First Impressions:
- Even at 60 km/h, the underground section is fantastic. Never in my life have I travelled from Weston to Leaside at that velocity.
- Stations are pleasant spacious and decorated well enough. I wonder how long before the white painted walls at platform level will look scuffed and worn. More Vitrolite, please
- on the above ground sectons, operation was much more aggressive than Line 6. The delay at red lights was an obvious point for Improvement, but dwell at stations was not excessive and generally it felt like we were moving with dispatch. Much more pleasant ride than on a bus, and faster station stops than a bus stop - frankly, buses ttake a long time to load/unload and stop/start lurches are often unpleasant. Even at current velocity, comparisons with bus will favour the LRT. Just fix the TSP and all will be well.
- Odd to see stop request buttons fitted and working when the route will stop at all stations?
- Noted that the first Flexities which were delivered with. Bombardier lettering on their noses have had those removed.
- Personally I’m not a fan of the Flexities because they waste so many linear feet of capacity. Maybe the next generation of trams will be a single full platform length trainset with end to end walkability. The nose and coupler spaces are wasted space. Trams were comfortably filled with an opening morning crowd, but a crush rush hour loading may be a lot less pleasant
- even with stops for red lights the rider experience is much more pleasant than Ottawa where there are more speed Restricting curves that make the ride feel like a grind. Line 5 is smooth, steady, feels like you are getting somewhere. Line 6, and certainly 501, this is not.
- station naming is lame. Need to name more atops for the street grid. Bathurst is Bathurst etc.
Bottom line: B+ to A-, just fix the TSP and artificial speed restrictions.
- Paul
mania (Superbowl).
