Calgary Public Transit II

[DizzyEdge]

Just wondering if, well I agree with the crazy parking restrictions to help fill the trains, but if there's no capacity wondering if there's any way to make driving easier, but sounds like it's also at capacity as well.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Just wondering if, well I agree with the crazy parking restrictions to help fill the trains, but if there's no capacity wondering if there's any way to make driving easier, but sounds like it's also at capacity as well.

Parking isn't so much the issue. The road system is pretty choked, especially in the afternoon rush.

[Surrealplaces]

YYC Street 2013 by Kelly Gibbons, on Flickr

[Spring2008]

Those look real good. The City of Calgary and the city in general is really taking design seriously nowadays. When will all the lines be 4 car operational?

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Suffice to say, I am excited for these beasts to begin arriving in 18 months! (new render)



http://www.canadianmetalworking.com/dail...-calgary-with-60-lrt-vehicles-99452.html

[RicoLance21]

Originally Posted by freeweed

OK, I'm starting to understand the complaints about our LRT system being overloaded. I've been leaving downtown right in the peak of the rush lately, and it's horrible. I'm not talking "I can never get a seat" kinda whiny, I'm talking absolute sardine cans. And not just when something happens, this is normal course of business. Waiting for 2-3 trains to go by is becoming common.

And once again this morning, we have a "CPS incident" which put the entire system in chaos. I don't understand how anyone past Crowfoot even got into downtown this morning, every single train was leaving jam-packed. If you're not willing to stand outside in the -20 windchill for 10 minutes, good luck ever getting on.

It feels like more and more we're seeing large delays and service disruptions in the system. Before, they were a nuisance but we had the capacity to mitigate it somewhat. Calgary's finally outgrowing the Ctrain Here's hoping the 4 cars come online very, very soon - and even that is just a stopgap.

I bet there will not be any relief at all!

Since four cars will start on only a handful of trains and then gradually building up until the entire NW/SC line by the end of 2015, the trains will still be packed like sardines by the time trains they reach a couple of stations away from downtown. Sunnysiders will still have a good chance of seeing trains go by--even with four cars. Why? because we also have to consider some of those who currently gave up taking the train due to overcrowding may very well go back and take it when it expands. Some of the Route 3 riders from the south are contributing to the overcrowding of the route, just because they would rather stay seated instead of getting off and take the C-Train at Heritage. Finally, on top of that, the overall ridership increase due to increase in population and population density around the stations. Guys, it's not going to end until we get either the new SE line or the 8th Street subway.

[RyLucky]

Personally, I think we need about 500 million $/yr to have an amongst-the-best-in-the-world transit system in 30 years. I also believe we can afford it, but I recognize I'm probably at the extreme in this point.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

Personally, I think we need about 500 million $/yr to have an amongst-the-best-in-the-world transit system in 30 years. I also believe we can afford it, but I recognize I'm probably at the extreme in this point.

I think we an afford it to. I'd much rather our government spent $1.3 billion on transit as opposed to Carbon Capture and Storage...probably be more effective, too.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I think we an afford it to. I'd much rather our government spent $1.3 billion on transit as opposed to Carbon Capture and Storage...probably be more effective, too.

Which is over 20 years. There isn't a big pot of money sitting around to divert to transit.

[Design-mind]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Question, is downtown parking full every weekday, even with he crazy rates?

I would say yes full, on the East side of downtown. Even with all the vacant lots in Victoria Park, colleges of mine sometimes would park illegally because the lots were full. (Rates in Victoria park range from $18-25 per day).

[J-D]

Originally Posted by freeweed

OK, I'm starting to understand the complaints about our LRT system being overloaded. I've been leaving downtown right in the peak of the rush lately, and it's horrible. I'm not talking "I can never get a seat" kinda whiny, I'm talking absolute sardine cans. And not just when something happens, this is normal course of business. Waiting for 2-3 trains to go by is becoming common.

And once again this morning, we have a "CPS incident" which put the entire system in chaos. I don't understand how anyone past Crowfoot even got into downtown this morning, every single train was leaving jam-packed. If you're not willing to stand outside in the -20 windchill for 10 minutes, good luck ever getting on.

It feels like more and more we're seeing large delays and service disruptions in the system. Before, they were a nuisance but we had the capacity to mitigate it somewhat. Calgary's finally outgrowing the Ctrain Here's hoping the 4 cars come online very, very soon - and even that is just a stopgap.

It'll be pretty interesting to see what happens when 4 car trains finally come to fruition, but I think the SE LRT or Transitway will ultimately be needed to alleviate load on the SE-NW line.

What I found interesting is when I would go for a quick beer after work and take the train it would be an absolute ghost town, whereas the roads stay busy a bit longer.

Since I started driving downtown it's amazing how much less stressful I find my day as opposed to taking the c-train. Oddly enough my commute is actually more consistent (it seems like the train has a major incident far more often than Deerfoot has a major accident).

[VIce]

I'm just glad that I can choose to commute well off of peak times.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Which is over 20 years. There isn't a big pot of money sitting around to divert to transit.

I know. It'd take royalty reform and progressive taxation too. Although, I'd like to add that carbon capture and storage is a condescending and idiotic marketing ploy/corporate hand-out.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by J-D

It'll be pretty interesting to see what happens when 4 car trains finally come to fruition, but I think the SE LRT or Transitway will ultimately be needed to alleviate load on the SE-NW line.

What I found interesting is when I would go for a quick beer after work and take the train it would be an absolute ghost town, whereas the roads stay busy a bit longer.

Since I started driving downtown it's amazing how much less stressful I find my day as opposed to taking the c-train. Oddly enough my commute is actually more consistent (it seems like the train has a major incident far more often than Deerfoot has a major accident).

203 will not do much to alleviate 201. The routes appear to run parallel on a map, but actually their catchment areas are almost totally unique.

Basically, I have a different view to most of the things you've said. My experience has been that the train is now fairly busy off-peak, especially 201. A couple times this month I've ridden in the evening (once around 9 and once around midnight) there was standing room only. So far as I know this was not related to any special event. That said, I have also ridden when in the evening this month when only about 1/3 of the seats were taken. I find the roads downtown fairly deserted at night.

Last summer I took the Deerfoot to work everyday around 5 am. Busy, without fail, everyday (some days from Memorial to 32nd NE, other days from Memorial to Anderson). Generally, at that time of day there would be a decent cruising speed, but I was surprised how difficult it was to pass slower traffic even at that time of day.

Though I've heard of the major train-v-car incidents in the fall (I think there were 3 in one week?). I was lucky to have caught a train that was not affected every time, with the exception of one 10 minute delay. During the big storm in December, I was one of the only ones on time, as opposed to my driving colleagues.


So, is the Train at capacity? Not off peak, not yet. What would you guys think about some kind of incentive for non-peak work office hours? Do other cities have anything like that?

[Bassic Lab]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

203 will not do much to alleviate 201. The routes appear to run parallel on a map, but actually their catchment areas are almost totally unique.

Basically, I have a different view to most of the things you've said. My experience has been that the train is now fairly busy off-peak, especially 201. A couple times this month I've ridden in the evening (once around 9 and once around midnight) there was standing room only. So far as I know this was not related to any special event. That said, I have also ridden when in the evening this month when only about 1/3 of the seats were taken. I find the roads downtown fairly deserted at night.

Last summer I took the Deerfoot to work everyday around 5 am. Busy, without fail, everyday (some days from Memorial to 32nd NE, other days from Memorial to Anderson). Generally, at that time of day there would be a decent cruising speed, but I was surprised how difficult it was to pass slower traffic even at that time of day.

Though I've heard of the major train-v-car incidents in the fall (I think there were 3 in one week?). I was lucky to have caught a train that was not affected every time, with the exception of one 10 minute delay. During the big storm in December, I was one of the only ones on time, as opposed to my driving colleagues.


So, is the Train at capacity? Not off peak, not yet. What would you guys think about some kind of incentive for non-peak work office hours? Do other cities have anything like that?

We certainly could raise fares during the peak but the idea strikes me as perverse, and I'm generally in favour of congestion pricing on roads. I imagine there would also be a lot of opposition.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

We certainly could raise fares during the peak but the idea strikes me as perverse, and I'm generally in favour of congestion pricing on roads. I imagine there would also be a lot of opposition.

Ya, I'm not sure that's fair, considering it is often not the employee's choice of when to work.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

We certainly could raise fares during the peak but the idea strikes me as perverse, and I'm generally in favour of congestion pricing on roads. I imagine there would also be a lot of opposition.

I'd prefer carrot over stick, say lowering off-peak fairs or incentivizing employers.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

So, is the Train at capacity? Not off peak, not yet. What would you guys think about some kind of incentive for non-peak work office hours? Do other cities have anything like that?

So, so, so hard to do. What does the city do? Mandate flexible working hours? How do they monitor it?

In this regard, the city can really only lead by example, educate and try other incentives (peak pricing) to get people to shift their commute behaviors. Early bird park pricing is one way to do it.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by fusili

So, so, so hard to do. What does the city do? Mandate flexible working hours? How do they monitor it?

In this regard, the city can really only lead by example, educate and try other incentives (peak pricing) to get people to shift their commute behaviors. Early bird park pricing is one way to do it.

What about, like, discount bulk passes for companies that start work at 10 or later or something? (just thinking out loud - I don't know if other cities have tried anything like this)

[fusili]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

What about, like, discount bulk passes for companies that start work at 10 or later or something? (just thinking out loud - I don't know if other cities have tried anything like this)

And how does the city enforce or even monitor that?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by fusili

Early bird park pricing is one way to do it.

As long as the spots are then locked out until after the peak. Don't want to have a backdoor around the peak flow limits through parking control.