The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[Tony]

mike: I've moved your post to the Toronto transit thread.

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Guys can we keep the detailed discussions in the specific subforums? This thread should be used for news updates and general information, not arguments about alignments or technologies between only Toronto forumers. You don't see Vancouver members discussing Evergreen alignment or Calgary members arguing about NE LRT stations in here.

Besides the Toronto local needs some more traffic.

Same with Winnipeg. Oh wait - I'm the only one on this thread!

[yaletown_fella]

Cancel the Vaughan portion of the Spadina extension and build an elevated Eglinton system similar to the Canada Line. LRTs are too damn slow!

The cancellation of the plan was bittersweet. The Ford notion of "underground or nothing" was absurd but now it'll take 20 years to see anything on Eglinton. Not suprised.

Personally I've given up on the TTC and would like to see Go Bus expand their routes to cover more of downtown Toronto. In that case, I'd definitely buy the Go Pass since I do a lot of my work in the 905.

[1331Massi]

Originally Posted by yaletown_fella

Cancel the Vaughan portion of the Spadina extension and build an elevated Eglinton system similar to the Canada Line. LRTs are too damn slow!

The cancellation of the plan was bittersweet. The Ford notion of "underground or nothing" was absurd but now it'll take 20 years to see anything on Eglinton. Not suprised.

Personally I've given up on the TTC and would like to see Go Bus expand their routes to cover more of downtown Toronto. In that case, I'd definitely buy the Go Pass since I do a lot of my work in the 905.

I wouldn't know how you fell, the STM is alwys updating the Mouvement Collectif web site, keeping us informed on everything. No secrecy going on here, only in our corrupt governments who like pocketing cash making everything behind schedule and over-budget (for example, the metro extensions that we haven't got any news about in 3 years). The STM's bus service is actually expanding and getting better service: on 31 lines, your bus comes in 10 minutes or less during rush hour. I still don't understand why the DRL was not part of the original TTC subway plans. Let's serve the people who live on Younge instead of the people getting in and out of downtown!!! And the rest of the planners: Great idea! We'll surely get riders that way! I pray for you Torontonians that your transit cocktail will not be limited to tons of packed bus lines, several tram and LRT lines, a subway to nowhere and a really efficient commuter rail service that easily best any other city's. We have hundreds of bus lines (thankfully none too crowded), a metro to Somewhere, planned LRT lines (still no news) and the soon (by soon I mean God knows when) to be built tramway system. Buses are useless downtown in Montreal, except for maybe shuttles and in Old Montreal

[1331Massi]

Double Post

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by androiduk

`

New glass atrium at Union Station by androiduk

Urbantoronto

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread....ck-Upgrades-(Zeidler-Partnership)/page33

[1331Massi]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread....ck-Upgrades-(Zeidler-Partnership)/page33

Union station is going to look great! Instead, we have this in Montreal:



And we had this, before it was turned into offices when CP abandoned Montreal:

[Rico Rommheim]

Let's consider ourselves lucky that we didn't get this:


http://www.archiguides.com/jcmerrett/central/altscheme.jpg

This was the original plan of central station in the 1930's.


Though it may be ugly, central station was the only train station in North America that was built in a modern style. Though its technically a mix of art deco and international style, central station is ultimately a modern station, not worried about its outside appearance and fully utilitarian. When CN built it and the surrounding office towers, it was seen as a bold step in modernism. Today, central station hides in the urban landscape. Ask anyone where it is and no one will be able to give an address or a street name.The original building has its front 6-storey clock towers hidden by the Queen E and its art deco reliefs are falling apart.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...National_Central_Station%2C_Montreal.jpg

It never really had a main entrance (look at the bottom right of the above picture. That little shed on the corner of dorchester and mansfield was the main entrance until the 1960's), and it still doesn't. Or maybe, this parkade qualifies as its main entrance:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co..._ZAC7733.JPG/800px-WTMTL_T09_ZAC7733.JPG

[MTLskyline]

Originally Posted by 1331Massi

And we had this, before it was turned into offices when CP abandoned Montreal:

I wouldn't put this blame entirely on CP. It was the incredibly stupid management of the Habs at the time (and city hall which was so desperate for development that they would accept anything) that decided to plunk the Bell Centre on the tracks leading into Windsor Station (as well as the station's platforms), effectively putting a permanent end to its days as a train station. Just think of the dozens of parking lots spread around downtown that they could have built it on instead.

Despite CP having left Montreal, Windsor Station could still be used as long as the Bell Centre wasn't placed where it was. Now, we're stuck with that pathetic excuse for a station, Lucien-L'Allier.


http://www.thebluecomet.com/dhnorth.html

[Rico Rommheim]

I don't know, seems to me that it was neglect on all sides. CP could of stopped the project, but didn't. I think by that time Windsor was down in the slumps, the few thousands of commuter rail passengers didn't justify the costs of running such a large expensive station?

[Andrewjm3D]

It's to bad it's no longer usable as a train station. It looked like a beautiful space inside for travelers.



Here was our original Union Station. No the location of the new one isn't in a different spot. the lake has just been pushed back further south. In fact when they dig out for new buildings such as Telus and Ripley's they've been uncovering old dock footings. The clock tower now resides in Muskoka over the Huntsville town hall. I think the newer building is a worthy replacement of the old structure. Where you see that small farm house in front of it is where the Royal York stands today. image 1873 Google image

[caltrane74]

No the location is different. The original Union Station was west of University.

[Andrewjm3D]

Oh well, that was still front street it was on. Just one block west.

[1331Massi]

Originally Posted by MTLskyline

I wouldn't put this blame entirely on CP. It was the incredibly stupid management of the Habs at the time (and city hall which was so desperate for development that they would accept anything) that decided to plunk the Bell Centre on the tracks leading into Windsor Station (as well as the station's platforms), effectively putting a permanent end to its days as a train station. Just think of the dozens of parking lots spread around downtown that they could have built it on instead.

Despite CP having left Montreal, Windsor Station could still be used as long as the Bell Centre wasn't placed where it was. Now, we're stuck with that pathetic excuse for a station, Lucien-L'Allier.


http://www.thebluecomet.com/dhnorth.html

Ahh, the Bell Centre. The pathetic excuse of an arena that was only built because it could seat 4,000 more people than the Forum (which, for some reason, couldn't be remolded, although this had been done twice in the past). This arena was obviously butchered and I will laugh the day that it is imploded because the Habs will be able to sell out 25,000. Then, Windsor Station could reopen.

[1331Massi]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

http://www.archiguides.com/jcmerrett/central/altscheme.jpg

Where would this have been built so that the Oratory is directly behind the station? Wouldn't it be where Collège Notre-Dame is now? Or is that another church in the background?

[Rico Rommheim]

This is at Rene-Levesque/mansfield. Where the current Queen Elizabeth hotel is. Basically where the current station is. The church on the right is Marie-reine-du-Monde.


[IMG]Ahh, the Bell Centre. The pathetic excuse of an arena that was only built because it could seat 4,000 more people than the Forum (which, for some reason, couldn't be remolded, although this had been done twice in the past). This arena was obviously butchered and I will laugh the day that it is imploded because the Habs will be able to sell out 25,000. Then, Windsor Station could reopen.[/IMG]

What sucks with the old forum, is by the time it closed, it was already butchered. The original 1924 construction was all but gone.

I believe this is after the 1940's expansion of the original 1920's building

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-siBulawy36Q/TZ...JFeArS35M/s1600/Montreal_Forum_1950s.png

After the 1968 expansion

http://images.wikia.com/icehockey/images/0/0b/Montreal_Forum_1970.jpg

[suburbanite]

Here's Liuna Station in North Hamilton.



It's now used for events like weddings and we had our high school prom here last year. The grounds and the atrium are very nice.

Photo from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LIUNA_station,_Hamilton,_Ontario.jpg

[1331Massi]

Originally Posted by Rico Rommheim

After the 1968 expansion

Well, I do agree that the Forum is now an eyesore. Hopefully the 3rd remodeling would look like an arena, and not concrete slabs mix and matched together like Lego's.

[The Gibbroni]

The need for private boxes killed all the old arenas. I hate the new ones, they're all shopping malls with a rink in the middle.

The Pepsi Forum is an abomination that I will never step foot in!

[Mister F]

Originally Posted by yaletown_fella

Cancel the Vaughan portion of the Spadina extension and build an elevated Eglinton system similar to the Canada Line. LRTs are too damn slow!

Why do you say that? Light rail is just as fast as Skytrain technology.