04-10-2023, 02:35 PM
(04-10-2023, 02:07 PM)cherrypark Wrote: Is there a rail alignment that would enable them to still transport LRVs to the KW ION section and O&M facilities without connecting the two? To me, it seems like so much of the cost is bridging (literally and figuratively) the space between KW and Cambridge with the Preston/Eagle St. mess in the middle making it worse.
Though one would want to eventually connect them, is there an alternate reality where Hespeler - Cambridge North - Galt is its own leg of LRT with a BRT in the middle? I imagine the crossing at the Grand plus all the elevated sections between Fairview and Pinebush are much of this cost escalation, while I don't really understand if the passengers going from Cambridge to Kitchener are really that large in number vs. their respective intracity stops. Just seems like a huge amount of cost, if it were that much, vs. the relative utility of building another 1-2 alignments in K-W and making something more flexible to link Cambridge.
Based on the chart posted a few pages back Pinebush to Galt is only 1.6 billion yet Fairway to Pinebush is 2.9 billion, so conceivably they could build another OMSF somewhere in Cambridge and it would still be under 2 billion. Then they could increase Fairway to Pinebush bus service to BRT or something similar, then when ridership warrants it the LRT system could be implemented. Then with the remaining 2.5 billion they could do BRT to Cambridge between Pinebush and Fairway (London's BRT is only about 500 million), then with the remaining 2 billion they could build another line in KW, Ottawa? Victoria? University?
Knowing the region though that's not gonna happen because they are going to come up with some justification as to why it must be connected continuously. Even though it might be a better use of resources to build two lines for the cost of a fully continuous Cambridge line.