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

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Do you know the timeline for completion of Vision?

No but I would assume that it would be in place by the time the Crosstown opens up.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Do you know the timeline for completion of Vision?

Here's a link to a PDF on the Vehicle Information System & Integrated Operations Network (VISION).

 

[EYorker]

The constant changes to Don Mills/Eglinton have also been a bit chaotic. Lanes seem to shift on a weekly basis, with little to no changes made to the pavement marking or signage. I have already seen two pretty bad accidents in the past few weeks where cars have pretty much hit head on because the lane markings didn't exist.

The middle lanes sometimes seem to lead into the opposing lane from the other direction, or lanes simply end with no warning, forcing last minute lane changes. There was also a few days of the middle lane disappearing mid-intersection, forcing cars to suddenly change lanes illegally and at the last minute, in the middle of the intersection. Absolutely no signage or warning, and impossible to see from afar as the jog in Don Mills now directs you to the right before reaching the intersection. The contractor needs to do better at managing traffic flow. I don't think they are even trying at this point.

Funny you mention this. I had sent an email to 311 on January 23 about this exact issue, and i just received a reply today from Heather Glicksman on the Crosstown Community Relations team. She mentions they are aware of the issue, and they will perform the repainting within the next week or two, pending warmer weather.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Changing lanes in an intersection is technically legal, IIRC.

 

[EYorker]

Changing lanes in an intersection is technically legal, IIRC.

This isn't a case of people changing lanes in the intersection. It has been the constant shifting of lanes to and fro through the intersection during different phases of work on the Crosstown, with lines of paint all over the place or nonexistent every time the lanes get shifted. The current setup through the intersection has lanes actually bending through the intersection itself, but no lines to guide you. Hence why we are seeing cars heading straight for each other in the intersection.

 

[Edward Skira]

News Release

Ontario Reducing Emissions on Eglinton Crosstown LRT
February 15, 2018

New Energy Storage Facility Will Also Increase Reliability for Commuters and Families
Ontario is partnering with Toronto Hydro to build an innovative energy storage system that will provide back-up power to the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit (LRT) line, which will increase reliability, lower operating costs and reduce emissions.

Arthur Potts, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, and Laura Albanese, MPP for York South-Weston, were in the Mount Dennis community today to announce that Ontario and Toronto Hydro have awarded the contract to design and build the new facility.

The facility will be located at the site of the future Mount Dennis Station and LRT maintenance and storage facility, currently under construction. It will store energy generated at night during off-peak hours and supply energy the following day to reduce peak energy use and lower the Crosstown's overall emissions and operating costs. The facility will also provide emergency power to the Crosstown in the event of a power interruption, creating a better experience for transit riders.

The 19-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown LRT will include 25 stations and stops that will link to 54 bus routes, three subway stations, three GO Transit lines and the UP Express. The line will be completed by 2021, connecting Mount Dennis in the west with Kennedy Station in the east, with a 10-kilometre underground portion between Keele Street and Laird Drive.

Building public transit is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Around the world (outside of North America) they include reusable power sources with their transit stations. From this link, for example, they use solar panels on top of a metro station in Tokyo.

Metrolinx and Toronto Hydro should look into installing solar panels on top of all the station roofs, including bus bays and at the light rail stop shelters.

 

[Streety McCarface]

Around the world (outside of North America) they include reusable power sources with their transit stations. From this link, for example, they use solar panels on top of a metro station in Tokyo.

Metrolinx and Toronto Hydro should look into installing solar panels on top of all the station roofs, including bus bays and at the light rail stop shelters.

they would only really gain enough energy to power lights at the station and maybe the presto gates. Trains require a lot of power for traction. Also, the panels wouldn't do much in built-up areas as they'd only see the sun a few hours a day.

 

[W. K. Lis]

they would only really gain enough energy to power lights at the station and maybe the presto gates. Trains require a lot of power for traction. Also, the panels wouldn't do much in built-up areas as they'd only see the sun a few hours a day.

Tell that to New Delhi. See link.

...Officials at the national conference on 'Green Metro Systems' at Metro Bhawan on Friday said the stations are currently generating about 7MW. "About 30-40% of our total operational expenditure is on power. There is enough reason for us to move to renewable energy. DMRC consumes about 3% of Delhi's total energy," said an official.

The on-ground stations can meet most of their energy needs with solar, but the underground stations need about 1.2MW each for lighting and other needs...

 

[Rainforest]

The facility will be located at the site of the future Mount Dennis Station and LRT maintenance and storage facility, currently under construction. It will store energy generated at night during off-peak hours and supply energy the following day to reduce peak energy use and lower the Crosstown's overall emissions and operating costs. The facility will also provide emergency power to the Crosstown in the event of a power interruption, creating a better experience for transit riders.

That's cool, and begs the question if the same approach should be used for GO electrification.

Instead of researching "hydrogen" trains, that need no catenary but have to carry heavy metal tanks with compressed hydrogen, should Metrolinx proceed with the conventional catenary system, and add storage facilities to accumulate the energy generated off-peak?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

eglinton centre being locked down kinda sucks.

 

[Streety McCarface]

I don't see why not though? If we could eliminate the need to pay for that energy on an ongoing basis that would be worthwhile.

I feel like the roofs should be green roofs or something if we want to have an environmental impact. The solar panels should be put up, but in places where they receive adequate sunshine. Hydro corridors come to mind. There's no sense putting valuable technology in areas of underutilization.

 

[Streety McCarface]

Tell that to New Delhi. See link.

The sun doesn't shine as much here in Canada and we have a lot of tall buildings that would block solar panels for much of the day. It somewhat makes sense in open areas like Crosstown East or Crosstown west, but not in core areas. I only say somewhat because the slant of the panels on North side and south side platforms would severely limit their usage potential. It's not like you can track them with the sun making a diagonal pattern across the panels.

 

[crs1026]

That's cool, and begs the question if the same approach should be used for GO electrification.

Instead of researching "hydrogen" trains, that need no catenary but have to carry heavy metal tanks with compressed hydrogen, should Metrolinx proceed with the conventional catenary system, and add storage facilities to accumulate the energy generated off-peak?

The case for hydrail is built around avoiding the capital expense for catenary and power supply, as opposed to the cost of energy per se. Once you string wires, grid power (nuclear and hydro, so low-carbon) is likely cheaper than hydrogen power.

Ontario still has a hefty base generation surplus, meaning cheap, low carbon overnight power is still available. Anything you can power by storing a trickle charge overnight for use in the day is inherently green and low cost.

I wonder about a base storage system for peak traction power. Transit energy demand coincides with existing demand peaks so it is inherently uneconomical as a draw on the grid and at present is met by burning natural gas. So build up the energy for use at rush hour overnight via wind, and/or during midday using wind and solar.

The electric bus projects coming in Peel, Vaughan, and Toronto apparently include mass storage - store up the charge slowly overnight, then transfer it to each bus rapidly during layover at the ends of the route. No reason rail can't apply this principle.

- Paul

 

[Streety McCarface]

The case for hydrail is built around avoiding the capital expense for catenary and power supply, as opposed to the cost of energy per se. Once you string wires, grid power (nuclear and hydro, so low-carbon) is likely cheaper than hydrogen power.

Ontario still has a hefty base generation surplus, meaning cheap, low carbon overnight power is still available. Anything you can power by storing a trickle charge overnight for use in the day is inherently green and low cost.

I wonder about a base storage system for peak traction power. Transit energy demand coincides with existing demand peaks so it is inherently uneconomical as a draw on the grid and at present is met by burning natural gas. So build up the energy for use at rush hour overnight via wind, and/or during midday using wind and solar.

The electric bus projects coming in Peel, Vaughan, and Toronto apparently include mass storage - store up the charge slowly overnight, then transfer it to each bus rapidly during layover at the ends of the route. No reason rail can't apply this principle.

- Paul

To not invest in Hydrarail for lines between Kitchener and Guelph (Midday), The Richmond Hill Line, the Bowmanville extension, and the Niagra extension would be quite illogical considering our off-peak surplus of power. Also, the extra oxygen that results from hydrolysis could be bottled and sold as a means of gaining extra revenue.

Diesel needs to stay on the Milton line because of the number of people that use that line, hydrail would work really well on lower demand lines, especially in the off-peak. I envision the Barrie, Lakeshore, Stouffville, and Kitchener lines all having trunk sections that are electrified by overhead catenary, and EMUs running along those lines at all times. However, on sections of the system that are fully isolated from the trunk mainlines, especially off-peak, hydrail has a place. These types of routes (Kitchener to Guelph, Hamilton to Niagra Falls, Oshawa to Bowmanville, etc) would really benefit from off-peak regional services even if they don't connect to the mainlines and they don't have to use DMUs. Finally, the usage of dual-mode locomotives would be in place for transportation between these non-electrified areas and the cores (ie Kitchener to Union). Only time will tell what Metrolinx decides to go with.