The Great Canadian Transit Thread - Page 731

swimmer_spe · #**14601** Posted **Nov 13, 2020, 1:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by biguc

Looking through wikipedia at proposed transit projects in Ontario, it's just a mess of Ford interference. It seems like almost every project has had a Ford cancel it, then decide it's actually necessary, but then interfere further and end up making a more expensive, less useful piece of infrastructure with a ten year development setback. Eglington West is particularly hilarious: cancel it, then don't, but scrap the existing plan in favour of a more expensive line with less stops and less ridership, but service to car rentals near the airport. It's like they don't understand what transit is for. At least they live up to their name.

That is because transit is political, but never used by a politician.

J.OT13 · #**14602** Posted **Nov 13, 2020, 2:34 PM**

In Ottawa, we have quite a few Councillors who use transit on a regular basis. Even the Mayor is seen on the O-Train fairly regularly.

The Chair of the Transit Commission has only been on the O-Train once for a photo-op as far as we know. Even that first week where the train was running without the parallel bus service from the first time, he was driving between a few stations (or was driven, I should say), criticizing Councillors who were actually taking transit for criticizing the system by confirming the general population's complaints.

Aylmer · #**14603** Posted **Nov 13, 2020, 3:57 PM**

The local MP here is a regular on the bus. And both Singh and McKenna commute on very fashionable bikes.

GeneralLea · #**14604** Posted **Nov 13, 2020, 5:53 PM**

I can't wait until Ford is gone....he's such a meddling husk for a leader. Of course, we'll likely see another leader like him someday....it's practically inevitable.

Hopefully Hamilton finally see it's streetcar project go ahead in a few years, this is simply absurd.

Reecemartin · #**14605** Posted **Nov 17, 2020, 3:52 AM**

[Deleted]

Metro-One · #**14606** Posted **Nov 17, 2020, 6:24 AM**

New station on the Canada Line between Bridgeport and Aberdeen.

Been planned for since the line opened and looks like enough money has been collected from developers to proceed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Capstan Station

From Kenneth Chan twitter:

Up & down escalators, large circulation areas, 50-metre platforms, retail. Construction begins early 2021.
https://twitter.com/iamkennethchan

https://twitter.com/iamkennethchan

SkahHigh · #**14607** Posted **Nov 17, 2020, 1:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

That is because transit is political, but never used by a politician.

Pretty much. The only time you'll see most politicians taking transit is for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

J.OT13 · #**14608** Posted **Nov 17, 2020, 1:53 PM**

Capstan looks great! Up and down escalators, full roof, wide staircases, plenty of fare gates. They learned their lessons from the original Canada Line and then-some. I'm quite jealous.

Acajack · #**14609** Posted **Nov 17, 2020, 2:56 PM**

Capstan? Isn't that part of the mechanism of one of those old cassette players?

You'd need to run a head cleaner tape every once in a while so it wouldn't become hyper-magnetized and "eat" the tape inside the cassette.

Metro-One · #**14610** Posted **Nov 18, 2020, 1:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Capstan looks great! Up and down escalators, full roof, wide staircases, plenty of fare gates. They learned their lessons from the original Canada Line and then-some. I'm quite jealous.

Yes, it’s a big improvement in quality. I even really like the color scheme.

Vancouver City Centre Station is currently being renovated with more escalators and Broadway Station will have a major overhaul as part of the Broadway subway project so slowly the Canada Line is getting more refined.

Dengler Avenue · #**14611** Posted **Nov 18, 2020, 1:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metro-One

New station on the Canada Line between Bridgeport and Aberdeen.

Been planned for since the line opened and looks like enough money has been collected from developers to proceed.

Next, reroute 403 onto Capstan Way and keep 407 on Garden City Road. The hourly frequency* of the latter outside of rush hours is straight up embarrassing by this point in time...

* 407 leaves Steveston Harbour every 30 minutes but every 2nd trip is short-turned at RC.

JHikka · #**14612** Posted **Nov 18, 2020, 8:04 PM**

Union Station's new GO Bus Terminal will open next month

https://blog.metrolinx.com/2020/11/16/to...what-you-need-to-know-to-get-on-the-bus/

Waiting area

Entry

Bay Street pedestrian bridge

Departures

Gates

savevp · #**14613** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 2:36 PM**

I'm going to miss the outgoing Union bus terminal. Many happy memories of sitting out there as a grad student, piss drunk at 3am on a warm summer night, after a night at the pub. Just soaking up the warm air before stepping onto the bus, and inevitably passing out on the bus and waking up in King City or somewhere far past my stop

Especially as long as we've got Covid with us, we're going to miss the outdoor terminal. That said, the new one looks sharp, clean, and airport-like. It'll be nice to have a more coherent connection to the rest of the station, too. Though I sort of wish the silver gate pillars were wood or something a touch warmer.

Does anyone think we will be seeing the coach terminal integrated with this at any point or has that ship sailed?

Acajack · #**14614** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 3:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by savevp

I'm going to miss the outgoing bus terminal. Many happy memories of sitting out there as a grad student, piss drunk at 3am on a warm summer night, after a night at the pub. Just soaking up the warm air before stepping onto the bus, and inevitably passing out on the bus and waking up in King City or somewhere far past my stop

Especially as long as we've got Covid with us, we're going to miss the outdoor terminal. That said, the new one looks sharp, clean, and airport-like. It'll be nice to have a more coherent connection to the rest of the station, too. Though I sort of wish the silver gate pillars were wood or something a touch warmer.

Does anyone think we will be seeing the coach terminal integrated with this at any point or has that ship sailed?

Are you talking about the terminal on Bay St. (NW of the Eaton Centre)? I have lots of memories from that place!

esquire · #**14615** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 3:04 PM**

That's probably one of the nicest bus stations I've ever seen. Up until recently most Canadian bus stations (at least the ones I've seen) looked pretty cramped, drab and grimy, but the new crop is starting to look a bit nicer. I guess in the GTA there's enough bus ridership to justify that level of investment...

savevp · #**14616** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 3:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Are you talking about the terminal on Bay St. (NW of the Eaton Centre)? I have lots of memories from that place!

Nope, was actually referring to the existing Union bus terminal. I used to catch one of the middle of the night buses back up to Richmond Hill where I was living during grad school at UofT. Though I was wondering why the Coach Terminal near Eaton Centre isn't being incorporated into Union.

As beautiful as the Coach Terminal is, it doesn't make sense not to integrate it with the massive transport hub a kilometer or two away. And frankly, the Coach Terminal isn't in the highest state of architectural preservation these days. It'd make a neat spot for the eventual Toronto civic museum.

Acajack · #**14617** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by savevp

Nope, was actually referring to the existing Union bus terminal. I used to catch one of the middle of the night buses back up to Richmond Hill where I was living during grad school at UofT. Though I was wondering why the Coach Terminal near Eaton Centre isn't being incorporated into Union.

As beautiful as the Coach Terminal is, it doesn't make sense not to integrate it with the massive transport hub a kilometer or two away. And frankly, the Coach Terminal isn't in the highest state of architectural preservation these days. It'd make a neat spot for the eventual Toronto civic museum.

OK thanks.

Yes the coach terminal is beautiful architecturally. Human-wise, I'd say it's a tad less beautiful in there!

hipster duck · #**14618** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 5:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Are you talking about the terminal on Bay St. (NW of the Eaton Centre)? I have lots of memories from that place!

There was a certain 20th century seediness to that place, wasn't there?

Like how it had things like coin-operated lockers for transient people to store their stuff for 24 hours? Or how bums would mill around asking for change to buy a ticket to travel to some northern town (or to buy a bottle of beer at the bar)? Or how there was an office for the bus dispatcher that looked like something out of Taxi?

Acajack · #**14619** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

There was a certain 20th century seediness to that place, wasn't there?

Like how it had things like coin-operated lockers for transient people to store their stuff for 24 hours? Or how bums would mill around asking for change to buy a ticket to travel to some northern town (or to buy a bottle of beer at the bar)? Or how there was an office for the bus dispatcher that looked like something out of Taxi?

Yeah, I always found that as a major transportation hub it was totally out of character for a city of Toronto's wealth and size.

Though every city has its seedy side I suppose.

MonctonRad · #**14620** Posted **Nov 19, 2020, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Capstan? Isn't that part of the mechanism of one of those old cassette players?

Acajack. I'm surprised! You have Maritime roots - you should know what a capstan originally was used for!!!

In nautical terms, a capstan is a vertically oriented post (which is rotatable) around which you can wind a rope or chain, classically so that you can hoist an anchor.

Are you sure your ancestors were Acadian fishermen????