m.

Rail's share of the funding will be used to purchase 50 additional SkyTrain cars for the Expo, Millennium, and Canada automatic light metro lines in Vancouver, upgrades to SkyTrain stations, design and planning for the Rapid Transit South of Fraser light rail project in Surrey and the Millennium Line extension along Broadway to Arubtus, and to purchase five double-deck coaches and a new locomotive for the West Coast Express commuter rail service.

Rail Journal

[ainvan]

Scarborough subway cost rises by $900-million

Mayor John Tory brushed off ballooning costs for the Scarborough subway extension, insisting that the controversial project would go ahead in spite of a $900-million jump in the price-tag.

The one-stop subway extension to Scarborough Town Centre, a pared-down version of the original plan, is now expected to cost in the range of $2.9-billion. Only months ago the project was expected to cost $2-billion.

Mr. Tory insisted the project would be built, along with an extension of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail line that is also rising in price.

“They cost what they cost,” the mayor told reporters at an event in Scarborough. “There is nobody that is talking about doing anything that is less than responsible.”

But councillor Josh Matlow shot back that it was time to “get real” on the question of transit for Scarborough.

“Let’s move forward now with an honest transit plan that’s responsible with tax dollars,” he said, predicting the debate would return to city council.

“City hall has a choice to make. It can either take the positive, honest approach that will put people before politics -- or do the exact opposite. And I encourage residents of Toronto to make their voices heard.

The cost figures come only weeks after the city revealed the proposed subway would carry just 7,300 people at peak times, about half the ridership expected when the subway was first approved.

During the election campaign, Mr. Tory promised not to revisit the controversial decision. Earlier this year, though, he threw his support behind the proposal to keep the subway but make it smaller and add to the LRT. This allowed Mr. Tory to argue that even though he was changing his position, he was providing even more transit to the area.

Globe and Mail

$2.9-billion for one-stop subway extension that would carry just 7,300 people at peak times?

[xd_1771]

Originally Posted by ainvan

Scarborough subway cost rises by $900-million

$2.9-billion for one-stop subway extension that would carry just 7,300 people at peak times?

Uhhmmm, uhm.
Is the media not fudging this one up????!?!

Last I read when the whole "compromise" plan was touted back in January, the Eglinton East LRT would be built with exactly $1 billion in savings off of the original $3.56 billion subway price tag.

That means the cost of the subway has increased by $340 million (~15%), not $900 million. And more significantly, the cost of the street-level Eglinton East LRT has jumped from $1 billion to $1.6 billion - a jump of 60% in one go.

Also I find it more than a little wrong to be referring to the peak hour ridership as "7300 riders" without any further context (I do recall it is 7300 riders per hour, and that this is actually higher than what the western end of the line carries starting at Kipling station)

I'm not that supportive of the subway plan myself, not that it really matters to me as I'm not from Toronto (personally I am holding out on the resurfacing of the missing option 3: refurbish the existing RT for Mark III trains, at a far lower cost & construction impact than any other alternative). However, I don't understand why the media is trying so hard to knock this extension out of the water that they aren't even reporting on the numbers correctly and are expecting that the public will simply receive that. I understand the subway portion will cost significantly more. But is the 60% (SIXTY PERCENT!) cost increase of the Eglinton East LRT plan not significant also? Why is it being completely ignored here?

Am I onto something here or is there something I'm missing?

[caltrane74]

TTC launches new streetcar service from Liberty Village to Distillery ( King St/Portland's East)



https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/18/ttc-launches-new-514-cherry-st-streetcar-route.html

[GreaterMontréal]

• Video Link

[SteelTown]

New Weekday GO Rail Service Planned Between Hamilton and the Niagara Region
Province Increasing Travel Options to Help Manage Congestion
https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2016/06/n...een-hamilton-and-the-niagara-region.html
June 28, 2016 1:00 P.M.

Ontario is planning to bring new weekday GO rail service between the future Confederation GO Station in Hamilton and the Niagara Region starting in 2021, with service to Niagara Falls by 2023.

Subject to a final agreement with CN Rail, Metrolinx will start the consultations, planning and design work required to implement the service including:

* Track improvements
* New and upgraded rail stations
* A new layover facility in Niagara Falls
* Additional GO rail fleet to provide service along the corridor
* Adding more than 30 kilometres of new track.

Three other stations are proposed along the corridor in addition to the Confederation GO Station - a new station on Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby as well as upgraded VIA rail stations in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Expansion of the regional rapid transit network will help support economic development, increase travel options and manage congestion. Work will begin in 2017 to plan, design and retrofit the existing VIA stations, with completion expected in 2023. Service is estimated to reach Grimsby in 2021, and construction would be completed by 2023 to enable service to Niagara Falls.

Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history -- about $160 billion over 12 years. This is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.

Investing in priority transit infrastructure is part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.


Quick Facts

* The Niagara Falls GO rail extension will operate on approximately 60 km of track between the future Confederation GO Station in Hamilton and Niagara Falls.
* Construction on the new Confederation GO Station in Hamilton is expected to start in 2019, with completion expected in 2021.
* Since 2003, Ontario has extended GO’s rail network by nearly 90 kilometres, opened 14 new GO stations, rebuilt four existing stations, and added more than 31,000 new parking spots across the system.
* Metrolinx is transforming the GO rail network to provide faster and more frequent GO train service across the region, with electrification of core segments of the network. Weekly trips across the entire GO rail network are expected to grow from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 over 10 years.

[caltrane74]

Massive Investment, reminds me of back in the day, with "The Big Blue Machine" of Bill Davis.

Invest a lot in everything, and the dividends will be paid.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Massive Investment, reminds me of back in the day, with "The Big Blue Machine" of Bill Davis.

Invest a lot in everything, and the dividends will be paid.

The polar opposite of the Harris days when shrinking government and taxes was considered the way to go which depended on people spending the tax savings to generate new jobs. The trickle down affect we have all heard about. But that can only work so long. Taxes cannot be cut continuously, there is always a limit or no public services will remain including schools and hospitals.

Now, the government is directly spending to generate jobs and depending on the multiplier affect to create additional jobs.

In a way, it does the same thing, however, government spending is directing a lot of the money to well paid jobs in construction, engineering, architecture, whereas tax cuts often directs money into the poorly paid service sector. Plus, we are greatly improving our public infrastructure. The dividend for the future, that will never be accomplished when spending that $20 tax saving at Wal-Mart.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

New Weekday GO Rail Service Planned Between Hamilton and the Niagara Region
Province Increasing Travel Options to Help Manage Congestion
https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2016/06/n...een-hamilton-and-the-niagara-region.html
June 28, 2016 1:00 P.M.

Ontario is planning to bring new weekday GO rail service between the future Confederation GO Station in Hamilton and the Niagara Region starting in 2021, with service to Niagara Falls by 2023.

Subject to a final agreement with CN Rail, Metrolinx will start the consultations, planning and design work required to implement the service including:

* Track improvements
* New and upgraded rail stations
* A new layover facility in Niagara Falls
* Additional GO rail fleet to provide service along the corridor
* Adding more than 30 kilometres of new track.

Three other stations are proposed along the corridor in addition to the Confederation GO Station - a new station on Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby as well as upgraded VIA rail stations in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Expansion of the regional rapid transit network will help support economic development, increase travel options and manage congestion. Work will begin in 2017 to plan, design and retrofit the existing VIA stations, with completion expected in 2023. Service is estimated to reach Grimsby in 2021, and construction would be completed by 2023 to enable service to Niagara Falls.

Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history -- about $160 billion over 12 years. This is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.

Investing in priority transit infrastructure is part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.


Quick Facts

* The Niagara Falls GO rail extension will operate on approximately 60 km of track between the future Confederation GO Station in Hamilton and Niagara Falls.
* Construction on the new Confederation GO Station in Hamilton is expected to start in 2019, with completion expected in 2021.
* Since 2003, Ontario has extended GO’s rail network by nearly 90 kilometres, opened 14 new GO stations, rebuilt four existing stations, and added more than 31,000 new parking spots across the system.
* Metrolinx is transforming the GO rail network to provide faster and more frequent GO train service across the region, with electrification of core segments of the network. Weekly trips across the entire GO rail network are expected to grow from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 over 10 years.

Slowly but surely, we are upgrading the passenger rail network in southern Ontario giving an alternative to the increasingly overcrowded highways.

The day will come (probably decades from now) when passenger rail between Toronto, Detroit and Chicago will again become feasible.

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The polar opposite of the Harris days when shrinking government and taxes was considered the way to go which depended on people spending the tax savings to generate new jobs. The trickle down affect we have all heard about. But that can only work so long. Taxes cannot be cut continuously, there is always a limit or no public services will remain including schools and hospitals.

Now, the government is directly spending to generate jobs and depending on the multiplier affect to create additional jobs.

In a way, it does the same thing, however, government spending is directing a lot of the money to well paid jobs in construction, engineering, architecture, whereas tax cuts often directs money into the poorly paid service sector. Plus, we are greatly improving our public infrastructure. The dividend for the future, that will never be accomplished when spending that $20 tax saving at Wal-Mart.

Bill Davis was not Mike Harris.

[1overcosc]

You know, for all its faults, we have to give props to the Kathleen Wynne government for its infrastructure investment.

It's somewhat sad, though, that in the end, she'll probably get defeated in 2018, and then whichever government takes over next will end up getting credit as they'll be the ones that will cut the ribbons. History will treat Wynne like it treated Pearson; underappreciated and largely forgotten about despite doing so much.

[caltrane74]

Unless the Conservatives sweep Toronto and Area, it will be a Liberal Minority.

18% midterm means nothing, and when it comes time to cut the purse people will have second thoughts..

[swimmer_spe]

The problem is that the Liberals are now trying to make peace in the province. Some of us are not that stupid.

However, unless the NDP or PC can pull a decent leader out of their... well, she will win again. Not because she is good, but because she is better.

The best manure is still manure.

[Joseph Potvin]

Today Moose Consortium applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency seeking federal government authorization to proceed with the development of a 400 km inter-provincial passenger rail service throughout Canada's Greater National Capital Region.

Simultaneously, Moose Consortoium applied to Canada's Competition Bureau to initiate a process towards obtaining a written opinion of the degree of accessibility versus exclusivity of the metropolitan passenger railway market in this region.

Details and Media Release:
https://www.letsgomoose.ca/letter-of-application-cta-2016-06-29/

Skyscraper hosts a very thoughtful community, and there has been some interesting discussion here in the past about our plans. Now that more specifics have been published with our formal application, we look forward to comments from participants on this site, and we'll be happy to respond to feedback.

Joseph Potvin
Director General | Directeur général
Moose Consortium (Mobility Ottawa-Outaouais: Systems & Enterprises) | www.letsgomoose.com
Consortium Moose (Mobilité Outaouais-Ottawa: Systèmes & Enterprises) | www.onyvamoose.com
[email protected]
[email protected]

[someone123]

Another Halifax-Dartmouth ferry is about to go into service:


Source

[Beedok]

That's a cute little ferry.

[White Pine]

Originally Posted by Joseph Potvin

Today Moose Consortium applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency seeking federal government authorization to proceed with the development of a 400 km inter-provincial passenger rail service throughout Canada's Greater National Capital Region.

Simultaneously, Moose Consortoium applied to Canada's Competition Bureau to initiate a process towards obtaining a written opinion of the degree of accessibility versus exclusivity of the metropolitan passenger railway market in this region.

Details and Media Release:
https://www.letsgomoose.ca/letter-of-application-cta-2016-06-29/

Skyscraper hosts a very thoughtful community, and there has been some interesting discussion here in the past about our plans. Now that more specifics have been published with our formal application, we look forward to comments from participants on this site, and we'll be happy to respond to feedback.

Joseph Potvin
Director General | Directeur général
Moose Consortium (Mobility Ottawa-Outaouais: Systems & Enterprises) | www.letsgomoose.com
Consortium Moose (Mobilité Outaouais-Ottawa: Systèmes & Enterprises) | www.onyvamoose.com
[email protected]
[email protected]

If you read this, thanks for the update, was wondering what was going on with this proposal.