[getsmart-l] Re: getsmart-l Digest, Vol 29, Issue 17

[ECommGroup at aol.com]

Hi.  John  Stillich here.  Perhaps this is publishable?... 
Keep Streetcars off  Arterials 
As we all know, the  city of Toronto floated its dream LRT/streetcar transit 
plan recently - 122 km  of dedicated rights-of-way at a cost of $6 billion, 
fully operational by  2021.  Fortunately, the funding does  not exist to 
implement this plan. 
I say this because  I've never been a fan of streetcar lines on arterial 
roadways.  I believe that one of the most critical  considerations when dealing 
with Toronto's traffic congestion is that transit  must be able to quickly 
transport not just local travelers, but longer distance  commuters as well, because 
it is the longer distance driver that creates most of  the traffic problems 
in the city, and because most growth in the future will  generate longer 
distance trips.  
These  commuters will not be well served by the proposed rail-based  plan.  
Because streetcars/LRTs will  be stopping at every arterial intersection and 
likely at several stops between  each arterial, the service will simply be too 
slow compared to driving by car  (especially when transit transfers are 
considered).  Because of this, I think the expectation  of 75 million new TTC users 
(about 250,000 per business day) is highly  optimistic. 
Importantly, it’s  not possible for a streetcar track to accommodate both an 
express and a local  service on the same right-of-way, even though express 
services – especially  suburb-to-suburb – are even now a huge unmet demand. 
Another problem with  rail-based services is that if there is a problem that 
delays one streetcar, it  backs up the service behind it.  Although dedicated 
rights-of-way will reduce this problem somewhat, it  will still exist.   
I believe it would  be far better to implement a network of bus-only road 
lanes, if the roadbed is  constructed of superior smoothness and durability, and 
with transit services  provided by a variety of high-quality, comfortable 
buses (not the  bargain-basement clunkers TTC patrons are forced to put up with).  
Importantly, bus-only lanes can  accommodate both express and local services, 
as well as Wheeltrans and community  shuttle services and, of course, if 
there is a problem with one vehicle, others  can maneuver around it.  There is  
also the possibility of emergency vehicles using these lanes if other lanes are  
congested. 
Assuming the  122-kilometre length of the TTC plan, I estimate that a 
bus-based service would  cost half as much as the streetcar/LRT plan, and can be 
implemented much more  quickly. 
Even with some  significant amendments to the routes proposed by the city, a 
bus-based plan  would be less expensive than $6 billion.  For instance, if the 
Finch Avenue route were extended eastward all the  way to Meadowvale 
Boulevard, if the Lakeshore route were extended eastward to  Kingston Road and 
Eglinton Avenue, if an Albion/Wilson/Ellesmere-to-Port Union  route were added, if a 
Victoria Park route from Steeles to Queen were added, and  if an Islington 
route from Steeles to Lakeshore were also added, the total cost  of a bus-based 
plan would still be only $5.3 billion -- or less, if there are  expenditure 
offsets in the normal road rehabilitation budget. 
(This cost estimate  was based on 230 km at $20 million per kilometer for 
roadbed construction, 500  new vehicles at $600,000 each, and $400 million in 
accessory costs.) 
There is an  assumption by many that only more streetcars and subways can 
attract the number  of riders needed to reduce traffic congestion, but I believe 
that that is merely  a reflection of the poor quality of bus services that 
exist today.  More frequent services, more express  services (inter- and 
intra-municipal), service integration with neighbouring  municipalities, much more 
comfortable vehicles, bus trains, transit shelters at  every stop, signal 
priority, and enforcement of bus-only laws (think cameras on  buses photo-ticketing 
vehicles ahead of them) can be just as effective, at much  less cost. 
Interestingly, there  is another unmet need in the GTA – a cross-GTA rapid 
transit line.  A 58-km line from Liverpool Rd in  Pickering through Toronto to 
Hurontario Street in Mississauga would cost $5.8  billion and carry up to 150m 
new passengers per year – an average of $39 per  passenger.  In contrast, the 
new  LRT/Streetcar plan works out to $6.0 billion / 74m = $82.  If the 
bus-lane concept carried 74  million new passengers per year, that would average out 
to about $42 (based on  $3.15b for 122km). 



   
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