ULR in Gatineau... Est Possible?

Aylmer · #1 Posted: **Nov 10, 2007, 1:28 PM**

The Rapibus project is doomed so should we not share ideas?
LRT, ULR, Commuter trains... anything you think would be useful and or amusing!

Soyez créatifs!!

Jamaican-Phoenix · #2 Posted: **Nov 10, 2007, 5:35 PM**

I think Gatineau doesn't want any part of a Commuter Line, because of the issues with freight still running on the tracks up there.

The Rapibus is going ahead as planned and because of that, any alternative modes of transportation or evolution won't be considered for at least a couple decades.

Aylmer · #3 Posted: **Nov 11, 2007, 11:13 PM**

they'll just scrap the rapibus in a couple of years...
but a commuter line to Wakefeild and Buckingham would be apreciated because I know people who live up there!

and ULR is still the shining beacon of light for the Ottawa metro!

Jamaican-Phoenix · #4 Posted: **Nov 12, 2007, 2:36 AM**

I don't think they will scrap the Rapibus is just a few years. That's very unrealistic.

Gatineau has been very economic about the Rapibus and won't just scrap it after a few years; that would be a huge waste of money and infrastructure.

Wakefield I could see, but how would a system tie into the steam train tourist thing?

Aylmer · #5 Posted: **Nov 12, 2007, 12:08 PM**

They could simply stop the steam train once in the morning and evening!
If the city thinks it could make more money, they could double track!!

And with the growth of the Ottawa-Gatineau-(Aylmer!) Metro, I think it'l be over capacity on opening day...

Jamaican-Phoenix · #6 Posted: **Nov 12, 2007, 2:37 PM**

Quote:

And with the growth of the Ottawa-Gatineau-(Aylmer!) Metro, I think it'l be over capacity on opening day...

Not necessarily.

There are many people who are skeptical about the supposed 50% ridership increase.

And capacity(even if it were to be "reached" on opening day) would and could be extended by the acquisition of articulated buses, which is on the table for the Rapibus project.

The Rapibus will be around for a while.

Aylmer · #7 Posted: **Nov 12, 2007, 9:56 PM**

Who's side are you on?

Jamaican-Phoenix · #8 Posted: **Nov 12, 2007, 10:25 PM**

This has nothing to do with "choosing sides"...

Aylmer · #9 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 2:04 AM**

Well, I think rather highly of LRT/ULR and consider it a reasonable option...

jeremy_haak · #10 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 3:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AylmerLover

Well, I think rather highly of LRT/ULR and consider it a reasonable option...

A lot of people do, but there's a big step from you supporting LRT to:

Quote:

Originally Posted by AylmerLover

they'll just scrap the rapibus in a couple of years...

Gatineau seems pretty set in going ahead with Rapibus, and it seems somewhat sensible to me. BRT is a very sensible option for a city Gatineau's size. More importantly, for a city that is trying to distinguish itself from Ottawa, there is little political support to conform to what Ottawa is doing. And why should there be?

Acajack · #11 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 6:15 PM**

And let’s not forget that whenever BRTs are built, they are always constructed to allow for an easy conversion to rail if transportation needs push things in that direction. OC Transpo followed this approach with the Transitway when it began building in the early 80s and future rail conversion is also part of the mandatory design specifications for the Rapibus.

So, it’s totally incorrect to insinuate that such projects are wastes of money.

BlackRedGold · #12 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 9:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

And let’s not forget that whenever BRTs are built, they are always constructed to allow for an easy conversion to rail if transportation needs push things in that direction.

That's all nice and good, but how many times have a conversion ever taken place?

Aylmer · #13 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:10 PM**

Gatineau is making the same mistake as ottawa...
They'll just promise conversion and not do it!
And they are building it beside an unsued railroad!
Honestly, ULR would be more than three timer cheaper!
YEEACH!

Acajack · #14 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:13 PM**

Why does everything have to be a zero-sum-gain? Isn’t the idea to get as many people as possible out of their cars and onto some type of public transit, rather than about keeping score of how many times rail wins over buses?

For the record, the city of Seattle has quite recently converted its downtown BRT tunnel to rail.

Don’t have time to search for other examples of conversions, but I can tell you that if more conversions aren’t taking place, it’s probably more about a general apathy on the part of elected officials vis-à-vis investing in any type of public transport than it is about technical difficulties in converting something like the Transitway or Rapibus to a rail-based system.

Acajack · #15 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:18 PM**

Other than to please guys who get all excited at the sound of a “choo-choo”, there is no foreseeable reason in the short or medium term for the city of Gatineau to convert its Rapibus system to rail.

Especially when one considers that, as we speak, there are plenty of passenger trains in relatively low-density urban areas similar to Gatineau across North America running with virtually no passengers in them.

Aylmer · #16 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:19 PM**

But the same capacity and improved environmental effeciency VS. Slow gas guzzling busses is a no brainer!!!

Aylmer · #17 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:22 PM**

plus, I have a plan with 3 (maybe 4) ULR lines and 2 commuter train lines!
I'll send the Images Later...

Acajack · #18 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:23 PM**

Rail doesn't pollute less than buses if there’s almost nobody on board the train!

One of the reasons OC Transpo is so hesitant about switching the Transitway to rail is that it fears losing riders if it forces them to transfer to rail from a local bus or use a park and ride at a rail station. They’re very concerned about losing the Transitway’s main competitive advantage over rail: NO TRANSFERS.

Studies have shown that people hate transfers and most of Ottawa-Gatineau is too low-density to allow for neighbourhood stations that people can walk to from their places of residence using the Parisian rule of thumb that every address in the city is no further than 500 m from a metro station.

Jamaican-Phoenix · #19 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 10:55 PM**

Quote:

and ULR is still the shining beacon of light for the Ottawa metro!

How so? *scratches head*

Jamaican-Phoenix · #20 Posted: **Nov 13, 2007, 11:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Other than to please guys who get all excited at the sound of a “choo-choo”, there is no foreseeable reason in the short or medium term for the city of Gatineau to convert its Rapibus system to rail.

Especially when one considers that, as we speak, there are plenty of passenger trains in relatively low-density urban areas similar to Gatineau across North America running with virtually no passengers in them.

True, but you could have accomplished what the Rapibus is going to do using a Commuter Rail system.

Now before I continue, let me make it clear that I approve of the Rapibus and it makes sense for Gatineau, but so does Commuter for the following reasons:

-Commuter rail would've used existing rail infrastructure.

-Commuter rail would stop at all the same places.

-Commuter rail would/could go farther. It could end up in Massons-Angers and Buckingham for roughly the same price.

-Commuter rail would've led to a more integrated transit system with Ottawa.

-Commuter rail would've been able to run into Ottawa with the O-Train.

-Commuter rail would have potentially the same(if not higher) ridership.