Friends of cost-effective transit infrastructure:

This moring, Henry Swiech, Pres. of the Queensway
Terrace N. Com. Assn., invited me, some Roman
Ave. residents, and Angela Taylor, CMA, P. Eng.,
on a tour of the Transitway between Linclon Fileds
and Bayshore.

Angela Taylor is the City Enginner in charge of the
EA for the missing section of Transitway, that
staff want to build by demolishing 25 homes
along Roman Ave.

Purpose was to take the bus and see how the
congestion on that part of the Queensway between
Queensway Transitway Station and Pinecrest road
affects bus operations.

Idea was, to see if minor lane adjustments on
the east bound Queensway could speed up the
buses.

While waiting at Lincoln Fields, Ms. Taylor
offered us all bus tickets, and told us to make
sure we ask for a transfer, which she said was
good for two hours.

I had to correct her, and said, no, transfers
are good for 90 minutes.

Only O-Train tickets are good for two hours.

We took a #96 westbound from L. Fields to
Bayshore.

The trip south on the Transitway to the Queensway
Ramp at Queensway T.Way station was quick, as
was the part from there to the Pinecrest off ramp,
where there are two left turn lanes, a short section
of reserved bus lane, and a right turn lane.

This bus lane is long enough to store about 3
40 foot buses as they wait for the light at Pinecrest.

We had to wait at the red light at Pinecrest, even
after the left turn arrow came on, because there
was a deadheading bus coming east on the T.Way
from Bayshore, which turned left in front of us, to go
north on Pinecrest, the east on Queensview to the
Pinecrest Bus Garage.

I pointed out that it is ridiculous for in-service
west bound buses, loaded with passengers, to have
to wait for deadheading buses to turn in front of
them.

The eastbound left turn arrow for those buses should
come on at the END of the light cycle, not the beginning.

Ms. Taylor suggested that maybe there are actual bus
routes that make that left turn to N. Bound Pinecrest.

When we got to Bayshore Station, we checked the
map, and found that there are no regular routes making
that left turn from E. Bound T. Way to N. Bound Pinecrest.

Henry commented while we were at Bayshore Station
about how these Transitway projects always go way
over budget.

I mentioned the bus garage fiasco.

Our return trip on the #96 from Bayshore to L.Fields
was very quick.

It only took the driver about 5 seconds wait to make
the right turn from the Pinecrest T. Way Station to S.
Bound Greenbank.

The traffic on the E.bound Q. Way was slow, but not stopped.

We merged easily into the through lane, but I pointed out
through the windshield how easy it would be to paint a bus
lane on the shoulder, and have the buses not have to
merge into the through lane.

Similar to what is done at Moodie Drive, the buses
could merge across the N. Bound Greenbank
to E. bound Q. Way ramp, to a widened shoulder,
to get to the bus lane that enters the Queensway Sation.

When we got to L. Fields, I cautioned the group
not to be misled by this mornings relatively smooth
E. Bound trip, because most mornings are worse.

I took the group to the north end of the L. Fields
through platform, so they could see the VAST
HINTERLAND of apartment buildings west of the
Parkway on Richmond Road, and the "Don't
you DARE cross the Transitway here" signs,
as well as the "Don't even THINK of using
the traffic light here to walk across the Parkway"
signs, that forbid apartment dwellers from actually
getting to the station.

Notice I said "Forbid," not "Prevent."

Because we witnessed OODLES of people
ignoring the signs, and marching across both the
Parkway, and the Transitway, to access the station.

:>)

I showed the group how the through lanes at the
station line up nicely with the intersection of
McEwen Ave. at Richmond Road, for accessing
the Byron Corridor.

Ms. Taylor said that if the ELRT uses the Parkway,
it may take one of the road lanes in each direction (!)

The group agreed that, to serve the greatest # of
people, it would make far more sense to use Carling
Ave., because of all the schools, Hospitals, doctors'
offices, stores, apartments, etc.

Even if it means the poor, coddled 'burbanites
take 5 minutes longer to get downtown.

At this point the group broke up, and went on our way.

Did I miss anything important, Henry?

:>)
Tim