Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s

[ARG1]

Why though?

They'd save more lives by putting walls along the streets, so cars don't kill any more people on sidewalks and inside buildings.

Offhand, can't even recall hearing about any pedestrian deaths along Spadina, where people cross frequently (and legally), in the quarter-century of operation of streetcars.

The issue isn't pedestrian deaths, the issue is that as a way to mitigate incidents, rail lines where the train runs on the street often have to operate significantly slower in the off chance that some guy jwalks. The reason I bring up the 510 is even ignoring the tight stop spacing, streetcars often travel far slower between blocks even if it can visibly speed up simply because of the concern that someone runs for it. The TTC in general has really strong history of slowing down vehicles as a safety measure to address some safety concern. This has happened on the 512, and especially on the 509.

 

[nfitz]

The issue isn't pedestrian deaths, the issue is that as a way to mitigate incidents, rail lines where the train runs on the street often have to operate significantly slower in the off chance that some guy jwalks. The reason I bring up the 510 is even ignoring the tight stop spacing, streetcars often travel far slower between blocks even if it can visibly speed up simply because of the concern that someone runs for it. The TTC in general has really strong history of slowing down vehicles as a safety measure to address some safety concern. This has happened on the 512, and especially on the 509.

I haven't really noticed the cars running slowly - except when cars are ahead of schedule, or to keep a distance when they can see the car in front.

TTC has got a lot better at that, and increased scheduled times to make service more regular.

But I've seen no sign of behind-scheduled streetcars going slower on regular streets - which I thought would have been even more dangerous - and certainly have had deaths, when Spadina hasn't.

 

[Transportfan]

They'd save more lives by putting walls along the streets, so cars don't kill any more people on sidewalks and inside buildings.

Oh yeah, lets spend billions on freak accident prevention.

Human life is precious, but seriously, we can't go around trying to deathproof everything.

 

[nfitz]

Human life is precious, but seriously, we can't go around trying to deathproof everything.

That was my point.

 

[Steve X]

CityNews

toronto.citynews.ca

This is the kinda events that causes TTC to tell their operators to slow down.

Oh yeah, lets spend billions on freak accident prevention.

Human life is precious, but seriously, we can't go around trying to deathproof everything.

The point isn't deathpoofing but improve reliability. Same goes for PSDs on subway platforms. It's not all for suicide measures but to prevent litter cause track fire and allow trains to enter stations at a faster speed when they're are jammed packed.

As for Spadina streetcar deaths, there's a list:

Man, 81, struck and killed by streetcar

An elderly man died on Tuesday morning after he was hit by a streetcar on Spadina Avenue, just north of Queen Street.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cyclist-killed-in-collision-with-streetcar-1.926313

https://globalnews.ca/news/7831110/spadina-avenue-nassau-street-collision/ (almost killed at the scene, not sure if she died afterwards)

 

[EnviroTO]

Oh yeah, lets spend billions on freak accident prevention.

Human life is precious, but seriously, we can't go around trying to deathproof everything.

That was my point.

First, a fence or signage is not a billion dollars. Second, although it is nice to say we can't prevent all people from doing crazy things, that people need to be accountable for their own actions, or any other of things to say "hey it's obvious... isn't that enough" the problem is that we all pay when something goes wrong. This isn't like people who ask to put up handrails in the middle of the wilderness where "its nature" and if someone falls down a cliff the repercussions are felt only by those close to the individual and first responders, this is city infrastructure driven by a city employee and the citizens are going to see poor service every time there is an incident. I bristle at the thought of people that try to make the wilderness safe.... but this is the city. All we need is a few people to get hit and say they thought they were on a safe manicured grass lawn after crossing the lanes of traffic, and then grass disappears as an option. If studies have shown this works... I'm all for leaving it as it is because it looks much nicer than it would even with an aesthetically pleasing fence, but it will need to be something monitored closely and responded to quickly if people are crossing midblock all the time.

 

[Voltz]

I don't think I've seen this posted here yet.

 

[robmausser]

I don't think I've seen this posted here yet.

All 3 pixels were so beautiful.

 

[Johnny Au]

Progress Update: Avenue Station

 

[H4F33Z]

Repaving and lane marking installation east of Don Mills to Wynford has just started. This also includes the shitty painted bike lanes too!

Not even buffered or protected under the DVP. Where it could desperately use protection in the dark.

Oh boy, can't wait for a right hook. Why didn't they just make the raised bike lanes parallel with the sidewalk? Eglinton has the largest freaking right of ways in the city.

Remember, these are actually the better, "buffered" bike lanes. Buffered shitty bike lane. Can't imagine how narrow the bike lane will be east of Victoria Park.

I'm still angry that Metrolinx had 11 years to refine the design on the bike lanes, yet lazily painted these lanes. This was an amazing opportunity to make Eglinton a perfect and safe bikable crosstown route like bloor, but is now unsafe and disjointed.

 

[Coolstar]

Wow. Huge missed opportunity for high-quality bike lanes.

 

[Steve X]

Seems like no one wants to pay to rebuild the overpass to accommodate a better bike lane. Alternative they can just screw traffic, narrow the roadway to one lane each direction and let everyone jam on the ramps. Probably not a good idea either.

Personally I believe the only high quality bike lanes are the ones that's grade separated from highway traffic ramps. Something no one is interested in investing in.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Repaving and lane marking installation east of Don Mills to Wynford has just started. This also includes the shitty painted bike lanes too!

View attachment 341966

View attachment 341967
View attachment 341969
Not even buffered or protected under the DVP. Where it could desperately use protection in the dark.
View attachment 341970
Oh boy, can't wait for a right hook. Why didn't they just make the raised bike lanes parallel with the sidewalk? Eglinton has the largest freaking right of ways in the city.
View attachment 341971
Remember, these are actually the better, "buffered" bike lanes. Buffered shitty bike lane. Can't imagine how narrow the bike lane will be east of Victoria Park.

I'm still angry that Metrolinx had 11 years to refine the design on the bike lanes, yet lazily painted these lanes. This was an amazing opportunity to make Eglinton a perfect and safe bikable crosstown route like bloor, but is now unsafe and disjointed.

Dude, it's 2021. I cannot believe we are still building bike infrastructure like this.

Even as a regular car driver I much prefer driving on streets with physically separated bike lanes. It keeps the cars where the cars should be, the cyclists where they should be, and I can drive without ever worrying about a cyclist accidentally coming in my lane or vice versa. We gotta do better than this.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Progress Update: Avenue Station

Why is it so wet down there? High humidity?

 

[crs1026]

^Being generous, It did look like the roof is still wide open to the elements, so a certain amount of rainwater probably got in during some of the recent storms.

However, sure looked like there was seepage down the walls at track level. A bit troubling.

Dust abatement?

- Paul