The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[gunnar777]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

And money just doesn't grow out of thin air. In Ontario, we are dealing with the repercussions from the spending decisions of the previous administration through mass cutbacks.

If only those cutbacks weren't done unto the province's sources of revenue.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

And money just doesn't grow out of thin air. In Ontario, we are dealing with the repercussions from the spending decisions of the previous administration through mass cutbacks.

Actually, no. What we are dealing with is every idiot thinking cutting taxes is the way to prosperity. I think every idiot that says "we will cut taxes and increase spending" or "We will find waste", etc, should be hung in the nearest town square.

You want government run services, it has to be paid some how. You want new transit? It has to be paid some how.

[Reecemartin]

Video on the Station Upgrades at Toronto’s Agincourt Station: https://youtu.be/dRFkS0C5aus

[Reecemartin]

The new standard for GO Stations with dual heated and covered platforms, full accessibility and good info screens is very nice and would be a nice standard to aim for across the country.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

The new standard for GO Stations with dual heated and covered platforms, full accessibility and good info screens is very nice and would be a nice standard to aim for across the country.

The Mascouche line exo stations are better IMO.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Actually, no. What we are dealing with is every idiot thinking cutting taxes is the way to prosperity. I think every idiot that says "we will cut taxes and increase spending" or "We will find waste", etc, should be hung in the nearest town square.

You want government run services, it has to be paid some how. You want new transit? It has to be paid some how.

Almost 40 years of trickle down economics that at best creates low income jobs and leaves public infrastructure in ruins.

[J.OT13]

If Stage 2 is approved and the Province ponys-up the funding promised.


https://twitter.com/rakerman/status/1102649798858035201

[J.OT13]

Ottawa Confederation Line handover deadline has been pushed back once more. Went from May 1, 2018 to November 1, 2018 up to March 31, 2019 and now it will be sent sometime in Q2 2019. They have made significant progress over the last week nonetheless in terms of testing the trains and automated system.

[J.OT13]

Ottawa's Stage 2 rail project has been approved 19/3. Many of our councilors raised legitimate concerns over SNC Lavalin (Stage 2 Trillium winner), the lack of answers from City staff regarding scoring of the proponents and the short decision window making it impossible to consult citizens regarding changes to the project and the billion+ cost over the estimate. At the end of the day, it was determined that voting against the project would have much bigger consequences than the risks involved in pushing it through.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ottawa's Stage 2 rail project has been approved 19/3. Many of our councilors raised legitimate concerns over SNC Lavalin (Stage 2 Trillium winner), the lack of answers from City staff regarding scoring of the proponents and the short decision window making it impossible to consult citizens regarding changes to the project and the billion+ cost over the estimate. At the end of the day, it was determined that voting against the project would have much bigger consequences than the risks involved in pushing it through.

I thought it was 20 Y and 3 N. Did someone abstain? But anyway stage 2 trillium line is going through.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I thought it was 20 Y and 3 N. Did someone abstain? But anyway stage 2 trillium line is going through.

Darouze was absent due to a death in his family.


https://twitter.com/KatePorterCBC/status/1103390153157103616

[Reecemartin]

Great to see that project moving forward!

Another station Upgrades Video on Milliken GO (at Steeles Avenue and Pacific Mall)

https://youtu.be/U_aNg-b33r0

[CityTech]

Originally Posted by GoTrans

The following is an excerpt from the Montreal Gazette concerning a proposed extension of REM from YUL to Dorval.

Dorval pressing for REM extension to VIA Rail station
Dorval is pressing the new Réseau express métropolitain to add another station at the VIA Rail Station near the Dorval Circle

JOHN MEAGHER, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: February 27, 2019

Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau said it’s a “no-brainer” to extend the REM line since the tunnelling machine to the airport is operating this year, less than a kilometre away from the VIA Rail station.

The city of Dorval is pressing the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) to add another station at the VIA Rail Station, located near the Dorval Circle and Highway 20.

Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau said the city passed a resolution in council last week to formally request the REM and governing transportation authorities extend the REM from Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport one more stop to the nearby intermodal train station, used by VIA Rail and commuter trains.

Rouleau said it’s a “no-brainer” to extend the line once the tunnelling machine to the airport is operating underground, less than a kilometre away from the VIA Rail station.

“The time to do it is now,” said Rouleau, who says industrial-scale tunnelling is a one-and-done operation.

““If they say, ‘We’ll do it in phase 2’, it will never been done because they’ll never bring back the tunnelling machine. It would be too expensive.”

Rouleau said the plan also has the support of Phillipe Rainville, head of the Aéroports de Montréal. Rainville recently said it “would be sad to miss this opportunity to provide an additional transit option for airport users.”

In December, the REM told the Montreal Gazette it would only examine the possibility of an extension once an official request had been made by the city. “A technical and financial analysis will then be carried out and handed over to these authorities for decision-making,” the spokesperson said.

Rouleau said the city recommended an extension at public (BAPE environmental) hearings in 2016, but says city council decided to pass a resolution to make a formal request.

“Hopefully, we’ll get the (provincial) government to move,” the mayor said.

Rouleau noted there is widespread support for the REM extension. “The ADM is on board, Via Rail is on board even the Caisse de dépôt (which is spearheading the REM project) agrees with what we’re saying. But it is the MTQ (Quebec Transport Ministry) that pays. The Caisse said it makes sense. Everyone agreed, but nobody said the final ‘yes’. “

Rouleau said having the REM extension would help to unlock vehicle congestion in the busy Dorval Circle, which is a traffic nightmare during rush hour.

With the airport, VIA Rail and bus terminals all located in close proximity of Dorval Circle, Rouleau noted that Dorval serves as a transportation hub for all of Montreal.

He said having another REM station would allow West Islanders and other travellers from the Via train station to use the REM instead of taking their cars downtown or elsewhere.

“If we want people to leave their cars at home, then we have to make it easier for them to take public transit,” he said.

“Otherwise, everyone will be trying to get on the REM at the airport and that makes no sense,” Rouleau said. “There are also security issues at the airport, and if you have thousands of people who aren’t even using the airport trying to get on the REM there, it’s only going to make things more (congested) and difficult for everybody.”

Anne-Sophie Hamel, vice president of public affairs for the ADM, recently noted that the airport’s new light-rail station, set to open in 2023, will be built as part of a $2.5 billion upgrade of the existing airport structure, including a new multi-level parking facility.

She said the REM will not only ferry thousands of passengers to the airport, but will also provide another mode of transportation for 13,000 airport employees who commute to the busy airport on a daily basis.

It will take about 20 minutes to travel from downtown to the airport, according to REM estimates.

The REM plan is great and is an awesome investment in Montreal's rapid transit after decades of stagnation but this is one of the biggest weak points with the plan - lack of connectivity.

Aside from this non connection at Dorval, you've got the REM passing near but not connecting with the orange line in St. Laurent (Bois Franc - Cote Vertu). I am glad they added the connections at McGill and Edouard-Montpetit - those were also glaring misses. IIRC Legault's proposed second phase has a lot of these kinds of gaps too.

[Dengler Avenue]

Is this what happens when we let a pro-highway premier plan public transit? ._.

[Treplow]

Glad to see Ottawa is going ahead with LRT Stage 2.

Even with all the Stage 1 delays/issues it's still pretty impressive how quickly Ottawa has managed to construct a fully grade separated, partially tunneled light metro line, especially compared to some other rapid transit projects (*cough* Eglinton Crosstown)

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Is this what happens when we let a pro-highway premier plan public transit? ._.

The CAQ had the most complete transit plan of all parties. PQ was to scrap the REM for a couple more additional trains and streetcar lines, QS was pink line, Libs was basically nothing.

The CAQ request the STM to start construction of the Blue Line in 2021 instead of 2022 and they already asked the CDPQi to start studying other lines for construction.

Basically they are the most pro-transit party in 50 years.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by Treplow

Glad to see Ottawa is going ahead with LRT Stage 2.

Even with all the Stage 1 delays/issues it's still pretty impressive how quickly Ottawa has managed to construct a fully grade separated, partially tunneled light metro line, especially compared to some other rapid transit projects (*cough* Eglinton Crosstown)

There are some fairly significant distinctions between the Confederation Line and Eglinton Line. Ottawa was smart enough to plan and construct a nearly grade-separated Transitway decades ago which paved the way for easy conversion to LRT. Not to reduce the impressiveness of the project at all. While Eglinton is a major street which had to maintain its functionality throughout the construction process. Also, the underground portion of the Eglinton Line is about 4X longer than that of the Confederation, and the project itself is about 40% larger in total. There's just really major differences between the two that make them pretty much incomparable.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

There are some fairly significant distinctions between the Confederation Line and Eglinton Line. Ottawa was smart enough to plan and construct a nearly grade-separated Transitway decades ago which paved the way for easy conversion to LRT.

Nothing about the conversion from BRT to LRT has been easy. Other Ottawa users can speak to this if they like but in my opinion it would be easier to just build LRT outright rather than build BRT, wait twenty or thirty years, and then change it to LRT. It's been a long couple of years of bus rerouting, construction delays, and the costs are getting higher and higher. This is beside the fact that once LRT begins it requires urban residents to transfer more frequently than they had to under the BRT-only system. Also also beside the fact is that Stage 2 is primarily further servicing suburban residents at the expense of inner-city residents.

The only upside is that the right-of-way is somewhat reserved already for Stage 2 and most of the stations are already pre-existing in location.

[Doady]

Eglinton West has greenfields on both sides for ROW or cut-and-cover to connect to similarly grade-separated Mississauga Transit and to the airport, but they just ingored that and prioritized median, on-street LRT on the less important Eglinton East corridor.

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Nothing about the conversion from BRT to LRT has been easy. Other Ottawa users can speak to this if they like but in my opinion it would be easier to just build LRT outright rather than build BRT, wait twenty or thirty years, and then change it to LRT. It's been a long couple of years of bus rerouting, construction delays, and the costs are getting higher and higher. This is beside the fact that once LRT begins it requires urban residents to transfer more frequently than they had to under the BRT-only system. Also also beside the fact is that Stage 2 is primarily further servicing suburban residents at the expense of inner-city residents.

The only upside is that the right-of-way is somewhat reserved already for Stage 2 and most of the stations are already pre-existing in location.

Oh I understand the frustration with the bus delays and stuff, I was talking strictly ease/speed of construction, as that is what the comment I was responding to is about. The Eglinton Crosstown has suffered all of those struggles as well, while trying to keep a major street open during construction. That's all I mean. Again, not diminishing the impressiveness of the Confederation Line.