Transit City Plan

[car4041]

I've routinely been beaten by people who are walking when I take the Spadina streetcar, especially if the bunch of four streetcar takes a while to arrive but sometimes even if they arrive quickly.

I use the Spadina streetcar multiple times per day and it's awfully rare for walking to be faster. I know this because I never wait for the streetcar -- if it's not there, I just start walking, and get on the streetcar when it catches up with me. And it's very rare for it not to catch up with me.

 

[unimaginative2]

I use the Spadina streetcar multiple times per day and it's awfully rare for walking to be faster. I know this because I never wait for the streetcar -- if it's not there, I just start walking, and get on the streetcar when it catches up with me. And it's very rare for it not to catch up with me.

It happens pretty often to me, particularly during prime shopping times. Either way, if a light rail line in its own right of way ever gets passed by a person walking, then that's a problem.

 

[car4041]

It happens pretty often to me, particularly during prime shopping times. Either way, if a light rail line in its own right of way ever gets passed by a person walking, then that's a problem.

But in the end (to try to bring this back on-topic) the Spadina car is not particularly relevant for Transit City, since unlike the Spadina car, the Transit City LRVs will not be stopping every twenty paces and waiting for fifty people to slowly climb up the stairs and pay their fares one-by-one. (I exaggerate, of course, but only slightly!)

 

[CDL.TO]

I'm in agreement with transit downtown. It's so slow that walking is a better alternative. If it takes you about the same time to walk than wait for the bus and get on the bus to get to a location. You might as well walk it. You might even get there quicker walking than taking the bus if the bus is late or takes a long time to wait for it. The best alternative for people living downtown is biking. Why take a streetcar you have to wait and it goes so slowly that it takes 15 minutes to get to short distances that you can walk in 15-20 min. Or if you bike, it takes 5-10 min. Which will you choose? For example from Bremner and Spadina to Queens Quay stn. It takes about 10-15 min to get there plus waiting time.

I do often bike (as I did today). But sometimes, cycling isn't an option for various reasons.

The fact is my walk to work is 45-50 min, not 15-20 min. It's ridiculous that when transit takes a comparable amount of time to walking for a trip that length that the response is not that speed of transit is an issue, but to simply tell me to walk. Such an attitude is, at best, defeatist.

 

[unimaginative2]

I do often bike (as I did today). But sometimes, cycling isn't an option for various reasons.

The fact is my walk to work is 45-50 min, not 15-20 min. It's ridiculous that when transit takes a comparable amount of time to walking for a trip that length that the response is not that speed of transit is an issue, but to simply tell me to walk. Such an attitude is, at best, defeatist.

And that's being charitable. I often hear "Why don't you just drive if transit is too slow for you??" The answer, of course, is that millions do.

 

[Dan416]

Yet when I say something about people not caring how long their streetcars take to get to their destination I get accused of being anti-LRT.

Funny that.

 

[unimaginative2]

Yeah, that's the typical accusation. I don't let it bother me.

 

[AKS]

More like 7-8 minutes, and if you walk it you'll be passed by several streetcars. The only time you can walk as fast as the streetcar is in rush-hour gridlock on a route that runs in mixed traffic (in which case walking is faster than all motor vehicles). In general the streetcar is much faster than walking.

I seldom take the TTC because walking is faster. But I did take it once in awhile and it must be my luck because it was going at a snails pace. When it is coming to a light turning red, the streetcar slows to a crawl. Then when it turns green, it moves slowly until it hits another red light and slows down more. It's quite frustrating. When the streetcar was out of service today, I saw the buses going faster.

 

[car4041]

I seldom take the TTC because walking is faster. But I did take it once in awhile and it must be my luck because it was going at a snails pace. When it is coming to a light turning red, the streetcar slows to a crawl. Then when it turns green, it moves slowly until it hits another red light and slows down more. It's quite frustrating. When the streetcar was out of service today, I saw the buses going faster.

The buses are only going faster because the streetcars have been crawling along Queen's Quay lately due to the track being in terrible shape. If that's where you've been taking the streetcar then I'm not surprised you think it's so slow.

 

[CDL.TO]

That's not entirely true. All things being equal, streetcars tend to attract more riders than buses.

Are there any statistical data to back that?

I just noticed that the Journal of Public Transportation has an article on this exact subject this month. Bus or Rail: An Approach to Explain the Psychological Rail Factor

 

[Dan416]

I've always loved trains and planes. Used to always draw them as a kid. When I was in Poland on holiday I would draw pictures of the different streetcars and their different liveries in the different cities.

Somehow I've never been quite as attached to the streetcars here though. I don't know why. Maybe that'll change when we get our new Bombardiers.

 

[ssiguy2]

Very interesting article I read in Human Transit which many TC lovers view as the goal of TC.
It was suggesting that Edmonton may become the Strasborg of the Prairies due to it's plan to move over to more low-floor tram type technology for any future rapid transit. It would be very very similar to TC with ROW, POP etc and be more community accessible which he greatly endorses. He says it will be much more like a community builder especially downtown unlike the current LRT which he says is more about getting people downtown than dreating neighbourhoods. Miller 101.
Interesting thing is that he also endorsed the stop spacing f about every 400 meters downtown and every 800 meters in the suburban areas.........more than twice the distance of Sheppard and Finch stop spacing.

 

[nfitz]

A report on the project delivery for the Wednesday TTC meeting was released today - http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Com...upplementary_Reports/Presentation_LRT_Pro.pdf

Seems TTC and Metrolinx are still at odds about financing ... with TTC balking at changing the procedure from the one they previously agreed with Metrolinx, and laying out the procedures if they do hand over management to Metrolinx, including closing the TTC Transit Expansion department, and community relations offices.

 

[k10ery]

If the TTC really thinks the private sector cannot do these projects, then why don't they just bid for the AFP themselves? If they're so great then they're bound to win, right?

I thought the more interesting part was about the problems with the Metrolinx construction timeline:

The TTC, supported by the independent APTA Peer Review Panel, recommend:
• A realistic target in-service date of 2022-2023 for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
• Construction should be staged to address community impacts and operational
constraints.
• Sufficient time for commissioning the line should be provided in the schedule.
• Continue to complete the Crosstown station designs and proceed immediately to DB
to stagger the construction and major disruptions on Eglinton.
• Start construction of the Sheppard East LRT immediately.
• Start the Finch West LRT construction in 2015 consistent with Provincial cash flow
requirements.
• Start the Scarborough RT construction in 2015 immediately after the Pan/Parapan
American Games.

 

[W. K. Lis]

If the TTC really thinks the private sector cannot do these projects, then why don't they just bid for the AFP themselves? If they're so great then they're bound to win, right?

I thought the more interesting part was about the problems with the Metrolinx construction timeline:

Why do I think that Rob Ford or his cronies has his fingers in this?