The Great Canadian Transit Thread - Page 612

Chadillaccc · #**12221** Posted **Apr 2, 2019, 6:08 PM**

Forgive me if this has been mentioned, but looks like the City of Montreal have released some of the REM designs...

https://skyrisecities.com/news/2019/04/trains-unveiled-montreals-rem-light-rail-system

Reecemartin · #**12222** Posted **Apr 2, 2019, 6:54 PM**

Only the car designs are new, though they are nearly identical to Sydneys cars besides the headlights and paint job from what I can see . . .

Reecemartin · #**12223** Posted **Apr 2, 2019, 6:55 PM**

Didd a video on GO transits fare changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnamP4g435E

Reecemartin · #**12224** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 1:14 PM**

Also king street pilot is likely going to become permanent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_0XWaiuIjw

Super impressive that the King Streetcar is rapidly carrying almost 85,000 people every day in its new configuration. Busiest surface route in Noth America and busier than many systems in the US.

rbt · #**12225** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 2:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Super impressive that the King Streetcar is rapidly carrying almost 85,000 people every day in its new configuration. Busiest surface route in Noth America and busier than many systems in the US.

Indeed. Higher ridership on King Streetcar than the Miami Metrorail system (just the metro; Miami bus ridership is pretty high).

swimmer_spe · #**12226** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 3:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Also king street pilot is likely going to become permanent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_0XWaiuIjw

Super impressive that the King Streetcar is rapidly carrying almost 85,000 people every day in its new configuration. Busiest surface route in Noth America and busier than many systems in the US.

They should do pilots on all Streetcar lines not in a reserved median. Let's truly see what happens when they are unimpeded by cars.

WhipperSnapper · #**12227** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 3:26 PM**

That won't work without implementing common sense over councilors' whims. They pick one side or the other. Neither bicycles or vehicles are the enemy. Taking out lanes of vehicular traffic on busy routes for seldom used bike lanes (because there are safer alternatives) creates this animosity and traffic nightmare. Those bike lanes would need to be moved elsewhere for this to be extended to other routes.

swimmer_spe · #**12228** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

That won't work without implementing common sense over councilors' whims. They pick one side or the other. Neither bicycles or vehicles are the enemy. Taking out lanes of vehicular traffic on busy routes for seldom used bike lanes (because there are safer alternatives) creates this animosity and traffic nightmare. Those bike lanes would need to be moved elsewhere for this to be extended to other routes.

I am talking about streetcars, not bikes.

WhipperSnapper · #**12229** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 3:49 PM**

So was I. All modes of travel are intertwined. My point was that extending the King street model to other routes would only add to the clusterfuck in Toronto created by councilors putting their personal preferences ahead of traffic planning.

swimmer_spe · #**12230** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

So was I. All modes of travel are intertwined. My point was that extending the King street model to other routes would only add to the clusterfuck in Toronto created by councilors putting their personal preferences ahead of traffic planning.

Please explain. As I see it, the only clusterfuck is the single occupancy cars that are plugging the streetcar lines.

Coldrsx · #**12231** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 5:34 PM**

Fancy new video on the West LRT for Edmonton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czfqn4Vmhg4

CityTech · #**12232** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 7:44 PM**

Toronto needs a comprehensive review of downtown mobility and traffic patterns to drive auto traffic away from the streetcar routes. King and Queen traffic is best redirected to streets like Richmond and Adelaide for example.

Reecemartin · #**12233** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 10:26 PM**

The West LRT is quite exciting, Edmonton and Calgary both will have systems heading into most sectors of the cities.

milomilo · #**12234** Posted **Apr 3, 2019, 11:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Fancy new video on the West LRT for Edmonton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czfqn4Vmhg4

It's great how they present the cheapness of the thing as positives.

"the stations are just long bus shelters"
"the train is integrated with traffic (the train will crash into pedestrians and cars frequently)"
"the trains won't have priority at intersections (the train will frequently be delayed)"
"the train travels at neighbourhood speeds (the train is slow)"

Reecemartin · #**12235** Posted **Apr 6, 2019, 3:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by milomilo

It's great how they present the cheapness of the thing as positives.

"the stations are just long bus shelters"
"the train is integrated with traffic (the train will crash into pedestrians and cars frequently)"
"the trains won't have priority at intersections (the train will frequently be delayed)"
"the train travels at neighbourhood speeds (the train is slow)"

It's going to be much faster and more reliable than the current solution which is buses as it will have signal priority. I don't know what you were expecting them to build to WEM, a Subway?

Its traffic segregated, so while of course there will be accidents they will likely be few and far between, with regard to the stations the scale makes sense, trains will be frequent and they are still large at Misericordia and WEM.

Reecemartin · #**12236** Posted **Apr 6, 2019, 2:54 PM**

We felt the need to respond to Doug Fords changes to Toronto's Transit plan, heres our analysis:

https://youtu.be/San7tx7JYis

Make sure the people in your circle are in the know that once again Doug Ford is trying to be Torontos mayor.

osmo · #**12237** Posted **Apr 6, 2019, 8:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityTech

Toronto needs a comprehensive review of downtown mobility and traffic patterns to drive auto traffic away from the streetcar routes. King and Queen traffic is best redirected to streets like Richmond and Adelaide for example.

The streetcar routes are the only through east-west routes through the old central city; Torontoo has a design flaw with its roads. Parking is also a huge log jam for traffic flows.

The first big fix is if Council has a backbone to ban on-street parking outright on all the avenues. It's one thing for a single occupancy vehicle to slow down traffic, a other when it's parked and not even in use. Toronto needs to get it's parking issue together which it has been hesitant to try and address for in what seems forever.

milomilo · #**12238** Posted **Apr 8, 2019, 1:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

It's going to be much faster and more reliable than the current solution which is buses as it will have signal priority. I don't know what you were expecting them to build to WEM, a Subway?

Its traffic segregated, so while of course there will be accidents they will likely be few and far between, with regard to the stations the scale makes sense, trains will be frequent and they are still large at Misericordia and WEM.

It's the messaging that annoys me with this and other streetcar style LRTs. If Edmonton thinks that is all the money that is justified to be spent, that's fine, just don't pretend that what they are building is better than a proper system. It will be slower, it will crash into cars frequently and the bus shelters will suck if you are waiting 15 minutes in -20.

osmo · #**12239** Posted **Apr 8, 2019, 2:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by milomilo

It's the messaging that annoys me with this and other streetcar style LRTs. If Edmonton thinks that is all the money that is justified to be spent, that's fine, just don't pretend that what they are building is better than a proper system. It will be slower, it will crash into cars frequently and the bus shelters will suck if you are waiting 15 minutes in -20.

If you're willing to spend the money you can make good warm transit shelters these days with timed heating that runs during service hours. If cold climate cities still have freezing cold shelters at high order transit stops then they simply don't want to invest in the new technology.

For sunny Alberta you could likely get away with solar panels as well. Cold shouldn't be an issue if the shelters are planned well with modern technology.

MalcolmTucker · #**12240** Posted **Apr 8, 2019, 3:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by osmo

If you're willing to spend the money you can make good warm transit shelters these days with timed heating that runs during service hours. If cold climate cities still have freezing cold shelters at high order transit stops then they simply don't want to invest in the new technology.

For sunny Alberta you could likely get away with solar panels as well. Cold shouldn't be an issue if the shelters are planned well with modern technology.

In this case it isn't a technology problem, it is a geometry problem, fitting in stations while retaining turn bays and traffic lanes. It does look like there are enclosed shelters though at least for some stations, even if they are not extensive.