O-Train Line 2 [Stage 1 | Bayview to Greenboro] | In Service

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I contend that Orleans is the perfect place to experiment with 2 way loops.

Orleans and Kanata are both amenable to this, and in the case of Kanata, it's almost essential given that the entirety of the road layout, both geometrically and topologically, is aimed at a 1960s vision of automobile supremacy.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by kmcamp

There is going to be shelter, it's sitting on the platform, just not assembled yet

While they aren't exciting architecturally, (same shelters as the buses at Hurdman and Tunney's) I'd argue the shelters they are a slight improvement over what the line had before. They are fully enclosed with doors unlike the old shelters. I'm hoping they have heaters as well, there's no reason they couldn't, as oc transpo has installed heaters in shelters like that before at Fallowfield and Eagleson

My complaint is that Greenboro will only have a single shelter, as most other platforms will have three according to the renderings

Please tell me they aren't more glass-roofed greenhouses.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The beauty of the old Transitway Stations is/was that we had a mix of enclosed and covered open air areas with plenty of benches. Those were extremely well designed and considered usability throughout the year.

Oh dear lord no, they were not well designed.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

I found that the glass roofs of the old Red-tube and Glass shelters was a bonus. The extra light they let in made the shelter seem less confining.

The extra infrared solar irradiation they let in made them unbearable in the summer, and if you retreated to a more shaded location at a station like Tunney's or Westboro, the sightlines meant the bus driver would skip your stop because you're invisible (or "not at the stop".)

I find it interesting that glass panels are again being used for over-head cover at the LRT stations.

I find it appalling, and in the era of climate change, terribly short-sighted. We need shade, more of it, and now. Instead we are getting less of it, because the people who plan our transit drive around in their custom-fitted air-conditioned spaces.

But those old shelters were not perfect. The ‘Water-fall’ design of the roof was just that; a water-fall – or snow-/ice-fall – when there was precipitation. This was not pleasant for transit customers who wound up getting stalled during boarding – with water, or snow, being poured down their neck. The over-head shelter should have extended to over the buses.

It is confusing to me how this kind of design keeps getting approved, as if the architects or planners have it in their heads that transit riders like to get precipitated upon.

I suggest that, had the stations been properly designed, there would have been a proper ‘deflector’ included when the station was built. Such a safety requirement would have absolutely prevented any vehicle from mounting the platform.

That also confused me (and still does.) If nothing else, go for the Cheapskate Ottawa solution and repurpose a few Jersey barriers, but yeah, that kind of road design should have been built into the transitway from the beginning.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Oh dear lord no, they were not well designed.

Maybe I oversold them, but I would still say they are better than most Confederation Line stations, and far better than bus stop shelters we see/will see on Trillium and bus loops.

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I find it appalling, and in the era of climate change, terribly short-sighted. We need shade, more of it, and now. Instead we are getting less of it, because the people who plan our transit drive around in their custom-fitted air-conditioned spaces.

If the canopies along Line 1 alternated between glass and opaque, that might provide a better medium. Sit/stand in the shade in summer, and Sit/stand under the glass in winter.

Better yet, they should have implemented passive solar design, all opaque, but with an overhang that blocks the sun in summer and lets it through in winter. That was considered when they started studying the Line around 2008, 2009, before Watson came in and imposed his World Class Chevrolet on us.

[Davis137]

I am just anxious for this to be done, and the North-South line resuming service. Those of us that live in the Confederation Heights/Mooney's Bay district sure could use more alternatives for public transit (yes, there are several bus routes available in the area, but the commute to and from work for some ends up being 3-4x longer than by car), and I would rather pay for a Presto than the parking fees for the open lot where I work now, and also reduce the wear and tear on my Pseudo-Rare daily driver.

[Richard Eade]

Yup, having a choice of sitting/standing under shade or in the light should be an option. And I'm not talking about simply being inside or outside. There should be shaded areas and bright areas whether a customer chooses to be inside or out. And I am not talking about having a shelter with half of its roof opaque. The inside of such a shelter could still get too hot during the summer months. There should be shade shelters and bright shelters; just as there should be shaded areas of the platform, covered but bright areas, and uncovered sections.

Hey, while we are specifying what should have been specified by OC Transpo, how about they add some 'leaning' areas. Just a sloped board mounted a few inches out from the wall at about 'average' bum-height. Such a thing could have been added to the platform side of the old Red-tube and Glass shelters, but wasn't. Maybe OC Transpo could finally see some merit in adding them to the new shelters - since it looks as if there will be very little actual sitting space.

[Spoonsy]

rails and ties are being laid out at bayview today. they rolled the sub-ballast yesterday.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by Catenary

Greenboro is limited to the north by the location of the switch to the south connecting track, which is why the platform extension goes so far south. The existing platform is basically as far north as it could be.

Ok that's a fair point. Now that you mention it, I now realize how close the north end of the station is to the switch. It's been so long since I've been on the train

I'm both glad and appalled my comment about the SE transitway garnered so much discussion. As you can imagine I am a big fan for what it is. Billings Bridge station is built to last. Many bus bays, full coverage walkways, 2 levels, heated shelters etc. It's pretty baller IMO.

I've wanted to ask(oh boy)... in theory... What would you all have said if for Phase 1/2 of Confederation Line.. they mostly kept the existing stations as is aside from tunneling downtown.

For example, Westboro and Lincoln Fields stations remained largely the same but they dug the asphalt down to install track? Refurbish the concrete/metal/glass where needed and perhaps twin the elevators etc.

It's a crazy idea but I wonder how practical it would have been cost wise and how much more the system could have been spread out. After all... if we have 5 minute or less service.. who gives a shit what the station looks like right? We don't even have bathrooms or working escalators half the time(which is another major beef I have).

We blew our load on a fancy jacket but never bought a pair of underwear or pants.

Personally I would take a system that is a fully fleshed out phase 3 with a Gatineau tram and or loop with red steel and milky aging glass panels over what we have now as far as the stations go. The platform widths could have been extended into the center as you don't need a bypass lane. The existing shelter would probably been enough in many cases of inclement weather or at least equivalent.

Food for thought.

[J.OT13]

If it was possible to keep the old Transitway stations, than I'd be fine with it. It would have saved Millions, possibly even close to a Billion. It may not have cut down on the timelines since tunneling is what takes the longest. They did largely maintain old Blair, St. Laurent (and Bayshore, Place d'Orléans) Stations, but without the upgrades to existing facilities (Stage 1, but seems they may have leaned their lesson for Stage 2).

That said, not sure how realistic that would have been. Stations were 4 lanes wide, while rail needs 2.5 tops (rail + median barrier), so it would have wasted a lot of space. Bayview and LeBreton (and Dominion, Iris, Pinecrest) were glorified bus shelters, Train needed to be re-aligned. And of course, platform lengths.

[Spoonsy]

Originally Posted by Spoonsy

rails and ties are being laid out at bayview today. they rolled the sub-ballast yesterday.

a milestone, we've got rail at bayview again

[kmcamp]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Please tell me they aren't more glass-roofed greenhouses.

No, like the bus ones at Hurdman they are a fully enclosed shelter with a solid roof, the only difference seeming up be a lighter grey color and some fake wood detail on the outside.

One of the shelters was up at Money's last time I was by

Again they are nothing fancy, but the old shelters were open in the winter making that 12 minute wait on a cold day especially terrible. These will be better

[J.OT13]

• Video Link

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

• Video Link

@ 5:55: "bright and airy"... aka "cold and windy" in the wintertime

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by MountainView

@ 5:55: "bright and airy"... aka "cold and windy" in the wintertime

Line 2 - More often closed than opened.

[lrt's friend]

I road a DD bus today past South Keys and Hunt Club.

When will the Hunt Club Road rail bridge be completed? It has been in place for several months and they are still no where close to being ready to install rail across the bridge.

[Harley613]

Gladstone Station yesterday

[Harley613]

Carling Station

[J.OT13]

Gladstone is a great addition. Still blows my mind that the City sees Dow's Lake, where we're getting the highest levels of TOD in the City and soon the largest hospital and thought, "this is fine, just add on elevator and call it a day".

[OTSkyline]

Looking forward to the developments starting up around Gladstone.

Which one should see shovels in the ground first? The large one on Gladstone or the one tucked away where they are supposed to build a new road network ?