Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

[ARG1]

Thread on the great Signal Priority Debate ™

https://twitter.com/x/status/1449048385156157449

https://twitter.com/x/status/1449049046719533057

https://twitter.com/x/status/1449049918820265984

Here's a major issue, and this is why relying on LRTs for Rapid Transit is problematic. Even in a world where Eglinton had full TSP, all it would take is one anti-transit mayor and council, and they can get rid of the TSP and make transit worse with the snap of their fingers. Flexible modes leads to flexibility in neutering the system.

 

[Steve X]

Remind me why this line is called Line 5 again?

The person who read the proposed number forget to look at the full number, Line 534.

 

[MisterF]

Here's a major issue, and this is why relying on LRTs for Rapid Transit is problematic. Even in a world where Eglinton had full TSP, all it would take is one anti-transit mayor and council, and they can get rid of the TSP and make transit worse with the snap of their fingers. Flexible modes leads to flexibility in neutering the system.

To be fair, LRT can be designed so that it's functionally a metro. Multiple cities in Canada have these kinds of systems. Toronto isn't one of them.

 

[ARG1]

To be fair, LRT can be designed so that it's functionally a metro. Multiple cities in Canada have these kinds of systems. Toronto isn't one of them.

The issue is that it makes future extensions susceptible to major corner cuts that can undermine this goal.

Take Ottawa's LRT for example. It uses low floor LRVs because it was originally going to have on street at grade segments. While it is true that the entire system at the moment is fully grade separated, and the current plans call for all extensions to be fully grade separated, the mode still allows for on street operations which means if they get a new mayor that wants to save a lot of money, the possibility of an extension having on street sections is quite high.

 

[Johnny Au]

Here are some photos that constitute Part 12 of the series of photos taken at Cedarvale station on September 28, 2021

Northwest Corner Part 2:

Bags of expandable polystyrene are being lifted from the lower level to the surface

Additional photos are in this thread: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...station-m-s-metrolinx-norr.19747/post-1746587

The final part will be tomorrow and it would also be of the Northwest Corner.

 

[daniel_kryz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1449055319166967817

 

[Johnny Au]

Here are the final set of photos that constitute Part 13 (the final part) of the series of photos taken at Cedarvale station on September 28, 2021

Northwest Corner Part 3:

An overview

More bags of King Pearl-brand expandable polystyrene taken from the lower level

 

[allengeorge]

And if that's not infuriating enough, here's another thing we can take out of this: the TTC is planning to operate the Crosstown line with a schedule based operation instead headway based.

I’ve always wondered why the TTC is so resistant to change on this front. Steve amunro has brought this up multiple times.

 

[smallspy]

I’ve always wondered why the TTC is so resistant to change on this front. Steve amunro has brought this up multiple times.

Because it hugely complicates things that are required under the current (and past) collective bargaining agreements. Things like where operators start and end service, coffee and/or lunch breaks, etc.

Dan

 

[allengeorge]

Because it hugely complicates things that are required under the current (and past) collective bargaining agreements. Things like where operators start and end service, coffee and/or lunch breaks, etc.

Thanks for the insight; that’s incredibly unfortunate. I support unions, but wish that both sides could be more flexible. At the end of the day our goal should be a well-maintained, effective transit system for the public - and it would be nice if there were ‘give’ in the contracts to help achieve that.

 

[EnviroTO]

Coming to a Crosstown station near you:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1448413278821040131

Seems strange to not have train or bus symbols... but maybe this is the entrance to a parking lot and not the closest place to a curb side drop off? The only service mentioned on the sign is parking.

 

[Irishmonk]

Because it hugely complicates things that are required under the current (and past) collective bargaining agreements. Things like where operators start and end service, coffee and/or lunch breaks, etc.

Dan

So, we should be calling it Union Transit as opposed to Public Transit. As much as I appreciate unions and their need to exist in the free market, this is why they make absolutely no sense in public sector monopolies that are funded by...the public.

 

[DirectionNorth]

So, we should be calling it Union Transit as opposed to Public Transit. As much as I appreciate unions and their need to exist in the free market, this is why they make absolutely no sense in public sector monopolies that are funded by...the public.

Unions are fine ... I've never been a fan of the public unions though, since they demand outrageous salaries and benefits in Ontario. We have a teacher's strikes, transit workers get so many breaks it damages public transit efficiency, postal strikes, and it's not like they're underpaid or in poor working conditions.

 

[drum118]

Unions are fine ... I've never been a fan of the public unions though, since they demand outrageous salaries and benefits in Ontario. We have a teacher's strikes, transit workers get so many breaks it damages public transit efficiency, postal strikes, and it's not like they're underpaid or in poor working conditions.

Depending on the systems, wages eat 70-85% of operation cost, leaving very little for other things or quality of service. In some cases, operation cost has an impact on the construct budget that it may cause projects to be defer.

With automated trains coming down the road very fast, operation cost will start to fall once drivers are remove and replace with a less pay person on standby incase they have to step in and remove over time. they cause what fare riders have to pay as well those maintaining the equipment.

An 18 km line in Germany is seeing non drivers on an S Bond line trains. There is an railroad running 200 plus car long long distance non man. BN has already done some long distance trail testing with non man trains.

Have work in both sectors, non union was the best route as you can pay x worker more over y as they are doing more and the quality of work is better. When x slacker join a group of works in a union and those workers that were better workers before the slacker join, their work starts to fall as they say why so I do more when x is getting the same pay while doing less work. A lot harder to fire a worker or discipline them to the point companies give up unless it real bad. Seen this as a worker and on the management side. Paying people a fair wage is very important, but what does that mean to people is a different story.

In time, this line will see no divers at all.

 

[Steve X]

Maybe one day when trains can be fully automated with a remote operator for emergency braking and safety need, they can move to a headway operation. Remote operators can be swap out momentary.

The problem is there is no one physically there to help with evacuations in the tunnel or give first aid.