The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[vanman]

Those new Montreal trains are slick!

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by habfanman

I hope they will be blue and white! I wonder if they can make them go "dou dou dou"? I'd miss the dou dou dou!

Looking real good. I was in Oslo this summer past, and the trains are very similar to those shown. Hope that the dynamo sound is still there (here Montreal's "Doo-Doo-Dooooooooooooo!" (metro sound) beats Vancouver's "Grrrrrrraaaw-ggggrrrrrrrrrAW GRRRRRRAAAWWWWW!" (skytrain sound)

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by francely57

Well people who only travel on the green line don't hear it (older model I think?)

Yeah, both the Green line and Yellow line are served by the MR-63s , where as the Orange and Blue lines are served by MR-73s. The STM owns 336 MR-63 cars and 423 MR-73 cars, for a total of 759 cars.

[habfanman]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

Yeah, both the Green line and Yellow line are served by the MR-63s , where as the Orange and Blue lines are served by MR-73s. The STM owns 336 MR-63 cars and 423 MR-73 cars, for a total of 759 cars.

There are 2 MR-63's that make the dou dou dou. They were used as prototypes for the jeumont motor current chopper (that makes the sound) when the MR-73's were introduced.

I think it would be cool if they used it as a departure sound on the new ones!

Here's one at Jolicoeur:

• Video Link

[habfanman]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Looking real good. I was in Oslo this summer past, and the trains are very similar to those shown. Hope that the dynamo sound is still there (here Montreal's "Doo-Doo-Dooooooooooooo!" (metro sound) beats Vancouver's "Grrrrrrraaaw-ggggrrrrrrrrrAW GRRRRRRAAAWWWWW!" (skytrain sound)

How'd you like Oslo? I've heard that it's beautiful and that we could learn a thing or 20 from them!

[Alexcaban]

Its sounds much better on the MR-73's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUMwbt5pE7I

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by habfanman

How'd you like Oslo? I've heard that it's beautiful and that we could learn a thing or 20 from them!

Loved it. The sheer amount of culture in what is really not a very large city is mind boggling, even after allowing for the fact that it is the capital city. Very beautiful. Actually reminds me very much of Montreal (just the street fabric of cafes, bars, mixture of old and new...but more old there).

And the public transit? Best that I've seen anywhere. Very extensive metro, complimented by a very extensive streetcar system.

The only downsides were: costs (Oslo is very expensive), weather (really very good if you consider the latitude), and public drunkenness (a bit of a shock, but there was a lot of it).

Every single person that I came into contact with spoke English at a very fluent level.

[habfanman]

Originally Posted by Alexcaban

Its sounds much better on the MR-73's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUMwbt5pE7I

Yeah that's the orange/blue line sound.. dou dou dou hehe!

http://www.stm.info/English/info/a-cocktailtransport_09.htm
Has anyone else taken advantage of this? We did because we only need a car 3-4 times a year. If you get an annual OPUS subscription you also get Communauto car-share membership for 5$ month extra and half price BIXI bike share membership. So 70$ + 5$ + 3.25 = 78.25$ month for unlimited bus/metro, free bikes and an inexpensive car whenever you want it. Plus, your OPUS is automatically reloaded every month. Good deal!

The Vélo Québec deal is good if you bike in nice weather and take transit during the winter months.

STM TRANSPORTATION COCKTAIL
Partnerships for a new kind of mobility

The STM’s mission consists of developing and operating an integrated transit system while cordially providing safe, rapid, reliable and comfortable transportation. Still, STM leaders believe that more can be done and, for that reason, want to add to their eco-responsible actions by initiating partnerships that promote the use of active and complementary modes of transportation. Together, these are known as the Transportation Cocktail.

DUO auto + bus
Available now!
By agreeing to purchase 12 consecutive STM monthly fares, you will have access to Communauto’s vehicles for only $5 per month, without having to pay the usual $500 subscription fee. To take advantage of the DUO auto+bus discount, you must complete an application form on the Communauto website.

Bixi-Bus
Available soon!
By agreeing to purchase 12 consecutive STM monthly fares, you will enjoy a 50% reduction on the annual subscription to the Bixi self-serve bicycle rental service. To take advantage of the Bixi-Bus offer, you must complete an application form on the Bixi website.

Bixi-Auto-Bus
Available now!
Members of the Duo auto +bus programme can add the Bixi self-serve bicycle rental service to their subscription. Their Communauto account will then be credited $34.55, equal to 50% (before taxes) of the annual subscription cost to Bixi. To take advantage of the Bixi-Auto-Bus offer, you must complete an application form on the Communauto website.

Tandem Vélo-STM
Available in October 2009!
The members of Vélo Québec Association can obtain an OPUS card charged with five monthly transit fares, valid from November 15 to April 15. As a bonus, your OPUS card will be charged with six free trips. To take advantage of the Tandem Vélo-STM offer, you must complete an application for on the Vélo-Québec website.

[AuxTown]

A sign that Ottawa may be getting a clue as to what its residents want and what this city needs:

Ottawa's Union Station could see trains again
Last Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2010 | 9:32 AM ET



Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien told CBC News Wednesday that the city is looking to buy the downtown Union Train Station, which was Ottawa's main railway station from 1912 to the mid-1960s. The stately stone building would be used as one of the downtown stations for the city's proposed light rail transit line.

"It would be a very exciting addition," said O'Brien.

He added that the landmark on Wellington Street, across from the Chateau Laurier hotel, is "perfectly located." It is on the Rideau Canal, close to the Ottawa Convention Centre that is currently under construction, the Parliament Buildings and the Byward Market.

The building is owned by Public Works and Government Services Canada, which uses it as a government conference centre.

O'Brien said the city is currently in "preliminary stages" of discussion about the station. One idea has the city paying a dollar for the site, with the province kicking in $60 million to $70 million to pay for removal of asbestos and other improvements to the building.

[Alexcaban]

New Montreal STM bus shelters.

http://photos.newswire.ca/cnw-bin/cnw_preview.cgi?id=201001180001_SMVTP_EN_20100118_111759.jpg

[niwell]

Pretty good article on the St Clair ROW debacle. And why it shouldn't repeat for the Transit City lines.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nati...ed-for-the-st-clair-line/article1435758/

Incidentally I rode from St. Clair W station to Lansdowne the other day to see how the new line works. And the verdict is excellent. It's quite fast and at least in the car I was riding the lights were timed perfectly.

[Darkoshvilli]

Originally Posted by Alexcaban

New Montreal STM bus shelters.

http://photos.newswire.ca/cnw-bin/cnw_preview.cgi?id=201001180001_SMVTP_EN_20100118_111759.jpg

Its about time the current ones got replaced. Any idea when they will start putting them up?

[Alexcaban]

Originally Posted by Darkoshvilli

Its about time the current ones got replaced. Any idea when they will start putting them up?

They said starting this spring!

Here check out more photos here, there are a few different models of the bus shelters.
http://www.realisonsmontreal.com/en/projet/Results-of-bus-shelter-design-competition

[Metro-One]

Here is some video I took from the Opening Day of the Vancouver Street car demo (Olympic Line) which runs just over 2kms down a pre-existing rail corridor from the Olympic Village Station on the Canada Line (Skytrain) to Granville Island. this is located on the south shore of False Creek (just opposite of downtown).

It was a nice addition and I do hope it becomes permanent and expanded. The current cars in this video are only temporary and after March the historic streetcars will then operate along this refurbished section of track during the summer tourist months.

I am little embarrassed to show this video because I do videography professionally, but for this event I only brought my little point and shoot and took some typical tourist style shots. The shakiness, bad lighting, bad sound, quality, so embarrassing. Oh well.

It was a nice day, mix of sun and cloud and about 13C (56F)

The first 5 minutes of the video is just footage shot out of the side window (looking North) while riding the Expo Line from Metrotown to Downtown. (From the Suburb of Burnaby to Downtown) Gives you a good chance to see the Metrotown urban area.

5 min mark to 6 min mark is some footage of the Canada Line

6 min mark to the end is the New Street Car footage.

You can hear me talking to a representative from the city in a few parts of it.

Funny side note, as I left the Olympic Village Station house (the C-Line) some yuppie looking woman in her 50's asked me what I was filming She was all worried I could be a bad guy!!!!!!!! I love the fear mongering.

Here is the video

• Video Link

Cheers!

Sorry about the last shot, I just realized there was some sort of rendering problem.

[Daveography]

^ Cool vid! That really doesn't look like much of a streetcar, more like another LRT type of line.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by RTA

^ Cool vid! That really doesn't look like much of a streetcar, more like another LRT type of line.

In many ways the newer streetcars are pretty similar to LRT, the big difference really is that they run only single cars rather then multiple coupled units and the speed overall is usually much lower as they can be run in-traffic (for instance in Toronto). The actual vehicles being used for the Olympic Line are destined for Brussels, they are just being loaned to Vancouver and make up part of a larger order that Brussels made from Bombardier to update their fleet. Toronto will be getting a very similar vehicle from Bombardier to replace their existing streetcars as well, I believe starting later this year.

[agrant]

Originally Posted by RTA

^ Cool vid! That really doesn't look like much of a streetcar, more like another LRT type of line.

I don't believe the terminology (LRT or Streetcar) is ever important here. It is what it is - A Brussels tram/streetcar running in it's own row. If the project ever expands, it will have to run in streets. So it is as much a streetcar line as anything, but call it what you will.

[Nicko999]

Airport shuttle bus, two other routes, start Monday

MONTREAL -- The new No. 747 bus between downtown Montreal and Trudeau airport hit the road Monday.

Buses will operate around the clock, with departures every 20 minutes during rush hour, according to the Société de transport de Montréal.

The trip, between the airport and the Berri-UQÀM métro station (with stops along René-Lévesque Blvd. and at the Lionel-Groulx métro station), costs $7 and gives users access to the STM network for 24 hours.

People with monthly or weekly passes can ride the shuttle free.

the STM also launched two other new bus lines Monday:

* the 427 St. Joseph Express, a weekday rush-hour bus linking the Plateau Mont Royal and Rosemont-La Petite Patrie boroughs with downtown Montreal.

* the 120 Lachine-LaSalle bus, linking Lachine and LaSalle with the Angrignon métro station.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/toda...r+routes+start+Monday/2737964/story.html

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Originally Posted by vanman

Those new Montreal trains are slick!

Does anyone know when these are due to be delivered? Also, what is going on with the Chinese company that is talking about suing STM for awarding Bombardier/Alstom the contract? Seems like some BS to me from the Chinese company, the fact that they don't make the product STM wants seems to be a good reason to not give them the bid. The arguments coming from their laywer/representative (not sure which) about how cheap and easy it would be to switch from rubber tires to steel wheels have been weak at best and ludicrous at worst.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton has selected a winning bid for the Environmental Assesment for the B and A-Line, worth $3 million. Should be completed within six months.

The winning bid is Steer Davies Gleaves for $2,898,563. One big step closer to getting LRT in Hamilton.