Niagara People Mover: BRT?

[LNahid2000]

An opportunity had been wasted to purchase the CLRVs from the TTC.

lol the CLRVs were ~40 years old and falling apart. That would've been a waste of money.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

lol the CLRVs were ~40 years old and falling apart. That would've been a waste of money.

Plus don't forget they aren't assessable to anyone who can't use stairs.

 

[Johnny Au]

lol the CLRVs were ~40 years old and falling apart. That would've been a waste of money.

Plus don't forget they aren't assessable to anyone who can't use stairs.

I was quoting about a heritage streetcar route and CLRVs nowadays qualify as heritage.

San Francisco's F Market route uses streetcars older than the CLRV and are also inaccessible.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I was quoting about a heritage streetcar route and CLRVs nowadays qualify as heritage.

San Francisco's F Market route uses streetcars older than the CLRV and are also inaccessible.

I'm not sure what the rules about accessibility are there but for a newly built system in Ontario that would most likely be funded by the Ontario government and using heritage streetcars that are inaccessible to everyone wouldn't fly.

 

[drum118]

I was quoting about a heritage streetcar route and CLRVs nowadays qualify as heritage.

San Francisco's F Market route uses streetcars older than the CLRV and are also inaccessible.

Unlike the US, Ontario currently has a drop dead date of Dec 31, 2025 that all transit, buildings and anything preventing an accessible person having access to it by then will be subject to huge fines until the mandate is met. I expect to see a fair number of lawsuit against TTC and Metrolinx starting in 2026 to require then to have 2 elevators in place of the current one so when one fails or needs maintenance they still can use the station and not force to go to another station and a way back to where they want to go in the first place. This will apply to other systems as well.

SF, Cleveland, Phil and Kenosha are the only systems in the US running high floor streetcars in service today with access from the road. The current lines in Boston are being converted to Low floor cars. El Pasco rebuilt 62 years old PCC that have a lift in then in regular service as today as well with pans. Buffalo has rebuilt high floor cars that have an ramp at one end of the platforms on the street and high floor platforms in the tunnel section.

 

[Steve X]

Unlike the US, Ontario currently has a drop dead date of Dec 31, 2025 that all transit, buildings and anything preventing an accessible person having access to it by then will be subject to huge fines until the mandate is met. I expect to see a fair number of lawsuit against TTC and Metrolinx starting in 2026 to require then to have 2 elevators in place of the current one so when one fails or needs maintenance they still can use the station and not force to go to another station and a way back to where they want to go in the first place. This will apply to other systems as well.

SF, Cleveland, Phil and Kenosha are the only systems in the US running high floor streetcars in service today with access from the road. The current lines in Boston are being converted to Low floor cars. El Pasco rebuilt 62 years old PCC that have a lift in then in regular service as today as well with pans. Buffalo has rebuilt high floor cars that have an ramp at one end of the platforms on the street and high floor platforms in the tunnel section.

Although having a backup, especially for busy stations would be really helpful, I don't think it makes sense to spend billions for a small population. It's cheaper to just provide wheels-trans for them than to dig everything up again.

 

[gweed123]

I was quoting about a heritage streetcar route and CLRVs nowadays qualify as heritage.

San Francisco's F Market route uses streetcars older than the CLRV and are also inaccessible.

I'm not sure what the rules about accessibility are there but for a newly built system in Ontario that would most likely be funded by the Ontario government and using heritage streetcars that are inaccessible to everyone wouldn't fly.

The F Market line is San Francisco actually has wheelchair accessible vehicles and stations. They have been modified so that there is a wheelchair accessible entrance at the rear of the car. See link.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

The F Market line is San Francisco actually has wheelchair accessible vehicles and stations. They have been modified so that there is a wheelchair accessible entrance at the rear of the car. See link.

I think I had seen that in a video on YouTube but I wasn't exactly sure how it worked though.

 

[gweed123]

I think I had seen that in a video on YouTube but I wasn't exactly sure how it worked though.

Yeah it's a bit of a shoe-horned solution, but it works. From what I remember, they have low-floor platforms, but there is a specific section that is raised for wheelchair access. A bit like a GO platform, but on a much smaller scale. It's an interesting adaptation to be able to use both low-floor and high-floor vehicles on the same platform, and to use vintage streetcars in active service without running afoul of the ADA.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Yeah it's a bit of a shoe-horned solution, but it works. From what I remember, they have low-floor platforms, but there is a specific section that is raised for wheelchair access. A bit like a GO platform, but on a much smaller scale. It's an interesting adaptation to be able to use both low-floor and high-floor vehicles on the same platform, and to use vintage streetcars in active service without running afoul of the ADA.

I think Buffalo's transit system is the same, in the underground sections it's level boarding for everyone but in the open sections you need to go up a set of stairs from ground level so they have a raised platform at one end of the outside stops for wheelchair accessible use and anyone else who can't use the stairs.