As soon as we talk about the 401 corridor, we need to expropriate much more expensive land, and need to modify numerous existing overpasses. The elephant in the room is that we start compromising HSR with local service. It is not just Kingston, because without Kingston, service to the smaller...

It is inevitable that there will be rural complaints when there are no benefits to offer. However, the needed ROW is going to be much narrower than a 400 series highway. Listen to the complaints. offer some mitigation, and move forward. We cannot make everybody totally happy.

I don't entirely buy the microclimate argument. In the end, the wires were damaged in three different locations. There has to be a solution given that the March 11th storm was not that bad. There was only minor ice accumulation where I live. Every other means of transport worked better than...

I got into a big argument with a friend about the southern alignment. He thought that a Kingston stop was critical. I told him that this compromises the HSR service as well as the traditional service. The HSR route becomes too indirect and slows the service between the biggest cities. Of...

Should a Gatineau surface tramway be built given the results of Finch West? It will be more telling if the new Alexandra bridge makes allowances for LRT. The whole concept of running a tramway in front of Parliament is a nonsense plan given disruption. possibilities. Remember 2022. A Bank...

Third rail is out of the question given Ottawa's climate and intrusion concerns on a mostly surface line.

The Flirt trains are designed to operate by diesel or electricity, so conversion is possible. I would not hold my breath that this will every occur.

Probably the older Lint trains, that run in pairs on weekdays and singles on weekends when ridership is lower. Not sure about the door issue but it could relate to timing on the single track sections. The trains can't run at optimal speed because of that and there may be momentary delays to...

Yep, it is shocking how slow Line 1 runs in Ottawa in the area of Hurdman and the VIA Station. These are so-called 'temporary go slow orders' which I have complained about and got ridiculed. Be patient, I was told. The temporary orders are now in place for years. Bicycles can go faster and...

How can LRT in its own ROW be slower than buses in mixed traffic? Identify a list of reasons and provide solutions for each item on the list. None of the solutions will be easy but this is critical for the success of both Lines 6 and the future Line 10. Surely, it is not just the vehicles. As...

From what I am reading, the LRVs have been taken out of service. ' out of an abundance of caution'. There is some question whether axel replacement schedules are too strict and may be relaxed in the future.. Redesign is ongoing but a prototype has yet to be created and tested. This is a slow...

The Ottawa issues are not as bad as indicated. Although the buildings mentioned do cover some of the old rail yards at Union Station, there is no need for more than 2 tracks that can be placed under Colonel By Drive. There won't be many NIMBYs either as the ROW goes near the University of...

A university professor was interviewed this morning indicating that the boggies on the Citadis Spirit are not designed to handle heavy passenger loads. I would not count on Toronto avoiding this issue if the trains are busy on a regular basis. There are only 16 of 60+ Citadis Spirit trains...

A university professor was interviewed this morning indicating that the boggies on the Citadis Spirit are not designed to handle heavy passenger loads. I would not count on Toronto avoiding this issue if the trains are busy on a regular basis. There are only 16 or 60+ Citadis Spirit trains...

Low floor trains are more accessible as long as stations are on curbs. You do not need retractable ramps if the stations are designed properly. Who builds new LRT today requiring riders to step up from the street? This is not 1920 anymore. High floor trains require more extensive stations...