Canadian LRT/RT projects U/C

[YOWflier]

Originally Posted by JHikka

You're free to float around the forum to disagree with everything I say, as well, I guess. I have a difficult time believing that people travel internationally with the purpose of visiting the Art Gallery or War Museum, as good as they may be. Museums are complimentary pieces for vacations with other goals.

It’s not me disagreeing with you it’s those pesky statistics.

And, uh, when have I ever floated around disagreeing with everything you say? You seem paranoid. Bizarre accusation.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Who gets a hotel room near a transit interchange? That only works if you have a schedule taking you in many different directions over your time there. Otherwise, you will stay near your destination/purpose of visit.

I have many times. Park the car for the weekend and take transit instead of trying to park my full size truck.




On another question, In Niagara area, they have the WEGO service for tourists. Would there be a point they would want to convert it to an LRT? Pre covid was it busy?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Some people will stay near transit stops that happen to have free parking nearby.

I've definitely done that on certain family trips.

Hotels near the Longueuil métro station are popular this reason, for example.

The attraction there is free parking close to transit. Not a transit interchange per se, which is the topic here.

Nobody is suggesting that people don't stay near transit. I'm suggesting that people don't stay near transit interchanges (where transit lines meet) exclusively for the reason of being near an interchange unless they have travel demands that are onerous enough that they want to avoid lots of transfers. In the case of Ottawa, I doubt this is a big group.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

When we visited Vancouver, we stayed in Yaletown across the street from Yaletown-Roundhouse station. We had no plans to visit anything in Yaletown, but it was between the airport and Downtown, and not far from the water taxis that would take us to my wife's aunt and uncle's. Bonus, we spent a little money is Yaletown that would have otherwise gone to a more touristy area.

So you stayed across from a station where there were services you intended to use?

That's my point. People will stay near hubs if they need that access to transit. But for Bayview that's a rather limited demand set. I struggle to see who is this visitor to Ottawa who needs to be stay right at Bayview so they can use the Confederation Line and the Trillium Line alternatively. They are likely to stay downtown. Or they'll stay close to a destination on the Trillium Line.

Also, there's nothing stopping any developer from building a hotel there. In all likelihood, they (like me) just don't see the business case. Ottawa is just not that big, where the Bayview transfer is so onerous as to dissuade someone from just staying downtown.

[Coldrsx]

Hearing Sept 3 or 4th for Edmonton's new Valley-Line SE's opening.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Who gets a hotel room near a transit interchange? That only works if you have a schedule taking you in many different directions over your time there. Otherwise, you will stay near your destination/purpose of visit.

You would be surprised.

Growing up we stayed as close to the 401 as possible for 'easy access', even though we were far from that stretch during the day.

[lrt's friend]

In Ottawa, we are talking about the Bayview interchange. Although there are big plans for this location, there is next to nothing there now. I cannot see any hotel being built in a location that is presently a wasteland. It also has the negative aspect that it is not easily accessible by highway and when the day comes and the area is developed, a hotel will almost certainly not have free parking. The other location being discussed near Dow's Lake is not a transit interchange and loses that attraction as far as easy access to downtown. The hotel visitor still faces a transfer to reach downtown.

As far as I can see, there are basically three locations where hotels are built. The first is downtown with paid parking that is within walking distance of downtown attractions. The second is near highways with free parking for those driving to the city and who do not mind driving to various parts of the city for attractions, and the third is near the airport for the convenience of air travellers.

[Hybrid247]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

In Ottawa, we are talking about the Bayview interchange. Although there are big plans for this location, there is next to nothing there now. I cannot see any hotel being built in a location that is presently a wasteland. It also has the negative aspect that it is not easily accessible by highway and when the day comes and the area is developed, a hotel will almost certainly not have free parking. The other location being discussed near Dow's Lake is not a transit interchange and loses that attraction as far as easy access to downtown. The hotel visitor still faces a transfer to reach downtown.

As far as I can see, there are basically three locations where hotels are built. The first is downtown with paid parking that is within walking distance of downtown attractions. The second is near highways with free parking for those driving to the city and who do not mind driving to various parts of the city for attractions, and the third is near the airport for the convenience of air travellers.

I can see hotels springing up around Bayview and Pimisi once the flats start being built up. With both a future arena (fingers crossed) and Lebreton Flats Park that will each host multiple events, the war museum, and good proximity and connectivity to downtown, parliament, the market, other museums and the airport, I think the area can easily become a focal point of activity and connectivity that would support hotels.

And connectivity to the highway from the flats isn't really that bad: Preston > Somerset/Gladstone > Booth/Bronson > 417 (5-7 mins).

[Truenorth00]

Hotels could end up there as the area develops. But nobody is going to be building a hotel there just because two transit lines meet there, which was the assertion previously made. There's gotta be more than that to support a hotel.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Hotels could end up there as the area develops. But nobody is going to be building a hotel there just because two transit lines meet there, which was the assertion previously made. There's gotta be more than that to support a hotel.

One could see hotels there for the river views and such, but, yeah, transit is usually not high on most hotel chain's requirements.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

One could see hotels there for the river views and such, but, yeah, transit is usually not high on most hotel chain's requirements.

Even suburban hotels typically have a choice of restaurants closeby. There may be nice river views at Bayview but not much else at present time or the foreseeable future. This will change if an NHL arena is built there.

[Acajack]

The area around St Laurent and the 417 in Ottawa has a small cluster of hotels with free parking where quite a few travellers stay and cross the road to take transit into downtown.

Is that the main reason there is a cluster of hotels there? Probably not.

But it is something that quite a few people will do.

[Truenorth00]

Historically, our most prestigious hotels were built by the railroads themselves near train stations. They were built to serve intercity travelers at their point of debarkation. The equivalent to that today is the airport hotel.

But transit interchanges are different. It's not travelers flowing through a transit interchange. It's locals who have homes. So the only time hotels near these interchanges makes sense is when you have multidirectional travel patterns for visitors. Ottawa does not have this for most visitors. The set of travelers who is, for example, in Ottawa for a week and needs to travel to destinations along both the Confederation Line and Trillium Line very frequently can probably be counted on one hand. On the other hand, if the area around Bayview develops as a neighbourhood and destination in and of itself, a hotel could open up to serve that area. But that's not necessarily just because there's an interchange there.

[Coldrsx]

Fun.
---

Courtney Theriault

@cspotweet
BREAKING:

Opening of the Valley Line SE LRT service delayed again - will not happen this summer, no new target date.

Teams discovered cracks in some concrete piers that support elevated tracks, aiming to strengthen them.

Initial target date was December 2020.

https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status...534%2Fpage-241

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Fun.
---

Courtney Theriault

@cspotweet
BREAKING:

Opening of the Valley Line SE LRT service delayed again - will not happen this summer, no new target date.

Teams discovered cracks in some concrete piers that support elevated tracks, aiming to strengthen them.

Initial target date was December 2020.

https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status...534%2Fpage-241

So close...

Better find these issues now before the line opens. Speaking from experience, better to let the builder take the time they need to get it right instead of rushing to open something that is not ready.

[Coldrsx]

Already 2yrs behind...

[J.OT13]

What was the original completion date for the Crosstown in Toronto?

Seems Vancouver is the only City that can get projects done on time, or close to it.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Fun.
---

Courtney Theriault

@cspotweet
BREAKING:

Opening of the Valley Line SE LRT service delayed again - will not happen this summer, no new target date.

Teams discovered cracks in some concrete piers that support elevated tracks, aiming to strengthen them.

Initial target date was December 2020.

https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status...534%2Fpage-241

Are they trying to outdo Ottawa's?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

What was the original completion date for the Crosstown in Toronto?

Originally supposed to open in 2020. I think we're anticipating a delay on Finch West LRT as well, which is supposed to open next year.

Maybe Canada is just shit at building public infrastructure.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Opening of the Valley Line SE LRT service delayed again - will not happen this summer, no new target date.

Teams discovered cracks in some concrete piers that support elevated tracks, aiming to strengthen them.

This is the second major LRT project that's encountered cracks in concrete piers in a month, Honolulu's elevated line also discovered cracks in July. Did people forget how to use concrete all of a sudden?

https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/07/cr...lem-hart-says/

[Coldrsx]

Statement from City Manager Andre Corbould on Valley Line Southeast project
August 10, 2022

City Manager Andre Corbould made the following statement in response to an announcement from TransEd that the Valley Line Southeast LRT line is delayed.

“TransEd has told Edmontonians the Valley Line Southeast LRT is delayed again, as they have identified problems with the concrete piers that support the elevated guideways.

“City Administration is deeply disappointed about this new delay. But we will not let that disappointment take us off course. We are committed to bringing a safe and reliable LRT service to Edmontonians, and we are holding TransEd accountable to fix this problem.

“TransEd is fully responsible for the costs of repairing the piers, and it continues to forfeit payments every month the system is not operational. Edmontonians’ financial interests are protected under the terms of the public-private partnership (P3) agreement for the project.

“This delay is a significant inconvenience to passengers who should have been enjoying the Valley Line Southeast from Mill Woods to downtown by now. The City will continue to provide frequent bus service in place of the LRT line, so people can still move around their city.

“We expect TransEd to make this right and have the line open for safe, reliable service as soon as possible.

“Information about the anticipated timing of the repairs, and service commencement, will be shared as it becomes available in the coming weeks.”


For more information:
edmonton.ca/ValleyLineSoutheast

Media contact:
Janice Schroeder
Communications and Engagement
780-920-4042