YRT/Viva Construction Thread (Rapidways, Terminals)

[ViveleCanada]

A few photos this morning on the north side of Highway 7 from west of Colossus drive exit ramp to Applewood Crescent. A few comments about the Multi-Use Path (MUP) in the centre of the street, the crosswalks to the MUP are very much safe to use, but it just feels very unsettling as a pedestrian to be walking down the middle of the intersection with traffic zipping pass you on both sides without any physical barriers. This is something that one will probably get used to after a couple tries and will probably be more comforting when more permanent road markings are put in place. Hopefully, there will be proper signage or hand railings at the intersections for clarity and to stop pedestrians or cyclists from attempting to continue walking down the sides of the bridge as, from the sidewalk, the MUP just looks like a typical highway divider (the orange pylons also "kinda" hide the entrances to the path so the entrance may be more prominent after construction is done). Besides the crosswalk, the MUP is quite enjoyable to walk down and there's more than enough room for cyclists to weave around pedestrians.

 

[micheal_can]

But is it desire, or is it necessity?

In the case of the GO lines, the reason why they have multiple tracks is that they needed them. If they didn't, they would remove them.

Bringing it back to the North Yonge Railways, there was no necessity to, therefore they kept it as a primarily single-tracked line. Double-tracking it would have incurred additional costs that may have forced the line to close earlier than it did.

Dan

If they had left it as it was till it needed to, then it would have been needed, and the ridership would have been there to keep it going.

 

[smallspy]

If they had left it as it was till it needed to, then it would have been needed, and the ridership would have been there to keep it going.

Or they would have closed the line in the 1920s instead of 1948 because their property taxes and maintenance costs were higher. (In fact, it was only because the neighbouring towns bought the line that it was able to continue in operation.)

This isn't rocket appliances, you know. Infrastructure comes at a cost - both in terms of up-front when building it, and ongoing through maintenance and other costs. If the revenues are not there to justify those costs, how is something supposed to stay running?

Dan

 

[micheal_can]

Or they would have closed the line in the 1920s instead of 1948 because their property taxes and maintenance costs were higher. (In fact, it was only because the neighbouring towns bought the line that it was able to continue in operation.)

This isn't rocket appliances, you know. Infrastructure comes at a cost - both in terms of up-front when building it, and ongoing through maintenance and other costs. If the revenues are not there to justify those costs, how is something supposed to stay running?

Dan

You really need to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit to fully understand why you are talking nonsense.

 

[smallspy]

You really need to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit to fully understand why you are talking nonsense.

At the risk of being ageist, I suspect that I first watched that movie before you were born.

If you are going to try and frame your life, and the lives of those around you by Hollywood movies, I worry about what will happen to you when you get older.

Dan

 

[micheal_can]

At the risk of being ageist, I suspect that I first watched that movie before you were born.

If you are going to try and frame your life, and the lives of those around you by Hollywood movies, I worry about what will happen to you when you get older.

Dan

I watched it when it came out. I thought it was one of those weird cartoon/live action mixes. When I got older, I looked into what it was about. Then I learned how GM and Firestone would buy up rail and not maintain them or upgrade them so that they became unusable. They then replaced the routes with buses.

So, like I said, they could have double tracked it and these days it would be a good route.

 

[smallspy]

I watched it when it came out. I thought it was one of those weird cartoon/live action mixes. When I got older, I looked into what it was about. Then I learned how GM and Firestone would buy up rail and not maintain them or upgrade them so that they became unusable. They then replaced the routes with buses.

So, like I said, they could have double tracked it and these days it would be a good route.

And which of GM or Firestone bought the North Yonge Railways?

Hint: the answer is neither.

Dan

 

[micheal_can]

And which of GM or Firestone bought the North Yonge Railways?

Hint: the answer is neither.

Dan

My point is, many rail lines were shut down due to the ease of buses. So, it may not be directly bought out by them, but it was related to it.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Interesting to see a centreline MUP through a freeway interchange in Canada. That is an increasingly common configuration in the US.. first time I've seen it north of the border.

I'm interested to see how it actually feels to use as a pedestrian. They look rather.. concerning to use.. I feel this one may be better than most since the two inner most lanes are bus lanes without much traffic, which provides an additional buffer from traffic.

I'm most concerned about the crossings and extra travel time required by them to access it on either end.

 

[innsertnamehere]

double post

 

[smallspy]

My point is, many rail lines were shut down due to the ease of buses. So, it may not be directly bought out by them, but it was related to it.

And what does that have to do with the North Yonge Railways, exactly? None of that is applicable. It wasn't privately owned by the time of its demise. GM and Firestone had nothing to do with anything here.

Interesting to see a centreline MUP through a freeway interchange in Canada. That is an increasingly common configuration in the US.. first time I've seen it north of the border.

I'm interested to see how it actually feels to use as a pedestrian. They look rather.. concerning to use.. I feel this one may be better than most since the two inner most lanes are bus lanes without much traffic, which provides an additional buffer from traffic.

I'm most concerned about the crossings and extra travel time required by them to access it on either end.

I'm thinking the same as well. The couple that I have used in the US were spectacularly pedestrian un-friendly, despite their best efforts.

Dan

 

[TransitBart]

Interesting to see a centreline MUP through a freeway interchange in Canada. That is an increasingly common configuration in the US.. first time I've seen it north of the border.

I'm interested to see how it actually feels to use as a pedestrian. They look rather.. concerning to use.. I feel this one may be better than most since the two inner most lanes are bus lanes without much traffic, which provides an additional buffer from traffic.

I'm most concerned about the crossings and extra travel time required by them to access it on either end.

MUP =... My brain is struggling to decode this acronym.

 

[Neutrino]

MUP =... My brain is struggling to decode this acronym.

Multi use path I think

 

[TransitBart]

Multi use path I think

That was not top of mind.

 

[innsertnamehere]

That was not top of mind.

Multi use path I think

Yup. Its transport planner jargon, apologies.