robmausser
Senior Member
It works just fine for Mr.Tory because we have the trackage and a population pushing 3 million.
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Waterloo Region Transit Developments (ION LRT, new terminal, GRT buses)
It works just fine for Mr.Tory because we have the trackage and a population pushing 3 million.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Indeed, Mayor Guthrie of Guelph, formerly a fiscal conservative and cynic on transit, has had a rebirth, and mentioned exactly that connection (long discussed in Guelph) albeit not by an O-Train type service, although for inside Guelph, that had been mentioned in a Dillon Consultants report some years back to use the Guelph Junction Railway for a railbus type service, and mentioned use of the old GWR spur down to Cambridge (not a practical suggestion at this time, track in awful shape):
https://www.guelphmercury.com/news-...nefit-from-larger-inter-regional-bus-service/Mayor: Guelph transit users would benefit from larger, inter-regional bus service
Guthrie says proposed Superlinx program would be a good thing for Guelph
News Dec 07, 2017 by Graeme McNaughton Guelph Mercury
The Toronto Region Board of Trade recently released a report calling for all of the transit agencies from Toronto to Waterloo to be put under one roof, dubbed Superlinx. Mayor Cam Guthrie says such a move could be a benefit for Guelph's transit users.
A recent proposal by one of the country’s largest chambers of commerce to put many of the region’s transit agencies under one roof is something that should be seriously considered, Guelph’s mayor says.
Late last month, the Toronto Region Board of Trade issued a report arguing that municipalities in the Toronto-Waterloo corridor should upload all of their public transit that would be operated by a newly created provincial agency.
Dubbed Superlinx, the board argues that the new agency “would provide the vision, scale and resources to finally provide the world-class transit system that the corridor needs.”
Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie says the idea of putting all of the area’s transit agencies under one roof is one that cities and towns should look at.
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“There’s something to be said about a greater conglomerate of transit systems within a region being run in a way that is involving local stakeholders from other municipalities, but perhaps the decision-making is something that needs to be more so done with data and not so much on emotion,” he says.
“I think you see these types of issues across the province — whether or not Scarborough should get a subway, or whether or not there should be a GO station in an Ontario town.”
Guthrie went on, saying the notion of having a central body making decisions, based on facts and figures, is the way to go.
“Transit has always been something that needs to have greater foundational decision-making, immersed in a lot more metrics and data and business cases, not so much on ideology or politics,” he says.
“So if Superlinx can look at exploring that type of a way of providing transit services within a region, that is absolutely something that we should be sitting at the table and exploring.”
Another thing the Superlinx proposal could help solve, Guthrie says, is the number of cars on the road, as an interconnected transit system could encourage more people to trade in their car keys for a bus pass.
“There is a lot of regional movement of people, for people looking at jobs coming into Guelph or leaving Guelph, and trying to reduce congestion on the roads,” he says.
“The more efficient type of transit system within a region will definitely help economically and help with people’s well-being so that they aren’t stuck on highways and being away from their families and not enjoying their life.”
However, not everyone sees an amalgamation of the region’s transit authorities as a good idea.
Steve Petric, who sits on the city’s transit advisory committee, says he believes an agency like Superlinx would be too big for its own good.
“The proposal is a bit much. You lose local control with a big group like that,” he says.
“Merging with GRT would make more sense, in my opinion.”
The idea of merging the transit agencies for Guelph and Waterloo Region, or at least having a co-operating relationship is not a new one.
In the Transit Growth Strategy, released in 2010, Dillon Consulting recommended establishing inter-regional transit in the area, saying “a first stage to developing these higher order inter-regional services might involve linking conventional and paratransit services of Guelph Transit and Grand River Transit.” While the report recommended introducing this service in the second year of a five-year plan, it was not done.
Mayoral candidate Jason Blokhuis also pitched the idea during the 2014 municipal election.
Petric says Guelph Transit and its riders would stand to benefit by joining forces with Grand River Transit due to the latter’s size.
“GRT is a bigger organization, they have more resources, whereas Guelph Transit will never have those resources due to the size of our city and transit system,” he says.
Another idea Petric says the city should not pursue is privatizing the city’s buses.
“There’s enough out there in terms of evidence that privatization would be a bad idea, because they’re just after profit and people would suffer,” he says.
“They’re going to look at routes that aren’t money makers and drill them down to the most basic of services. Instead of 30-minute service, it would be an hour or something.”
Guthrie, however, says he would at least take a look at privatization in the future, and not immediately discount it.
“What I am a big believer in is being able to explore all options, and it does a disservice when you immediately discount even exploring the option of what the private sector involvement can be within any government services, which would include transit.”
Next year, the city is set to complete a business service review of its transit services, with all of the agency’s processes being put under the microscope.
“The pilot review will look at alternative service delivery methods as well as improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of the service,” the 2016 report recommending the review reads. “The review will include all critical functions of transit, including scheduling, planning, administration, resources and service delivery.
“Benchmark comparisons to other municipalities and identification of leading practices to assess potential opportunities will also be part of this review and, along with public and stakeholder engagement information, will be integral to this review.”
—With files from the Toronto Star
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All depends on scheduling and the other projects. Will the HSR plan add new tracks to the corridor? If so, presumably that takes Via out of the competition for track space (they wouldn't run a service duplicate to the HSR service). And if GO has the corridor at least double-tracked, you can run a pretty decent service with it. Yes, it's more complicated than the O-Train, which only has to deal with some freight at night and a level crossing with Via, but I think it could be managed with the right configuration.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
GO service can meet that need once it is all day service anyway. No need for even more service above that level.
Now if they can just get RER services out to Kitchener sometime.
Now if they can just get RER services out to Kitchener sometime.
But my point is that GO, even when it goes to Kitchener, won't really be geared for travel within Kitchener. It'll be geared towards longer-range commuters.
Streety McCarface
Senior Member
Ironically, that subway in the suburbs is extremely busy, much busier than almost every other subway line outside of half of NYC's subway lines in Canada and the United States.
jordanmkasla2009
Active Member
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL light rail vehicle!
KevinT
Active Member
CTV has already aired a piece on it:
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1287875
I didn't get to the yard quick enough to catch her out...
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1287875
I didn't get to the yard quick enough to catch her out...
Markster
Senior Member
Here's a tweet showing it in motion:
https://twitter.com/mikeboos/status/943164350138929152
https://twitter.com/mikeboos/status/943164350138929152
muller877
Senior Member
Ontario will still insist that BBD has not delivered a functional vehicle yet when they go to court!
Where is Ontario going to use 182 vehicles + 61 Alstrom. The Liberals bought way too many vehicles, didn't get the terms of the contract right (i.e. late fines) and then thought our money was poker chips and doubled down. Another boondoggle.
drum118
Superstar
The Alstom cars are going to Mississauga first and the rest may go to Hamilton depending where BBD is with Metrolinx order when Crosstown is to open. Other BBD cars would go to Finch and the 2 Eglinton extensions, depending when Toronto gets off the pot and build them. Then, if everyone takes the subway out of their eyes, you got the Sheppard line as well the SRT.
First powered Ion testing performed
First powered Ion testing performed
There's also Ottawa's Phase II LRT project, which will substantially increase the number of vehicles required. Phase I is also using Alstrom vehicles. And it just so happens the Province is chipping in $1 billion towards that project.
TOareaFan
Superstar
smallspy
Senior Member
The next ION vehicle passed by my office in the middle of a CN freight at about 11am this morning. Seeing as how I am about 30 minutes by rail from MacMillian Yard, it is there now.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.