Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[Gat-Train]

Originally Posted by harls

The Lyon Street Station entrance doors were wide open this morning. Anyone could have walked inside.

I would have, but I respected the taped-up "please don't trespass" signs.

And the doors at UOttawa aren't even locked.

[Gat-Train]

With a $2.1 billion budget, and all the grandiose stations, why could they have not put in public washrooms? That, combined with the leaky tunnels, means that the "next train is arriving. Please stand back from the tracks" announcements are meant to warn people of the incoming tidal wave of pisswater.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

With a $2.1 billion budget, and all the grandiose stations, why could they have not put in public washrooms? That, combined with the leaky tunnels, means that the "next train is arriving. Please stand back from the tracks" announcements are meant to warn people of the incoming tidal wave of pisswater.

Washrooms aren't so much a capital cost as they are an operational cost. They can be quite expensive to maintain (i.e. clean). The fact that some stations will have washrooms is already quite an improvement over the old transitway stations

[On Edge]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

Washrooms aren't so much a capital cost as they are an operational cost. They can be quite expensive to maintain (i.e. clean). The fact that some stations will have washrooms is already quite an improvement over the old transitway stations

Not an excuse not to have working washrooms. They are an essential public service like the elevators.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

With a $2.1 billion budget, and all the grandiose stations, why could they have not put in public washrooms? That, combined with the leaky tunnels, means that the "next train is arriving. Please stand back from the tracks" announcements are meant to warn people of the incoming tidal wave of pisswater.

I am not sure if humans have evolved much since 2001 (when I lived in Toronto), but I have a vague recollection of a public toilet at the Yonge and Bloor subway platform that was, quite honestly, the worst place on earth.

I can totally understand why they forego this. Ever see a 'checklist' at a Cineplex bathroom that says 'a-ok' at 5 pm, but you go to a stall two minutes later with a gigantic forearm-sized turd in the toilet (or worse..)?

[waterloowarrior]

Tunneys, Bayview, Hurdman, and Blair will have washrooms (4/13)

Tremblay, St. Laurent, and Rideau are integrated with buildings with washrooms. uOttawa, Lees, Lyon, and Parliament have nearby buildings. Pimisi will have the library nearby in the future. Cyville is pretty isolated.

Toronto has 8/76 stations with washrooms.

[harls]

Found this..

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/public-washrooms-coming-to-metro-vancouver-transit-system

A survey conducted as part of the review asked more than 2,000 people about washroom availability, and 72 per cent said that more washrooms would improve their transit experience. About 25 per cent said they would use transit more often if there were more washrooms.

If you polled transit riders and asked them, "Would you like to be able to pee at this station" of course they would.

If I make you drink a gallon of water then ask you, "Would you like to go to the bathroom?", what would you say?

It's all a cost analysis. Sure, heavy traffic stations? Tons of traffic? Put in a toilet. End of the line? Middle of nowhere? Not worth it. Just like how you tell your kids on a road trip - Hold it.

It would be nice to have bathrooms at each station, but the cost to maintain them would be too much. Money better spent elsewhere.

[PHrenetic]

Originally Posted by PHrenetic

Good Day......or not !

The latest on Ford and his F###-ups..... the Gas Tax transfers in the Fudget :

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/w...-hello-circus-at-ontario-place-1.5090512

As always.... Toronto centric, but methinks we too are SNAFU'd in there somewhere.

...........

Is the financial plan for our LRT for the next 10-25 years FUBAR'd here ?

This shows Tory on the ball watching QueensPark. Where's Jimmy ?

NoJoy!!!

Good Day.....not.

Update on the Fudget from CBC as to Ottawa :

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/pc-budget-cancels-1-billion-transit-funding-ottawa-1.5095459

PC budget cancels $1B in transit cash for city

LRT Stage 2 still 'financially viable' without provincial gas tax increase, city manager says

Idil Mussa · CBC News · Posted: Apr 12, 2019 5:45 PM ET | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

The provincial government's decision to scrap previous plans to double the city's share of gas tax funding means Ottawa will lose $1 billion for its mass transit plans over the next 30 years.

The announcement that the Progressive Conservative government is cancelling plans to double the funds — which are expected to total more than $36 million for Ottawa in 2019 — appeared on page 75 of the PCs' first budget, tabled Thursday.

The cancellation appeared to have taken municipalities by surprise.

The city was counting on the additional money to help pay for its long-term transit plans, including the LRT Stage 2 expansion, approved by council last month.

However, city manager Steve Kanellakos told councillors in an email Friday afternoon that "the LRT Stage 2 project remains financially viable" despite the sudden disappearance of $36 million a year for the foreseeable future.

Liberal promise
Currently, municipalities receive two cents per litre of the gas tax collected by the province. The previous Liberal government had vowed to increase that to four cents per litre by 2021. Last spring, Premier Doug Ford's campaign told CBC that a PC government would honour that commitment.

However, Ontario's 2019 budget revealed the PC government had backtracked on that promise.

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who's the minister for children, community and social services, said her government had to make "tough decisions" when drafting the $163-billion budget.

"I think we made the right choice," she said, adding that Mayor Jim Watson is "pleased with our budget."

She also said she's a "big proponent" of Stage 3 LRT, which would extend rail transit to Kanata and MacLeod's own community of Barrhaven.

Earlier concerns
At a special council meeting February to discuss the $4.66-billion LRT Stage 2 project, Coun. Diane Deans raised concerns about the possibility of the PC government changing its policy on gas tax funding, which the city has been counting on to help pay for LRT Stage 2.

She was told by the city manager that "silence is golden." He said the government had given no sign of that sort of change, which would create major issues for municipalities across Ontario.

"Well, how golden was that silence?" said Deans in an interview Friday.

"Thirty-six million dollars a year over 30 years is $1 billion, and that's money that the municipality really can't afford to take on," she said.

"Does it put the whole project into jeopardy? Probably not. But does it put our taxpayers in a very negative position? Yes, absolutely."

Short-term impact 'manageable'
In his memo to council, Kanellakos wrote that the impact of losing the additional gas tax funds is "manageable" over the short term, but projects beyond LRT Stage 2 "could be impacted."

That statement is at odds with the city report released in February on LRT Stage 2 financing, which said the "affordability model" was based on doubling of the city's share of provincial gas taxes.

Kanellakos said city staff are assessing the implications of the shortfall and will provide council with a report in the coming months.

Soooooo....... from our City boffins.......doubletalk as placeholder because they know not what.

The best that can be hoped at this point ? .... that as per the earlier article of unnamed QueensPark boffins,

Over the next few months, "the government will consult with municipalities to review the program parameters and identify opportunities for improvement," according to the province's budget.

ie:- there will be ongoing consultations as to how best to move forward - . Yeah, Right, Holding My Breath.

and from Jimmy ? ==== crickets.

SNAFUBAR !

[roger1818]

One can't help but wonder if the Tories plan to spin this cut in their favour by using some of that extra 2 cents per litre saved province wide to provide additional funding for transit projects in vote rich ridings (like Kanata and Barrhaven), robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak. This way they absorb the bad news now (when there is lots of time to forget about it) and then can provide the good news closer to the next election. It could explain why Watson is quoted as being "pleased with the budget," if he was made aware of this plan (we will cut $36 million per year in gas tax revenue but give you a couple billion in funding for Stage 3 in three years).

[PHrenetic]

Originally Posted by roger1818

One can't help but wonder if the Tories plan to spin this cut in their favour by using some of that extra 2 cents per litre saved province wide to provide additional funding for transit projects in vote rich ridings (like Kanata and Barrhaven), robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak. This way they absorb the bad news now (when there is lots of time to forget about it) and then can provide the good news closer to the next election. It could explain why Watson is quoted as being "pleased with the budget," if he was made aware of this plan (we will cut $36 million per year in gas tax revenue but give you a couple billion in funding for Stage 3 in three years).

Good Day.

And We have a Winner !

Cor I hate my paranoia..... I was thinking it, but did not dare codify it for fear of jinxing it.

Meeeeeeantime.... 30 yrs of financing is FUBAR, and needs be redrawn ( ? behind more closed doors ? ).

We Shall See.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by roger1818

One can't help but wonder if the Tories plan to spin this cut in their favour by using some of that extra 2 cents per litre saved province wide to provide additional funding for transit projects in vote rich ridings (like Kanata and Barrhaven), robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak. This way they absorb the bad news now (when there is lots of time to forget about it) and then can provide the good news closer to the next election. It could explain why Watson is quoted as being "pleased with the budget," if he was made aware of this plan (we will cut $36 million per year in gas tax revenue but give you a couple billion in funding for Stage 3 in three years).

I really doubt this.

1) It's going to results in an immediate tax increase in the next fiscal year. That works out to a 1% revenue shortfall on the city's budget. If they cared at all, they might not have imposed this on the city.

2) Stage 3 is at least two terms away. There's no electoral payoff to be had with Stage 2 not even having shovels in the ground. And they won't even talk about about it for another 3-5 years.

3) This government is extremely GTA focused. And they are laser focused on the outer 416 and the 905. If the several billion it would cost for Stage 3 helps build a subway sooner in Toronto or extend one, that's exactly what they'll do.

[kmcamp]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I really doubt this.

1) It's going to results in an immediate tax increase in the next fiscal year. That works out to a 1% revenue shortfall on the city's budget. If they cared at all, they might not have imposed this on the city.

2) Stage 3 is at least two terms away. There's no electoral payoff to be had with Stage 2 not even having shovels in the ground. And they won't even talk about about it for another 3-5 years.

3) This government is extremely GTA focused. And they are laser focused on the outer 416 and the 905. If the several billion it would cost for Stage 3 helps build a subway sooner in Toronto or extend one, that's exactly what they'll do.

I think being GTA focused here might be a good thing for us. Remember he directly meddled in a municipal election as premier. Toronto also has a 1 billion revenue shortfall now, but where as we could raise property taxes to cover it I can see Dougie using the legislature to prevent Toronto doing the same and making them eat the shortfall.

[eltodesukane]

z

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

McDonalds, Tim Hortons, Starbucks and many others manage to have working washrooms. I don't see why OC Transpo could not also.

Those restaurants have employees that are never more than a few steps away from their facilities. Mop and bucket cleanups happen quickly. Not so much at LRT stations where I doubt you'll be seeing many, if any, employees dedicated to servicing any particular station.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by CityTech

I spotted a few in the western segment around 9 and a few around Hurdman around 11.

Drove down Scott about 11pm last night and it was a BEEHIVE of activity... singles, doubles in both directions at very short intervals. Almost like a "lets empty out Bluesfest" dry run.

[J.OT13]

Stage 2 will add an additional six washrooms (Trim, Place d'Orleans, Lincoln Fields, Algonquin, Moodie and Limebank). So 10/41 ain't bad and better than other systems in Canada other than maybe Edmonton. Montreal and Vancouver have none (though Vancouver is looking at adding some at major transfer points).

[zzptichka]

Interesting, the pathway from Hurdman to uOttawa was open on Thursday but closed again on Friday: https://twitter.com/write2matt/status/1116704049620029440
Wonder what it was?

[Gat-Train]

I saw a double train last night around 9:00 near Tremblay Station

[CanadaGoose]

Regarding the washrooms, from what I remember, they were required to exist as terminus station and major transfer stations (rail to rail) in new construction mandated by an accessibility act in Ontario.

The fact that hurdman got one seems like goodwill. The rest are just required by law and the city is complying

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Interesting, the pathway from Hurdman to uOttawa was open on Thursday but closed again on Friday: https://twitter.com/write2matt/status/1116704049620029440
Wonder what it was?

I tried to bike it last week and almost wiped out on a submerged sheet of ice. A 50 metre section just north of Lees under the Queensway was ankle-deep in water and still frozen underneath. Which makes me question, why does this brand-new pathway have inadequate drainage and is prone to flooding?

The pathway was open on the uOttawa side but the I got to Lees there was still fencing blocking the stairway entrance but someone had moved it slightly to gain access.