Edmonton Public Transit - Page 166

dancinb · #**3301** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 7:54 PM**

Wow - sorry to answer my own question, but I find this absolutely fascinating!! Looks like we're both wrong!

From: http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=6631
"Bestest spot for electrical engineering trivia eggheads

One day last year, a man was spotted photographing the crossing sets of wires that power the LRT and number 5 trolley, where the LRT comes out of the ground at 95th Street. When asked why, he replied, “This is the only place in the world where LRT and trolley wires come together.” City LRT director Dave Geake said the most similar crossings are in Europe and in San Francisco where the streetcars and trolleys meet. But the different powering arrangements between Edmonton’s LRT and trolley mean their wires can’t ever touch each other. So when the builders designed the crossing in the 1970s, they had to distance and isolate the wire sets, with the help of insulators. “It took a little bit of engineering, but it was relatively easy,” said Geake, who described the related issues as being mechanical and electrical. The unique crossing is one area that LRT crews have to highlight during maintenance. “Mechanically, you have to make sure all the nuts and bolts are tight,” Geake said. But if a bad situation arises, he said the electrical substations have built-in protection, so half the city’s lights won’t go out, for instance. Electrical engineering trivia buffs will also be fascinated to learn that the city will have to install a similar crossing where the soon-to-be-built LRT line by 114th Street crosses the number 7 trolley route at 76th Avenue. But the crossig will have to be designed differently because it isn’t on an angle, like the 95th Street crossing. “It’s a bit more of an engineering challenge,” said Geake with a laugh. (MS)"

Daveography · #**3302** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 8:27 PM**

^ The trolley wires have been gone from there for months now, after they were snagged by an LRT car some time back.

Someone mentioned that it is due to the portal, and something to do with the electrical switching between two systems or something to that effect.

0773|=\ · #**3303** Posted **Jul 16, 2009, 12:52 AM**

Aren't the trolley wires all coming down anyways? Neat article, btw.

leendert · #**3304** Posted **Jul 16, 2009, 2:03 AM**

The crossing of trolley wires and LRT catenary is interesting, but it is a mechanical problem, not an electrical engineering problem.
And they never ended up needing the crossed wires at 76 Avenue and 114 Street. Apparently the city decide this problem was 'too difficult' at this location and replace trolly service by diesel buses.

Coldrsx · #**3305** Posted **Jul 16, 2009, 3:39 AM**

LRT track installation closes 111th Street intersection

edmontonjournal.comJuly 15, 2009Comments (2)

EDMONTON – The intersection at 111th Street and 34th Avenue will be closed for LRT track installation starting Wednesday evening, the City of Edmonton has announced.

The northbound and southbound lanes will be reduced to one lane. No left-hand turns will be permitted in any direction and no through traffic will be permitted eastbound and westbound. Right turn movements will be maintained.

The installation will take place Wednesday, from 7 p.m. until approximately 6:30 a.m. July 22. Motorists can detour using 40th Avenue, Saddleback Road or 23rd Avenue as alternate routes.
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

Northern Light · #**3306** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 2:47 AM**

Hi All,

I'm a thread Visitor from afar!

I just wanted to chime in and offer the perspective of a tourist.

A number of years ago, I recall visiting Edmonton as teenager, with my dad.

We flew in.

We were going on a tour of Alberta.

Now we did rent a car, for the obvious travel between cities.

But in the Cities it had been thought it would be easy for a teenager to get around by transit on his own.

I must admit to being beyond belief when we found our hotel near the West Edmonton Mall and noted a complete lack of rapid transit to the core.

It hadn't occurred to us that there wouldn't be at least BRT if not LRT linking was we believed to be your City's leading tourist attraction, W.E.M. to the core and other tourist destinations.

It was a very unfortunate problem as it meant I was largely trapped in a suburban hotel, unless my dad wanted to drive me somewhere (which when Jet lagged he had no wish to at all!)

****

I stumbled across the various LRT proposals for your wonderful City on the web recently....

Thought I would put my strongest possible vote in for a line connecting downtown to the W.E.M.

ue · #**3307** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 2:57 AM**

There are still a lot of bus routes to Downtown from WEM, just like other major suburban centres like Northtown, Capilano and Southgate.

But really, if you were going to stay in more of the urban areas of the city, you wouldn't have had much of a problem. That's like most cities in the US/Can.

The hotel 'areas' in the South and West sides don't have the best bus service either ... which didn't help you.

Next time you should try staying downtown, it'll be much easier to go to take in our urban experience, and you can always hop on a bus to our largest tourist attraction or other suburban attractions/places.

Northern Light · #**3308** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 11:25 AM**

My visit was along time ago. Hmmm, maybe very late 80's.

No internet back then! (God that makes me feel old). I'm still not 40 yet!

Anyways.....

It wasn't as easy to do research back then on Cities, so what we knew about Edmonton wasn't huge. We knew the mall; the Oilers, and not much else.

As the trip was in the summer, hockey wasn't on.

So we had picked the hotel near W.E.M. assuming that would be the first thing to see and that the area would be serviced with tourists in mind.

I have a vague memory of looking for a bus late Sunday Afternoon/Early evening, and it not being so easy, and the service not being so good (was it hourly? it wasn't often)

I think I was trying to find my way to Triple A Baseball game as I recall.

In any event, I would do much more research today, and base myself differently; and in the age of the internet I imagine most people would figure out this stuff in advance.

Still, I imagine W.E.M. is still one of the better known attractions, you would think it would be logical (or am I wrong) to connect it to rapid transit?

naidoo · #**3309** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 5:14 PM**

^You could not be more right Northern Light

ue · #**3310** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 9:07 PM**

Northern Light,

You touched on some very interesting points.

And I'll agree about making WEM with tourists in mind...which I think we've done poorly in some cases. The suburban hotel districts in this city are in very car friendly areas not so well serviced by transit. WEM itself has good access to places like Downtown, for example. But I'm talking about now, as the frequency today isn't a bus an hour, so things have gotten better.

I don't even think our main urban drag Whyte Av was really 'there' back then...it was only starting to revitalize. And our downtown wasn't the most vibrant either.

I'm sure if you came now things would be different, there'd be more urban things to do, and the things that were there back then that are still here for the most part are enhanced.

But yes, we sorely need to improve our transit. Downtown has great transit access, and anywhere that has LRT access, but otherwise save the transit centres it isn't the greatest I'll admit for the most part. But it's still doable to get around just via bus/transit.

leendert · #**3311** Posted **Jul 26, 2009, 9:30 PM**

Some construction progress photos of the South LRT extension to Century Park.

In summary, track pretty much all in place in the 'typical' sections and across most intersections. As of today some sections still need track laid: 111 Street underpass, 57 Avenue, Whitemud intersections and bridge, and at the Century Park station station and transit centre access road immediately to the north of the station.

Although major structural work is mostly completed, there are still some important and major tasks before opening: catenary installation and testing, signal installation and testing, and commissioning and driver training.

All photos taken by me on Saturday July 25 of 2009. Some rights reserved:

Click photos to enlarge.

Extension to South Campus in full service - with 3-car SD-160 consists in service midday Saturday (photo taken at north portal of Belgravia Road underpass):

New catenary south-east of South Campus station, looking toward 60 Avenue and 111 Street:

Track and catenary in place and tensioned at 60 Avenue crossing:

North/West portal of 111 street underpass appears structurally complete:

South portal at 111 Street and 61 Avenue. Track installation up next?

Looking north from 54 Avenue.

Looking south toward Southgate station from 54 Avenue:

Southgate transit centre and station platform:

West wall of Southgate station:

Legs artwork installation at the Southgate transit centre under construction:

Looking north at Southgate station:

South of Whitemud Drive track has been laid pretty much the whole length (including intersection), with catenary support poles in place and ready for catenary installation. Cheap (?) black metal fencing on top of jersey barriers separates the road from the LRT ROW along most of 111 Street.

Looking south at Century Park station from 34 Avenue:

Track installation across Saddleback Road:

Century Park station east entrance to the pedway:

Century Park station from the north-east:

Maple leaf sphere as public art at the north end (and south end) of Century Park station:

Different coloured maple leaf sphere at the east entrance for the station:

Century Park station and platform, from the south-east:

More photos of SLRT construction on my Flickr page

Hootch · #**3312** Posted **Jul 26, 2009, 11:54 PM**

Wow, Southgate is alot nicer than I thought it would be. Century Park is looking good too.

Kevin_foster · #**3313** Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 1:35 AM**

Southgate station looks proper. Great job on the design!

Coldrsx · #**3314** Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 2:39 PM**

love southgate's station... thanks for the update LEEN

Daveography · #**3315** Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 3:25 PM**

Southgate Station looks like it was built from a space-Lego set from the 80s/90s. That brings me joy.

Coldrsx · #**3316** Posted **Jul 27, 2009, 3:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTA

Southgate Station looks like it was built from a space-Lego set from the 80s/90s. That brings me joy.

^light and sound baby!

DKaz · #**3317** Posted **Jul 28, 2009, 12:55 AM**

I drove along 111 St the other day, I'm very impressed so far! I really like the Century Park Station design... very simple and aesthetically pleasing. Southgate is ok just a bit too busy architecturally but that's just my opinion.

Also my wife our baby and I snuck out of Capital Ex for a bit to take the LRT to South Campus. It was certainly busy! The south expansion should really help boost ridership. The new trains are nice. I'm glad they kept the transverse seating arrangements unlike Calgary.