Why couldn't the MiWay Transitway had been a guided busway? Less width needed, and they could have added a bike path at the same time.

See this video on the Cambridge (England) Guided Busway:
[video=vimeo;128903547]https://vimeo.com/128903547[/video]

Sometimes just when you really think you have seen or heard of just about everything in the transportation world you come upon something that went under your radar. That happened to me while on a infrastructure tour with cycling advocates in Cambridge, UK. when we came along what is called a Guided Busway.

The video gives only a small taste of how it all works and shows a short segment, but it's fascinating. They've converted an old rail line into something I affectionately referred to as "Bioswale BRT" due to the greenery that grows between the grooved concrete slabs which contain the wheels of the bus. It is very unique since the system requires no drainage system of any kind: water is absorbed by the ground, a green form of stormwater management.

The Cambridge system is the longest guided busway in the world and is designed so that drivers do not even have to hold the wheel on the 16 miles of guided sections. Bus speeds can reach up to 55 mph.

And even more impressive is the fact that a busy bike/walking path runs adjacent to the route. You won't find railings separating the bus from trail users. There's no honking or ominipresent flashing lights warning like you would in the USA, it's just all good ole common sense and respect of modes. It's amazing the air rush that is generated when the bus whooshes past.
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Maybe the snow that we get?
 
W. K. Lis said:
Why couldn't the MiWay Transitway had been a guided busway?
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Because many if not all of the buses that use it travel beyond the transitway ... to the airport, Kipling/Islington, and onto streets in Mississauga. It would also make it difficut for GO to use.
 
nfitz said:
Because many if not all of the buses that use it travel beyond the transitway ... to the airport, Kipling/Islington, and onto streets in Mississauga. It would also make it difficut for GO to use.
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If you listened to the video, their buses do something similar. They're not restricted only to their busway, but fan out.
 
W. K. Lis said:
If you listened to the video, their buses do something similar. They're not restricted only to their busway, but fan out.
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Sure ... but is it worth the trouble then? It's not like you can do away with the driver. And how do you make it compatible for various different types of buses, including all the GO equipment?

What's the benefit of this that would outweigh all that extra hardware that will require maintenance, and the extra installation cost? I don't see any labour savings, and I do see more labour being required.
 
W. K. Lis said:
Why couldn't the MiWay Transitway had been a guided busway? Less width needed, and they could have added a bike path at the same time.

See this video on the Cambridge (England) Guided Busway:


Maybe the snow that we get?
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You better talk to the folks in the UK about this system as they had all kinds of problems getting it on line to the point it fall apart now.

Not worth the money unless there is no driver in that seat in the first place and not going to happen for decades.

More to the point, its only part of a whole thing similar the Mississauga/Halton/Toronto/York/Durham system.
 
There really is no point. It's not like the BRT corridor was short of space. As for making room for bike lanes, there is also no need. A multi-use trail already exists and is being expanded along the hydro corridor that the BRT follows.
 
GO buses won't be stopping at all stops on the transitway so if it was a guided busway, it would probably be difficult for buses to skip stops and to bypass other buses.
 
W. K. Lis said:
If you listened to the video, their buses do something similar. They're not restricted only to their busway, but fan out.
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Buses that use a guideway requires special running wheels to make contact with the running rails.

guidewheel.jpg


Guideways are pretty labour intensive for the little benefits they bring. It's not worth the cost.
 
They don't retract - they still stick out when driving around, but they don't stick out very far, so it's not an issue. While the UK line is the newest guided busway, there are dozens all around the world. Germany has one that is both an LRT and Guided Busway sharing the same ROW. It's pretty neat. There are a couple in Australia and Japan, as well.

It would be neat to implement something like Eindhoven's Phileas buses - they use optical and magnetic guidance, and all wheels can steer, electronically - so it can "crab" sideways for perfect docking with the platform. It would also permit any hardware to use the existing roadway since the magnets are embedded and wouldn't interfere with anything else.

6332256588_8291dd8685_b.jpg
 
Although guided buses have their advantages when compared to standard BRT Transitway systems, the Phileas system has been a failure in all it's applications. It doesn't use physical design to control the bus but rather electronic. They have proven themselves to be a complete failure if there is any snow or ice on the road. Apparently on very hot days asphalt which can become slightly less solid can play havoc on the system. Due to this they require just as much room for the buses as standard BRT.

When they do work in ideal locations they have also found them to be very expensive to operate because asphalt is not designed for heavy vehicles to go down it continually to the millimeter. It starts to create a groove in the pavement which has to be constantly repaired. In Holland they have had to replace many sections with expensive concrete surfaces due to this.

A physical barrier system is far more pragmatic and easier to build and the small extra side wheel makes for perfect level boardings at stations equal to and rail system. Getting on and off the physical guided system is very easy as most have bus entry/exit clear ramps at various stations along the way. The bus due to the barriers accelerate faster, are much smoother, get better gas mileage, have thinner busways, and get rid of the "last mile" problems which plague most rail corridors and especially ones in suburban areas.
 
June 24
The green wall is being use where there is no need for concrete shear wall or a retaining wall. This is the first full year of growth for the green wall.

Tahoe station could be finish by Sept as they are installing elevators now. Most of the road in the station has been pour.

As for Etobicoke Creek station, it has fallen behind from what I could see. The elevator will go above the street level to the roof of the parking garage that will have a walkway to it. Wasn't up the last time I saw it and a good idea.

Spectrum new bridge is open and work underway for the station. Orbitor bridge work is just getting underway and this will leave 2 more bridges to be built in 2016. The westbound lanes bridge of Eglinton Ave is complete and waiting road work and retaining wall so it can reopen later this year.

Couldn't see what really taking place at Renforth from the 109 and will have to do another trip just for that area.

Will not have yesterday photos on line tell next week.

The last photo above show where the the connection to Eglinton Ave before Etobicoke Creek bridge will place in Jan/Feb 2016 to extend the transitway further east than today, as well adding 2 more stations.
 
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