Subway Economics

The difficulties of making subway lines run at a profit have existed for over ten years and, up until now, no solution has been found. It’s obvious that simply relying on revenue from ticket sales is not enough to cover the sizable operating costs. Attempts to replicate the Hong Kong model have also proved unsuccessful, […]

Subway cost per mile nearly 9 times higher than for light rail, says study

Recent study results of subway-LRT investment costs posted on the Light Rail Now (LRN) site provide a sobering reality check on the cost issue. http://austinrailnow.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/subway-cost-per-mile-nearly-9-times-higher-than-for-light-rail-says-study/ Projects examined were an assortment of “recent urban rail projects (all from the 2000s), either completed or well under construction and fully budgeted.” The report lists 24 subway and 13 […]

Why Is TransLink’s Price for Light Rail Triple What Other Cities Pay?

Arguments for spending billions on SkyTrain along Broadway rest on oddly high estimates for the alternative: light rail. ByAi??Kathryn Mandell and Patrick M. Condon, Today, TheTyee.ca http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/11/28/TransLink-Light-Rail/ Future interrupted? Why is Vancouver light rail assumed to be three times more expensive than elsewhere? Image source: Steer Davies Gleave.Ai??Ai??Ai?? An extremely expensive decision for taxpayers looms […]

Rob Ford fails to derail light rail lines

Mayor Rob Ford wend down swinging, saying again that people want subways, not LRT. However, Toronto City Council endorsed the $8.4 million master plan to build four LRT lines by a 30 to 11 margin. Toronto Sun story at: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/11/01/ford-defied-more-toronto-light-rail By Don Peat ,City Hall Bureau Chief First posted:Thursday, November 01, 2012 08:20 The Crosstown […]

TTC chief: Subway expansion for downtown relief line has to be discussed ai???right nowai??i??

National Post http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/23/subway-or-lrt-downtown-toronto-needs-a-relief-line-ttc-chief-andy-byford/ The real issue for Ford isn’t subways, it’s keeping the roads LRT-free for cars. He’d rather have no transit whatsoever than build light-rail. This mayor is all about catering to the single-occupant motorist. All that SUBWAAAYS bluster was fake. This man has ZERO respect for the decision of our ELECTED City Council, […]

Rob Fordai??i??s subway dream dead

The Toronto Star hates Mayor Ford and everything he wants to do. The Star is Liberal and the mayor is conservative. It has never said anything nice about him. The mayor before him ran on an election promise not to build a bridge to the island airport. No wonder the rest of Canada calls it […]

TTC defies Mayor Rob Ford in favour of Light Rail

TorontoAi??LRT/subway tussle continues The Toronto City Council Wednesday, in defiance of Mayor Rob Ford, readied a vote to advance light rail transit above ground along Sheppard Ave. and not a subway option. So what price for the dogma of so many Canadian politicians, from East to West, Ontario, Toronto, Waterloo, Surrey, Vancouver & Victoria. BC […]

LRT and Subway Construction Costs

From the Toronto LRT Information Blog http://lrt.daxack.ca/blog/ Discussions on Toronto and GTHA LRT Possibilities Much of this site is devoted to promoting LRT as a viable alternative to Subway for rapid transit expansion within the GTA where capacity needs exceed or will exceed that of bus operation, but do not warrant a Subway level of […]

Comparing Light Rail, Bus and Subway Costs

Two  reports on Canadian Light Rail systems The following link is to a report published in 2006 by Calagary Transit Light Rail Transit in Calgary  http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/Calgarys_LRT_1st_25Years_TRB_revised.pdf Currently, the average hourly operating cost of LRT is approximately $163, including operating, maintenance and utility costs. With an average of 600 boarding passengers per revenue operating hour, the […]