Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

[drum118]

All stations will handle 3-car trains from day one as well as the intersections. Even the bypass track will hold a 3-car train

Given the fact to date, streetcars get a red light up to 30 seconds before the cars get one and are slower off the mark when the light changes to green. As for the speed between stations and intersections, it is terribly slow at this time than they should be.

 

[T3G]

You can find plenty of footage on YouTube of close calls in Prague.

I didn't say there aren't foolish people with no sense of awareness in the city - they are everywhere, in all parts of the world (they even take risks with their lives when crossing against our abysmally slow downtown streetcar network).

But Prague has seen fit not to jeopardize their network with artificial speed limits, and the result is not any more or less dangerous than the Crosstown would be.

 

[adys123]

All stations will handle 3-car trains from day one as well as the intersections. Even the bypass track will hold a 3-car train

Given the fact to date, streetcars get a red light up to 30 seconds before the cars get one and are slower off the mark when the light changes to green. As for the speed between stations and intersections, it is terribly slow at this time than they should be.

This is due to the aforementioned signalization requirements for red clearance times. Showing that these LRTs will not be solely line-of-sight systems.

 

[adys123]

This is utterly untrue. Right off the top of my head I can think of Prague and Bratislava for systems that use line-of-sight operation that run at 50 km/h on suburban rights-of-way that resemble the Eglinton one, and from what I've been able to find, there doesn't appear to be any reason for not running as fast as 60 or even 65 (the top design speed of the Tatra T3, which are still numerous in Prague) is that the track itself is not built for such speeds. Neither system slows down for intersections, and Prague even has installed high speed switches on some of these lines which allow the tram to negotiate them at line speed. Despite all of this, there is not an epidemic of collisions, and pedestrians are not being mowed down by the thousands by this "reckless" behaviour.

While I can appreciate your examples from Eastern Europe, and they still provide valuable lessons. There are substantial differences from how that society works compared to North America or even Western Europe, and while proposing solutions they need to be feasible in local conditions. There are many more videos of near misses from Eastern Europe than there are even from Western Europe because the tolerance for risk is different. In an individualistic society (like in North America), risk management and risk reduction is the name of the game.

 

[PL1]

While I can appreciate your examples from Eastern Europe, and they still provide valuable lessons. There are substantial differences from how that society works compared to North America or even Western Europe, and while proposing solutions they need to be feasible in local conditions. There are many more videos of near misses from Eastern Europe than there are even from Western Europe because the tolerance for risk is different. In an individualistic society (like in North America), risk management and risk reduction is the name of the game.

Czechia and Slovakia would *definitely* call themselves Central Europe, FWIW

(Edit: Although all former Eastern Bloc countries had a similar planning)

 

[Therion]

Drove across Eglinton from Black Creek to Chaplin and looks like 99% of the roadwork is done. It was quite refreshing to see Google recommend I take the most direct route home! I only wish they would sync some of the lights that are really close to each other.

 

[Dan416]

Drove across Eglinton from Black Creek to Chaplin and looks like 99% of the roadwork is done. It was quite refreshing to see Google recommend I take the most direct route home! I only wish they would sync some of the lights that are really close to each other.

I feel like traffic lights these days are designed to slow you down as much as possible.

 

[Therion]

I feel like traffic lights these days are designed to slow you down as much as possible.

Yup, pretty much everything is designed to slow cars down. Some of it is fine and necessary, but the overreach is real

 

[Steve X]

Yup, pretty much everything is designed to slow cars down. Some of it is fine and necessary, but the overreach is real

If they want people to slow down, time the lights to sync to a certain speed. Instead they try to piss everyone off which leads to more speeding to try to make those lights.

 

[Bojaxs]

I think the thing that’ll really determine how well Eglinton will work is the interface between the “subway” portion and the on-street portion and if the at grade portion really screws up the line or not. Hopefully not.

My biggest gripe with the surface portion is that there are too many stops. The Aga Khan is a stop located right at the on & off ramps for the DVP. Why would a pedestrain get off the train here? Buses running along Eglinton should be adequate enough to fill in the gaps between LRT stations.

I'm currently in Calgary where the C-trains don't slow down at intersections. But instead of transit priority street lights, they have noisy rail crossing lights and arms that come down. It's a very utilitarian solution. Not exactly asthetic looking.

 

[ViewerOfToronto]

My biggest gripe with the surface portion is that there are too many stops. The Aga Khan is a stop located right at the on & off ramps for the DVP. Why would a pedestrain get off the train here? Buses running along Eglinton should be adequate enough to fill in the gaps between LRT stations.

I'm currently in Calgary where the C-trains don't slow down at intersections. But instead of transit priority street lights, they have noisy rail crossing lights and arms that come down. It's a very utilitarian solution. Not exactly asthetic looking.

Not to assume, but my thought about the Aga Khan station being near there is not because of the highway, but rather the park and museum that is beside it. Being that it’s a Islamic area, I believe it would attract some people there.

 

[smallspy]

Not to assume, but my thought about the Aga Khan station being near there is not because of the highway, but rather the park and museum that is beside it. Being that it’s a Islamic area, I believe it would attract some people there.

That, and there's a sizeable commercial and residential neighbourhood to the south.....

Dan

 

[reinventingthewheel]

My biggest gripe with the surface portion is that there are too many stops. The Aga Khan is a stop located right at the on & off ramps for the DVP. Why would a pedestrain get off the train here? Buses running along Eglinton should be adequate enough to fill in the gaps between LRT stations.

There may be destinations within a straight line distance but the area is not easily navigable. The crossing to/from the median is at the east end of the stop, at the on/off ramp intersection. Then you need to head back west to access paths.

It works out that the Aga Khan stop only places you ~300 metres and one less staircase closer to your destination than the science centre stop.

 

[urbancog]

The cross over to allow LRVs to turn back towards Yonge is located between Science Centre and Aga Khan stations. Is it possible that vehicles turning back would pass through SC, navigate the cross over, and stop at AK so the driver can change ends using a platform?

 

[Leo_Chan]

There may be destinations within a straight line distance but the area is not easily navigable. The crossing to/from the median is at the east end of the stop, at the on/off ramp intersection. Then you need to head back west to access paths.

It works out that the Aga Khan stop only places you ~300 metres and one less staircase closer to your destination than the science centre stop.

There are guaranteed to be jaywalkers who go west instead of east to cross Eglinton unless there is enforcement. This will be just like the Viva stop "at" Yonge and Major Mackenzie, but at least it won't be a major transfer location.