UD2
Active Member
i like it.
The transit signals westbound on St. Clair at Vaughan Road have two transit priority signals (for 5 signals in total). Top to bottom: Transit Priority 1, Red, Yellow, Green, Transit Priority 2. These signals allow buses to perform a "right hook" from the ROW onto Vaughan Road northbound, a "queue jump" from the ROW into the normal roadway , or a left turn from the ROW onto Vaughan Road southbound (only used by streetcars going returning to the yard).
I don't know if it's going ahead but it's not a very ambitious plan.
The buses should be articulated, only stop at MAJOR intersections averaging about one per 1 to 1.5 km, have POP, all door entry/exit and run at least every 6 minutes all day. The buses should be easily recognisable like different colour schemes and there should also be express transit only roadways such as York Transitway
If they were to do this they would be faster, cheaper, and more reliable than TC Sheppard or Finch LRT.
The stops should be about 500 - 700 m apart. 1.5 km is a long way to walk to a stop. I don't even think there are any subway stations that are that far apart.
And yet in old neighbourhoods near I-5, not far from downtown, they have 60-minute off-peak service ... being run with articulated vehicles!Seattle has a fantastic express bus service.
All along I-5, there are bus-only and HOV lanes with special exit and entry ramps exclusively for buses. The stations are on top of the freeway in many cases so people get to the station using local service and then hop on the I-5 express buses. Seattle also has a new BRT system with 5 lines using regular roads with frequent articulated buses, POP, proper stations, and stops averaging about every mile.
Express bus routes would do wonders for the TTC. Heck, even a combination of express and local would be great. For example, a route hits a couple major trip generators in Rexdale, and then runs express to the Spadina or Bloor-Danforth Subways, stopping at only a few additional key intersections along the way. That way a 1hr ride to the subway becomes a 15 min ride. Add in a few queue jump lanes along the route and you're well on your way to a decent bus service.
This would function very much like the suburban express routes on Ottawa's Transitway. They run local in a particular neighbourhood, and then once they exit the neighbourhood they run express along the Transitway, only stopping at key hubs on their way to downtown. Obviously running them into downtown isn't possible right now, so the closest subway station will do.
This would function very much like the suburban express routes on Ottawa's Transitway. They run local in a particular neighbourhood, and then once they exit the neighbourhood they run express along the Transitway, only stopping at key hubs on their way to downtown. Obviously running them into downtown isn't possible right now, so the closest subway station will do.