Sean Marshall
On Thursday, February 26, I went west on Finch Avenue from Scarborough to North York via the 939B Finch East Express bus to take another ride on Line 6, the problem-plagued Finch West LRT. After hearing of enhanced signal priority being introduced on Finch Avenue, I wanted to see if it had any effect on […]
On Finch Avenue East in Scarborough, the SmartTrack name lives on at a recently cancelled transit station. Finch-Kennedy was only one of five “SmartTrack” stations left by the time its champion left office.
After an embarrassing start to Line 6 Finch West, the long-delayed Line 5 Eglinton-Crosstown quietly opened to great relief. The new LRT offers much-needed optimism for Toronto’s transit future.
The Sunday, February 8 opening of the Eglinton-Crosstown is confirmed, along with some major changes to the bus network. But there will be no public celebration for this long-delayed transit project.
The idea of returning passenger trains to Ottawa’s beautiful downtown Union Station is very attractive. However, the current VIA station offers several key advantages for Alto that the old terminal can not match.
With proper signal priority, reliable service, and a flexible route, Waterloo Region’s LRT is a good example of a successful transit service and planning tool. Though it has a few issues – including some slow sections and a restrictive operating contract – Ion works well.
There’s not one easy fix for the Finch West LRT. Not only does it need transit signal priority, but it needs tighter schedules and better operations to live up to early promises.
Can a brand-new light rail line outrun the local bus it will soon replace? I went out to Finch Avenue West to see for myself.
Toronto’s newest transit hub is only half-opened, but it provides a preview of the region’s upcoming new transit links. Despite a decent layout and good incorporation of local heritage, some tweaks for improved wayfinding are necessary.
Metrolinx is looking to serve new Kitchener Line SmartTrack stations with its UP Express trains only. It’s only fair that the transit agency comes clean to transit riders on how it will make this work.
Sean Marshall