The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[someone123]

Originally Posted by ainvan

Vancouver’s Broadway SkyTrain Subway Line Construction Planned for 2020

SkyTrain wasn't unanimous? Does this mean that some mayors wanted the trip from Commercial to UBC to be SkyTrain to VCC-Clark -> some other thing from VCC-Arbutus (a few km) -> bus for the remaining 99 stretch? That would have been ridiculous. Then again TransLink's council of mayors includes the mayor of Bowen Island and the Village of Belcarra (population ~600).

It's pretty underwhelming that this will be stopped at Arbutus (in 2025, many many years after a SkyTrain extension to UBC became worthwhile) but at least that transfer point will be less busy and the Millennium Line will connect with the Canada Line.

Vancouver's SkyTrain system right now is "topologically challenged". There are few transfer points except downtown, plus the Millennium Line doesn't go directly downtown. People living around the upper half of the SkyTrain network have to transfer to get downtown (or go around the long way of the loop, adding 10 minutes or so), and have to make 2 transfers to get to the airport. And a lot of inner city Vancouver has no local rapid transit service at all. The West End might have Manhattan-style population densities but it doesn't have a Manhattan-level density of subway stops!

[MalcolmTucker]

A P3 project put into motion by an NDP government, to expand a current system. I guess they can’t be that bad right?

[Bobert]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

A P3 project put into motion by an NDP government, to expand a current system. I guess they can’t be that bad right?

Is this in reference to the BC NDP? The two major projects that they've announced funding for have been Design-build. St. Paul's Hospital and the Pattullo Bridge replacement.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Bobert

Is this in reference to the BC NDP? The two major projects that they've announced funding for have been Design-build. St. Paul's Hospital and the Pattullo Bridge replacement.

Just above they announced a design build finance for the Skytrain extension.

[nname]

Originally Posted by someone123

SkyTrain wasn't unanimous? Does this mean that some mayors wanted the trip from Commercial to UBC to be SkyTrain to VCC-Clark -> some other thing from VCC-Arbutus (a few km) -> bus for the remaining 99 stretch? That would have been ridiculous. Then again TransLink's council of mayors includes the mayor of Bowen Island and the Village of Belcarra (population ~600).

And also Tsawwassen First Nation, with a population of 358 and far far away of any existing and proposed SkyTrain line...

But then, it was their weighted vote of 1 that tied and defeated a motion last year that could potentially slow down the planning and construction of the Langley extension

[Reecemartin]

St. Patrick Station in Toronto is now accessible!

https://youtu.be/l1-yMP_rP8M

I celebrate every new station that becomes accessible. From the perspective of someone who needs to use a mobility device the TTC subway just got a new station!

[J.OT13]

Question for Edmonton. The D.L. MacDonald Yard opened in December 1983, so where were trains stored and maintained during the first 5 years?

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by someone123

SkyTrain wasn't unanimous? Does this mean that some mayors wanted the trip from Commercial to UBC to be SkyTrain to VCC-Clark -> some other thing from VCC-Arbutus (a few km) -> bus for the remaining 99 stretch? That would have been ridiculous. Then again TransLink's council of mayors includes the mayor of Bowen Island and the Village of Belcarra (population ~600).

It's pretty underwhelming that this will be stopped at Arbutus (in 2025, many many years after a SkyTrain extension to UBC became worthwhile) but at least that transfer point will be less busy and the Millennium Line will connect with the Canada Line.

Vancouver's SkyTrain system right now is "topologically challenged". There are few transfer points except downtown, plus the Millennium Line doesn't go directly downtown. People living around the upper half of the SkyTrain network have to transfer to get downtown (or go around the long way of the loop, adding 10 minutes or so), and have to make 2 transfers to get to the airport. And a lot of inner city Vancouver has no local rapid transit service at all. The West End might have Manhattan-style population densities but it doesn't have a Manhattan-level density of subway stops!

The plan is now to take Skytrain all the way to UBC.

https://www.translink.ca/Plans-and-Projects/Rapid-Transit-Projects/SkyTrain-to-UBC.aspx

https://globalnews.ca/news/4968540/mayors-council-approves-ubc-skytrain-extension/

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by connect2source

The plan is now to take Skytrain all the way to UBC.

https://www.translink.ca/Plans-and-Projects/Rapid-Transit-Projects/SkyTrain-to-UBC.aspx

https://globalnews.ca/news/4968540/mayors-council-approves-ubc-skytrain-extension/

Good to hear! Glad it might (pending approval and funding) get done in one shot!!!

[ainvan]

[Ottawaresident]

Does anyone have the daily passenger traffic on the buses to UBC?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

Does anyone have the daily passenger traffic on the buses to UBC?

It is in the study quoted a page or two back.

[nname]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

Does anyone have the daily passenger traffic on the buses to UBC?

I'm more curious about the 327 passengers on "NIS" though...

Source

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Question for Edmonton. The D.L. MacDonald Yard opened in December 1983, so where were trains stored and maintained during the first 5 years?

There once was a facility to the west of the Expo Centre site. I can't remember if that was the main storage, but back then there were few trains.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by nname

I'm more curious about the 327 passengers on "NIS" though...

Source

Paratransit (HandyDART)?

[Jaws]

Originally Posted by Airboy

There once was a facility to the west of the Expo Centre site. I can't remember if that was the main storage, but back then there were few trains.

I also seem to remember a small facility near Commonwealth, by Lafarge.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Jaws

I also seem to remember a small facility near Commonwealth, by Lafarge.

http://www.barp.ca/bus/lrt/edmonton/garage.html

Storage for Edmonton's 37 LRV's was originally provided by the ETS Cromdale Shops. Located next to the LRT line on 80 Street at 115 Avenue, this provided to be the best site as it did not require as much money to build a new garage. It already had the space to store large vehicles as it was used as a Streetcar, Bus, and Trolley bus garage since 1913. This site was used from 1977 until December 1983 when the DL MacDonald LRT Shops was opened.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

http://www.barp.ca/bus/lrt/edmonton/garage.html

Yup that was it. Old Brick building.

[J.OT13]

Pretty cool an old streetcar barn was eventually converted to an LRV facility. With all that history, too bad it's since been demolished.

We can see it on Google Streetview up until 2014. By 2015, it's gone.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5671753,...BIcQ!2e0!5s20071001T000000!7i3328!8i1664

As far as I know, Ottawa only has one streetcar barn left. It's been converted to a self-storage facility.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ottawa...131dd15ed!8m2!3d45.4215296!4d-75.6971931

[Chadillaccc]

that is a shame.