Montréal Transit Developments

[drum118]

Designers can’t stand the sight of proposed light-rail section, quit​

 

[smallspy]

Getting off a train, going outside, walking 200m to reach the entrance of a metro station and walking another 100m inside to another train is not what I call an optimal transfer. Spadina sounds like a pleasant walk compared to that. Same goes for transferring at Robert-Bourassa (where at least you don't have to walk outside).

They're not even comparative in terms of scale of usage. This is an infinitely

Spadina sees very little use as a transfer facility - in part because of the walk/inconvenience, but also in part because of how Toronto's network is laid out and its ridership patterns.

This is going to be located at the busiest stretch of the new line. If even a small percentage of users will be transferring to the other lines, that is potentially tens of thousands of people making the connection each and every day.

Dan

 

[ARG1]

They're not even comparative in terms of scale of usage. This is an infinitely

Spadina sees very little use as a transfer facility - in part because of the walk/inconvenience, but also in part because of how Toronto's network is laid out and its ridership patterns.

This is going to be located at the busiest stretch of the new line. If even a small percentage of users will be transferring to the other lines, that is potentially tens of thousands of people making the connection each and every day.

Dan

Again as both London and Moscow show, with the proper facilities such a transfer can easily be managed.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

Designers can’t stand the sight of proposed light-rail section, quit​

This has already been posted...

Also, this is just bad journalism, as they can't seem to get even basic facts right. Not surprising coming from a tabloid like Journal de Montreal.

According to a report from the Journal de Montreal, two firms have removed themselves from the $10 billion project because of, well, ugliness.

The offensive section would run along portions of Rene-Levesque and Notre Dame boulevards in the East End of Montreal. Designs have been produced of what stations and the line itself will look like. Thick Y-shaped concrete piers

Many residents, citing the noise that will be created by passing trains and the sight of the elevated concrete portion, have not been in favor of the chosen design option, and would prefer a tunnel.

CDPQ Infra. is leading the project and says it is not possible to build underground. A recent progress report said the challenges with a tunnel include water mains and sewers that are in the way, a danger to metro lines and the risk that buildings might collapse.

Officials say at this point all options for the light-rail work are being reviewed.

Work has already begun on more than 20 sites, and construction is expected to continue through 2024. A new railway bridge linking Montreal and lles Laval over the Riviere des Prairies is a centerpiece of the project. Crews used a counterweight launching method to build the span.

They seem to be confusing REM-A with REM-B and think it's the same project...

 

[robmausser]

This has already been posted...

Also, this is just bad journalism, as they can't seem to get even basic facts right. Not surprising coming from a tabloid like Journal de Montreal.


They seem to be confusing REM-A with REM-B and think it's the same project...

they need to change the design to be two pillars with a covered bikeway underneath and suddenly everyone who is against the elevation will change their minds.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

they need to change the design to be two pillars with a covered bikeway underneath and suddenly everyone who is against the elevation will change their minds.

Yes. Plus add some urban art/graffiti from local artists, plus some fake neo-classical facade, and then we are all good.

 

[jelbana]

Yes. Plus add some urban art/graffiti from local artists, plus some fake neo-classical facade, and then we are all good.

I know you said this somewhat ironically, but if they had just released a rendering like that at the time of announcement, even with a caveat of design subject to change, they might have avoided some of the push back.

 

[TossYourJacket]

I know you said this somewhat ironically, but if they had just released a rendering like that at the time of announcement, even with a caveat of design subject to change, they might have avoided some of the push back.

Same issue with the Ontario Line. Not releasing any sort of preliminary render just allows opponents of elevated transit to create their own depictions, which are always the most monstrously ugly thing they can think of.

 

[Xav]

they need to change the design to be two pillars with a covered bikeway underneath and suddenly everyone who is against the elevation will change their minds.

In one of the original designs for the light rail line, they proposed cutting the southern half of René-Lévesque boulevard and converting it to green space, bike lanes and the light rail. The provincial transportation ministry opposed it because of the significance of the boulevard for car traffic.

And for your information, there is a bikeway along almost the entire route of the REM B already.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

In one of the original designs for the light rail line, they proposed cutting the southern half of René-Lévesque boulevard and converting it to green space, bike lanes and the light rail. The provincial transportation ministry opposed it because of the significance of the boulevard for car traffic.

And for your information, there is a bikeway along almost the entire route of the REM B already.

In downtown core, there is only 1 substantial east-west fully protected bike lane I'm aware of, and that is on Maisonneuve (I'm excluding the one in old port because 1) it's not fully protected 2) it's out of the way for most cyclists who are commuting from downtown to home).

I'm sure Montreal could use another fully protected east-west bike path downtown, and RL could be the ideal place to do that if we can fit it above or under an REM line like the Berlin U1 propoasal:

 

[Xav]

In downtown core, there is only 1 substantial east-west fully protected bike lane I'm aware of, and that is on Maisonneuve (I'm excluding the one in old port because 1) it's not fully protected 2) it's out of the way for most cyclists who are commuting from downtown to home).

I'm sure Montreal could use another fully protected east-west bike path downtown, and RL could be the ideal place to do that if we can fit it above or under an REM line like the Berlin U1 propoasal:

Yes, that's right. There is only De Maisonneuve right now that provides a protected east-west bike ride across downtown right now. The bike path on René-Lévesque ends at Berri street. There are two current projects for east-west paths downtown:

1. The REV (Réseau Express Vélo/Express Bike Network) along Saint-Jacques/Saint-Antoine/Viger streets
2. An extension of the René-Lévesque bikeway past Berri all the way to Guy street, where they are currently building a new north-south link.

The René-Lévesque path continues east on Notre-Dame along what will become the REM B right of way.

 

[superelevation]

The two architecture firms hired by CDPQ to design the REM2 decided to quit, to dissociate themselves from the inevitable ugliness of the elevated section on R-L.

Des architectes du REM quittent le navire

Ils jugeaient inacceptables les structures aériennes au centre-ville de Montréal.

www.journaldemontreal.com

Designers can’t stand the sight of proposed light-rail section, quit​

This is misleading, its more like "they don't want to take the risk of doing something which will possibly be quite controversial", back to designing 2 tone condo towers and SAQ frontages it is.

Same issue with the Ontario Line. Not releasing any sort of preliminary render just allows opponents of elevated transit to create their own depictions, which are always the most monstrously ugly thing they can think of.

I don't really trust North American transit agencies to get renders right tbh . . .