The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[esquire]

It's too bad the old CPR station in Edmonton at Jasper and 109 wasn't still there... that location would have been perfect for a station. But that said, the rail right of way still goes right up to the south side of the street at Jasper which falls only about 100m short... that would be an amazing location for HSR. It would be adjacent to Corona LRT as well.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by esquire

It's too bad the old CPR station in Edmonton at Jasper and 109 wasn't still there... that location would have been perfect for a station. But that said, the rail right of way still goes right up to the south side of the street at Jasper which falls only about 100m short... that would be an amazing location for HSR. It would be adjacent to Corona LRT as well.

I believe the government owns this parcel, and maybe most of the next block north:

[sleepyeyed]

I'm not sure of the feasability, but the Bowker Building on the east side of 109 St looks like it would make a beautiful entrance to an underground HSR with access from the rear legislature plaza as well.


from https://hfks.squarespace.com/projects/bowker-building-edmonton


from skyrisecities.com


from https://hfks.squarespace.com/projects/bowker-building-edmonton

[Coldrsx]

^A glass and steel entranceway similar to something like you would find at the Gare Paris Saint Lazare.


https://www.gettyimages.ca/photos/gare-st.-lazare

----

In other news...

Edmonton city council approves $1B LRT expansion project

Andrea Dion
CTV News Edmonton

EDMONTON -- The City of Edmonton is moving forward with expanding the LRT Capital Line farther south.

On Tuesday, city council approved funding to extend the Capital Line from Century Park to extend to the Heritage Valley Park and Ride.

The new 4.5-kilometre addition will cost more than $1 billion. But, the expense will be split three ways between the city, the province, and the federal government.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/edmonton-cit...1302&mc_cid=65cfbecbec&mc_eid=b81cde227f

[someone123]

Another aspect of the Halifax ferry service expansion is that the downtown ferry terminal will need to be upgraded. The existing terminal has not changed much since the 1970's. It sounds like detailed design work will be done for this soon. The planning process seems much more concrete than past ferry proposals:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot...nal-mill-cove-bedford-net-zero-1.6075087

The existing ferry terminal can be seen in the lower right here. The ferry terminal area is a little tired. The 60's cube in behind is a courthouse building and it has a squat, bunker-like parking structure surrounded by shops with an open rooftop that connects to an upper level of the ferry terminal and a pedestrian bridge.


Source

[Coldrsx]

Some updated renderings of the Valley Line West that ramps up in 2022 and opens in 2026.







https://twitter.com/DShepYEG/status/1407473560134823936

[Coldrsx]

LRT Network Plan advances, new funding approved for extension of Capital Line
June 23, 2021

City Council has approved $333 million of municipal funding for the Capital Line South LRT Extension from Century Park to the Heritage Valley Park & Ride.

“With this commitment we are one big step closer to the City’s vision to expand LRT service to all sectors of the city by 2040,” said Adam Laughlin, Deputy City Manager of Integrated Infrastructure Services. “This municipal contribution will allow us to start preparing the project in anticipation of Federal funding confirmation.”

The City of Edmonton has received $1.47 billion in previous funding commitments from both the federal and provincial governments for LRT expansion. The Capital Line funding application is currently with the federal government for review and submission to the federal Treasury Board by the fall of this year.

Administration also delivered an LRT Network update to City Council that outlined the work being completed across the Valley Line LRT and Metro Northwest.

“We are thrilled that work has begun on the next major pieces of the LRT Network in the Valley Line West and Metro Northwest Phase 1,” said Laughlin. “Projects of this size bring a massive economic boost to the province and to our city and will be invaluable to moving people efficiently as our city continues to grow.”

Construction on the Metro Line extension from NAIT into Blatchford is continuing with track being installed, stations being constructed and landscaping work happening to accommodate the line. Early work on the Valley Line West is underway and includes preparing project plans and designs, procuring major construction contracts and conducting geotechnical investigations along the alignment. Construction activities are set to ramp up in early 2022 and will eventually connect to the operational Valley Line Southeast.

“The Valley Line Southeast will be a significant addition to our current LRT Network. TransEd has stated that they will be completing the project by the end of this year, and we are holding them to it,” said Laughlin. “TransEd has a lot of work to do, and we want to help them get there so we can enjoy the high-quality and safe system that Edmontonians were promised.”

The Valley Line Southeast will run 13 km from Downtown to Mill Woods and will operate as Edmonton’s first low-floor “urban-style” LRT. TransEd began construction on the Valley Line Southeast in spring 2016.

“This is a big day for LRT in Edmonton,” said Laughlin. “We have three major projects underway and one about to get underway—all of them getting us closer to the vision for LRT and mobility laid out in our City Plan.”


For more information:
edmonton.ca/BuildingLRT

Media contact:
Katie Stewart
Acting Senior Communications Advisor
Communications and Engagement
780-496-4584

[swimmer_spe]

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-breaks-ground-on-scarborough-subway-extension-1.5482761

Scarborough Subway Extension begins construction.
"It will have stations at Lawrence Avenue and McCowan Road, Scarborough Centre and McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue."

[J.OT13]

Ontario Line downtown station locations:

https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/06/locations-revealed-4-new-subway-stations-downtown-toronto/

The article above includes descriptions and estimated transfers/ridership.



Osgood.



Queen.



Moss Park.



Corktown.

[Innsertnamehere]

Downtown is going to be a mess for years as this thing is built.

[Coldrsx]

Capital Line expansion video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTSi8MIFfCM&t=12s

[milomilo]

A billion dollars doesn't get you very much these days! Interesting they are using a truss bridge, more interesting than a (probably cheaper) concrete nothing bridge.

The Capital Line extension looks like a fairly simple LRT project. Extrapolating $1.1B for 4.5km to the 45km Green Line in Calgary, we're looking at ~$11B for the whole project. Perhaps there will be economies of scale savings with a large project, but the Green Line also has much more expensive components to it.

[Coldrsx]

Truss is likely to limit closure of AHD as you can lift it in onto their pylons overnight.

A simple but important 'spur' to connect the future hospital/Prov lands, the large park and ride and our fastest growing part of the city.

Not to mention that it brings us that much closer to YEG (if we choose LRT versus a heavy rail more akin to a UPX down Hwy2.

[esquire]

Doesn't Edmonton's LRT top out at 80 km/h? Is that the mode you really want going that far out to the airport?

[niwell]

I was very skeptical of the Ontario line as announced, but it's good to see some concrete progress made. Plus what seems to be a legitimate attempt to ameliorate concerns wrt the Riverside alignment. Even if this is an elaborate kickback scheme to inject public money into various construction firms I don't really care so long as something gets built (only partly tongue in cheek).

[Coldrsx]

I believe the idea is heavier rail and straight down Hwy2/CP, but I could see this as well to connect Nisku for workers and a regional park and ride.

At the moment the 747 bus connection to LRT works very well so long as you aren't on the first flight or the last few during the day.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by esquire

Doesn't Edmonton's LRT top out at 80 km/h? Is that the mode you really want going that far out to the airport?

Airports are also notoriously bad trip generators, despite the optics of having transit available from terminal to downtown. No idea about the available rail corridors but you would think that a UP type solution would be preferable.

[milomilo]

I would expect heavy rail to YEG would only happen after (or at the same time as) another passenger railway south of Edmonton (probably to Calgary) was built. Building a downtown rail station for just for YEG makes no sense, but a spur line off infrastructure already paid for by something else would.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I believe the idea is heavier rail and straight down Hwy2/CP, but I could see this as well to connect Nisku for workers and a regional park and ride.

At the moment the 747 bus connection to LRT works very well so long as you aren't on the first flight or the last few during the day.

It would seem to me that an express bus service from the city to the airport would probably be faster and more convenient (not sure about rush hour though) for travellers. Even if you have to connect via bus/LRT it's hard to see how that isn't more efficient. I remember during my days in Edmonton I would take the airport van downtown for like 15 bucks and it's hard to see how the LRT would be more appealing.

Unless it's about being able to say "we have an LRT station at the airport" in which case the LRT makes sense.

[Coldrsx]

Bus service works just fine for the immediate future, but it will be interesting to look back in twenty to see the choice.

Edmonton is focussed on the NW expansion next to St.Albert and sorting out its 'central circulator' before YEG, but with this expansion you literally can almost reach out and touch the control tower.