Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[rocketphish]

LRT milestone: Paramedics, firefighters train for tunnel rescues

Megan Gillis, Postmedia
Published on: April 19, 2017 | Last Updated: April 19, 2017 10:15 AM EDT

Firefighters and paramedics were underground Tuesday for a first training exercise simulating an emergency rescue in the downtown LRT tunnel.

Firefighters were practicing a high-angle rescue, which is used to retrieve people from both heights and depths, using tools such as rigging, ropes and baskets.

Another session is planned for next week and more will be scheduled.

“We have a large number of firefighters, every team has to be trained,” Ottawa Fire Services public information officer Danielle Cardinal said.

The training exercise was not linked to safety concerns after a pair of workers were injured in the tunnel last month, she said.

The exercise has long been planned, linked to the scheduled end of construction when local emergency services will take responsibility for the light-rail system, she said.

The $2.1-billion Confederation Line, which includes a 2.5-kilometre tunnel under downtown, is scheduled to open in 2018.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...cs-firefighters-train-for-tunnel-rescues

[lrt's friend]

Sorry, but this is exactly what I predicted all along. From the new information on getting ready for rail.

Your trips will be more reliable than today and your total travel time, including transfers, will remain comparable

The myth about saving 15 minutes in commute time that was often repeated is nothing more than a myth. The only thing we can be thankful for is that trip times are not expected to be longer than before.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sorry, but this is exactly what I predicted all along. From the new information on getting ready for rail.



The myth about saving 15 minutes in commute time that was often repeated is nothing more than a myth. The only thing we can be thankful for is that trip times are not expected to be longer than before.

What are you quoting?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by acottawa

What are you quoting?

http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail/how_will_i_transfer

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The myth about saving 15 minutes in commute time that was often repeated is nothing more than a myth. The only thing we can be thankful for is that trip times are not expected to be longer than before.

I live in Westboro... my Son attends Carleton University.

With the previous O-Train, his commute was great. 2 stops Westboro to Bayview. O-Train Bayview to Carleton. Return from Carleton (on the 15 minute marks) to the Transitway where there was always a bus within minutes. Easy Peasy.

Next Year comes.. take Bus 1 stop to Tunneys.. change to train for 1 stop.. get on the (slightly slower but more often there) O-Train.

Fortunately he graduates before the next iteration...

Bus to Tunneys... Train to Bayview... O-Train replacement bus to Carleton (for 1-2 years).

I know we're supposed to think "long term"... but when all is said and done (7+ years from now).. the only difference with the above scenario is a slightly more comfortable transfer at Bayview... but absolutely zero time savings.

[rocketphish]

Transpo playing down Ottawa LRT timelines, safety concerns in tunnel

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 19, 2017 | Last Updated: April 19, 2017 4:52 PM EDT

The Rideau Street sinkhole has undoubtedly thrown a huge wrench into the timeline for the city and LRT contractors, but it’s still not clear how it will impact the opening of service in 2018 or milestone obligations in 2017.

The LRT contract with the Rideau Transit Group includes a June 1, 2017 “readiness” deadline for the contractor to finish the downtown elements, largely to make sure Ottawa is polished for Canada Day.

Will RTG meet the readiness deadline? And when in 2018 will people be able to ride the Confederation Line LRT?

John Manconi, general manager of transportation services, prefers to manage expectations and often doesn’t like to commit to dates.

He was no different on Wednesday.

“I know you’re looking for us to give you all kinds of dates and so forth,” Manconi said after a transit commission meeting

“The fact of the matter is this: The train will go into revenue service when the train is ready to go into revenue service. We have rigid testing protocols and procedures to do testing and commissioning. Day 1 is important, but post-Day 1 is also important. We want the system to be reliable, functioning well and so forth.

“The sinkhole did cause some setbacks — there’s about five months of interruption there — and will affect things like how clean and ready Rideau Street will be, and RTG is working with us on how we make that a very good-looking street to the best of our ability for Canada Day.”

It appears Rideau Street still will have obvious signs of LRT construction around Canada Day. There will be asphalt in some locations and RTG is paying for extra construction hoarding, signs and promotional material, according to Manconi.

“Will it be perfect? No. We had a sinkhole that impacted a lot of the activities significantly in that tunnel,” he said.

Queen Street is another unknown. The road is a construction zone in at least two places, and a big chunk will be under construction into June.

Council approved the $2.1-billion LRT project with the expectation of revenue service in spring 2018.

Coun. Stephen Blais, chair of the transit commission, was asked if the spring 2018 timeline is still on.

“We’re targeting 2018 and we’ll let everyone know the exact date well in advance so that people can commute on that day,” Blais said.

So, yes to spring 2018?

“We’re going to let everyone know well ahead of time the exact date of when we’re planning to open in 2018,” Blais repeated.

Manconi was asked if LRT crews are racing to finish the project to meet the tight timelines, perhaps resulting in the safety concerns in the downtown tunnel that have been reported recently.

“I disagree with ‘racing to finish’,” Manconi said. “RTG is a professional consortium. Safety is at the forefront.”

Manconi responded to reports of overflowing toilets in the tunnel (“That’s dated; we’ve addressed that issue,” he said) and an injured worker, who the transit boss emphasized didn’t report the incident, even though there’s a legal obligation to report injuries.

RTG has addressed a list of concerns shared by the Ottawa and District Labour Council, Manconi said.

Manconi bemoaned the “dated information” about incidents in the under-construction tunnel, saying, “We have to move on.”

“The (Ontario) Ministry of Labour has been there extensively, and if the Ministry of Labour had extensive concerns, they would be shutting down the project,” Manconi said.

“It is a crowded place. It is a tunnel. It is hard work. It is intense work,” Manconi said, adding that RTG has the right safety protocol in place.

Records provided by the Ministry of Labour summarizing the LRT-related orders reveal inspectors issued 150 orders over a six-month period ending March 28, 2017. Eighty-nine of those orders were categorized as “proactive” and the rest were called “reactive.” The bulk of the orders were issued to the RTG consortium, while others were issued to individual contractors.

RTG spokeswoman Kathryn Keyes said the consortium works collaboratively with the ministry and makes “compliance plans” in response to orders.

RTG said it would look at adding crews and equipment and adjusting the sequence of work to mitigate the pressure of the timeline.

Manconi strongly defended RTG on Wednesday.

“We all need to remind ourselves, we had a massive sinkhole,” Manconi said. “Nobody got hurt. Nobody died. RTG has stepped up. They have put additional resources as you’ve heard through these various reports about how busy it is in the tunnel, and they’re doing their best efforts to ensure that they’re meeting all the timelines.”

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...-lrt-timelines-safety-concerns-in-tunnel

[rocketphish]

How Transpo plans to get you ready for LRT

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 19, 2017 | Last Updated: April 19, 2017 6:30 PM EDT

A $1-million marketing campaign teaching people how to ride the rails kicked off at city hall on Wednesday, long before the LRT system opens in 2018.

OC Transpo spent $355,000 on a consultant to help the transit company create the “Ready for Rail” campaign, with the rest of the money paying for materials and production work.

Coun. Tim Tierney, a transit commissioner, is so pumped up about LRT coming to Ottawa he had a train map printed on a white V-neck T-shirt.

But Transpo can’t just rely on Tierney and his T-shirt to inform people about where LRT trains will go.

This will require a major communications push by the city.

With Stage 1 of LRT opening in 2018 (the exact date is undetermined), Transpo wants to get riders thinking about their transit journeys now so that there are no surprises on Day 1.

The consultant was surprised to learn some Ottawa residents don’t know the city is building a 2.5-kilometre rail tunnel through downtown.

So yes, Transpo has some educating to do.

Expect to see more advertising about LRT between now and the start of service next year, touching on some of these areas.

Trains

For riders who have never taken a municipal rail service, Transpo wants to make sure they’re completely familiar with the trains. The Alstom Citadis Spirit cars will hold 300 passengers each. At the peak periods, there will be two cars linked to form a single train with a capacity of up to 600 people, running every five minutes or less. Transpo wants to communicate every little detail, including the colour of the train doors (black) so people know where to board. The interior of the trains will generally have the same colour scheme as Transpo buses.

Stations

There will be 13 stations between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair. Transpo will get riders familiar with the station names. Some station names aren’t completely intuitive. Pimisi station will be at the Booth Street bridge on LeBreton Flats. Parliament station won’t be at Parliament, per se; it will be a couple blocks south on Queen Street. There will be bike parking, elevators, emergency telephones, heated waiting areas and security cameras in stations. There will be washrooms at Tunney’s Pasture, Bayview, Hurdman and Blair stations.

Fare gates and ticket machines

The stations will be full of automation. Riders will tap their Presto cards or scan their paper tickets from machines to pass through fare gates. When it comes to free Wednesday trips for seniors, Transpo is still deciding how to handle that. Seniors could get Presto cards that would know to give free trips to seniors on Wednesdays, or seniors might have to press a button on a ticket machine to ask an attendant to open a fare gate. Trillium Line riders should start seeing the new fare gates this year.

Bikes on trains

Transpo will allow bikes to be wheeled onto trains, but staff haven’t decided if there will be any restrictions. For example, Transpo could set times when people can board trains with their bikes and mark areas of the trains where bikes are allowed. Transpo is planning to bring a report to the transit commission with some ideas.

Transfers

After focus groups of about 100 customers, Transpo learned that riders just want a stress-free journey and transit reliability. One surprise for bus commuters might be the transfers between buses and trains. Bus routes will be designed to bring people to LRT stations for the trip downtown. The “fair paid zones” in stations will make sure people can get off a bus and head for a train without having to pass through fare gates.

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/how-transpo-plans-to-get-you-ready-for-lrt

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

I live in Westboro... my Son attends Carleton University.

With the previous O-Train, his commute was great. 2 stops Westboro to Bayview. O-Train Bayview to Carleton. Return from Carleton (on the 15 minute marks) to the Transitway where there was always a bus within minutes. Easy Peasy.

Next Year comes.. take Bus 1 stop to Tunneys.. change to train for 1 stop.. get on the (slightly slower but more often there) O-Train.

Fortunately he graduates before the next iteration...

Bus to Tunneys... Train to Bayview... O-Train replacement bus to Carleton (for 1-2 years).

I know we're supposed to think "long term"... but when all is said and done (7+ years from now).. the only difference with the above scenario is a slightly more comfortable transfer at Bayview... but absolutely zero time savings.

Ya that's to be expected. The transitway system worked great, except in the downtown core during rush hour - and that's exactly what this new system is meant to address. Once stage 2 is complete, the system should provide a much better commute through the core, but all other trips that don't go through downtown, like your son's commute, won't be much different in terms of trip duration.

[Hybrid247]

It's really a shame that double tracking and electrification of the Trillium line is not even on the cities radar, yet they are already discussing an extension to Kanata. Without those upgrades, the trillium line will continue to be a major weak link in the system's network.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sorry, but this is exactly what I predicted all along. From the new information on getting ready for rail.



The myth about saving 15 minutes in commute time that was often repeated is nothing more than a myth. The only thing we can be thankful for is that trip times are not expected to be longer than before.

I think a lot of it depends on one's routing. As somebody mentioned, trips crossing downtown in rush hour will be much faster (3 stops instead of 6 stops plus almost a dozen traffic lights, plus the long lineup of buses trying to get through the downtown bottleneck). Trips that don't go downtown or start/end on the extremities of downtown will probably be a wash or a little longer.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sorry, but this is exactly what I predicted all along. From the new information on getting ready for rail.

"Your trips will be more reliable than today and your total travel time, including transfers, will remain comparable"

The myth about saving 15 minutes in commute time that was often repeated is nothing more than a myth. The only thing we can be thankful for is that trip times are not expected to be longer than before.

So what would you like to do, dismantle everything and go back to the way things were?

The LRT is about reducing operational costs first and foremost, it wouldn't have been done without that business case. It will make travel times more consistent and predictable, so it might be "comparable" than the old midday off-peak, but significantly better at peak especially PM. It will also make those times maintainable into the future as it was declining due to the downtown bus bottleneck. All these reasons are clear as day, we are not spending $2.1 billion for nothing.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Hybrid247

Ya that's to be expected. The transitway system worked great, except in the downtown core during rush hour - and that's exactly what this new system is meant to address. Once stage 2 is complete, the system should provide a much better commute through the core, but all other trips that don't go through downtown, like your son's commute, won't be much different in terms of trip duration.

And *local* trips in the core — New Edinburgh to Lansdowne; Centretown to Vanier, Old Ottawa South to the Market — will get worse.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

So what would you like to do, dismantle everything and go back to the way things were?

The LRT is about reducing operational costs first and foremost, it wouldn't have been done without that business case. It will make travel times more consistent and predictable, so it might be "comparable" than the old midday off-peak, but significantly better at peak especially PM. It will also make those times maintainable into the future as it was declining due to the downtown bus bottleneck. All these reasons are clear as day, we are not spending $2.1 billion for nothing.

Of course, we cannot go backwards. I never said we should.

Of course, the downtown issue had to be addressed. But there was more than one way to do this. The 'experts' were not really very creative when they eliminated all but the chosen possibility.

However, I wanted to point out that the time saving claims (which was an important part of the business case) were predictably incorrect.

We had choices back between 2006 and 2010 and we made this choice. We cannot turn back the clock now. It is committing ourselves to billions in further expenditures.

However, I believe that operating cost savings alone make a very poor business case in making billions in capital expenditures. The business case should give an opportunity to deliver real service improvements and that is the justification in almost every other city that is doing this. Look around. GO RER will not be built without real service improvements. Montreal's REM will not be built without real service improvements. The Evergreen Line in Vancouver was not built without delivering real service improvements.

We can say that solving that the downtown problem is enough but that it is really a pittance. There should have been more. And we face years of more disruption as we move onto Phase 2. Will we even deliver service improvements then? Maybe if your entire trip is on the line. But what about the majority?

This entire idea has been flawed for decades when we assumed that the Transitways should be converted. It was inevitably going to extremely expensive and we are forgoing other opportunities that will definitely bring in new riders.

The question has to be asked. If service is not being improved for the vast majority, how does this attract new riders? If we spend eventually $10B and don't accomplish this, what was the point?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Hybrid247

Ya that's to be expected. The transitway system worked great, except in the downtown core during rush hour - and that's exactly what this new system is meant to address. Once stage 2 is complete, the system should provide a much better commute through the core, but all other trips that don't go through downtown, like your son's commute, won't be much different in terms of trip duration.

Yes, the trip through the core will be better, but if your trip is not entirely on the Confederation Line, you lose all the benefits based on the additional transfers. In some cases, it will be more than one additional transfer.

The other falsehood about this whole project is that local bus service will be improved. Resources will be moved to local routes we were told. That will not happen. Service on local bus routes has been deteriorating and there will be no reversal on this.

The cost of the Confederation Line demands that all or almost all operational savings be turned back to the city to help with the enormous capital costs.

So, the carrot is 'more reiliable service' but your bus will still run every half hour or every hour. Good luck if you mistime your trip and end up waiting 28 minutes for your bus home.

[monkeybongo]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Sorry, but this is exactly what I predicted all along. From the new information on getting ready for rail.



The myth about saving 15 minutes in commute time that was often repeated is nothing more than a myth. The only thing we can be thankful for is that trip times are not expected to be longer than before.

Don't forget to add the added time to slowly walk through the packed station and up and down the stairs like herded cattle.

I still remember commuting through Toronto's Union Station and the stampede through the underground path. Totally ruthless ... me of course. I have to get to work on time!

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by HighwayStar

I live in Westboro... my Son attends Carleton University.

With the previous O-Train, his commute was great. 2 stops Westboro to Bayview. O-Train Bayview to Carleton. Return from Carleton (on the 15 minute marks) to the Transitway where there was always a bus within minutes. Easy Peasy.

Next Year comes.. take Bus 1 stop to Tunneys.. change to train for 1 stop.. get on the (slightly slower but more often there) O-Train.

Fortunately he graduates before the next iteration...

Bus to Tunneys... Train to Bayview... O-Train replacement bus to Carleton (for 1-2 years).

I know we're supposed to think "long term"... but when all is said and done (7+ years from now).. the only difference with the above scenario is a slightly more comfortable transfer at Bayview... but absolutely zero time savings.

Considering we started working on LRT around 1998, we have been waiting awful long time for useable system. And the Trillium Line will remain a mess even when Phase 2 opens. The 'experts' claim that the Trillium Line will be better managed after 2021. If that is the case, why was this not done years ago?

Almost everybody destined for downtown Hull will face two transfers as well. Only high parking charges will keep those riders using the system in the future.

We can guarantee that there will be lots of back patting and project awards in 2018 as riders express frustration in using a less flexible transit system.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

This entire idea has been flawed for decades when we assumed that the Transitways should be converted. It was inevitably going to extremely expensive and we are forgoing other opportunities that will definitely bring in new riders.

The question has to be asked. If service is not being improved for the vast majority, how does this attract new riders? If we spend eventually $10B and don't accomplish this, what was the point?

I think you have a very narrow definition of "improvement". Yes, if you stand there with a stopwatch, for many permutations and combinations the stopwatch time will be comparable.

Following the conversion to LRT, hundreds of people will no longer have to wait on a narrow downtown sidewalk with no shelter for one of dozens of different bus routes and elbow and jostle to one of the 3 buses arriving at the stop at the same time. To the extent that waiting is still necessary, the transfer will occur at a purpose-built transfer station with significantly more shelter and a more reliable schedule.

Following the conversion to LRT, people moving between major destinations (Rideau Centre/Convention Centre, train station, some of the downtown hotels and office buildings, Ottawa U etc.) will have a mostly-covered and mostly indoor transit experience which should facilitate attracting conventions, etc to the city.

Following the conversion to LRT there will hundreds fewer diesel buses in the downtown core spewing noise and pollution.

Following the conversion to LRT, reliability across the system should increase (because the downtown bottleneck will no longer be throwing as many schedules into disarray), so even if you're holding a stopwatch for travel time that does not show much improvement, it will make your overall journey faster and experience more pleasant.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

We can say that solving that the downtown problem is enough but that it is really a pittance. There should have been more. And we face years of more disruption as we move onto Phase 2. Will we even deliver service improvements then? Maybe if your entire trip is on the line. But what about the majority?

This entire idea has been flawed for decades when we assumed that the Transitways should be converted. It was inevitably going to extremely expensive and we are forgoing other opportunities that will definitely bring in new riders.

The question has to be asked. If service is not being improved for the vast majority, how does this attract new riders? If we spend eventually $10B and don't accomplish this, what was the point?

Nobody said solving the downtown bottleneck was enough. But improving, let alone maintaining the level of service for the majority of users is contingent on it. It's a dragon that needs to be slayed first. You can't talk about improving ridership when your main pipeline is over capacity and failing at its core. We're already overwhelmed by dealing with this one fundamental aspect that throwing multiple tangential issues would just paralyze the problem solving further.

I don't know why we keep on revisiting these reasons over and over again. Is it Groundhog Day yet?

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Yes, the trip through the core will be better, but if your trip is not entirely on the Confederation Line, you lose all the benefits based on the additional transfers. In some cases, it will be more than one additional transfer.

The other falsehood about this whole project is that local bus service will be improved. Resources will be moved to local routes we were told. That will not happen. Service on local bus routes has been deteriorating and there will be no reversal on this.

The cost of the Confederation Line demands that all or almost all operational savings be turned back to the city to help with the enormous capital costs.

So, the carrot is 'more reiliable service' but your bus will still run every half hour or every hour. Good luck if you mistime your trip and end up waiting 28 minutes for your bus home.

Yes, many people will face additional transfers, but that would have been the eventual outcome for many people anyways, with or without the confederation line. Think about it, the central segment of the transitway has been running at capacity during peak hours for many years, which has regularly made service slow and unreliable. Many routes that use the transitway would inevitably have to become feeder routes to change that, especially if ridership through the core grows further.

It basically comes down to a trade-off between the number of transfers and peak time operability. You can either have less transfers and a slow and unreliable commute through the congested downtown corridor or you can have an extra transfer (or two) and a smooth and timely commute through downtown. The transitway system worked great for Ottawa when it was a smaller city, but it's evident that buses are no longer capable of serving peak time demand adequately. Only a system with higher capacity, like LRT, can.

I have to agree with you about local bus service, though. There has to be more frequent first/last mile service. LRT is pointless if it doesn't connect to a robust bus network with optimal scheduling.

[McC]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

I don't know why we keep on revisiting these reasons over and over again. Is it Groundhog Day yet?

That reminds me, why is the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata?
XD