Shift: London's Rapid Transit Initiative - Page 39

Dupcheck · #**761** Posted **Mar 23, 2018, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

CTV's story about rapid transit in Newmarket

https://london.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1352971

Good video and nice roads, empty buses, not a lot of riders in that region.

manny_santos · #**762** Posted **Mar 24, 2018, 2:45 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

CTV's story about rapid transit in Newmarket

https://london.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1352971

Technically that was Markham, but same transit system. I’ve used VIVA a couple of times, it works well along Highway 7 (in the video) but other parts of it run along other streets with poor traffic light timing in places. It’s definitely a work in progress.

Djeffery · #**763** Posted **Mar 24, 2018, 6:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Technically that was Markham, but same transit system. I’ve used VIVA a couple of times, it works well along Highway 7 (in the video) but other parts of it run along other streets with poor traffic light timing in places. It’s definitely a work in progress.

It was actually a 2 part feature with Markham the first night and Newmarket the second.

Underground100 · #**764** Posted **Mar 25, 2018, 2:53 PM**

They interviewed Josh Martow in the first interview, son of Thornhill MPP Gila Martow. When Gila was previously in the private sector, she unsuccessfully led a community effort to keep VIVA lanes off Centre and Bathurst Streets, and for the BRT Route to continue on Highway 7, which has nothing on it. Just in case you thought the "keep BRT off Richmond and put it on Western/Wharncliffe" crowd was unprecedented.

jammer139 · #**765** Posted **Apr 15, 2018, 8:32 PM**

No cure for Stupid.

LRT in Houston.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-suv-struck-by-metro-train-in-houston/

Dupcheck · #**766** Posted **Apr 19, 2018, 4:07 PM**

BRT will cost $500M to build -- but how much to operate?

http://lfpress.com/news/local-news/gas-tax-fare-revenue-could-cover-brt-operating-costs-says-city

jammer139 · #**767** Posted **Apr 20, 2018, 11:24 AM**

There is zero chance the proposed project will only cost $500M.

The cost over runs if they actually get a green light will easily be 20%. Will the $100M come out of our Prov left rear pocket or our Federal right rear pocket? I suspect it will come out of our municipal front right pocket.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dupcheck

BRT will cost $500M to build -- but how much to operate?

http://lfpress.com/news/local-news/gas-tax-fare-revenue-could-cover-brt-operating-costs-says-city

jaradthescot · #**768** Posted **Apr 20, 2018, 1:27 PM**

Cost overruns are already built into the budget. Also it was originally $550M with the tunnel. With the tunnel gone this should be well under $500M and, again, that includes budgeted cost overruns. This is not an ambitious or expensive plan. This is less than the city deserves. This is crawling while other cities are choosing various bipedal transportation options.

MrSlippery519 · #**769** Posted **Apr 20, 2018, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dupcheck

BRT will cost $500M to build -- but how much to operate?

http://lfpress.com/news/local-news/gas-tax-fare-revenue-could-cover-brt-operating-costs-says-city

Its in the article; cut for you

$12.8M: The projected yearly cost to run BRT, including fuel, salaries, vehicle maintenance and other costs. The city will cover the expected $1.2M for snow and waste removal, with the other $11.7M coming from the London Transit Commission.

jammer139 · #**770** Posted **Apr 20, 2018, 10:09 PM**

No deal with Western!

http://lfpress.com/opinion/columnists/martin-rapid-transit-plan-could-crash-in-mayoral-power-shift

Djeffery · #**771** Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

No deal with Western!

http://lfpress.com/opinion/columnists/martin-rapid-transit-plan-could-crash-in-mayoral-power-shift

A little dramatic I think. Should be “Still no deal with Western”, not something that makes it sound like talks have fallen through.

Stevo26 · #**772** Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 1:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

No deal with Western!

http://lfpress.com/opinion/columnists/martin-rapid-transit-plan-could-crash-in-mayoral-power-shift

Well, look at the source. The London Free Press is a conservative pro-business newspaper. It's going to support the anti-BRT side while carefully avoiding the appearance of being a clear-cut opponent of the plan, so as not to alienate their pro-BRT subscribers.

I hate to say it, but I think BRT is as good as dead in London if we don't start getting more pro-BRT mayoral candidates who have a decent chance of winning.

In which case, it'll amount to NIMBYism and small-mindedness = +1, progress and intelligent growth = 0.

Like him or not, it's a shame that Brown decided to pull out of municipal politics when he did.

Underground100 · #**773** Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 2:44 PM**

The next meeting for Western University's Board of Governors is coming up on April 26. Agenda (PDF) is http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/board/minutes/2018/Open-Session-Agenda---April-26---Full.pdf.

In it, it is recommended that the Open Space Strategy be approved. You know, the plan to pedestrianize and put in BRT through campus, among other things? I'm not saying whatsoever that it constitutes in any way a deal with Western, (as I have seen no actual news reports yet) but this could be a step in the right direction. In January, I did read something from 980 CFPL that did say the next Board of Governors meeting where some progress could be seen was April 26, so......

ssiguy · #**774** Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 4:16 PM**

It does look like the BRT is dead. The potential mayors are not gung-ho, Western`s commitment has been lukewarm at best, the opposition is galvanized, and even many Londoners who may support the idea see it as too problematic and divisive. As for myself, I never really thought it was well planned and has been handled very poorly by City Hall.

Any rapid transit in London will face heavy opposition and that is not just political or by the citizens but rather due to London's urban fabric. London is NOT KW nor Calgary or Ottawa for that matter. London has a very solid built urban fabric with no wide roads, old rail corridors, or empty spaces that can be used for rapid transit which all of those cities enjoy. It makes London very pleasant, walkable, and connected but with London't thin roads it also makes rapid transit outside of being underground or elevated VERY problematic. Any surface routes will have to either require large land aquisitions or major reductions in road lanes both of which are both politically and socially unacceptable in a city with many older neighbourhoods and an already traffic chocked and limited road network.

MolsonExport · #**775** Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 8:15 PM**

all that work, all the hype, all the money spent, probably for nothing.
London keeps disappointing. Every fucking time. It is almost as though the city strives for mediocrity. They work so hard to be mediocre.
Time to leave this village dominated by selfish conservatives and NIMBY old folks.

traffic already choked? Yeah, destroy any ambitious transit plans! MORE CARS!! MORE LANES!!! NO URBAN FABRIC!! DOUG FUCKING FORD!!!!

Pimpmasterdac · #**776** Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 11:32 PM**

3 years ago I said costs & expropriation would be the big issue. Sure enough they are and council hasn't had the ball to pass this plan. Looks like this will go into the dust heap with other fails London transportation plans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

While the cost will be a big issue, IMO the level of expropriation required for it will be the real battle. Having to sell the required taxes to fund it, plus telling x amount of people they're going to lose their property and thus won't benefit from it. Council will have to have a pair of ball, not buckle to the pressure and ram it though.

MolsonExport · #**777** Posted **Apr 22, 2018, 3:17 AM**

Fail City. Why the fuck am I paying $8K in municipal taxes to these clowns running the city?

Djeffery · #**778** Posted **Apr 22, 2018, 4:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Fail City. Why the fuck am I paying $8K in municipal taxes to these clowns running the city?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you say you live in the Hyde Park area? BRT isn’t going anywhere near that, so I’m curious why such a person is so in favour of it.

MolsonExport · #**779** Posted **Apr 22, 2018, 4:31 AM**

jesus, are you so dense that you can't recognize that a city is (always) defined by its core, never the banal suburbs that surround it?

ssiguy · #**780** Posted **Apr 22, 2018, 5:33 PM**

MolsonExport..........I did not say anything about more cars, cars, cars and you know that I am a very strong advocate of superior transit but that doesn`t mean that this plan was a good one. Even the city itself has acknowledged that this `rapid` transit plan will not be rapid and will make almost no difference in transit times so one does have to ask the legitimate question.........what`s the point?

London is not KW as it has a solid urban fabric and thin roads so any street level rapid transit system will require either the closing of lanes in an already congested city and/or the aquisition {ie demolition} of many hisotic homes and hundreds of trees. Going underground is financially impossible and the only alternative is elevated like a `metro mover` type system.

I think this money would be better spent on a series of rapid buses similar to Translink`s B-Line system. Articulated buses, level and all door boarding, far fewer stops and only at major streets, transfer points, or areas of high density or large employment centres, real shelters with time arrival display and ticket vending machines, light priority, high frequency service all day, and bus-only lanes at busy intersections. By spending the half a billion on such a system the system could be twice as large easily and serve all areas of the city so that each district of the city could be served by rapid buses.

I am curious MolsonExport..........what exactly do you propose and would you be willing to forfeit your homes or all the trees along your neighbourhood to make way for the BRT? No city is the same and it`s easy for all of us to complain but quite another to come up with a plan that is both useful and palatable both politically and by Londoners themselves.