Metrolinx: Other Items (catch all)

[turbanplanner]

I don’t understand this argument. What percentage of Gardiner/Lakeshore traffic is estimated to be sourced from Toronto residents? I’d be willing to bet that the overwhelming majority is from outside the city. And if that’s the case, why not reapportion roadways to make public transit for out-of-city commuters more effective?

Probably still higher than the go bus etc commuters. The situation is a bit different now but in the past it would effectively be telling Toronto tax payers to subsidize the 905 even more.

Having worked in a bunch of places in Toronto over 80% of people I knew lived in the city who drove. Even a lot of people who drive in the core live in the city, the issue is unless you're within a 10 min bus ride of a subway line it's usually going to be faster to drive, you're guaranteed to get a seat as well.

 

[crs1026]

Abssent hard data, this argument can go on forever…and I’m not sure how this distinction matters.
The question is whether to blend transit into congested traffic lanes and dilute its effectiveness, or give it priority use of one lane thereby making it more useful, at a cost of adding to automobile congestion. I very much favour giving transit the upper hand.
There are other ways to achieve a balance between 416 and 905 car users, if that difference matters (to my mind, it doesn’t). But it’s a lame argument that only offers false comfort to frustrated drivers stuck in traffic….”if it weren’t for those awful (905 or 416, take your pick) drivers who don’t deserve to be here, I would have an easier drive”. Exclude either set of drivers, and the road will still fill up.
Somebody has to ride the bus, so let’s make it better for those that choose the better way.

- Paul

 

[allengeorge]

I’m not sure how this distinction matters. The question is whether to blend transit into congested traffic lanes and dilute its effectiveness, or give it priority use of one lane thereby making it more useful, at a cost of adding to automobile congestion. I very much favour giving transit the upper hand.

Good point Paul! It’s a good call to refocus on the essential issue and tradeoff.

 

[Undead]

I think a lot of the backlash is due to the fact that basically every bus on lakeshore or the highway is from outside the city. (GO or regional buses) You're effectively prioritizing the 905 commuters 24/7 over the people who actually live in Toronto.

No it's because removing car lanes is often a very tough sell.

 

[Allandale25]

Posted on May 16th

This Metrolinx initiative electrifies Ontario’s bus fleets

Metrolinx’s Transit Procurement Initiative hits another milestone.

www.metrolinx.com

 

[drum118]

Jacobs to Continue Advising Metrolinx with New Capital Program Advisory Win​

 

[Amare]

Jacobs to Continue Advising Metrolinx with New Capital Program Advisory Win​

Do I have my consultants mixed up, or are these the same ones who came up with the idiotic "T" logo for transit stops and grey colour scheme for LRVs to make them "look and feel like subways"?

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Hmmm why is Metrolinx wanting to buy hydrogen fuel.

RFI-2024-EFPR-123 - Hydrogen Fuel Supply​

 

[rbt]

Hmmm why is Metrolinx wanting to buy hydrogen fuel.

RFI-2024-EFPR-123 - Hydrogen Fuel Supply​

Dundas BRT was [is?] considering Hydrogen as an electrification option. They might need to put a price on it to reject it in favour of battery buses.

Worth noting, the Ontario Government recently invested in a Hydrogen production facility as an alternative to selling excess overnight electricity to the USA at a discount. They probably have some pressure to at least price it out as a diesel alternative: it wouldn't be a terrible option for something like the Niagara train which will never have catenary.

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

 

[crs1026]

Hmmm why is Metrolinx wanting to buy hydrogen fuel.

RFI-2024-EFPR-123 - Hydrogen Fuel Supply​

Interesting - does anyone have access to know more about the scope - buses? locomotives ?

There is a lot of smaller physical plant out there that already uses hydrogen, particularly for backup power for smaller remote devices. I would not leap to the assumption that ML is intending to use hydrogen for vehicles, but it will be interesting to watch if they do.

- Paul

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Interesting - does anyone have access to know more about the scope - buses? locomotives ?

There is a lot of smaller physical plant out there that already uses hydrogen, particularly for backup power for smaller remote devices. I would not leap to the assumption that ML is intending to use hydrogen for vehicles, but it will be interesting to watch if they do.

- Paul

I just dug up this tender form last year about a hydrogen fuel cell bus pilot. It is probably that (thankfully).

 

[rbt]

Interesting - does anyone have access to know more about the scope - buses? locomotives ?

There is a lot of smaller physical plant out there that already uses hydrogen, particularly for backup power for smaller remote devices. I would not leap to the assumption that ML is intending to use hydrogen for vehicles, but it will be interesting to watch if they do.

- Paul

I just dug up this tender form last year about a hydrogen fuel cell bus pilot. It is probably that (thankfully).

Indeed. There's also a March 2024 tender for "Next Gen Bus" communication (electric and hydrogen).

https://www.metrolinx.merx.com/public/solicitations/2829946356/abstract

 

[T3G]

The most recent news article inadvertently highlights how unworkable it actually is to name stations after neighbourhoods in this city.

Menkes' Maison 77 Clarendon Topped Off in South Hill | UrbanToronto

Menkes' Maison 77 Clarendon has now topped off. The 5-storey luxury boutique condominium, designed by Richard Wengle Architect, will deliver 20 exclusive units to Toronto's upscale South Hill neighbourhood.

urbantoronto.ca

I do not consider myself to be geographically challenged, but I have never heard of a neighbourhood called "South Hill". It shows up on Google Maps, but not in the city's official neighbourhood directory.

Find Your Neighbourhood

The Neighbourhood Profile map is intended to help you find your neighbourhood among the 158 Toronto neighbourhoods which currently exist.

www.toronto.ca

The official neighbourhood this area seems to be incorporated into appears to be called Casa Loma. So if we wanted to name transit stations for neighbourhoods rather than intersections, this right away creates a number of problems:

A) being incredibly vague if you are looking to make your way around by transit (neither St. Clair West nor Dupont are in the extreme immediate vicinity of Casa Loma, though Dupont is within reasonable walking distance)
b) St. Clair West and Dupont are both in the border regions of the neighbourhood, and could credibly be asserted to be a part of, or in the case of Dupont, extremely adjacent to, Casa Loma, but could also be accused of being part of the Annex (Dupont), or in the case of St. Clair West, Forest Hill South, and being right across the street from Cedarvale, which will give its name to Eglinton West station more than 2 km further north
c) 'Casa Loma' also incorporates the 'neighbourhoods' of 'South Hill', 'Tarragon Village', and 'Rathnelly'

Until we reach the point where Toronto neighbourhoods are clearly defined, and above all well known, like those in Manhattan, I feel that neighbourhood based station names would cause more harm than good.

 

[nfitz]

The most recent news article inadvertently highlights how unworkable it actually is to name stations after neighbourhoods in this city.

Menkes' Maison 77 Clarendon Topped Off in South Hill | UrbanToronto

Menkes' Maison 77 Clarendon has now topped off. The 5-storey luxury boutique condominium, designed by Richard Wengle Architect, will deliver 20 exclusive units to Toronto's upscale South Hill neighbourhood.

urbantoronto.ca

I do not consider myself to be geographically challenged, but I have never heard of a neighbourhood called "South Hill". It shows up on Google Maps, but not in the city's official neighbourhood directory.

I've not really heard of South Hill either - but the Wikipedia article is 15-years old (to the day!) so it's not some recent marketing scheme.

The Google Maps neighbourhoods are user-sourced - and frequently wrong. Take for example Villiers Island, which is currently shown as being on Leslie Spit in the Tommy Thompson conservation area.

We've discussed the city's neighbourhood designations several times before. Many of those neighbourhood names aren't used in the local communities. Apparently I live in Woodbine Corridor - a name that most locals have never heard of - and no one uses.

The Toronto Star neighbourhood map is a much better representation of reality - and indeed calls that area South Hill.