The Great Canadian Transit Thread - Page 469

hipster duck · #**9361** Posted **Mar 13, 2017, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Yeah despite the relative lack of publicity the DRL remains a priority for city planning and they are further along in the process than ever before. I do think it's being done under the radar somewhat intentionally to try and avoid political interference.

Good. I hope that the Tory administration/Toronto planners will kick the Scarborough subway can down the road as much as possible, while making it appear to look like a priority, at the same time that they plan as much of the DRL as possible while making it appear like it's on the backburner.

Innsertnamehere · #**9362** Posted **Mar 13, 2017, 5:53 PM**

Tory had a meeting with the provincial finance minister today apparently, and reiterated that the Yonge extension can't happen until the DRL is built. The province really, really wants the Yonge extension from my understanding right now, so that is a major push.

swimmer_spe · #**9363** Posted **Mar 13, 2017, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Tory had a meeting with the provincial finance minister today apparently, and reiterated that the Yonge extension can't happen until the DRL is built. The province really, really wants the Yonge extension from my understanding right now, so that is a major push.

The delay makes sense. The current line cannot support more people. A DRL should alleviate some of that load.

caltrane74 · #**9364** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 1:11 AM**

ATC (automatic train control) is coming soon, and will increase Yonge Line Capacity by 20% with trains coming every 2 minutes. Not that even increased capacity could support expansion to Richmond Hill. Any extention up there will need a second powerful line into downtown from the east.

ssiguy · #**9365** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 7:05 AM**

RER should be built as Toronto's DRL so it can be easily expanded.

caltrane74 · #**9366** Posted **Mar 14, 2017, 12:06 PM**

Tunnel Boring Equipment coming out of the ground

storey over at UT

I saw this piece on the ground yesterday. Looks like the face of the tunnel boring equipment.

Compared to the CROSSLINK Line in London these tunnel boring machines are puny.

caltrane74 · #**9367** Posted **Mar 15, 2017, 2:57 AM**

Apparently, there are another two tunnel boring machines sitting under Eglinton on the other side of Yonge. They have been sitting under the street for a year and a half or so.

They will come out later this year.

The Chemist · #**9368** Posted **Mar 15, 2017, 3:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Tunnel Boring Equipment coming out of the ground

storey over at UT

I saw this piece on the ground yesterday. Looks like the face of the tunnel boring equipment.

Compared to the CROSSLINK Line in London these tunnel boring machines are puny.

The rolling stock for CrossLink is likely considerably larger than the rolling stock for the Toronto LRT line, which means bigger tunnels.

urbancanadian · #**9369** Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 7:58 AM**

I'm just reading through a Globe & Mail article where one person is quoted saying "putting the Queen subway on Bloor has turned out to be a mistake". I'm just curious if you guys could give some insight into that.

Would the line really have done better on Queen? Is ridership starting to stagnate on that line? Or maybe it would have provided a more direct route into downtown, relieving pressure on Yonge/Spadina? Other reasons?

Link to the article: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/to...708/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&

mistercorporate · #**9370** Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 8:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

I'm just reading through a Globe & Mail article where one person is quoted saying "putting the Queen subway on Bloor has turned out to be a mistake". I'm just curious if you guys could give some insight into that.

Would the line really have done better on Queen? Is ridership starting to stagnate on that line? Or maybe it would have provided a more direct route into downtown, relieving pressure on Yonge/Spadina? Other reasons?

Link to the article: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/to...708/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&

Queen would definitely have been a better choice, half the Bloor stations are in sleepy lower density neighbourhoods and just causes a need for an additional transfer to their destination (Yonge/Bloor) that most trips to the core would otherwise not need.

caltrane74 · #**9371** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 12:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Chemist

The rolling stock for CrossLink is likely considerably larger than the rolling stock for the Toronto LRT line, which means bigger tunnels.

Yes, yes I know.

I'm just dreaming that Toronto could build a massive tunnel through the city for commuter rail. That would take so much pressure off the subway.

manny_santos · #**9372** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

ATC (automatic train control) is coming soon, and will increase Yonge Line Capacity by 20% with trains coming every 2 minutes. Not that even increased capacity could support expansion to Richmond Hill. Any extention up there will need a second powerful line into downtown from the east.

I'd be in favour of something running straight down Don Mills Road connecting to Pape Station, then running down to Queen and then westward. Line 1 is also going to face increasing pressure from growth on the Sheppard Subway, especially with the new condos coming soon near Bessarion Station and a number of condo towers under construction around Fairview Mall (Don Mills Station).

Innsertnamehere · #**9373** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:56 AM**

^ that is essentially what's planned.

urbancanadian · #**9374** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 8:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Queen would definitely have been a better choice, half the Bloor stations are in sleepy lower density neighbourhoods and just causes a need for an additional transfer to their destination (Yonge/Bloor) that most trips to the core would otherwise not need.

Ah ok. Thanks for the response.

WhipperSnapper · #**9375** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 2:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Queen would definitely have been a better choice, half the Bloor stations are in sleepy lower density neighbourhoods and just causes a need for an additional transfer to their destination (Yonge/Bloor) that most trips to the core would otherwise not need.

No,no, no. Queen is even further south and more on the southern fringe of the city. Bus trips from the north would be even longer. Local densities along Queen aren't any higher than Bloor either. You just have to compare the stats between the Bloor streetcar and Queen streetcar to see why Bloor was chosen. The Bloor Peter Witt's were pulling freak'n trailers.

jigglysquishy · #**9376** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:08 PM**

Any chance we get DRL funding in today's budget?

p_xavier · #**9377** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

Any chance we get DRL funding in today's budget?

There were mentions in QC newspapers to not expect anything transit related, well at least for precise projects.

MalcolmTucker · #**9378** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

No,no, no. Queen is even further south and more on the southern fringe of the city. Bus trips from the north would be even longer. Local densities along Queen aren't any higher than Bloor either. You just have to compare the stats between the Bloor streetcar and Queen streetcar to see why Bloor was chosen. The Bloor Peter Witt's were pulling freak'n trailers.

Well, the thought is—as I understand it— if you had Queen as a subway, political support would have meant it would be easier to build further lines as subway, whether one of Bloor, St. Clair, Eglinton, or more than one. But building a downtown line after a further out line is harder to build support for.

hipster duck · #**9379** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 4:55 PM**

Toronto made two subway mistakes early on in its history.

The first was not building a Queen line when it had a chance. As mistercorporate says, it would have been a one seat ride to the core for people coming in from the east and west. Right now, to get to the heart of downtown, everyone has to transfer onto the Yonge-University line.

This brings up the second mistake: not separating the Yonge from University lines, thus forcing all core-bound traffic onto one line with a single point of failure.

Someone in another thread wondered aloud why Montreal's green and orange lines largely parallel each other through the core. To me, that's smart. The green line serves east west traffic (paralleling Sherbrooke) trying to get downtown, and the orange line serves north-south traffic (on both sides of the mountain) trying to get downtown. In case one line fails, people can still get to their destinations without resorting to shuttle buses by transferring to the other, separate but parallel line.

Innsertnamehere · #**9380** Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 5:08 PM**

its not like the entire YUS line ever fails. whenever part of it fails, they just turn trains back at the nearest crossovers. The once a decade event (if that) of the entire line shutting down is probably well worth the extra connectivity of having trains through run. Many people ride the "hump" around union to get to their destination. I.E. people going to Ryerson University from the University line won't get off at St Patrick, but instead ride the loop and get off at Dundas.