04-13-2021, 02:01 PM
(04-13-2021, 11:20 AM)Bytor Wrote:(04-13-2021, 01:27 AM)dunkalunk Wrote: It would definitely be cheaper than the current proposed elevated structures crossing the Grand and Speed rivers though.
I'm sorry, but I really wish that people would stop suggesting that running Stage 2 ION along Homer Watson Blvd. would be a reasonable alternative to through Sportsworld. (Probably because most people making it are the NIMBYs trying to appear reasonable, even though I know that you, Dunkalunk, are not one of them.)
If you look at the table I posted of 2019 boardings by route, you can see that the 201+10+16 still don't make up what the 200+7 did in the lead up to ION starting service. Also, when you compare the map posted above with stop use circles, you can see that the portion of the 201 south of Ottawa St. isn't near as busy as the northern part and that it's the 10 & 16 which are the big drivers for ridership down into Pioneer Park, Doon, and along Homer Watson Blvd. That means that only a small portion of the 201's boardings can be used to add to the 10's and 16's to try and guesstimate some sort of demand for a Homer Watson LRT.
The numbers just don't pan out in a way that makes Homer Watson a better route choice at this point in time.
Are there NIMBYs who are opposing the Sportsworld alignment? I thought most opposition was to having it go near Preston/anywhere where people live. Sportsworld is a low density mostly commercial area.
Certainly there is development opportunity there, but I don't think there's much real demand. The main source of boardings are transfers at Sportsworld Station and those could move anywhere, Sportsworld Station is exceptionally mediocre as far as transit goes.
There is lots of opportunity for growth on Homer-Watson, there is actually a few bits of density, but tons of car infra and very poor transit, improving transit could unlock a significant pent up demand. And again, the College could be a huge driver of trips, and transit could also help alleviate the housing crunch there.
I think there are compelling reasons why Homer-Watson is a reasonable alternative. And I really don't think it would help solve the NIMBY opposition, there are lots of people in that area who would object as well.
That being said, there's really no reason to get frustrated by it, the fact is the LRT is (hopefully will) get built along highway 8, and there is zero chance of that plan changing to Homer-Watson at the moment. More, our world is an n=1 experiment...neither you, nor I, nor anyone will ever know whether Homer-Watson would be a better or worse routing...it is not something that is possible to know for certain.