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Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s

It's not the crowding although a bus is easier to be crowded simply because it's smaller. It's the comfort of the ride which is the concern. Buses have to veer in and out of traffic to make stops where as a lrt basically is on a straight path. So the bus goes forward and also right and left where as a lrt only goes forward. Buses also go over pot holes and they create these weird waves on the road in the loading lane from frequently going in and out with such a heavy vehicle.

I am aware of that; just saying my personal comfort isn't much different on a bus vs a streetcar. Other riders may have other preferences.
 
On a crowded bus- assuming you are seated- you can often stretch your legs under the seat in front of you.
The way LRT seating is nowadays, you can't. That is one advantage of the bus. But I'd take an LRT anyday.
 
FWIW I was in Edmonton this past week and had some opportunity to check out their LRT construction, and compare to the Crosstown.
My impression was that the Edmonton construction is even more disjointed than on Eglinton East, often being attacked on a block by block basis. One block would have track laid, but the next would not even be excavated, the next would be half complete, and so on.The construction method seemed to be to lay two separate track beds, leaving the median section bare earth and only pouring concrete in the median much later in the process.
Edmonton is working 7 days per week on the process, and (I was told) at night also. I did see portable lighting in spots. Much of the concrete work was being done under tenting.
One interesting touch was the erection of traditional crossbuck signage where tracks have been laid across roadways.... even though no track had been laid on either side of the crossing.
I had a peek at the elevated sections including the steelwork for one elevated station. Looked pretty nice - nothing for Torontonians to be averse to. Also noticed the steep climb up from the (a-building) river crossing. The Edmonton LRT spec calls for the ability to handle 6% gradients, so their Flexities must be capable of that.
Perhaps Toronto and Edmonton will end up with a friendly race to completion, similar to KW vs Ottawa.
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- Paul
 
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Not a good sign, hope the Crosstown won’t be facing these issues as well. Perhaps a sign that the Ontario Line should also be built as a traditional subway over whatever new bedazzling light rail technology.

Ottawa LRT:
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/ottawac...ays-hes-furious-with-poor-lrt-performance/amp
Only in ontario do we actually manage to screw up a well established mode of transportation. It's not the LRTs problem. It's the poor management and execution of the contractors and operators. They are simply I'll prepared for real life operation. They are the problems not let itself. Europe has done these without major problems for decades.
 
One interesting touch was the erection of traditional crossbuck signage where tracks have been laid across roadways.... even though no track had been laid on either side of the crossing.
I don't know about this line specifically, but Edmonton's existing lines are treated like a railway, at least as far as driving is concerned. The train comes, crossing arms come down, and car traffic waits for the train (not the other way around). As a result, Edmonton's LRT truly functions as rapid transit, and trains don't stop at red lights.
 
Only in ontario do we actually manage to screw up a well established mode of transportation. It's not the LRTs problem. It's the poor management and execution of the contractors and operators. They are simply I'll prepared for real life operation. They are the problems not let itself. Europe has done these without major problems for decades.
That being said, part of the reason Ottawa's system management is so poor is that it's overcrowded during crush-loading peak periods. Had they gone with an established rolling stock technology (canada line-like stock for instance) for a line that clearly will only grow in ridership from here on out, door issues, crowding issues, and overall ride quality wouldn't be as low as it has been.

Even though people are mainly to blame for the short term debacle, technology still has its influence, and will likely only become more influential as operations improve and ridership grows. Let's hope Metrolinx remembers to plan for the future for the OL, and not build a constrained system.
 
Only in ontario do we actually manage to screw up a well established mode of transportation. It's not the LRTs problem. It's the poor management and execution of the contractors and operators. They are simply I'll prepared for real life operation. They are the problems not let itself. Europe has done these without major problems for decades.

Perhaps that's not an Ontario problem, but rather an Ottawa problem? Their transit authorities just didn't have a chance to learn how to operate an LRT system, yet. Give them a year or two, and they will be fine.

Not to say that TTC is a perfect system, but they typically don't allow massive SNAFUs on the core lines, except for occasional / short emergency periods.
 
Only in ontario do we actually manage to screw up a well established mode of transportation. It's not the LRTs problem. It's the poor management and execution of the contractors and operators. They are simply I'll prepared for real life operation. They are the problems not let itself. Europe has done these without major problems for decades.
I agree with the sentiment on the whole, but in this case, it really is a European problem. The Alstom trains are shite. After they caused severe delays to the delivery of the Bombardier Azur in Montréal, it's a wonder Alstom isn't more detested here.
 

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