[PRCo] Re: Our NeighboUrs in Toronto

[Herb Brannon]

Toronto mayor Ford and his attempt to cut the LRV system in favor of a
subway on Eglington and maybe Shepherd has been a hot topic on the TTC
discussion group I'm a member of. It appears Torontonians are ready to burn
down City Hall with the mayor in it. The populace became very vocal when
Mayor Ford fired the TTC Chairman a couple weeks ago apparently because he
did not go along with His Honour and the elimination of the LRV system.

I did notice in the drawings of the TTC car that they were equipped with
both trolley pole and pantographs. Here's hoping they stick with the
trolley poles. I can see Queen, King, St Clair and Spadina with heavy
cantenary overhead like Pittsburgh now has to put up with.



On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 21:00, TEP <tompark at telus.net> wrote:

>  As you found out from the TTC web reference they have ordered 204 30m
> (100ft) long multi-section, 100% low-floor broad-gauge streetcars.
> Prototype
> delivered at the end of 2011 with others following, order completed in
> 2014.
> $5.2 million each--including inflation and interest costs. There are
> rumours
> that the quantity might be cut to save costs.
> The Toronto regional transit authority MetroLinx has also ordered 175 near
> identical cars (but standard not TTC gauge) for the proposed Light Rail
> network. This network has been scuppered my the new anti-streetcar mayor
> who
> wants subways instead. Now that the cost of this change is apparent--and
> un-affordable, some LRT lines are back in the plan but the number of cars
> required will be less.
>
> Rumours mention the possibility that Ottawa could use 80 of these on its
> new
> 12.5 km (8 mile) light rail line. However it depends on which of the three
> competing consortia wins the Ottawa design-build-maintain contract as to
> whatcars are purchased. The Ottawa LRT line takes over the middle section
> of
> the busway (Transitway) with a new tunnel under downtown. It is unusual
> because ridership will be extremely high from day one in 2018, in the order
> of 12,000 ppphd, or over 150,000 riders each weekday. A third new LRT
> system
> is planned for Ontario in Kitchener, but the Hamilton proposal seems to
> have
> died.
>
> Just to complete the Canada picture, Edmonton and Calgary are busy
> expanding
> their light rail systems and Vancouver finally got the financing for its
> 4th
> rail line last year, the Evergreen line, which will use the SkyTrain (ALRT)
> linear motor technology and track brakes as distinct from the last line to
> open--the Airport or Canada line, which uses classic subway cars with
> rotary
> motors. All Vancouver lines are driverless and now carry almost 500,000
> passengers each day. The bus system has also expanded, my two main bus
> routesrun every 2 minutes in the peak, every 5-10 minutes until 1 am then
> every 15-30 minutes through the night. There are now 1400 buses versus 800
> when I first moved here. (280 trolleybuses).
> --
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>
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>


-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park