The future of Hamilton's public transit

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by StEC

ALL DAY GO TRAIN... ALL DAY GO TRAIN... ALL DAY GO TRAIN... if I say it enough will it come true?

Considering the infrastructure for it has been complete since last September and the province has been delaying implementing it until ridership starts to return.. probably.

[matt602]

Not so sure why LIUNA would be at something thats about GO service but I also don't know what they could possibly be announcing in regards to LRT at this point since all thats left is for Hamilton to sign the papers so the shovels can get into the ground.

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

It could be about that BRT plan for Dundas St., LiUNA would be involved in construction for that, probably.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by matt602

Not so sure why LIUNA would be at something thats about GO service but I also don't know what they could possibly be announcing in regards to LRT at this point since all thats left is for Hamilton to sign the papers so the shovels can get into the ground.

It may be an announcement of the memorandum of understanding with the city too - which would explain LiUNA. We’ll see.

[cooke442]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

It may be an announcement of the memorandum of understanding with the city too - which would explain LiUNA. We’ll see.

I heard on CH news earlier that it is in fact an announcement coming Monday for all day go service starting in late August. I imagine Mancinelli will be at the announcement regarding all of the development it will potentially spawn. Just my thought.

[LikeHamilton]

It does not say where this is happening. That would give a clue about what they will announce.

[JoeyColeman]

Location is embargoed, Randy Rath's tweet is reflective of what I am hearing as well.

[Beedok]

Maybe the 'L-Line' is being rolled into the Dundas BRT?

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Maybe the 'L-Line' is being rolled into the Dundas BRT?

I think it may make sense to do that, and I hope it's something Mlx examines. There may be a lot of Waterdown commuters travelling east who would find this more convenient than the GO Train. Or at least extend the line to Hamilton St. or Hwy 6 with a connecting HSR express bus to downtown.

The L could also run to the terminus of the future Dundas BRT at Brant St., if there's enough demand for that link.

[Beedok]

I wonder if heated lanes for rubber tire trams would be cheaper than the tunnelling you'd need for standard steel track trams to get up the mountain.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I wonder if heated lanes for rubber tire trams would be cheaper than the tunnelling you'd need for standard steel track trams to get up the mountain.

Tunneling is almost always the most expensive option.

I'm not sure what grade steel-wheeled LRTs are capable of traversing, but I recall reading rebuttals to anti-LRT sentiments on Raise the Hammer a long time ago that refuted the claims that "LRT can't go up the mountain"

I think it's just a matter of finding a route that works, if the A-Line ever gets rails. To be honest, I doubt that will happen... I'm not sure the demand for vehicle capacity will be high enough to justify the expense of having more than frequent articulated buses.


Fantasyland idea: A huge crane that picks up the LRT cars from above or below the escarpment, and places them down gently back onto the tracks below or above. Now THAT would be a fun trip (despite the waiver requirements)

Modified fantasyland idea: the LRTs run onto a long tracked platform that goes up and down the escarpment face like the old funiculars did, connecting to the tracks at the top/bottom.

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

That's what I've been thinking, just bring back the incline railways! If a city a fraction of ours can make good use of 2 of them, and even plan to build a 3rd on Ottawa St, think about how useful just one could be to a city our size.

All you need to do is modify the vehicles to accommodate trams instead of just being a square platform.

[Beedok]

I was just thinking, since rubber tire trams already exist as a way to run a tram system in hilly cities, that they could make some sense. Even if it's awkward to have two different times of rolling stock in the same city... Ottawa does it. They might be moving to three different rolling stocks with the Gatineau tram being added.

[mishap]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

The L could also run to the terminus of the future Dundas BRT at Brant St., if there's enough demand for that link.

If it's going that far, it might make sense to go a bit further to the 407/Dundas GO station for the connection opportunities.

[matt602]

Wouldn't a tram with rubber wheels just be a trolley bus? Joking aside, I feel like the adhesion benefits would be null if the system were outside as it would be subject to rain/snow.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by matt602

Wouldn't a tram with rubber wheels just be a trolley bus? Joking aside, I feel like the adhesion benefits would be null if the system were outside as it would be subject to rain/snow.

The snow part is why I wondered about heated lanes to ensure automatic snow removal.

I'd guess it can work in rain because they use them in Medellin Colombia, which gets over 1 700mm of rain a year.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by matt602

Wouldn't a tram with rubber wheels just be a trolley bus? Joking aside, I feel like the adhesion benefits would be null if the system were outside as it would be subject to rain/snow.

I have found that public transit discussions (in Hamilton) often circle back to trolleys. They worked: quick off the line; silent; zero emission. Occasionally they'd pop off the wire but I don't recall that being a big deal.

I have no idea if cities are still investing in them or if it's just electric buses (with no overhead wires).

[ShavedParmesanCheese]

Everybody likes trolley buses, nobody likes the cables. Even though nowadays they're not as spiderwebby as the vintage photos or TTC might have you believe.

The issue with the poles coming loose was a regular problem for the HSR way back when, particularly at the Queenston traffic circle. But, there are alternatives...


Alternatively: imagine a bus that alternates between using overhead wiring while in service and charging a battery, to just using the battery. Depends on the tech of course, though that could solve the mountain problem...

[Beedok]

Would running up the Claremont like this be able to work for the same technology as the B-Line? Maybe something like this, with a very short downtown tunnel for turning on to Hunter?

[Innsertnamehere]

What grade is the Claremont access? Anyone know what the max for a standard LRT train is?