The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[p_xavier]

So Montréal's STM is building its first condo building with offices for its workers. Is it a first in Canada to have a transit company building real estate?
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-...er-de-la-stm-pres-du-metro-frontenac.php

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

So Montréal's STM is building its first condo building with offices for its workers. Is it a first in Canada to have a transit company building real estate?
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-...er-de-la-stm-pres-du-metro-frontenac.php

Are CP and CN transit companies? If so, most of western Canada could be considered an example.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by Franco401

Are CP and CN transit companies? If so, most of western Canada could be considered an example.

Well they technically built Canada... I'm more interested like what is done in other cities to make money.

[WhipperSnapper]

STM maybe the owners of the property but, they aren't developing it. It isn't the first time a transit agency put out a request for proposals to "cash in" or finance office space on surplus or underutilized property.

[Coldrsx]

Valley Line LRT construction:





@ianoyeg

[White Pine]

Originally Posted by gunnar777

Yeah, perhaps Siemens? I don't know how their delivery turned out in Calgary but I haven't heard anything particularly bad at least. I still disagree with blanket statements like "Bombardier should be banned from bidding in Ontario." That just shoots Ontario in the foot, hits the local economy, and Bombardier doesn't learn a lesson that helps the province's transit, rather they would just stop supplying Ontario altogether.

At the very least, foreign entities should continue to employ Canadian builders and source local content where possible (this last part would have helped BBD avoid the TTC streetcar delivery delays). There's no need to drag the country and economy down over a distaste for BBD.

Last I heard, that order isn't going so well.

[McC]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

Is it a first in Canada to have a transit company building real estate?
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-...er-de-la-stm-pres-du-metro-frontenac.php

Translink does: https://www.translink.ca/About-Us/Doing-Business-with-TransLink/Real-Estate.aspx

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by McC

Translink does: https://www.translink.ca/About-Us/Doing-Business-with-TransLink/Real-Estate.aspx

Great thanks! I guess that's where they got their inspiration from, especially since the ARTM was mainly based on Translink.

[McC]

And Translink probably learned much from Hong Kong for obvious reasons.

[lrt's friend]

Gatineau fait le choix du train léger
LeDroit

Gatineau fait officiellement le choix du train léger. Réunis en conseil municipal, mardi, les élus gatinois se sont rangés, à l’unanimité, derrière un système sur rails pour le futur lien rapide de transport en commun dans l’ouest de la ville.

Les élus ont adopté une résolution demandant au gouvernement du Québec d’«inscrire comme priorité aux programmes fédéraux d’aide financière l’implantation d’un système sur rails comme solution pour répondre aux besoins de mobilité des résidents de l’ouest de la Ville de Gatineau». Pour le maire Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, il s’agit d’une victoire politique. Il martèle la nécessité d’un système sur rails dans l’ouest de la Ville depuis la fondation de son parti Action Gatineau.

Ce dernier s’attend maintenant à ce que «tous les partis politiques» appuient le projet qui sera bientôt présenté par la Ville de Gatineau et qu’ils s’engagent, avant les prochaines élections, à le financer. «Il y a une fenêtre politique, a-t-il rappelé. Le fédéral arrive avec de l’argent comme jamais auparavant pour le transport en commun. Les villes se positionnent et nous devons le faire aussi pour avoir notre part.»

Une première étude récemment rendue publique par la Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) favorisait l’aménagement d’un système rapide par bus, mais le conseil rappelle, dans sa résolution, qu’un tel mode de déplacement ne tient pas compte de la nécessité d’arrimer le réseau gatinois avec celui de la Ville d’Ottawa qui migrera vers le train léger dans les prochains mois.

«Un système rapide par bus serait saturé dans un horizon de 10 à 15 ans», poursuit la résolution adoptée mardi.

La conseillère du secteur Aylmer, Audrey Bureau, a salué la position prise par le conseil municipal. Selon elle, il s’agit du meilleur moyen d’attirer plus de gens vers le transport en commun. Il y avait urgence d’agir dans ce dossier, a-t-elle ajouté, notamment en raison de la signature imminente pour l’entente fédérale-provinciale sur les infrastructures de transport en commun et du positionnement clair des villes de Montréal et Québec pour le prolongement du métro et l’aménagement d’un tramway.

Google translation:


Quote:
Gatineau officially chooses light rail
Meeting on city council on Tuesday, Gatineau's elected officials unanimously voted for a rail system for the future rapid transit link in the west end of the city.

Elected officials passed a resolution calling on the Quebec government to "make rail a priority in federal funding as a solution to meet the mobility needs of residents in the west end of the City of Gatineau ". For Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, this is a political victory. He hammered out the need for a rail system in the west end of the city since the founding of his Action Gatineau party.

The latter now expects "all political parties" to support the project that will soon be presented by the City of Gatineau and that they commit, before the next election, to fund it. "There is a political window," he said. The federal government arrives with money like never before for public transit. Cities are positioning themselves and we have to do it too to get our share. "

A first study recently released by the Outaouais Transport Corporation (STO) favored the development of a rapid bus system, but the council reminds, in its resolution, that such a mode of travel does not take into account the need to link the Gatineau network with that of the City of Ottawa, which will migrate to light rail in the coming months.

"A rapid system by bus would be saturated within a horizon of 10 to 15 years," continues the resolution adopted Tuesday.

Aylmer Sector Councilor, Audrey Bureau, welcomed the position taken by City Council. According to her, this is the best way to attract more people to public transit. It was urgent to act on this issue, she added, particularly because of the imminent signing of the federal-provincial agreement on public transit infrastructure and the clear positioning of the cities of Montreal and Quebec for the extension of the metro and the development of a tramway.

The City of Gatineau is finally starting to work towards being consistent with the City of Ottawa as far as development of rapid transit as rail rather than BRT.

The likely first line to be planned will be to the Aylmer sector.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The City of Gatineau is finally starting to work towards being consistent with the City of Ottawa as far as development of rapid transit as rail rather than BRT.

The likely first line to be planned will be to the Aylmer sector.

I home they go with similar technology on the lines so that they can cross over and use the ON side without difficulty.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

I home they go with similar technology on the lines so that they can cross over and use the ON side without difficulty.

That's been the major discussion in the Ottawa forum the past week or so. It's possible they could connect to Bayview Station but that could lead to some bottlenecking and excess user volumes during peak hours. It would be better if Gatineau's LRT connected to the Confederation line somewhere Downtown, which points us to potentially renovating the Alexandra bridge and connecting to Rideau Station. Wishful thinking at this stage.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by JHikka

That's been the major discussion in the Ottawa forum the past week or so. It's possible they could connect to Bayview Station but that could lead to some bottlenecking and excess user volumes during peak hours. It would be better if Gatineau's LRT connected to the Confederation line somewhere Downtown, which points us to potentially renovating the Alexandra bridge and connecting to Rideau Station. Wishful thinking at this stage.

True that it may be wishful thinking, but having it built with it future proofed would be a smart thing to do.

[Metro-One]

A positive movement from UBC today, they are now considering to help fund the second phase of the Millennium Line subway extension to the campus.

Phase one (now fully funded, expected to start construction next year) is 6 KM in length and will terminate at Arbutus.

The second phase (to complete the line out to UBC) is another 7+ KM.

Apparently there is a desire to have the second phase open as early as 3 years after phase one opens (phase one 2025, phase two 2028).

Fun facts, this would make the Millennium line 43KM in length and the Skytrain system 93KM in total.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by JHikka

That's been the major discussion in the Ottawa forum the past week or so. It's possible they could connect to Bayview Station but that could lead to some bottlenecking and excess user volumes during peak hours. It would be better if Gatineau's LRT connected to the Confederation line somewhere Downtown, which points us to potentially renovating the Alexandra bridge and connecting to Rideau Station. Wishful thinking at this stage.

Yup. Many years of studying, debating and planning to come. But definitely a step in the right direction.

[megadude]

I'm not a rail geek and don't care much about the actual VIA, GO or TTC trains I see everyday. But for some reason, I am interested in the GO stations. Not the station house itself as most are boring, but rather the size and number of parking lots (north, south, overflow), surroundings (industrial, residential, town, forest) and features unique to each station.

I've been taking the GO for 10 years now from four different home stations, being Bramalea, Port Credit, Appleby and Oakville. But I've also taken the train from or to a total of 23 stations for various reasons (car work, visiting people, work purposes, checking houses with realtor, TFC games, fell asleep and missed my stop, train operator didn't open doors on our coach and then left before doing so).

I'm sure there are rail geeks that have gotten off at every stop, whether it's the GO, TTC or whatever transit system. I'm not at that level but I recently thought of jotting down the stations I've been to and putting it on a map. Has anyone else done the same? How many stations have you been to?

This map I used is an old one so a few stations are missing (Acton, Guelph, Kitchener St. Catharines, Niagara, Allendale). This version just looks better.

There are other stations I've been to to pick up or drop someone off or just happened to pass by. My favourite stations are:

Port Credit, Oakville, Streetsville, Acton, Markham and Brampton for their town like settings. Though some can run out of parking due to size constraints.

Appleby, Bronte, Meadowvale, Rutherford for having huge lots surrounded by more modern industrial. First two in particular there's never a danger of not getting a space. Same with Bramalea.

Long Branch and Erindale for being along the woods and rivers.

Pickering I just find interesting because of the pedestrian bridge as seen in pic below.

I dislike:

Bramealea, Malton, Etobicoke North (especially this one) and Clarkson for uglier industrial surroundings.






https://www.durham.ca/en/doing-business/advantage-durham.aspx


Shawn Micallef - Toronto Star

[Innsertnamehere]

Stations I've used:

Lincolnville
mount Joy
Stouffville
Unionville
Kennedy
Danforth
Union
Oshawa
Whitby
Ajax
Pickering
Rutherford
Newmarket
Aurora
Bloor
Pearson (UPx)
Exhibition
Mimico
Burlington
Aldershot
Hamilton Centre
Langstaff
Downsview Park
St Catherine's (not a full time GO service but on their summer excursion train)
Niagara Falls (same as above)

So that totals 25 I think?

[GlassCity]

Took a train from Burlington to Union once coming back from Niagara Falls.

Took a city bus from Unionville after checking out Viva BRT. So 3.

[Doady]

Mississauga's MiWay is introducing new 104 Derry Express on the 30th of this month. New 15 minute express service for a suburban industrial corridor, on top of 11.5 minute local. Similar to Dixie Rd. but Dixie is 10.5 minute local service, and with articulated buses. Are there industrial transit corridors like this elsewhere in Canada?

42 Derry carried 7,014 riders per weekday in 2016. 5 Dixie, 18 Dixie (Brampton Transit), 185 Dixie Express together carried 14,496.

This is what Derry and Dixie intersection looks like to give you an idea: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6750324,..._tjkuAHxxObZATQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Compare to what London has done.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Doady

This is what Derry and Dixie intersection looks like to give you an idea: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6750324,..._tjkuAHxxObZATQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

.

Popular place for 18-wheelers.