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One thing is for sure - I don't think it because of more examples of extreme poverty in Toronto as Nei is seemingly stating, especially when more households in Toronto have a car...
Yes, that was I typo. I meant to write more extreme poverty in Chicago.
Really, the whole thing with Chicago's transit, as it is for many US cities is the level of funding and the bloated expense of any of change. A headway for trains that is much shorter for current lines is fairly easily in reach--upgrade control signals and have more vehicles and possibly put in better bypasses.
Unnecessary for most of Chicago lines — they're not at the current capacity.
The Toronto system was not user friendly, however. It's small, and it's not connected to the airport. I had to make 3 connections (one being a bus) just to get downtown. The ticket collection method is also bordering on madness. Some places you can use your card to get a ticket, some are cash only, and then you have your transfer ticket, that no one seems to ever take, so who knows if you were supposed to pay again when you switched from that train. Also there are sometimes tokens. I have never been somewhere before that still took tokens.
All of that being said, it is a comfortable experience on the Toronto system, but I don't see how headways and some nicer stations could make it a better rapid transit system than a city like Chicago that has a system more than 2.5 times its size and that is connected to two airports.
Sorry - missed this post and not sure if Mr Jun addressed it but this whole experience will be streamlined by next year with the UP Express. Toronto will FINALLY have rail connection from the Airport to its DT core.. One train ride - 25mins! It won't be by subway of course, but atleast you will have the option of not having to take a bus using two different subway lines. To be honest, using two differnt subway lines in T.O isn't that much of a big deal getting to/fro the airport - its that bus ride to the subway!!
In a nutshell about the two systems, which is better depends on who you are and where you live. If you are in areas of T.O served rapid transit and live/work on one of the lines it is the better system imo and ridership numbers show that.. Alot more people use the system. Chicago's is more extensive yet by the looks of it may actually be TOO extensive for the city because it is not at capacity and is almost underutilized.. I still don't get why a system that is 2X the size of Toronto's has ridership numbers that are only 70% of T.O's in a city that is every bit as large as Toronto.
The only US Metro-system which hold an Asian or European standard is Washington DC (although New York has world class coverage)and it is not even close to the standard in Stockholm, Madrid, Moscow, London, Shanghai, Dubai, Copenhagen, Berlin, Oslo, Paris, Taiwan, Singapore, Barcelona, Prague, Munich, Lisbon and Naples, Tokyo, Osaka, Vienna, Taipei and Hamburg. Stockholm and London has even designed seats in their ultra-modern sub-way trains.
Most European and Asian countries with subway systems have also extensive light trains, commuter trains and bus-systems in combination with their subways. China has 21 metro systems up and running and has 15 metro systems under construction. You see new mass-transit construction popping up all over the world including in third world countries like India, Thailand, Brazil, Iran, Algeria, and Chile. The US is way behind.
Last edited by CharlesMcintyre; 12-07-2014 at 09:46 AM..
Agree. One day I was going to hang out with an old friend of mine living in Medford earlier this January. I normally drive to his place but it was snowing heavily that day so he suggested that I try out the Green Line... I spent a good 10 minutes scratching my head while on Google Maps trying to find this imaginary Green line north of Lechmere... And then finally thanks to Wikipedia discovered that a short 4-mile extension won't be done till 2020... (construction started around 2012 I think), like seriously, after $2.2 billion in project costs.
When speaking with people who actually understand this transportation stuff, they all say that the signal upgrades will do the most to improve the MBTA's headway's and reliability issues. That along with newer cars/trains of course. The new Green Line trains first delivery is in 2017, fully delivered by 2020. New Orange line trains first delivery 2018, fully delivered 2021. New Red line trains first delivery 2019, fully delivered by 2021.
Exorbitant costs and overruns aside, people should rush to buy real estate in Somerville, the values will go through the roof in the relatively near future.
The only US Metro-system which hold an Asian or European standard is Washington DC (although New York has world class coverage)and it is not even close to the standard in Stockholm, Madrid, Moscow, London, Shanghai, Dubai, Copenhagen, Berlin, Oslo, Paris, Taiwan, Singapore, Barcelona, Prague, Munich, Lisbon and Naples, Tokyo, Osaka, Vienna, Taipei and Hamburg. Stockholm and London has even designed seats in their ultra-modern sub-way trains.
Most European and Asian countries with subway systems have also extensive light trains, commuter trains and bus-systems in combination with their subways. China has 21 metro systems up and running and has 15 metro systems under construction. You see new mass-transit construction popping up all over the world including in third world countries like India, Thailand, Brazil, Iran, Algeria, and Chile and so on. United States have nothing of this because of left-wing socialist democrats and their hatred for safe, clean and good public transportation. They rather pour money into tax-cuts and bailouts for bankers and failed Socialists schemes like food stamps, student loans, public housing, fighting wars which is not ours to fight and goodies for illegal immigrants. Soon we have to move to third world countries to find employment because the Obamas of United States.
Cool vids! Canamerican cities are just not on the level of European or many Asian cities when it comes to Rapid Transit... that I think we can all agree.. Now personally, I'll take the general American and Canadian economies over general European one's anyday!
Hmm. So the track and right of way isn't that expensive — $199 million. Whole bunch of miscelleanous costs listed "Construction Site preparation"?, "purchase of new train cars"?
One thing is for sure - I don't think it because of more examples of extreme poverty in Toronto as Nei is seemingly stating, especially when more households in Toronto have a car...
True. Or it could be more people choose not to own a car because of the available public transit in Toronto. hence the lowers car ownership rates.
Hmm. So the track and right of way isn't that expensive — $199 million. Whole bunch of miscelleanous costs listed "Construction Site preparation"?, "purchase of new train cars"?
When broken down it does make the costs involved seem slightly more acceptable. They also seem to be carrying a relatively heavy contingency fund. Which is probably smart considering we all know anything that happens in Massachusetts will go grossly over budget, no matter what they promise originally.
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