Calgary Public Transit II

[TallisRH]

Some buses in the fleet now have proper security camera systems installed. This system will replace the current "DriveCam" system that only has two cameras (one pointed out the front windshield and one down the aisle of the bus) and is only capable of recording 20 seconds at a time in less-than-stellar quality. The new system has 8 cameras and should be recording all the time in HD.

Pics:

Originally Posted by floobie

If I may derail (*knee slap*) this discussion for a moment:

What's up with the "next train" boards? Literally every day for the past few weeks, during my commute, they've been flat-out wrong. Every time I get on at Dalhousie, the "next train" sign is just completely wrong. A Somerset train arrives when the sign still says "4 minutes". Or, when I get on at 3rd street, it says a Crowfoot train is arriving when it's actually a 69th street train. I got on the wrong train last week for this reason. I guess that's what I get for assuming that the information these boards provide is remotely accurate. And, in both cases, the voice announcing a train is arriving has consistently been playing after the train has already left.

So: Is it just me? If not, are they working on this? I mean, I'd frankly rather they just turned all that stuff off until it's working properly.

It's not just you. There are lots of complaints each day on twitter about the system. It's never been exceptionally great, but the past few weeks have definitely been worse than normal.

[Ferreth]

Is there any chance of getting the data that just shows me where the train is (or it's last known location)? Have an app display that on my phone, then I can decide if I need to jog to the station or proceed over at a slow saunter. If you wanted to go one better, a 5 minute average speed on each marker would tell me at a glance if the train is just sitting there or moving along.

[UofC.engineer]

2nd Quarter Ridership report:

6.75% increase in ridership

http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2013-q2-ridership-APTA.pdf

[mersar]

Originally Posted by Ferreth

Is there any chance of getting the data that just shows me where the train is (or it's last known location)? Have an app display that on my phone, then I can decide if I need to jog to the station or proceed over at a slow saunter. If you wanted to go one better, a 5 minute average speed on each marker would tell me at a glance if the train is just sitting there or moving along.

In the future, hopefully. I believe that was part of the specs for phase two of the APIS replacement (which includes GPS for each bus)

[Allan83]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Last mile is the difficulty. The data in the backend exists, but getting it onto a screen is hard. Easier and much better to give access to the data to third parties, and let them design smart phone apps. From an economic perspective it is much better too, since once you're on the platform, you're waiting unless there is an egregious delay. Access anyway else however aids in trip planning and can reduce idle waiting time.

Originally Posted by mersar

Most of Calgary Transit's system is actually RFID based rather than GPS, as GPS is notoriously bad downtown and simply impossible underground. Still no reason it shouldn't work, but its been almost constantly broken at least somewhere in the city since its launch.

Very informative. Thank you both.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

2nd Quarter Ridership report:

6.75% increase in ridership

http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2013-q2-ridership-APTA.pdf

Cities that beat Calgary (278K) for rail ridership (including heavy rail):
- San Francisco (BART)- (422K)
- Washington DC (Metro)- (980K)
- Chicago (EL)- (729K)
- Chicago (Commuter)- (296K)
- Boston (Metro)- (551K)
- NYC- (LIRR commuter)- (334K)
- NYC- (Metro North Rail)- (294K)
- NYC (Subway)- (8,726K) (Holy F!, 8.7 million subway trips per day!)
- Philadelphia (336K)
- Vancouver (Skytrain) (375K)
- Toronto (Subway) (901K)
- Toronto (Streetcar) (359K)
- Montreal (Metro) (1,142)

So, we have the 10th largest rail ridership in North America (I am lumping the NYC, Chicago and Toronto commuter, metro and/or streetcar systems together), and we are nowhere near 10th in population.

Also shows how well Canada compares to the US in terms of transit. After the absolute dominance by NYC, transit ridership in order of volume goes: Montreal, DC, Toronto, Chicago. If Calgary was in the US, we would be in the top 7 for rail ridership!!!

[Rusty van Reddick]

^expressing this per capita would be much more impressive. We'd be #2 in the US, not #7.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

^expressing this per capita would be much more impressive. We'd be #2 in the US, not #7.

Definitely! Transit in the US is absolutely dismal outside NYC. I think I read a stat that 50% of transit trips in the US are made within NYC.

[lubicon]

If Calgary was in the US we would have a bunch of freeways and no light rail. Our ridership would be essentially zip.

[Ferreth]

Originally Posted by mersar

In the future, hopefully. I believe that was part of the specs for phase two of the APIS replacement (which includes GPS for each bus)

Oh wow, that would be great - being able to time my arrival at the bus stop based on where the bus is rather than looking up a schedule.

[J-D]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

2nd Quarter Ridership report:

6.75% increase in ridership

http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2013-q2-ridership-APTA.pdf

I, for one, sure wish the SE LRT ridership would stop growing... or maybe instead grow in non-peak hours.

[The Chemist]

Originally Posted by fusili

Kinda. Sometimes "light rail" refers to trains with overhead caternary power supply, while "heavy rail" refers to third rail power supply, hence the grade separation. However, things such as diesel trains (which the GOTrain is IIRC), are also classified as "heavy rail".

And there are many heavy rail systems (the heavy rail lines of the Shanghai Metro, for example) that run on overhead caternary rather than third rail power, so that doesn't cut it as a distinction.

[freeweed]

Comments about the signage at LRT stations - you guys aren't kidding. I've noticed that in recent weeks, they're never remotely close to accurate in the downtown core. Hell, the "a train is approaching the station" announcement is almost always mistimed.

Something fundamental must be broken. It's amazing that I can go to YYC and have up-to-the-minute info on arriving and departing planes from a dozen countries and hundreds of cities - but we can't figure out how to display timing info on a one-dimensional, two-direction route. The only real wrinkle I can see is the inter-lining of the 2 routes - I'm sure it's a bit of guesswork to figure out if the next train on the first station on 7th Ave will be a 201 or a 202. But once that order is established - it shouldn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out which is coming next.

[joe498]

Calgary Transit to add 150 buses to its aging fleet

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/807154/calgary-transit-to-add-150-buses-to-its-aging-fleet/

[Riise]

Originally Posted by The Chemist

And there are many heavy rail systems (the heavy rail lines of the Shanghai Metro, for example) that run on overhead caternary rather than third rail power, so that doesn't cut it as a distinction.

Yup, some of the metros in Japan have overhead catenary. With LRVs often being heavier than metro cars, I tend to stick to the light and heavy referring to capacity description. Urban passenger rail terminology is quite a mess, it would be lovely if an international body decided to clean it up.

Originally Posted by freeweed

The only real wrinkle I can see is the inter-lining of the 2 routes - I'm sure it's a bit of guesswork to figure out if the next train on the first station on 7th Ave will be a 201 or a 202. But once that order is established - it shouldn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out which is coming next.

Sometimes when you can see that one train has already made it onto the 7th Avenue mall before another train, the order will change multiple times on the board even though it is impossible for the trains to pass each other.

In London, the sub-surface lines do a great deal of interlining yet the reliability of the boards are not put into question nearly as much or seriously.

Originally Posted by joe498

Calgary Transit to add 150 buses to its aging fleet

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/807154/calgary-transit-to-add-150-buses-to-its-aging-fleet/

Does anyone know who the manufacturer will be?

[Riise]

Looks like New Flyer. I was confused when the article mentioned Minnesota as I thought New Flyer was based out of Winnipeg but it looks like they have a factory in St. Cloud.

[You Need A Thneed]

Originally Posted by Riise

Does anyone know who the manufacturer will be?

New Flyer apparently.

[mersar]

Yep. They've gone back to NFI for both the 40 and 60 footer buses for now (recently started receiving the first of 4 of the XD60 Xcelsior model of articulated bus)

[joe498]

Perhaps this is a crazy idea but I think some compelling reasons exist for this concept which has proven effective in European countries:

Free-Fare Transit.


As with all good things, nothing can be entirely free what this does:

- Increase ridership
- Increase convenience
- More efficient loading / unloading
- Substantial increase in revenue (to be explained)

Primary reason our infrastructure lacks presently is the three following reasons:

- Lack of money
- Lack of ridership
- Outdated

Some options could be considered:

- The obvious one and everyone's favorite: increase in property tax.
- Municipal sales tax, possibly lower property tax. (Great because it draws on tourists and out of town commuters)
- Consider close to 500k dwellings, much larger base of revenue.

Some will argue that they would never want to subsidize transit because they would never use it. Others suggest toll roads could be effective.

- Commonly this anti-transit mentality is fueled by past 'experience' with public transit. Most things come down to money, more capital creates a better transit system which creates a better experience. Consider it like a bulk discount.

- A free fare system creates essentially 'tolled roads'. Less people are on the roads which makes more efficient use of present roads and creates much more capital to better develop existing and future roads / infrastructure. Anti-transit individuals are paying people to get out of single occupied vehicles and off roads. Transit users are paying people to stop driving so roads can be used for essential services.

- If you can prove a system is quicker and more effective by use of express bus lanes and LRT's, people will choose to use them. The increase in funding creates many other possibilities. Route-ahead could accelerate much more quickly.

- It is people own delusion that driving a car is "free". Many people can realistically spend $6k+ a year commuting by car. In addition, I can't recall a day commuting by car that consists of a collision free day. Deerfoot has multiple vehicle collisions daily.

As it stands, a public transit user already pays close to $1200 annually. Through a subsidized system, that money gets stretched throughout the entire household, while creating much more capital with a larger tax base funding public transit.

[mellbell416]

Last that I heard, Council was supposed to make a decision on the SETWAY in Septmber, but the month has slipped by with no news from anywhere. Any ideas on when we will actually know what the hell is going on?

Anyone else frustrated by this??