The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[Reecemartin]

[Deleted]

[Acajack]

Just wondering, will Montreal's REM be powered by electricity coming from overhead wires, similar to Ottawa's Confederation Line?

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

If they do extend the line it should also be converted from 4 car standard subway to 2 car Canada Line-like automated stock. Or even high floor LRT like in LA so that it can be extended at street level. The line could potentially extend all the way out to the zoo in the east and to the future Jane LRT in the west.

So, you want the mess of the SRT? Why? You would need to close the existing line down to convert it. Keep it as a subway as it is. Keep it underground as it can. Extend it as necessary. I could see this line go to the Airport and to Durham.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I prefer that it be kept underground. One of Lines 3 (Bloor-Danforth), 4 (Sheppard) and 5 (Eglinton) should be extended to Durham Region, though I don’t know if that’ll help with congestion on the 401 at all. Any freed up capacity will be eaten up soon while the lines get too congested for any good.

@swimmer_spe nice one

They both should meet. Line 2 would make sense to go north to Markham.

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

We discuss the West Coast Express and how the commuter/regional rail service in Metro Vancouver can be better improved!

https://youtu.be/3keMIfZe1yc

It has confused me that after 2 5 years, it is still basically running he same route and the same service. It's confusing that Vancouverites constantly want to say they are green, yet don't add to their commuter rail. The biggest argument is that most think they could just hop on the Skytrain instead.

[Dengler Avenue]

Well they aren’t wrong. Evergreen Line basically duplicates WCE and is more frequent (and practical too). Extension to Port Coquitlam is a matter of when not if. Ridge Meadows will be a harder call though.

As for extending TTC Line 2 to Markham, hmm... Extending it to Centennial Go with a stop at Markville Mall may make sense, but I’m not sure about intersections like Dennison Road or 14th Avenue...

[begratto]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Just wondering, will Montreal's REM be powered by electricity coming from overhead wires, similar to Ottawa's Confederation Line?

Yes.

You can see the overhead wires in the "Matériel roulant" section of the REM site.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

They both should meet. Line 2 would make sense to go north to Markham.

I can’t see any rationale for extending the Bloor-Danforth subway to Markham. It is the most expensive technology per km of any rapid transit; it is not particularly well-suited for covering vast distances (an extension to Markham would effectively double the length of Line 2) since a rider would have to sit on an uncomfortable train for 30 stations to get downtown (only to transfer at Bloor-Yonge anyway), and lengthening the line only causes line management problems, since now you have to dedicate many more trains and go through the logistical nightmare of figuring out where they need to turn around in order to maintain decent frequencies and loads on the more central parts of the line.

And this theoretical line would be almost entirely duplicated by GO’s Stouffville line, which is slowly being converted to RER as we speak. This line costs a fraction of what it would cost to build a subway, and is much faster, more comfortable and doesn’t affect the performance of the rest of line 2.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I can’t see any rationale for extending the Bloor-Danforth subway to Markham. It is the most expensive technology per km of any rapid transit; it is not particularly well-suited for covering vast distances (an extension to Markham would effectively double the length of Line 2) since a rider would have to sit on an uncomfortable train for 30 stations to get downtown (only to transfer at Bloor-Yonge anyway), and lengthening the line only causes line management problems, since now you have to dedicate many more trains and go through the logistical nightmare of figuring out where they need to turn around in order to maintain decent frequencies and loads on the more central parts of the line.

And this theoretical line would be almost entirely duplicated by GO’s Stouffville line, which is slowly being converted to RER as we speak. This line costs a fraction of what it would cost to build a subway, and is much faster, more comfortable and doesn’t affect the performance of the rest of line 2.

Is it the same issue with extending Line 4 or 5 to the heart of GTA East via Highway 2? Suggesting that because Lakeshore East Line doesn’t exactly serve the area well, being away from the centre.

[Luisito]

The south shore is getting an LRT seperate from the REM project?

Originally Posted by p_xavier

The Longueuil LRT project should be officially launched tomorrow.


Interesting to see who will be at the announcement :

Richard D'Amour, président de la CCIRS

Christian Dubé, ministre responsable de l'Administration gouvernementale, président du Conseil du trésor, ministre responsable de la région de la Montérégie et député de La Prairie

Chantal Rouleau, ministre déléguée aux Transports et ministre responsable de la Métropole et de la région de Montréal Lionel Carmant, député de Taillon et ministre délégué à la Santé et aux Services sociaux

Pierre Lavallée, président-directeur général de la Banque de l'infrastructure du Canada

Pierre Shedleur, président du conseil d'administration de l'Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain

En lire plus: https://www.lelezard.com/communique-19145491.html

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Luisito

The south shore is getting an LRT seperate from the REM project?

It's a tramway going mostly down Taschereau between Longueuil and Laprairie.

So running very roughly parallel to the river shore but some distance inland.

It will link up the major hospitals, CEGEPs, the Longueuil Métro, the Panama terminus near Mail Champlain in Brossard (integrated with REM), etc.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by begratto

Yes.

You can see the overhead wires in the "Matériel roulant" section of the REM site.

Hopefully for them they are keeping an eye on what is going on in Ottawa.

It might actually be worthwhile to send people to Ottawa now.

[Dengler Avenue]

Montreal’s weather isn’t as wild as Ottawa’s though, but it’s a good call to send people over to learn lessons anyway.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Is it the same issue with extending Line 4 or 5 to the heart of GTA East via Highway 2? Suggesting that because Lakeshore East Line doesn’t exactly serve the area well, being away from the centre.

There is even less rationale to extend the Sheppard subway to Durham. Just to get to Pickering would be a 25 km extension at, conservatively, $500 million/km. To Oshawa would be a 50 km extension to duplicate what the GO Lakeshore East line already does.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Montreal’s weather isn’t as wild as Ottawa’s though, .

Well....

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

There is even less rationale to extend the Sheppard subway to Durham. Just to get to Pickering would be a 25 km extension at, conservatively, $500 million/km. To Oshawa would be a 50 km extension to duplicate what the GO Lakeshore East line already does.

Does it really duplicate? Based on the sheer volume on the 401, sometimes I wonder whether people travel between Durham and North York instead of Downtown. But if so, and if extending the subway to even Pickering is too much of a stretch, there are 3 options:
(1) Metrolinx can beef up 92 during midday and weekends, but with the terrible traffic on the 401, I doubt it will help.
(2) Durham Pulse/BRT can be extended to STC but that’s a bit too deep into TTC fare zone.
*(3) One of the lines go to UTSC and Centennial College.

[Luisito]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's a tramway going mostly down Taschereau between Longueuil and Laprairie.

So running very roughly parallel to the river shore but some distance inland.

It will link up the major hospitals, CEGEPs, the Longueuil Métro, the Panama terminus near Mail Champlain in Brossard (integrated with REM), etc.

Cool. I just looked it up, looks very nice. I like seeing these new transit projects going up.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Luisito

Cool. I just looked it up, looks very nice. I like seeing these new transit projects going up.

It's been to nice to finally see some movement in recent years.

It seemed like there was a period of 10-20 years where almost nothing was done in most of Canada's cities.

Now that we've woken up that investments were needed (due to growing population in every major metro) we're very slowly starting to catch up a little bit.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Well they aren’t wrong. Evergreen Line basically duplicates WCE and is more frequent (and practical too). Extension to Port Coquitlam is a matter of when not if. Ridge Meadows will be a harder call though.

As for extending TTC Line 2 to Markham, hmm... Extending it to Centennial Go with a stop at Markville Mall may make sense, but I’m not sure about intersections like Dennison Road or 14th Avenue...

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I can’t see any rationale for extending the Bloor-Danforth subway to Markham. It is the most expensive technology per km of any rapid transit; it is not particularly well-suited for covering vast distances (an extension to Markham would effectively double the length of Line 2) since a rider would have to sit on an uncomfortable train for 30 stations to get downtown (only to transfer at Bloor-Yonge anyway), and lengthening the line only causes line management problems, since now you have to dedicate many more trains and go through the logistical nightmare of figuring out where they need to turn around in order to maintain decent frequencies and loads on the more central parts of the line.

And this theoretical line would be almost entirely duplicated by GO’s Stouffville line, which is slowly being converted to RER as we speak. This line costs a fraction of what it would cost to build a subway, and is much faster, more comfortable and doesn’t affect the performance of the rest of line 2.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Is it the same issue with extending Line 4 or 5 to the heart of GTA East via Highway 2? Suggesting that because Lakeshore East Line doesn’t exactly serve the area well, being away from the centre.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kKTkmA1wxswuIqc3beFvuyGq0rOv8D-X&usp=sharing

This is a basic idea of what I mean. It would connect the east better.

Originally Posted by hipster duck

There is even less rationale to extend the Sheppard subway to Durham. Just to get to Pickering would be a 25 km extension at, conservatively, $500 million/km. To Oshawa would be a 50 km extension to duplicate what the GO Lakeshore East line already does.

Yes, and you can go through the Scarborough Town Centre, allowing a transfer to the Bloor line once it is extended.

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Does it really duplicate? Based on the sheer volume on the 401, sometimes I wonder whether people travel between Durham and North York instead of Downtown. But if so, and if extending the subway to even Pickering is too much of a stretch, there are 3 options:
(1) Metrolinx can beef up 92 during midday and weekends, but with the terrible traffic on the 401, I doubt it will help.
(2) Durham Pulse/BRT can be extended to STC but that’s a bit too deep into TTC fare zone.
*(3) One of the lines go to UTSC and Centennial College.

We already have a line into Vaughan. Why not Pickering?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Montreal’s weather isn’t as wild as Ottawa’s though, but it’s a good call to send people over to learn lessons anyway.

I hope this is a bit of sarcasm. Montreal, being a little closer to the Atlantic tends to get a bit more snow and ice than Ottawa.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Hopefully for them they are keeping an eye on what is going on in Ottawa.

It might actually be worthwhile to send people to Ottawa now.

I totally agree. REM will also be running trains exposed to the elements for much of its run. Montreal will be facing the same challenges under very similar weather conditions.

I don't care if Montreal claims that they are using a different type of train, something closer to Vancouver's skytrain. I wouldn't be so confident. The skytrain has also experienced problems during Vancouver's rare snowfalls.

Montreal also should be careful about planning all kinds of other electric surface train lines without first determining how REM performs in winter.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I hope this is a bit of sarcasm. Montreal, being a little closer to the Atlantic tends to get a bit more snow and ice than Ottawa.

They're basically the same climate. Ottawa averages 220 cm of snow a year and Montreal gets 210 cm.

One of the slight differences I'd say is due to a lesser urban heat island effect and fewer barriers to northwest winds, Ottawa's cold snaps tend to be a tad colder.

And you're probably right that Montreal is a bit more prone to getting icier episodes.