[Chris R.]

Thanks. Any word on when the York Boulevard work will begin? That's also an LRT early works project that was scheduled for this year, but I haven't heard much about it in a while..

York Boulevard reconstruction isn't part of the LRT anymore, but the project was supposed to start 2024 Spring. I'm waiting to hear back from the Ward 2 office on this actually, but I think the IT issues are causing delays from the staff that have this project.

 

[thomax]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765761074790343162

 

[nfitz]

Unlike Ontario, BC just actually builds metro systems. They had originally planned an LRT in Surrey, but dropped it in favour of a skytrain extension instead.

... and then there's the LRT they replaced with nothing.

Vancouver is doing well. But there's more new subway stations under construction in Toronto than Vancouver.

 

[TossYourJacket]

... and then there's the LRT they replaced with nothing.

Vancouver is doing well. But there's more new subway stations under construction in Toronto than Vancouver.

I would hope so, given the GTA is over twice the size of Metro Vancouver (6.4M vs 2.7M), and the City of Toronto is over 4 times the size of the City of Vancouver (2.9M vs 675K).

That said, I do think the level of our current expansion projects are a thing Vancouver could aspire to (East Hastings and North Shore Skytrains come to mind here), and we could also learn a lot from them on continually building projects, unlike our constant stop/start of projects. And while the Metrolinx TOCs are a decent first step, Vancouver is killing us on TOD.

 

[ARG1]

... and then there's the LRT they replaced with nothing.

Vancouver is doing well. But there's more new subway stations under construction in Toronto than Vancouver.

Vancouver is building new lines and expansions at a rate that is acceptable considering the size and population of the city/region. Toronto is desperately trying to catch up and building projects that should've been built 40 years ago, and overall trying to decrease a massive infrastructure deficit. The fact that Vancouver today already has a larger metro network than Toronto alone should tell you that it would be VERY concerning if Toronto wasn't in fact building more subway stations than in Vancouver.

Edit: Accidentally wrote accessible instead of acceptable. Whoops

 

[nfitz]

I would hope so, given the GTA is over twice the size of Metro Vancouver (6.4M vs 2.7M), and the City of Toronto is over 4 times the size of the City of Vancouver (2.9M vs 675K).

My point was that it wasn't only Vancouver building metro systems. Hmm - though did @innsertnamehere mean Vancouver was only (currently) building metro systems - which also wouldn't be true, as they are currently building a new Canada Line station in Richmond - which doesn't meet the definition of metro or heavy-rail - because of the tiny trains - the entire train being shorter than a single Finch LRT car.

I'm realising I have no idea what he was trying to say.

Though I'm not sure the City of Vancouver is comparable to the City of Toronto. The City of Vancouver comparable to the old City of Toronto, which is less than a million people. Metro Vancouver has over 20 different municipalities in it. Burnaby is only 6 km from downtown, and another 5 km get's you into New Westminster.! North Vancouver is only 3 km from downtown. Even Surrey is only 9 km from the edge of Vancouver. Even UBC is it's own municipality.

Vancouver is building new lines and expansions at a rate that is accessible considering the size and population of the city/region.

It's doing well - but nothing to do with my point that Toronto is also building metro.

And it's certainly done very well while Toronto was stagnating. But I'm not sure it's comparable at this point. Only one six-station extension (6 km) towards UBC is under construction - with another one (8 stations to Langley). hopefully starting this year. After that, other than only the final 4 stations to UBC are in the pipeline. So 3 projects? Compared to the 14 major rail projects here in the GTA - more if you included the less likely Waterfront and Line 7 plans. Their commuter rail system only has 8 stations, and carries under 6,000 riders a day; about the same as the TTC 112 West Mall bus. Heck, with only 5 trains a day, and a single station in the City of Vancouver, even Hamilton has a bigger commuter rail system (he says in a desperate attempt to be very slightly on-topic).

 

[Northern Light]

I'm realising I have no idea what he was trying to say.

You have to go back and read the post above his, to which he was replying.

The post above essentially asserted that Vancouver's Skytrain was an LRT, and @innsertnamehere was just correcting that statement and noting that, in fact, Vancouver doesn't have a single LRT, so if you like its system you're comparing it to the wrong thing in Toronto. The Canada Line is a different matter, but worth saying is also not an LRT as such either.

To sum up, I think his point was simply that one needs to properly compared apples to apples, so to speak. But he can, of course speak for himself and I have tagged him accordingly.

 

[nfitz]

The Canada Line is a different matter, but worth saying is also not an LRT as such either.

Ah, I see. Thanks. Though I'd think the Canada Line is closer to LRT than subway or heavy rail, given how short the trains are.

But we are way off-topic. Don't we have a thread for fannish transit definitions?

 

[ARG1]

And it's certainly done very well while Toronto was stagnating. But I'm not sure it's comparable at this point. Only one six-station extension (6 km) towards UBC is under construction - with another one (8 stations to Langley). hopefully starting this year. After that, other than only the final 4 stations to UBC are in the pipeline. So 3 projects? Compared to the 14 major rail projects here in the GTA - more if you included the less likely Waterfront and Line 7 plans. Their commuter rail system only has 8 stations, and carries under 6,000 riders a day; about the same as the TTC 112 West Mall bus. Heck, with only 5 trains a day, and a single station in the City of Vancouver, even Hamilton has a bigger commuter rail system (he says in a desperate attempt to be very slightly on-topic).

Vancouver has a massive list of planned corridors and routes as part of future rapid transit expansions, major ones being north shore skytrain, and rapid transit between Metrotown and UBC along 41st. But yes we are going a bit off topic here

 

[Bojaxs]

You have to go back and read the post above his, to which he was replying.

The post above essentially asserted that Vancouver's Skytrain was an LRT, and @innsertnamehere was just correcting that statement and noting that, in fact, Vancouver doesn't have a single LRT, so if you like its system you're comparing it to the wrong thing in Toronto. The Canada Line is a different matter, but worth saying is also not an LRT as such either.

To sum up, I think his point was simply that one needs to properly compared apples to apples, so to speak. But he can, of course speak for himself and I have tagged him accordingly.

Alright. I confused a metro with a LRT. Crucify me.

My point being that the Skytrain was constructed to move people across Vancouver as quickly as possible. Why can't Hamilton have the same mentality towards the LRT?

Adding two 90 degree turns on the Hamilton LRT gives the impression that we're not building rapid transit. My concern is that once this line gets built with the two turns, no one will want to spend the money in the future to upgrade the line to incorporate the 403 bridge.

The Waterloo ION is so slow, yet Hamilton seems to want to replicate it.

Why aren't we building something like the Calgary C-train?

 

[Northern Light]

Alright. I confused a metro with a LRT. Crucify me.

Excuse me? Where did i do any such thing? I wasn't the least bit unkind, never mind hyperbolic. I simply clarified the intent of a different poster. That is all no religious persecution, nor that of any other kind was involved.

My point being that the Skytrain was constructed to move people across Vancouver as quickly as possible. Why can't Hamilton have the same mentality towards the LRT?

That's a perfectly reasonable question, if slightly over simplifying what's involved.

Adding two 90 degree turns on the Hamilton LRT gives the impression that we're not building rapid transit. My concern is that once this line gets built with the two turns, no one will want to spend the money in the future to upgrade the line to incorporate the 403 bridge.

The Waterloo ION is so slow, yet Hamilton seems to want to replicate it.

Why aren't we building something like the Calgary C-train?

A partial answer lies here: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2021/12/26/canada-transit-expensive/

 

[Chris R.]

Found an old document from 2009 on an old cell phone I didn't even realize I had before. Shows some interesting alignment options. Shows one option where there was a Westdale stop (I like this alignment) and a Bay St stop instead of a James St stop. One shows a layout more similar to the Waterloo ION where it splits up through downtown (do not like). And a possible interchange layout for the 403 and Main St:

 

[urbancog]

From that Hwy 403 Interchange Ramp Configuration Review, it looks like the only way from the 403 W-bound to downtown Hamilton will be along York Blvd.

At least the police should be able to increase City revenues with their speed trap at the cemetery ;-)

 

[Chris R.]

From that Hwy 403 Interchange Ramp Configuration Review, it looks like the only way from the 403 W-bound to downtown Hamilton will be along York Blvd.

At least the police should be able to increase City revenues with their speed trap at the cemetery ;-)

The planned alterations showed the York Blvd exit being widened to two lanes. I find this an unlikely configuration today, so this above posted is likely to be different from what we actually see. I just thought it was interesting to see a potential layout which I hadn't seen before.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The original LRT plans had some traffic configuration changes which have since been dropped - i.e. originally the plan was to take York St and convert it back to 3-lanes westbound to try to make up for King St disappearing, which has now been dropped.

Generally there has just been a complete information vacuum on the LRT for going on almost a decade now that desperately needs to be backfilled. Unfortunately, Metrolinx is absolutely terrible at releasing information.