Light Rail for Winnipeg — Page 2
The Facts
- The distance of the University Line from Main @ Pioneer in downtown Winnipeg to Bison Dr. in Fort Garry is 10.8 kilometres. Additionally the distance from Bison Dr. @ Pembina Hwy. to the U of M Centre is about 2 kilometres.
- The distance from Memorial Blvd. & Portage Ave. to Polo Park is approximately 6 kilometres.
The TTC's Rapid Transit Expansion Study (RTES) published in 2001 states:
6. Density is the Key to Successful Rapid Transit
When examining the existing rapid transit system, the single biggest factor in determining whether a rapid transit initiative will be an operating success is the density that exists in the corridor today and the potential increased density that is possible in the future. As shown in Exhibit ES-3, transit modal splits in excess of 30% are only possible if the density in the vicinity of stations exceeds 100 jobs and/or residents per hectare. At densities below 100, the success of rapid transit cannot be assured and the operational performance of a line may not be financially affordable.
This study focuses on those corridors that are at or near the density threshold of 100 population/employment per hectare. Obviously, the risk of operational losses increases in the initial years of a line.s operation if extensive redevelopment must take place to reach this threshold. The opposite is also true, i.e., lines that are at or near the threshold today are less risky from a financial perspective as redevelopment is not needed to ensure operational success.
As shown in Exhibit ES-4, the stations built since 1978 (with a few exceptions) have not achieved a 30% transit modal split and most do not meet the density threshold even 25 years after implementation. This reflects the reality that some corridors did not have the appropriate success factors for redevelopment prior to implementation and increased zoning alone was not sufficient in overcoming the barriers to redevelopment.
When some stations have extensive redevelopment and others have none 25 years after a line was constructed, it should come as no surprise that "if you zone developers will come". is not always the case. Zoning is one of many factors that must be in place for a line to be an operating success and this reality must be factored into rapid transit investment discussions.
Therefore it is makes obvious (common) sense to route Winnipeg's University Line under Osborne Village and not near the CN Main Line via Donald St. south. We don't want to make the mistake that Toronto did to route rapid transit where there the area is not as densely populated.
University-Airport Line Stations
Red coloured portion indicates
at-grade
Blue Blue coloured portion indicates
underground.
- St. Vital Centre
- University Of Manitoba
- Bison Dr.
- McGillivray
- Clarence
- Jubilee
- Grant
- Osborne Junction
- River/Stradbrook
- Memorial (hub station)
- Sherbrook/Maryland
- Arlington
- Polo Park
- Assiniboine Park
- Airport
A list of LRT Stations in more detail is here.
When constructing underground rapid transit it is less costly to do it through the "cut and cover" method rather than "tunnelling".
