Transit Fantasies

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

That 80s aesthetic is turnt. Why can't the 2010s' design have that?

Body shape, yes. Paint job, hell no.

[fredinno]

Do I have too many stations on my map?

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Body shape, yes. Paint job, hell no.

That was GO Transit's paint style. I'm still loyal to the old red/white/blue theme.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by fredinno

Do I have too many stations on my map?

It's a fantasy. It doesn't really matter.

[logan5]

I'm going to regurgitate my Metro Core Subway map from 5 years ago. With the Main St corridor growing so rapidly (and a huge hospital on the way), this line warrants consideration even more so. Is there a city in the western world that has our kind of inner city density and isn't served by urban rail transit? I don't consider Skytrain urban transit, but rather suburban.

Originally Posted by logan5

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by MIPS

That was GO Transit's paint style. I'm still loyal to the old red/white/blue theme.

source

that one? i miss that logo on them. and i think the design is better then the current one. the current one is boring.

[xd_1771]

There was one idea that came into my head lately, one that would double as an extension of the Expo Line and a way to increase its capacity.

Essentially...

• The Expo Line would be extended underground from Waterfront Station to a new station under/in the vicinity of Main and Hastings.
• The new terminus station would have a MULTI-TRACK (i.e. 4 tracks) layout or an otherwise redesigned terminus layout for higher capacity
• The purpose of this layout would be to accommodate running trains at an even higher frequency than is currently permitted by the switchback at Waterfront Station - this was specifically mentioned as the primary issue with increasing train frequency in the Expo Line Upgrade Strategy report (i.e. beyond 75-90 seconds).
• Whether there is a further extension down Hastings can be worked out separately.

In the far future, such a project, combined perhaps with any refinements to the ATC system, would allow the Expo Line to accommodate even higher capacities, without an expensive rebuild/extension of all of the station platforms for longer trains. Meanwhile, the new station would create an opportunity to further enhance/revitalize the DTES and improve connections from Hastings corridor transit lines onto Canada Line, SeaBus and the downtown stations.

I came up with this idea after being in Japan yet again earlier this winter, and noticing that many stations built with 4 tracks (or otherwise more than 2 tracks) aren't being done so just so that express trains to pass local ones at those stations: the second set of tracks could a train following closely behind to pull into a station without getting stuck behind a train that has not finished pulling out of the station, or is otherwise occupying the main platform. I noticed this on several of the JR Chuo Line stations in the suburbs (the platform schedule showed the second inbound platform being used like that during AM rush hour), as well as on the Tokaido Shinkansen. This is one way the Shinkansen (bullet train) manages to have high frequency on the Tokaido Line, despite slow acceleration and massive 17-car-long trains.

It's not that we will ever need to do it (the region, after all, is decentralized - if Surrey City Centre really grows as a business centre it might get some of those East Van commuters heading towards there or even towards Langley, rather than downtown, thus decongesting our inbound Expo Line) but it may be one way to increase capacity on the Expo even further.

[cganuelas1995]

Really would like to see the junction after Columbia station to be turned into a wye, allowing for connections from King George to VCC and eventually UBC. In fact, a wye near Lougheed, Commercial-Broadway, and Bridgeport would be useful in allowing new services.

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by xd_1771

There was one idea that came into my head lately, one that would double as an extension of the Expo Line and a way to increase its capacity.

Essentially...

• The Expo Line would be extended underground from Waterfront Station to a new station under/in the vicinity of Main and Hastings.
• The new terminus station would have a MULTI-TRACK (i.e. 4 tracks) layout or an otherwise redesigned terminus layout for higher capacity
• The purpose of this layout would be to accommodate running trains at an even higher frequency than is currently permitted by the switchback at Waterfront Station - this was specifically mentioned as the primary issue with increasing train frequency in the Expo Line Upgrade Strategy report (i.e. beyond 75-90 seconds).
• Whether there is a further extension down Hastings can be worked out separately.

In the far future, such a project, combined perhaps with any refinements to the ATC system, would allow the Expo Line to accommodate even higher capacities, without an expensive rebuild/extension of all of the station platforms for longer trains. Meanwhile, the new station would create an opportunity to further enhance/revitalize the DTES and improve connections from Hastings corridor transit lines onto Canada Line, SeaBus and the downtown stations.

I came up with this idea after being in Japan yet again earlier this winter, and noticing that many stations built with 4 tracks (or otherwise more than 2 tracks) aren't being done so just so that express trains to pass local ones at those stations: the second set of tracks could a train following closely behind to pull into a station without getting stuck behind a train that has not finished pulling out of the station, or is otherwise occupying the main platform. I noticed this on several of the JR Chuo Line stations in the suburbs (the platform schedule showed the second inbound platform being used like that during AM rush hour), as well as on the Tokaido Shinkansen. This is one way the Shinkansen (bullet train) manages to have high frequency on the Tokaido Line, despite slow acceleration and massive 17-car-long trains.

It's not that we will ever need to do it (the region, after all, is decentralized - if Surrey City Centre really grows as a business centre it might get some of those East Van commuters heading towards there or even towards Langley, rather than downtown, thus decongesting our inbound Expo Line) but it may be one way to increase capacity on the Expo even further.

Probably a 2070 era thing, and on the Expo and Canada Lines.

Especially Canada Line Expansions are going to be fun.

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

Really would like to see the junction after Columbia station to be turned into a wye, allowing for connections from King George to VCC and eventually UBC. In fact, a wye near Lougheed, Commercial-Broadway, and Bridgeport would be useful in allowing new services.

It's not useful until we get a fully fledged Langley Line or even just the L-line.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by fredinno

It's not useful until we get a fully fledged Langley Line or even just the L-line.

I honestly think it's best to futureproof our infrastructure instead of building for what is needed now.

[BobLoblawsLawBlog]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Body shape, yes. Paint job, hell no.

How can you tell the paint job in black and white?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by BobLoblawsLawBlog

How can you tell the paint job in black and white?

"80s aesthetic" narrows it down pretty well:



Dark green actually looks pretty tasteful, though. Had the original SkyTrain in mind last post - and it's my firm belief that dark blue and dark red should never be put side by side in any design.

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I honestly think it's best to futureproof our infrastructure instead of building for what is needed now.

It's because these kinds of projects tend to be done in packages. So the wye would be part of the Langley line to 'improve' that corridor. I don't know if the wye alone would be bothered without being packed in with something else.

Originally Posted by logan5

I'm going to regurgitate my Metro Core Subway map from 5 years ago. With the Main St corridor growing so rapidly (and a huge hospital on the way), this line warrants consideration even more so. Is there a city in the western world that has our kind of inner city density and isn't served by urban rail transit? I don't consider Skytrain urban transit, but rather suburban.

If it's LRT, it can also connect to the Interurban Artubus and False Creek Lines.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by fredinno

It's because these kinds of projects tend to be done in packages. So the wye would be part of the Langley line to 'improve' that corridor. I don't know if the wye alone would be bothered without being packed in with something else.

I think it would have been nice to have a wye built connecting the Millennium Line to the Expo Line around Commercial-Broadway station. Would alleviate foot traffic for people walking between platform 1/2 and 3/4 via footbridge.

A bigger project would be to demolish the station and rebuild it as a Spanish solution station with a flying junction following it.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I honestly think it's best to futureproof our infrastructure instead of building for what is needed now.

Yeah, the original T-Line under the Livable Region Strategic Plan was to foster suburb to suburb commuting -
i.e. connectivity between Surrey City Centre and Coquitlam City Centre with only 1 transfer required.

The reconfiguration of the tracks at Lougheed from the original plan
(which had a south facing wye) introduced another transfer for the Surrey - Coquitlam traveller.

Note the commentary that probably resulted in the 3rd (side) platform at Lougheed.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I think it would have been nice to have a wye built connecting the Millennium Line to the Expo Line around Commercial-Broadway station. Would alleviate foot traffic for people walking between platform 1/2 and 3/4 via footbridge.

A bigger project would be to demolish the station and rebuild it as a Spanish solution station with a flying junction following it.

Excerpts from an Appendix from the CoV's "Beyond the B-Line" 1999 report which states the reasoning why a wye was not built at Broadway & Commercial as part of the Millennium Line.
i.e. because the Phase II extension to Central Broadway would be built within 10 years!

[fredinno]

So the wye was going to be built with the "Broadway Line"?

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Excerpts from an Appendix from the CoV's "Beyond the B-Line" 1999 report which states the reasoning why a wye was not built at Broadway & Commercial as part of the Millennium Line.
i.e. because the Phase II extension to Central Broadway would be built within 10 years!

I'd have to say, that "future west extension" brings a lot to the imagination. Were they planning on extending SkyTrain further into downtown?

Also, can I get a link to Beyond the B-Line?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I'd have to say, that "future west extension" brings a lot to the imagination. Were they planning on extending SkyTrain further into downtown?

Pretty sure that the red line in question is the VCC branch.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Pretty sure that the red line in question is the VCC branch.

I do see the red line crossing the vertical line with downtown above it. Wouldn't the red line be between Broadway and downtown?