The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[Chadillaccc]

Not necessarily. Calgary's LRVs are never run individually, they are only ever in revenue service with 3 car trains currently, 4 later this year.

[Doady]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Not necessarily. Calgary's LRVs are never run individually, they are only ever in revenue service with 3 car trains currently, 4 later this year.

Yeah sure, the light rail trains in Calgary are much longer than single light rail vehicles in Toronto, but still, I was just comparing the LRVs.

For the Hurontario-Main LRT in Mississauga they are planning 2-car trains on day one, and 3-cars max can fit the blocks. 4 cars would require some stops to moved, some intersections reconfigured. Maybe it would not be practical. So 4 cars is pretty crazy. Eventually Calgary will need a grade-separated system (i.e. subway/metro), maybe same with Mississauga too.

I think since TTC is switching to all-door boarding for the new LRVs, it would probably make more sense to couple them into 2-car trains too instead of just single car. But maybe there is no space to stop.

[Chadillaccc]

We're all hoping that the 203 will be grade-separated. Currently, the design calls for 3 at grade intersections in the southeast, and the first phase of the North Central will go to 16th Avenue North, which is expected to be completely underground at least to that point. Hopefully they redesign the SE section appropriately. It wouldn't be hard to eliminate those 3 intersections. I think the long-term plan is to separate the 201 line completely, though some of the intersections in the NW would be particularly hard to get rid of. The two subway tunnels will do wonders for access and reliability into the downtown core.

[GreaterMontréal]

Question for Calgary ?
Do you have a good transit by bus to accommodate the c-train?

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

Question for Calgary ?
Do you have a good transit by bus to accommodate the c-train?

Short answer: nope! It's abysmal compared to the LRT.

[caltrane74]

New Union Pearson Video from Yesterday



Express train to Pearson airport prepares for takeoff
We get a sneak peek at the new Union Pearson Express terminal at the airport.

By: Tess Kalinowski Transportation reporter, Published on Mon Jan 27 2014

No coat? No problem.
Toronto’s new $456 million airport train will be “a sun worshipper’s dream,” says the chief engineer for UP (Union Pearson) Express, scheduled to open in time for the Pan Am Games in summer 2015.

Snowbirds in downtown condos and offices will be able to walk the PATH in their shorts to Union Station, pull their bags along the Skywalk to the UP Express terminal, check in with their airline and board a train that leaves every 15 minutes.

Twenty-five minutes later they will be inside the airport.
No need to step outdoors until there’s a sandy beach in sight.
David Ballantyne is talking up the convenience of the new air-rail shuttle during a frosty morning tour of the UP Express station taking shape at Pearson.

The airport train will appeal to all kinds of travelers. But escape is a theme. It is part of what president Kathy Haley calls the “value proposition.” Even travelers not looking to escape winter will appreciate avoiding the traffic that tangles the roads leading in and out of the airport.

Read More Here

[VIce]

Originally Posted by GreaterMontréal

Question for Calgary ?
Do you have a good transit by bus to accommodate the c-train?

The arterial routes are fine, but the feeder network is bad. Generally I would blame that on the suburban street network that covers most of the city, rather than CT's efforts.

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by VIce

The arterial routes are fine, but the feeder network is bad. Generally I would blame that on the suburban street network that covers most of the city, rather than CT's efforts.

Ok, thanks. your Bus ridership is up 7% from last year. Q3

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by VIce

The arterial routes are fine, but the feeder network is bad. Generally I would blame that on the suburban street network that covers most of the city, rather than CT's efforts.

That's the problem, only this much of Calgary is the older grid pattern (more or less):

[VIce]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

That's the problem, only this much of Calgary is the older grid pattern (more or less):

The gridded area has excellent service with only a small number of routes. Transit works very well there.

But then theres the feeder network around Nose Hill...

[Chadillaccc]

Hey I live there! Right near the last R in Ranchview Dr! Excellent service in my area, never had any complaints, except that I leave the house too late sometimes.

[milomilo]

What a joke that bus map is. Add that to the list of 'problems that can never be fixed' thanks to the City of Calgary's lack of long term planning and fawning to developers.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by milomilo

What a joke that bus map is. Add that to the list of 'problems that can never be fixed' thanks to the City of Calgary's lack of long term planning and fawning to developers.

Fixed by not living in the suburbs, and I'm not being totally glib. I live in Bankview and the reality of my commute and my lifestyle in general never, but for maybe two days a year, see me navigating this nonsense on or off a bus.

If you want change, vote with your feet and dollars and don't live in sprawlburbia- and that applies to every city in North America, not just Calgary.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

Fixed by not living in the suburbs, and I'm not being totally glib. I live in Bankview and the reality of my commute and my lifestyle in general never, but for maybe two days a year, see me navigating this nonsense on or off a bus.

If you want change, vote with your feet and dollars and don't live in sprawlburbia- and that applies to every city in North America, not just Calgary.

I don't plan to! I just hope I don't sell out in 10 years time to the allure of a McMansion. I don't think it's fair to entirely blame the buyers of these houses though - what choice do people have? Not everyone wants to live in a condo, and all the newer suburbs are, as you said, sprawlburbia! And I'd love to buy a house in Sunnyside, but obviously that would be serious $$$.

[Boris2k7]

The gridded portion of Calgary largely corresponds to the historical makeup of the area. Prior to 1961, these were four separate municipalities in close proximity to one another. Calgary certainly annexed land between 1910 and 1961 (eg. the city annexed what is now Ogden in 1911 and then built a streetcar out to the Imperial Oil refinery) but the city didn't grow very far beyond the 1910 boundary until the early 60's.



http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/LUPP/Documents/Publications/annexation-history-map.pdf?noredirect=1

[caltrane74]

Article on Cityrail proposal being considered in Toronto for using existing regional rail network as a rapid transit system for the city combined with modern EMU trains, tracks and stations, to expand capacity.

CityRail: Getting the GTA Moving

Modern Electric Trains

Our GO lines use massive, double-decker trains that take a long time to load and unload. In Europe, regional rail uses lighter trains that are much more like subway trains. With many more doors than current GO trains and no steps at the entrance, these trains would dramatically reduce waiting time at Union Station, eliminating the major limitation on the capacity of the present GO network. Adding capacity through more frequency is much better for riders than merely running larger trains. It would also make the system much more wheelchair accessible. Electrified European-style trains like the Bombardier Talent 2 or the Stadler FLIRT also accelerate much faster than existing GO trains.

CityRail is about using rail corridors that already exist to dramatically expand rapid transit in the GTA at a very reasonable cost. The GO Transit corridors would be transformed so that instead of infrequent and expensive GO trains, the entire GTA would enjoy rapid transit service much like the Toronto subway. Since the corridors are already there, there's no need for expensive tunnels. All that's needed is modern electrified trains and minor track upgrades

Cityrail: Getting the GTA Moving

[ssiguy]

This is such a no-brainer it's pathetic.

This could be implemented very quickly and provide REAL rapid transit across the GTA but only if there is complete fare integration. What's more this could be done with a stroke of a pen. They could simply make all GO trips done within one city part of the standard transit fare for that city and it could begin tomorrow and be expanded as more electrification is built and the EMUs arrive. Already some of the trains will be arriving soon for the UPX which could be used for this.

Most cities would give their left nut to have the rail corridors that Toronto has many of which are now owned by Metrolinx but Toronto is probably the only city on the planet where the local transit service doesn't use one foot of it.

[milomilo]

I get the feeling Canadians don't know what real rail service is like - in Europe commuter rail always runs all day at over 30 minute frequency, with some lines operating like high capacity metros and usually electrified. This deal of clunky massive trains running a few services a day on freight lines is unheard of.

[caltrane74]

The Lakeshore line inside the city Toronto, doesn't carry much freight (I believe the rails are owned by Metrolinx within the City) , and the Kitchener Line/ Airport Line are being separated from freight as we speak as the upgrades are completed for opening of the UP Express in 2015 (Again the new commuter corridors totally separated from freight)

The province is moving fast to electrify the airport line, likely within 10 years, same for the Lakeshore line. Once the lines are electrified, sleek EMU commuter trains from Bombardier, Sumitomo, Seimens or Alstrom can take the rails

[miketoronto]

Congrats Waterloo Region.

2013 transit ridership was 22 million riders, achieving the Regional Transportation Master Plan target for 2016.

Central corridor ridership on the IXPRESS and route 7 services between Conestoga Mall and Fairview Park Mall reached 20,000 daily riders. Approaching the 2017 target of 25,000 daily riders for the new LRT line which will replace IXPRESS service.

202 IXPRESS service is also carrying 1,000 more daily riders than projected.

Grand River Transit's Central Corridor service carries more riders each day than many American LRT networks.