Regina Transit

[yorktonite]

Originally Posted by Mayor Quimby

It isn't bad for routes though they get confusing sometimes for the average rider, lots of overlap and the timing leaves something to be desired.A hub system would best and more efficient.

This is why I don't even consider taking the bus. It takes me 45-50 minutes to get downtown on the bus from my place, not to mention having to walk another 10 minutes to the office. If I were to take my car it would take 15-20 minutes right to the office door. The cost of the monthly pass is not an issue for me, I almost pay the same for my monthly parking downtown. The real issue for me is the time.

[someguy]

I remember seeing somewhere (I think youngregina posted them) some maps of possible route for the city that would be more advantageous than what we have now....

Can someone post those so we can see what's possible?

[youngregina]

It wasnt me, i think it was caveat.doctor.. correct me if im wrong.

[caveat.doctor]

Originally Posted by someguy

I remember seeing somewhere (I think youngregina posted them) some maps of possible route for the city that would be more advantageous than what we have now....

Can someone post those so we can see what's possible?

youngregina proposed an express route/park & ride system, as well as an LRT system:

Originally Posted by youngregina

I had actually presented some express routes that i thought would be very feasable. Here they are listed;

30 northgate
40 superstore E.
50 wascana veiw
60 university
70 southland
80 normanveiw
90 sherwood/northwest shopping district

these were all based on a park 'n' ride basis. they all circled the downtown in a loop around sask drive, broad, 11th and albert. these routes all took the shortest route possible and stopped every 1.5, 2 or 3 kilometres at highly used intersections. (and yes i went to the traffic count thing on regina's website and based the bus stopes on those figures ). The presentation went over very well and they were very intrigued with what i came up with. But their main question was, "how do we get people out of their cars once they are already in them". ( this question refers to the park and ride design i came up with ). and they also explained how they cant change anything until they get more riders.

Originally Posted by youngregina

But i think regina transit should reserve the rights of ways for the rail lines. ( not the yards ). But just the lines. Cause if this city is going to grow to 300 000 people, ( long term growth plan ) they should think about LRT or BRT to fill some of that rail. Here, I will post a link to a map i've been working on.

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&...5345&z=12&om=1

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&...f53b&z=13&om=1

youngregina - Any updates on how your presentation went with the Transit head?

Originally Posted by youngregina

It wasnt me, i think it was caveat.doctor.. correct me if im wrong.

Me, I was talking earlier about switching the current loopy routes to a simpler grid layout - from this



to something like this



The existing system does ensure that most residents aren't more than a few blocks from a bus stop, but it means that routes are long and circuitous and indirect, which means it takes extra long to get around. Plus they all force you to go Downtown, ostensibly to boost business/traffic there, but the point of transit is to help people get across the entire city, as a viable alternative to cars, no matter where they want to go.

The grid offers simpler routes, so no confusing maps to remember - if you know the major streets in Regina, you know the system. Easy-peasy. The routes just go up and down the streets, so you don't have to guess where the bus stops are; and the routes are shorter, so they can run more frequently without having to increase the number of buses or drivers. Just by not having to stop and turn so often makes the routes run more efficiently.

Potentially more transfers to get across town - but since the buses would run so much more quickly and frequently, if you needed a transfer the overall transfer+transit time would still beat the current layout. The transfer points are logical (wherever major streets cross), and naturally are "centres" for the neighbourhoods they're in, and can become focuses for transit-oriented development, eg dense residential/retail/community amenities like parks. It's like every area has its "station". Plus most destinations in the city (eg businesses, schools, workplaces) are along those major streets anyway.

You may also have to walk more, but the distances are in keeping with other systems in Canada with similar layouts - and higher ridership. Plus more walking is good for you (my medical opinion). Though I did keep some local loop routes in there too, eg the Central for all the retirement homes (like the current Heritage line), as well as North, South and South-East loops that connect suburban residential with their respective commercial strips.

It would work better in Regina than the express route/park & ride system youngregina proposed, because the benefits of express routes are gained over long distances point-to-point, eg suburban commuter service (like Ottawa, GO buses, etc). Regina's distances are still too short to justify a system like that - it would take more time for drivers to park and wait for buses than would be gained by the buses running express. Moreover, buses running express non-stop hub-to-hub end up not serving the inner city between those hubs - precisely the market who often need transit most.

Anyway, just my 2c from my own experience knowing what works in other cities - no claims to expertise except being a regular transit user (when I'm not biking, anyway).

The L-P ran a story last Friday, "Rising gas prices may make Transit more appealing". There's a comment section you guys should fill out if you have ideas about transit - I imagine the L-P writers would be keeping an eye on it for story leads, maybe a good idea will come out of it.

[crooked rain]

^ I like the concept. It looks like those routes would allow most people to still have easy access to the bus and elimate a lot of looping around within subdvisions that makes using the bus so frustrating.

The key to having that system be function is easy connections to downtown for those routes such as 3, 4 and 8 that miss the core since I assume people going to the core are a large portion of system users. People tend to bitch about that kind of thing, especially when it is -30C.

[vid]

The problem with a linear system is that when you put some people too far away from transit they stop using it. When our route 9 was re-aligned to run only on major streets, it meant the end of service to a sizable neighbourhood, and as a result many stopped using transit. (Though the realignment put it closer to another subdivision so I guess it balanced out?) :\ And L1 wouldn't be a fun route, just add another loop that over laps it on different streets.

I've been planning out a new system for Thunder Bay and it's hard to please everyone. You have to know the demographics of who you're serving. Where people from what areas are going, when, how infrequent a service they will tolerate before giving up on the system (though your plan for a bus every 10 to 15 minutes is great, I have a habit of always missing 15 minute buses and having to wait 15 minutes for the next..) You should probably figure out an interlining system, to limit the amount of transferring. You could probably have a bunch of little loop routes that are interconnected, and have them running cutaways or something. For seniors, maybe a transit-cab service? Seniors in the suburbs might not be able to walk that far for a bus stop. I don't know if you have them in Regina, but Thunder Bay has lots of large apartments aimed at seniors tucked in corners of suburban areas, and they try to serve them all.

[Grumpy Goat]

Now that the new transit study has come out, what does everyone think about it?

[djforsberg]

Here is the plan: http://www.regina.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=4277

Here is a map of the "Top-down" Plan that is recommended:

[youngregina]

I cant tell if that is absolutely horrible or not? there is just something off about it that i cant quite put my finger on.

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by youngregina

I cant tell if that is absolutely horrible or not? there is just something off about it that i cant quite put my finger on.

One thing I am wondering is why route 13 is heading out past the Wascana Country Club. Plus, what member of the Club would even consider riding transit?

I do commend it though for having service to the airport, more shuttle routes and more express routes. I really don't understand why almost every route in the city (in the current plan) must go downtown.

[babo]

While I like the concept of not routing everything through downtown, the only reason I have taken public transit in my "adult" life is to go to and from work on snow events. The existing "every route through downtown" service has provided me with fast, no transfer, but never on-time, service. If they go with any of the proposed route changes, I will no longer consider public transit an option. I see longer routes and more transfers. I will, instead, wake up thirty minutes earlier and walk to work.

[madsad]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

One thing I am wondering is why route 13 is heading out past the Wascana Country Club. Plus, what member of the Club would even consider riding transit?

The area south of Varsity Park and east of the Wascana Club is identified in the SE sector development plan as the site of a future greenfield suburban neighbourhood. Route 13 is directed to eventually provide service to this area.

Also, the Wascana Club undoubtedly has employees that could possibly be a market for transit, but I question the logic behind someone with no access to a car seeking employment at the Wascana Club...

[youngregina]

I drove to test out route number 11 on the top-down plan. From Southland mall, assuming the stop at southland takes 7 minutes to enter, stop and exit the place; to ross industrial and ross and the exit to henderson takes approximately 40 minutes. Also, from southland to downtown on this route took me approximately 12 minutes. I did this during rush hour, to get a sense of how long it will take for the bus during off-peak hours. However I would change a few things about the route. Especcially the fact that as it exits the downtown, the bus turns off sask drive and heads along south railway and dewdney. I would have taken sask drive to winnipeg, then winnipeg to dewdney as it would be closer to residents and would reach residents deeper in along sask drive. On another note, I do believe the route should have bus bays along lewvan, to stop once at intersections and once between intersections along lewvan, as to reach out to a larger number of passengers in the normandy heights area.

[vid]

There are some wealthy/rural people that want public transit because they genuinely want to use it, there just aren't many of them. We had a suburban bus route through a rich, rural neighbourhood here last year and it averaged 1 person per run. A similar one to the north averaged 0.5 people per run. The first route was actually requested by a handful of people and probably only failed because it was a fixed service route instead of demand responsive (something like dial-a-bus).