Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzz
I think where they are discussing the narrow configuration, they should also be mindful of future traffic. Given increased densities, their well could be more traffic on Centre street in 20 years. Since the goal is to increase population around the trains, wouldn't it be wise to maintain road capacity as well? Are their any other sections of the Ctrain line in Calgary with only a 2 lane road? Let alone a fairly major road like Centre?
I would suspect if it is cut to 2 lanes 4th st will see large increases in commuter traffic as drivers choose to turn off centre there. I'm not sure 4th has much extra capacity further south. I've been stuck lined up from centre, around 12th ave, up to 16th many times.
|
The point of increasing population around the transit corridor is that they take the transit and don't significantly impact the road. If there is enough development, you can get the kind of mixed uses like retail and office that provide attractive alternates to people who used to drive. Maybe you increase the population on the corridor and a grocery store gets built somewhere between 20th Ave and Northmount (56th); now even if people drive for groceries, they can make a shorter trip.
There are sections of the Ctrain with only cul-de-sacs running along it (Martindale); a nice thing about a train is it doesn't need to follow the exact same route that cars go.
For what it's worth, Beddington Trail has provided a boundary; everyone north of there is funneled onto the Deerfoot, which has largely capped the demand on Centre St. South of say 20th or 24th, it's hard to think that the train can coexist with traffic, particularly the 16th Ave intersection.
If you're worried about traffic, remember that in 2001 the Centre Street Bridge was completely closed to traffic for an entire year; the city didn't grind to a halt or fall apart. Parallel routes that had excess capacity absorbed the volume; Edmonton Trail in particular. In fact, a temporary lane reversal was installed; there's no reason a permanent one couldn't be put into place. If it was extended north to McKnight, there could be no net loss of traffic lanes in the corridor in the peak direction.
Threaded Mode