Expo Line - Surrey Langley Extension: Planning & Pre-Construction

[Firebrand]

The BC Liberals before they got booted out said that Langley would get SkyTrain. The NDP is apathetic and just rubber stamps any project just to please the mayors, Surrey in particular. ಠ_ಠ

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Firebrand

The BC Liberals before they got booted out said that Langley would get SkyTrain. The NDP is apathetic and just rubber stamps any project just to please the mayors, Surrey in particular. ಠ_ಠ

They also promised the UBC line would be up and running by 2020.

Source

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

They also promised the UBC line would be up and running by 2020.

Source

True, but to give credit where credit is due, under the Liberals (though too slow) 2 major projects (Canada Line, Evergreen Line) were built as grade separated automatic metro lines against the surface LRT wishes of the communities (Richmond and Pot Moody in particular) and the same was being planned for the Langley extension.

Now this year all the wording seems to be magically changing into LRT (Vs. the open ended RRT)...

But this now neither here nor there now, what is important is that we need to focus on saving this project.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Firebrand

The BC Liberals before they got booted out said that Langley would get SkyTrain. The NDP is apathetic and just rubber stamps any project just to please the mayors, Surrey in particular. ಠ_ಠ

Due to not wanting to go to another election, they are trying to please everyone.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Firebrand

The BC Liberals before they got booted out said that Langley would get SkyTrain. The NDP is apathetic and just rubber stamps any project just to please the mayors, Surrey in particular. ಠ_ಠ

Did they? Practically all their last-minute campaign promises refer to LRT for Surrey.

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Did they? Practically all their last-minute campaign promises refer to LRT for Surrey.

Before that last-minute campaign, I remember Peter Fassbender saying that Langley "would" get SkyTrain. (Emphasis on would.)

[jsbertram]

i was recently thinking about the "greatest hits" videos of LRT train vs. vehicle crashes

if the train was "wrong railing" so it was traveling in the opposite direction of the vehicle, its likely the driver would see the oncoming train in the lane beside them, and not turn in front of the oncoming train.

it seemed most of these "greatest hits" are caused by the vehicle driver not realising that there is a train is coming from behind them, and is overtaking them, so they assume its safe to turn.

that should be different if they see the train is coming "head-on" towards them

then again, there are people who just shouldn't be driving and will end up getting a Darwin Award

[MIPS]

I'm sure even if we put signals up you would still have problems with people as dumb as bricks.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I'm sure even if we put signals up you would still have problems with people as dumb as bricks.

You mean like this:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/03/11/car-drives-into-queens-quay-streetcar-tunnel-again.html

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

i was recently thinking about the "greatest hits" videos of LRT train vs. vehicle crashes

if the train was "wrong railing" so it was traveling in the opposite direction of the vehicle, its likely the driver would see the oncoming train in the lane beside them, and not turn in front of the oncoming train.

it seemed most of these "greatest hits" are caused by the vehicle driver not realising that there is a train is coming from behind them, and is overtaking them, so they assume its safe to turn.

that should be different if they see the train is coming "head-on" towards them

Even if you "wrong rail" the trains, you'll still have trains coming from behind the driver - they'll just be on the other track. If the driver is so unaware of the presence of the tracks that they don't check for a train when making a left hand turn, it's even less likely that they'll see it if it's on an unexpected track.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I'm sure even if we put signals up you would still have problems with people as dumb as bricks.

That's insulting to bricks

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Even if you "wrong rail" the trains, you'll still have trains coming from behind the driver - they'll just be on the other track. If the driver is so unaware of the presence of the tracks that they don't check for a train when making a left hand turn, it's even less likely that they'll see it if it's on an unexpected track.

All of which makes the idea of having some kind of physical barrier between cars and rail to be a no brainer. The only place a car should be able to come into contact with the rails is at a main lighted crossing with dedicated turn lanes.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Even if you "wrong rail" the trains, you'll still have trains coming from behind the driver - they'll just be on the other track. If the driver is so unaware of the presence of the tracks that they don't check for a train when making a left hand turn, it's even less likely that they'll see it if it's on an unexpected track.

by wrong-railing, the tracks are still on your left side, but the train appears to be coming "head-on" on the near-side tracks, so you're less likely to turn before the train arrives

this doesn't prevent you from getting whacked by a train on the second set of tracks on the far side as your turning, it just means you are turning against a red light - something you shouldn't be doing anyway at any intersection

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by jsbertram

by wrong-railing, the tracks are still on your left side, but the train appears to be coming "head-on" on the near-side tracks, so you're less likely to turn before the train arrives

this doesn't prevent you from getting whacked by a train on the second set of tracks on the far side as your turning, it just means you are turning against a red light - something you shouldn't be doing anyway at any intersection

If all you're talking about is dissuading the left turn with a red light then you don't need "wrong railing" to solve the problem, you just need to give the trains signal priority.

Otherwise, a turn conflict with a wrong-railed train that came from behind on the further track isn't really any different than one with a right-railed train that overtook on the closer track.

[Reecemartin]

[Deleted]

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Again though that video was pretty dishonest from the beginning given that cars will only be crossing at signalized intersections and there will be a curb between them.

We hope...

[Reecemartin]

[Deleted]

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Yet again its not a "we hope" the project has been curb separated from day one

“Curb-separated” doesn’t mean squat when there will be an idiot driver that decides to drive over it. It’ll be better if they put actual barriers.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Yet again its not a "we hope" the project has been curb separated from day one

It has not been - initially they were promoting it as completely unseparated and both rail and cars could travel in the center lanes. It's only been through pushback that they're showing a curb, making the center lanes rail-only.

Originally Posted by Firebrand

“Curb-separated” doesn’t mean squat when there will be an idiot driver that decides to drive over it. It’ll be better if they put actual barriers.

Hopefully there's enough space to do that. Even a simple fence like they have on King George by the Coast Capital building / The Hub would go a long way to keeping cars in their own lanes.

[Firebrand]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Hopefully there's enough space to do that. Even a simple fence like they have on King George by the Coast Capital building / The Hub would go a long way to keeping cars in their own lanes.

King George Blvd may have enough space to accommodate physical barriers. Not sure about 104 Ave. My worry is that the curb will create more problems than it solves, like someone speeding on the curb and causing accidental mayhem. Jersey barriers may not work on 104 due to its narrow width relative to KGB.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Hopefully there's enough space to do that. Even a simple fence like they have on King George by the Coast Capital building / The Hub would go a long way to keeping cars in their own lanes.

Are they planning on one or two lanes of vehicle traffic on 104th?