The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by someone123

Halifax's transit authority has helpfully revised their concise and elegant route map:


http://www.halifax.ca/transit/Schedules/documents/routemap.pdf

I could be wrong but sadly I think this is after a year-long attempt to simplify routes and move to a transfer-based system. They had a huge list of official outstanding requests like "please can you have the airport express bus make an arbitrary detour into my low-density subdivision".

With the map simplified, if HRM ever decided to put in a LRT, they can see what roads have the most transit traffic on it.

[Nouvellecosse]

I would caution you about assuming that the roads with the most routes also have the most transit traffic. Some of the routes on those multi-route roads are low frequency routes, with a few being peak-only commuter routes, and others having buses only every 1/2 hr, while there are roads with a single route that runs much more frequently. Route # 1 for instance comes every 10 minutes, yet on a large part of its route (the whole Oxford St. section) it's the only route present. That one route has the frequency of three 1/2 hr routes and has riderhip nearly double the second busiest route.

And even if two streets have the same number of buses, that doesn't mean the ridership is the same. Some routes are much busier than other routes that run at the same frequency, like the 10 and 52 which run only 1/2 hourly most of the day (with extra at peak) and they each have higher ridership than the whole Moncton transit system.

[nephersir7]

Originally Posted by ClaytonA

Confederation Line Phase 2 has secured all it's funding, in design.
Hurontario is RFQ
REM is missing federal funding, design.
Hamilton needs city approval and has secured all it's funding.
Vancouver/Surrey needs local and official provincial funding, in planning.
Calgary needs official provincial funding, in planning/design.
Sheppard is funded and under design
Finch west LRT will have first contract award in 2017.
GO RER or ? unfunded, in planning.
Edmonton just got federal money to begin planning their next LRT phase.
Winnipeg? Next BRT phase?
Saskatoon has plans in the distant future for BRT.
London, ON is looking for BRT funding.
Kitchener-Waterloo is looking for ION phase 2 funding.
Victoria, BC has plans but no official push for extending the BRT dedicated lane past Uptown. No funding.
Halifax isn't doing much-transit priority measures in next five years, funded?

What am I missing?

Montreal's Blue line extension needs funding.
Montreal's Pie-IX BRT has funding. Still waiting for final approval by the province. Tendering and construction is scheduled to start in 2018.
Quebec City's BRT network is awaiting federal funding.

[J.OT13]

Update on Ottawa Confederation Line.

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Construction Update
Week of October 24

Crews mobilize to begin construction of the Rideau Station west HVAC shaft, while concrete work at the Rideau Station entrances continues to advance.

---

Concrete work at Pimisi Station

West Stations

Tunney’s Pasture Station: Preliminary foundation work is ongoing; crews install rebar for station footings and begin caisson work. Crews also complete removals.

Bayview Station: Crews mobilize to begin foundation work including rebar installation and concrete pours. Ground improvement activities are ongoing along with duct bank and grade beam installations.

Pimisi Station: Construction of the station walls is finalized; crews complete waterproofing and concrete work.

---

Staircase and wall concrete work at Lyon Station west entrance

Central Stations

Lyon Station cavern: Crews install rebar, formwork and pour the concourse slab. Work on the station arch is ongoing with rebar installation and concrete pours. Crews continue shotcrete final lining.

Lyon Station west entrance: Station entrance construction continues to advance; activities include rebar installation and pouring the columns and elevator pit.

Lyon Station east entrance: Station concrete work continues; crews pour station columns and walls. Rock removals resume later this week at the east vent shaft in anticipation of waterproofing and concrete pours in the coming weeks.

---

Construction of the headhouse at Parliament Station west entrance

Parliament Station cavern: Crews install rebar, formwork and pour station L-walls. Waterproofing of the station arch is ongoing in anticipation of concrete work in the coming weeks.

Parliament Station west entrance: Work on the station slab, stairs and parapet wall take place. Crews mobilize to begin installing the winter enclosure. Hoe ramming and rock removals occur at the east vent shaft during the weekend.

Traffic restrictions on Queen and O’Connor streets remain in effect.

Rideau Station cavern: Crews install rebar and pour the invert. Waterproofing of the station arch and mechanical and electrical work are ongoing.

Rideau Station west entrance: Crews continue working on the station roof slab; rebar and falsework installation occurs along with concrete pours. Crews also mobilize to begin work on the HVAC shaft.

Rideau Station east entrance: Construction of the concourse walls and slab is ongoing; crews install rebar, formwork and pour concrete.

Rideau Street is closed 24/7 to vehicular traffic as of October 19 to permit works to advance.

uOttawa Station: Crews install rebar and pour concrete for the platform slab and electrical work occurs. Overnight closures of the pedestrian tunnel will be occur (between October 24 and 28).

East Portal: Crews excavate the ramp, install reinforcements and begin working on the mud slab in anticipation of upcoming guideway work.

---

Rebar installation at Lees Station

East Stations

Lees Station: Crews finalize work on the raft slab; activities include rebar installation and concrete pours. Electrical work also occurs.

Hurdman Station: Station construction is ongoing; crews install structural steel and masonry. Work at the bus operators’ building continues with crews installing internal finishes.

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Roof installation at Tremblay Station

Tremblay Station: Crews install the station roof and continue mechanical and electrical work. Waterproofing and backfilling also occur.

St-Laurent Station: Crews install structural steel, prepare to begin elevator installation and continue work on the hydro room.

Cyrville Station: Work continues on the station roof and crews install elevators and structural framing for exterior wall panels. Mechanical and electrical work is ongoing.

Blair Station: Crews install exterior wall panels and work on the station escalator. Mechanical and electrical work also continues. At the bus operators’ building, crews install rebar and formwork for footings and walls.

---

Excavation of the last section of running tunnel

Tunnel Excavation and Support

Crews excavate and install reinforcements in the last section of the running tunnel.

---

Grading west of Pimisi Station

Guideway

Tunney’s Pasture Station to West Portal: Crews continue to construct the guideway in sections; work includes excavation, backfilling and ballast installation. Duct bank work is ongoing between Pimisi Station and West Portal. Crew mobilize to begin trackwork including crossover track installation.

Mann Avenue Bridge to west of Tremblay Station: Construction of the guideway is ongoing; crews install sewers, duct banks, fencing and ballast. Crews continue pulling rail between Lees and Tremblay stations.

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Crews continue rehabilitation of the Mann Avenue Bridge

Other Activities

Bayview Bridge: Concrete work continues as part of reconstruction of the Bayview Bridge.

Mann Avenue Bridge: Crews install formwork on the deck in preparation for concrete pours.

---

Upcoming Construction Activities

In the coming weeks, the following construction activities are scheduled to occur:

• Tunney’s Pasture Station work requiring right turn lane restriction.
• Installation of traction power sub station on the guideway near Tunney’s Pasture Station and elsewhere along the alignment.
• Lyon Station HVAC and west vent shaft work resumes.
• Structural steel installation at uOttawa Station.

Vehicle testing and Overhead Catenary System will be energized in phases along the guideway between Belfast Yard and Blair Station.

http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/news/construction-update-96/

[caltrane74]

So cool, Ontario is building 3 lines of underground transit in two separate cities at the same time. City rail transit under-construction in 3 cities at the same time..

Too bad about Bombardier losing the Metrolinx Contract. Sad to see a Canadian company go down like that. Hardball in the Big Leagues.

[Innsertnamehere]

Bombardier hasn't lost the metrolinx contract. Metrolinx issued a letter of intent to cancel, so bombardier either has to pull off some miracles to keep the contract like actually delivering the test vehicle, or they will actually lose it.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Bombardier hasn't lost the metrolinx contract. Metrolinx issued a letter of intent to cancel, so bombardier either has to pull off some miracles to keep the contract like actually delivering the test vehicle, or they will actually lose it.

It's just a negotiating tactic. The contract will not be cancelled.

[Horus]

If Bombardier had spent half as much on decent project managers as they do on lobbyists, these trains would be done by now.

[OTSkyline]

Hello all,

I'm looking into relocating to Montreal from Ottawa. Seeing as i'm a young 20-something year old urbanite, I'd love to live somewhere close to downtown but my work would be on Boulevard Cure Labelle in Laval unfortunately. The nearest metro stop seems to be Montmorency... I've seen many "expansion" maps showing the connection of the orange line which would have it pass right by my work (the planned "Notre Dame" station), my question is; how realistic is this planned expansion? Is it happening? When could it be happening?

Can anybody shine some light? I would love to live downtown and have 1 subway ride back-and-fourth to work.

[p_xavier]

That extension is not happening in the next 10 years at least. The investment budgets were just published in their is no mention of that. The orange line would need be split up before that happens anyways, as the loop would be too long to sustain a regular service.

There will be REM extensions before metro extensions, due to the big difference in construction costs.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

Hello all,

I'm looking into relocating to Montreal from Ottawa. Seeing as i'm a young 20-something year old urbanite, I'd love to live somewhere close to downtown but my work would be on Boulevard Cure Labelle in Laval unfortunately. The nearest metro stop seems to be Montmorency... I've seen many "expansion" maps showing the connection of the orange line which would have it pass right by my work (the planned "Notre Dame" station), my question is; how realistic is this planned expansion? Is it happening? When could it be happening?

Can anybody shine some light? I would love to live downtown and have 1 subway ride back-and-fourth to work.

I wouldn't hold my breath.

[nephersir7]

Originally Posted by OTSkyline

I've seen many "expansion" maps showing the connection of the orange line which would have it pass right by my work (the planned "Notre Dame" station), my question is; how realistic is this planned expansion? Is it happening? When could it be happening?

Can anybody shine some light? I would love to live downtown and have 1 subway ride back-and-fourth to work.

As others said, there is virtually no chance of this extension moving forward withinin the next decade. At most, it could be extended to Bois-Franc.


On the other hand, with the arrival of the REM in 2020, the STL will launch a higher frequency bus service between the Bois-Franc station and that part of Laval. So you could end up with a pretty decent two-seat ride to that area.

[J.OT13]

Another update.

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Construction Update
Week of October 31

With removals completed, crews begin to work on the foundation at Tunney’s Pasture Station. Construction of the guideway continues along various sections of the alignment. In the east, trackwork is installed in sections from just east of Lees Station to the Hurdman Station elevated guideway.

---

Crews install duct banks at Bayview Station

West Stations

Tunney’s Pasture Station: Preliminary station work continues with caisson and rebar installation. Electrical work also occurs.

Bayview Station: Initial foundation work is ongoing; crews install duct banks and begin mechanical and electrical work. Ground improvement activities also occur.

Pimisi Station: Crews waterproof the lower concourse walls in preparation for the next phase of concrete works. Backfilling, mechanical and electrical work are ongoing.

---

Waterproofing just east of Parliament Station cavern

Central Stations

Lyon Station cavern: Crews complete formwork and concrete pours, and architectural work begins including construction of the stairs and sub-platform. Station arch and shotcrete final lining are finalized.

Lyon Station west entrance: Crews install rebar and formwork in preparation for pouring station columns. Rock removals also occur.

Lyon Station east entrance: Crews install rebar in anticipation of pouring concrete walls.

Parliament Station cavern: Station L-wall work is ongoing; activities include formwork installation and concrete pours. Crews waterproof the station arch and mechanical and electrical work occurs.

Parliament Station west entrance: Crews finalize work on the parapet wall and begin installing the roof of the head house. At the east vent shaft, crews continue hoe ramming and rock removals during the weekend.

Traffic restrictions on Queen and O’Connor streets remain in effect.

---

Formwork and slab work at uOttawa Station

Rideau Station cavern: Crews waterproof, install rebar and pour concrete as part of final work on the station invert. Electrical and mechanical work continues along with waterproofing of the station arch.

Rideau Station west entrance: With the roof slab poured, crews prepare for the next phase of works. Preliminary excavation work begins at the HVAC shaft.

Rideau Station east entrance: Concrete work continues at the station entrance; crews pour the elevator walls.

Rideau Street is closed 24/7 to vehicular traffic to permit works to advance.

uOttawa Station: Work on the platform slab continues; activities include formwork, rebar installation and concrete pours. Duct bank installation also occurs.

East Portal: Crews pour the mud slab, continue sheet piling and install reinforcements including whaler beams. Excavation of the ramp and duct bank installation are ongoing.

---

Progress at St-Laurent Station

East Stations

Lees Station: With the raft slab poured, crews begin work on the platform knee walls including rebar installation and concrete pours.

Hurdman Station: Crews install structural steel and pour concrete for the ancillary building. At the bus operator’s building, exterior finishes and electrical work are ongoing.

Tremblay Station: Crews backfill the platform area and install the roof metal deck. Mechanical and electrical work also occur.

St-Laurent Station: The station continues to take shape; activities include structural steel installation and preliminary work on the station elevators and escalators.

---

Crews install steel and railbeds at Cyrville Station

Cyrville Station: Crews work on the station roof and elevators, and install structural framing for exterior wall panels. Mechanical and electrical work also takes place.

Blair Station: Station construction continues to advance; crews work on escalators, install exterior wall panels and mechanical and electrical work occur. Crews also install rebar and formwork for the bus operators’ building.

---

Installing reinforcements in the running tunnel

Tunnel Excavation and Support

Excavation of the final section of running tunnel continues and crews install reinforcements.

---

Systems installation west of Cyrville Station

Guideway

Tunney’s Pasture Station to West Portal: Backfilling and ballast installation are ongoing as crews construct the guideway. Between Pimisi Station and West Portal, crews continue grading and installing duct banks.

Mann Avenue Bridge to west of Tremblay Station: Crews construct the retaining wall between Lees Station and the Rideau River Transitway Bridge.

Trackwork activities are ongoing between Lees and Tremblay stations including pulling rail and ballast installation. Crews install fencing and duct banks as part of guideway construction.

West of Cyrville Station: Crews continue systems installation in preparation for vehicle testing.

---

Work on the transition slab at the Bayview Bridge

Other Activities

Bayview Bridge: Reconstruction of the Bayview Bridge is ongoing; crews work on the transition slab.

Mann Avenue Bridge: Crews continue reconstruction of the bridge; activities include formwork and rebar installation in anticipation of concrete pours. Intermittent sidewalk closures may be required during this work.

---

Upcoming Construction Activities

In the coming weeks, the following construction activities are scheduled to occur:

• Installation of traction power sub station on the guideway near Tunney’s Pasture Station and elsewhere along the alignment.
• Lyon Station HVAC and west vent shaft work resumes.
• Structural steel installation at uOttawa Station.
• Vehicle testing and Overhead Catenary System will be energized in phases along the guideway between Belfast Yard and Blair Station.

http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/construction/construction-update-97/

[ClaytonA]

Thanks of the project updates - Toronto is confusing.

From the Fall Economic Statement:

The Green Line light rail transit (LRT) project in Calgary; [no provincial funding]
The Valley Line Stage 2 LRT project in Edmonton; [pre-design, no provincial/municipal funding]
Stage 2 of the Confederation Line project in Ottawa; [funded]
The Réseau électrique métropolitain project in Montréal; [indications funded]
The Broadway subway project and the South of Fraser Rapid Transit project in Vancouver-Surrey; [no provincial/municipal funding] and
The Regional Express Rail project in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
[Toronto selling assets?, provincial/federal funding]

http://www.budget.gc.ca/fes-eea/2016/docs/statement-enonce/toc-tdm-en.html

No federal funding mention of Quebec City, Winnipeg, Kitchener, London, Victoria, St Catherines -to capture places with >300,000 metro population.

[ClaytonA]

Re. Kitchener-Waterloo

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/ion...nsit-terminal.19202/page-81#post-1162774

http://www.570news.com/2016/11/03/council-members-expected-see-progress-ion-lrt-vehicles/

Waiting for Bombardier and still expecting completion July 2017.

[Chadillaccc]

The Confederation Line is coming along amazingly! It's awesome that in only a couple years, two more major Canadian cities will have rail-based rapid transit The future is bright for Canada!

[ssiguy]

I have always been puzzled by the Confederation's line choice of technology. It doesn't really matter as they are building the system with large stations and capacity for future increases but due to being 100% grade separated, why did they not just go with standard Metro trains?

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I have always been puzzled by the Confederation's line choice of technology. It doesn't really matter as they are building the system with large stations and capacity for future increases but due to being 100% grade separated, why did they not just go with standard Metro trains?

There's not much difference between LRT and heavy metro trains these days in terms of capability. I think Ottawa went with low floor for compatibility with existing infrastructure and the future potential of more LRT style running. And probably a little because it's 'the thing that cities do these days', as Calgary is doing.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by milomilo

There's not much difference between LRT and heavy metro trains these days in terms of capability. I think Ottawa went with low floor for compatibility with existing infrastructure and the future potential of more LRT style running. And probably a little because it's 'the thing that cities do these days', as Calgary is doing.

If you were to take a subway train and a LRT train of the same length, how many more people could the different modes carry?

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

If you were to take a subway train and a LRT train of the same length, how many more people could the different modes carry?

Depends on seat layout. Having more seats results in lower capacity overall (less room to stand). Assuming an identical seat layout... there is no capacity difference between a subway train and an LRT train.