The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

My favourite station in North America is Vancouver's Commercial-Broadway Station, and here's me explaining why: the station has a ton of nice features, and its unique location and layout makes it a particular nice station to look at! Check the full video (with footage) out!

https://youtu.be/rH4tym6pjEw

Bayview Station in Ottawa has a lot of similarities. It's also an above ground transfer between two rapid transit lines. All the platforms are within the same fare-paid-zone. It has a bit of an awkward layout, with the Albert Street entrance at the east-bound Confederation platform; to go westbound, one has to go down to the Trillium level/concourse to go back up to the west-bound Confederation platform.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayview_station_(Ottawa)

Bayview will be even more interesting, once Stage 2 is complete and Trinity's development is built, with a direct connection to Bayview's Trillium west platform.


https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-developmen...it-project/trillium-line-south-extension

Certainly not on the same scale as Commercial-Broadway and no where near the ridership.

[J.OT13]

Lincoln Fields will be an interesting station as well, part of Stage 2 west, set to open in 2025. The station is between the 3 km tunnel under Richmond Road and where the line splits between the Algonquin and Moodie termini. The design so far (subject to change) features three tracks, two island platforms and a bus loop.

[J.OT13]

Lionel-Groulx might be the most interesting station layout in Canada IMO. That is how you build a transfer station! An amazing piece of engineering.


https://lactualite.com/sante-et-science/faut-il-avoir-peur-du-transport-en-commun/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel-Groulx_station

[BillM]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Lionel-Groulx might be the most interesting station layout in Canada IMO. That is how you build a transfer station! An amazing piece of engineering.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel-Groulx_station

One of the key things in this design that is not obvious in this diagram is that the orange and green lines that share the same level are either both inbound or both outbound. I would imagine that most of the transfers are just across the platform.

[foolworm]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Edmonton's doing a great job continuously building. Valley South is u/c, Valley North at the RFP phase and Metro NW ready for u/c.Any development coming with the NW extension? What's going on with the signaling system?

Edmonton's transit portfolio is more modest than Ottawa's, but is still ambitious in its own right. That said, the NW extension is not coming any time soon - the priority is on the south extension where a Park'n'Ride and hospital are in the works.

Personally I prefer a strategy of small, steady expansions as it builds a local pool of expertise and allows for a more tailored and organic approach. Unfortunately, Canadian cities are playing catch up on rapid transit so mega-projects are the rule of the day.

I mentioned in an earlier post that the 'second tier' systems are converging on a hybrid LRT/BRT model. It will be interesting to see how well that model works and its uptake by other upcoming municipalities.

[Aylmer]

Originally Posted by BillM

One of the key things in this design that is not obvious in this diagram is that the orange and green lines that share the same level are either both inbound or both outbound. I would imagine that most of the transfers are just across the platform.

Very true. It's what makes it so much better than the other stacked transfer station on the Metro network: Snowdon. In that case, all inbound/outbound trips require passengers to use the same (narrow) staircases to cross between levels. It leads to unpleasant (and sometimes almost unsafe) crowding on the stairs as two metro-loads of people try to squeeze by each other on the stairs to make their transfers.

Always drove me crazy.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by BillM

One of the key things in this design that is not obvious in this diagram is that the orange and green lines that share the same level are either both inbound or both outbound. I would imagine that most of the transfers are just across the platform.

The problem with many busy transfers elsewhere, like Yonge Bloor is that there is no way to do this. They come at each other at right angles.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by BillM

One of the key things in this design that is not obvious in this diagram is that the orange and green lines that share the same level are either both inbound or both outbound. I would imagine that most of the transfers are just across the platform.

Impressive. Does anyone know how the station was laid-out when the Green Line opened and how they were able to build the Orange Line through it, which opened two years later?

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

The problem with many busy transfers elsewhere, like Yonge Bloor is that there is no way to do this. They come at each other at right angles.

Montreal made the Green Line take 180 turn to accommodate this design. I'm looking at it and I still don't fully understand how it was achieved.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Line_(Montreal_Metro)

[foolworm]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Impressive. Does anyone know how the station was laid-out when the Green Line opened and how they were able to build the Orange Line through it, which opened two years later?

From Wikipedia:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The station opened on September 3, 1978 as part of the extension of the Green Line to Angrignon, with service on the Green Line only, though the Orange Line platforms were built at the same time. They did not enter service until the extension to Place-Saint-Henri was opened on April 28, 1980.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Montreal made the Green Line take 180 turn to accommodate this design. I'm looking at it and I still don't fully understand how it was achieved.

The downtown map shows the exact alignment more clearly.

[J.OT13]

Thanks!

[J.OT13]

Both O-Train Lines shutting down this weekend.

Confederation Line 1 will be closed Saturday May 2nd and Sunday May 3rd, as well as Saturday May 9th to Wednesday May 13th for maintenance. RTM is taking advantage of the low ridership to catch-up on resolving chronic issues.



Trillium Line 2 will be closing down on May 2nd for an estimated two years to make way for Stage 2 construction.


https://twitter.com/OC_Transpo/status/1255958873338511363

[J.OT13]

A video about challenges the transit agencies will face post- Covid-19. It's Vancouver based, but very much applies to all cities.

In addition to fears surrounding pandemics, layoffs and new work-from-home policies at many companies will amplify the drop in ridership.

I have very little faith in the City of Ottawa's ability to tackle what's coming. They will respond with massive service cuts which will result in continued overcrowding conditions, which will in tern result in more reduced ridership. A vicious circle.

Cities should try to maintain current service levels and current fares while searching for new revenue streams. Ask the Province for new legislation allowing cities to use parking revenue to bolster transit. Charge for park-and-rides (even if it's $2-$3 a day), implement a new general parking tax for parking garages and Power Centres (charge per spot, prompting them to be more efficient with their space).

• Video Link

[foolworm]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A video about challenges the transit agencies will face post- Covid-19. It's Vancouver based, but very much applies to all cities.

In addition to fears surrounding pandemics, layoffs and new work-from-home policies at many companies will amplify the drop in ridership.

I have very little faith in the City of Ottawa's ability to tackle what's coming. They will respond with massive service cuts which will result in continued overcrowding conditions, which will in tern result in more reduced ridership. A vicious circle.

Cities should try to maintain current service levels and current fares while searching for new revenue streams. Ask the Province for new legislation allowing cities to use parking revenue to bolster transit. Charge for park-and-rides (even if it's $2-$3 a day), implement a new general parking tax for parking garages and Power Centres (charge per spot, prompting them to be more efficient with their space).

I disagree with this video. It's premature to speculate on whether reduced ridership levels will be permanent going forward, China is still in the midst of gradual reopening and there is already talk of a second wave.

On the other hand transit agencies are taking the opportunity to catch up on deferred maintenance and are poised to benefit from stimulus funding. A newly health-conscious public will also be supportive of measures to improve cleanliness and good behaviour on transit, which in turn should result in better perception.

For that matter, I don't see Ottawa reacting differently from any other municipality going forward. Everybody thinks their local government / transit operator is incompetent but that's human nature.

[Doady]

Reduced immigration levels is what will kill the transit ridership in Canada in the coming years. But more funding to build a transportation systems for non-immigrants might be a good thing.

But OC Transpo has the third highest transit ridership per capita in Canada, higher than Calgary Transit and Edmonton Transit System, higher than any US system other than NYC Transit, by wide margins. I am not at all worried about their ability to deal with whatever comes.

[Peggerino]

What does immigration have to do with transit?

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Peggerino

What does immigration have to do with transit?

Typically, those people cannot afford cars.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

A video about challenges the transit agencies will face post- Covid-19. It's Vancouver based, but very much applies to all cities.

In addition to fears surrounding pandemics, layoffs and new work-from-home policies at many companies will amplify the drop in ridership.

I have very little faith in the City of Ottawa's ability to tackle what's coming. They will respond with massive service cuts which will result in continued overcrowding conditions, which will in tern result in more reduced ridership. A vicious circle.

Cities should try to maintain current service levels and current fares while searching for new revenue streams. Ask the Province for new legislation allowing cities to use parking revenue to bolster transit. Charge for park-and-rides (even if it's $2-$3 a day), implement a new general parking tax for parking garages and Power Centres (charge per spot, prompting them to be more efficient with their space).

• Video Link

There is much about this video that is flawed logic. The biggest thing is the assumption that everything will go back to normal with people's income and their credit score, and their credit.

I think that people will be scared to go to restaurants due to the potential of catching something from someone nearby.

Flying will be for business only for a few years. To recoup the losses, the airfare will be much higher, and many low cost carriers will be squeezed out.

So, driving will not kill transit. I think covid will kill driving. Yes, gas is cheap, but people are seeing they can work from home, and may want to continue that way. Companies that pay for large office spaces will look at lowering costs when they start up. Real estate is a big cost, especially in the larger cities.

Every transit agency has been cutting service. They have been doing it as the ridership has plummeted due to less people working our going to school outside the home.

In fact, I think one thing the government will spend their stimulus money on are the major transit projects that have had dates over 10 years from now.

If I am wrong, right now, there should be more congestion in the bigger cities. But there isn't.

[Acajack]

My family are not immigrants and we will be going back to transit to the degree we used to use it for work and school when things get back to normal.

[hipster duck]

^Doady is making fun of the American forumer Crawford who steadfastly believes that the reason Canada has double the per capita transit ridership of the US is due to us having lower incomes and higher levels of immigration.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

^Doady is making fun of the American forumer Crawford who steadfastly believes that the reason Canada has double the per capita transit ridership of the US is due to us having lower incomes and higher levels of immigration.

I know but minus the immigration angle there is still discussion out there about whether transit ridership can recover from this.