Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bus Rapid Transit

[Peepers]

BRT can make excellent use of Hydro corridors and corrifors along freeways much more affordably than other systems and can be damn fast as, contrary to what Miller thinks, not everyone takes transit to enjoy the view.
The newly opened 3.6 km Winnipeg BRT Busway has 3 stations and the speed limit along the route for the busses is 80km/hr. That kind os speed will tempt anyone out of their cars.
The Sheppard & Finch TC routes will greatly improve the comfort and reliability along those corridors but won't get the patrons to where they want to go much faster than they do now.

I agree. I can't understand why the raging transit debate in this city is Subway vs LRT and everyone is ignoring the much cheaper and faster alternative, BRT's.

I lived in Ottawa for four years and I took the OC Transpo BRT from where I lived downtown to the east end of town - Gloucester - and it was an extremely fast and reliable service in all types of weather - including the the brutal Ottawa Winters. It was much more pleasant than being on a Subway or LRT because the buses raced along the transit-way at highway speeds. Every time I got on an OC Transpro BRT I knew that I was going to get where I was going FAST! This is really important in relieving stress. So many people who rely on the TTC are stressed out before they arrive at work because of the delays and slow service.

When you look at a Google Map of Toronto you can see the enormous potential with all the hydro right-of-ways crisscrossing the city. There is a Corridor that runs from the Toronto Zoo in the east to around the DVP and Eglinton. A BRT corridor along this route could carry passengers from the far reaches of Scarboro to downtown in about 30 minutes - by my estimate. Currently it would probably take people living in these far reaches up to two hours to get downtown. A subway cannot compete with a BRT in terms of speed.

 

[jaycola]

Here is a map I made last year when we discussed using the Hydro Corridors for BRT. If Ford was smart the potential of this would be explored. If you look at the map, you could easily connect with trains and subways as well as linking Whitby with Mississauga through North York. While there are locations where crossings and bridges would be necessary, sections could be done quickly and on the cheap and temporary detours created where expedient.

 

[ssiguy2]

Having lived in Ottawa years ago I can attest to the speed, comfort, and reliability of Ottawa's Transitway. It looks like the MiWay Transitway will be a very good one and greatly improve mobility in the area.

 

[ShonTron]

Torontonian get their perception of LRT from what TTC has told them in the past is LRT - not what is done in Europe and Asia.

On the "Transit City Plan Debate thread - post #7865 (http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/5714-Transit-City-Plan-Debate/page525), I found one reference to St. Clair LRT on the TTC website. I do not recall how it was promoted, but you would think they would have been extra cautious not to call it an LRT.

I find it unfortunate that the TTC calls the Spadina, Harbourfront and St. Clair lines "Streetcar Rapid Transit" on their maps, and even the right-of-way portion of the 501 on the Queensway. The Harbourfront line, even when it ran exclusively with PCCs in the early 1990s was given subway treatment on the maps (the orange line) and a rapid transit number, 604. (The YUS was 601, BD 602, SRT 603).

Spadina was promoted early as "LRT" before construction began but the community feared a Scarborough Rapid Transit type operation, so it was remarketed as a streetcar, which it is.

The Queensway portion of the 501 was built with rapid transit in mind, though, as it would have been the western part of the Queen streetcar subway as was envisioned in the 1940s and 1950s (see: Lower Queen). It isn't that fast, though.

 

[CDL.TO]

The Queensway portion of the 501 was built with rapid transit in mind, though, as it would have been the western part of the Queen streetcar subway as was envisioned in the 1940s and 1950s (see: Lower Queen). It isn't that fast, though.

It used to be faster. I remember stories of streetcars barreling along at 80 km/h. A few years ago they implemented a speed limit through intersection (there are little yellow signs).

 

[car4041]

It used to be faster. I remember stories of streetcars barreling along at 80 km/h. A few years ago they implemented a speed limit through intersection (there are little yellow signs).

They're not always obeyed, though -- I had a breakneck ride along the Queensway the other day (driver must have been really late, or just a speed demon), and it was one of the most exhilarating transit rides of my life!

 

[CDL.TO]

They're not always obeyed, though -- I had a breakneck ride along the Queensway the other day (driver must have been really late, or just a speed demon), and it was one of the most exhilarating transit rides of my life!

I think a near-empty streetcar, late at night, with a lead-footed driver (perhaps finishing off the last run of his shift) is the most fun you can have in this city for $2.60.

(About two years ago I had my own personal PCC on Queen from Yonge to Leslie St as the operator was returning to the yard. Speed + nostalgia!)

I managed to find a readable version of one of those Queensway ROW signs on Streetview. "Streetcars 7 km/h at intersection" That is way too damn slow and hopefully NOT a model for Transit City.

 

[rbt]

I managed to find a readable version of one of those Queensway ROW signs on Streetview. "Streetcars 7 km/h at intersection" That is way too damn slow and hopefully NOT a model for Transit City.

Really depends on track conditions. The Blue line in Chicago had a ton of slow orders, including a few spots like this and it didn't even have to deal with traffic.

Since it's been fixed the trip from O'Hare to downtown is 20 minutes shorter by my watch.

 

[CDL.TO]

Really depends on track conditions. The Blue line in Chicago had a ton of slow orders, including a few spots like this and it didn't even have to deal with traffic.

Since it's been fixed the trip from O'Hare to downtown is 20 minutes shorter by my watch.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but they rebuilt the Queensway trackage only a few years ago.

 

[GTS]

BMO- checked out your link- Stations look great and necessary- hopefully they add more stations to their BRT system for sure- and Winnipeg is doing it right- having heated bus stations will attract more people to this new bus rapid transit system.

I am pretty pro-LRT- but I think BRT makes sense for Winnipeg. Their is a company in Manitoba (not sure what city- maybe Winnipeg itself!) called New Flyer Bus Company. They are a big manufacturer of buses and a big employer in Manitoba- so probably a little politics were played out in Winnipeg choosing BRT. I read a news article a while back that said this BRT can easily be converted to LRT should they do that- Manitoba has a lot of hydro resouces and it would be good to see some of it used for transportation.

Again, I am very impressed with the Stations in the link you provided for Winnipeg's BRT system. I hope the next phases come quickly and are designed and made well! So far so good!

 

[W. K. Lis]

At night or after mid-night, I have seen streetcars racing full-throttle down (very likely over the speed-limit) city streets, towards the Roncesvalles carbarns (slowing down for the curves or traffic lights). When there is little automobile traffic, very little pedestrians, and only the few racoons crossing the streets, the drivers can put the peddle to the metal on the streetcars as they head to the carbarns at the end of their day's shift.

 

[car4041]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but they rebuilt the Queensway trackage only a few years ago.

Yeah, the speed restrictions at the Queensway intersections don't seem to be the usual track-related slow orders. Different kind of sign. They look like permanent restrictions, presumably for safety reasons (but I don't know).

 

[rbt]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but they rebuilt the Queensway trackage only a few years ago.

IIRC, most of the streetcar track fixes in the capital budget are intersections and storage yard pieces for the next couple of years.

 

[CDL.TO]

IIRC, most of the streetcar track fixes in the capital budget are intersections and storage yard pieces for the next couple of years.

Exactly. Since there are no track intersections on the Queensway, it's clear that this is an operational decision.

I hope that lessons have been learned that can be applied to Transit City.

 

[deragoku]

The newly opened 3.6 km Winnipeg BRT busway three stations and bus routes along the speed limit is 80km/hr.