Calgary Public Transit II

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

^ I think some people talk of WLRT as taking the route it does instead of going to Mount Royal University as an example of a politician on the take, which is totally bogus. They then used 'legacy' in a facetious sense imply that the project is also for personal aggrandizement.

I am not sure where Klein came into this really...

I would ask people: would we ever get any project done if it wasn't for personal aggrandizement for politicians?

Right here:

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

Pushing NE before the NW or W was the legacy part, as it seems Klein pushed it to the front of the line.

Are you saying the NE LRT was a "legacy project" for Klein? If so, what do you mean by the term "legacy project" in that context?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Right here:



Are you saying the NE LRT was a "legacy project" for Klein? If so, what do you mean by the term "legacy project" in that context?

I was responding to something above I believe, perhaps interpreted in from another concurrent thread, and Aegis and ferreths exchange

[frinkprof]

^Ah yeah, I think I missed a step in the conversation or misattributed someone else's words to you.

[fusili]

From what I heard, the NW line was delayed because the City thought they could get federal funding for it for the Olympics and therefore built the NE first. Kind of a sneaky move, but it makes sense. If the NW line was complete before the Olympic bid was won, the feds would not fund the NE line because it wouldn't have any benefit for the Olympics. Don't remember who I heard it from though.

[Deepstar]

Originally Posted by fusili

From what I heard, the NW line was delayed because the City thought they could get federal funding for it for the Olympics and therefore built the NE first. Kind of a sneaky move, but it makes sense. If the NW line was complete before the Olympic bid was won, the feds would not fund the NE line because it wouldn't have any benefit for the Olympics. Don't remember who I heard it from though.

Did the city end up getting any money from the Feds for the NW line?

[frinkprof]

^In an economics class I took a few years ago, as an in-class exercise, we did a benefit/cost analysis on either the NE or NW LRT line, on the assumptions that were in place before it was built (I can't remember 100% whether it was the NE or the NW since it was some time ago, but I'm pretty sure it was the NE). At any rate, the benefits, excluding one were outweighed by the costs and the line was deemed unfeasible based on that. However, what tilted the scales the other way was the benefit of having the line in place for the Olympics. Remember, the Olympics were awarded in '81, so both the NE and NW lines were approved and started construction after this decision. Also, while the NW line was obviously more important for the Olympics (Athletes Village, Oval), the NE was also important (Max Bell Arena).

Of course, the instructor went on to say that the line and the LRT as a whole had since paid itself back because the benefits had outpaced their assumptions and estimates. Basically it has ended up as a bigger success than they had originally imagined.

[SubwayRev]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

^I think we are getting hung up on what is meant by "legacy" and "vanity" projects, and mistaking one for the other. I think what SHA means is that the LRT built in the '80s (particularly NE LRT) is, in retrospect, Klein's legacy. I don't think at the time nor now, that the NE LRT was a vanity project though.

I think your right. I was reading into people's comments, although they didn't necessarily mean what I was reading. But, I think 'legacy' is the completely wrong word for this discussion. When I think legacy, I think of something closely associated with that person. Nobody thinks of Ralph Klein when they think of NE LRT or vice versa.

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

I would ask people: would we ever get any project done if it wasn't for personal aggrandizement for politicians?

So true.

[CTrainDude]

Originally Posted by fusili

From what I heard, the NW line was delayed because the City thought they could get federal funding for it for the Olympics and therefore built the NE first. Kind of a sneaky move, but it makes sense. If the NW line was complete before the Olympic bid was won, the feds would not fund the NE line because it wouldn't have any benefit for the Olympics. Don't remember who I heard it from though.

I always thought that the NW was going to be built first, but the NIMBYs in Sunnyside convinced the City to do the NE first - hoping the people in other areas who wanted the line would put pressure on the people in Sunnyside when they saw the City was willing to move on.

[You Need A Thneed]

Whitehorn Station Upgrade link.

From calgarytransit.com.

I would stop in myself, but I'm busy wednesday evenings. Is anyone going that can collect information/brochures, and post it here?

[You Need A Thneed]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Whitehorn Station Upgrade link.

From calgarytransit.com.

I would stop in myself, but I'm busy wednesday evenings. Is anyone going that can collect information/brochures, and post it here?

Anyone going? The presentation is from 7- 7:30.

[faxri]

What is the current timeline for the south stations to be changed to 4 car lengths?

[MalcolmTucker]

It is a stimulus project no? If so, it has to be done 1 year from today. (or at least all the money has to be out the door)

[frinkprof]

Well the South and Northwest lines are scheduled to be done by 2014.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

It is a stimulus project no? If so, it has to be done 1 year from today. (or at least all the money has to be out the door)

Part of it is. It was a $90M/$90M/$90M split between the 3 levels of gov't that funded the whole CT 'package'. So in my mind its possible they used the federal part for stuff underway already (SE BRT, 7th ave upgrades, GPS system, etc) while the rest will be used for later parts (11th street station, 4 car expansions, traction power upgrades, etc)

[faxri]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Well the South and Northwest lines are scheduled to be done by 2014.

Maybe they should just start on 5 car platforms

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by mersar

Part of it is. It was a $90M/$90M/$90M split between the 3 levels of gov't that funded the whole CT 'package'. So in my mind its possible they used the federal part for stuff underway already (SE BRT, 7th ave upgrades, GPS system, etc) while the rest will be used for later parts (11th street station, 4 car expansions, traction power upgrades, etc)

Global Positioning System system?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Global Positioning System system?

Paid for by funds withdrawn from an ATM machine, using my PIN number.

[frinkprof]

^And brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by mersar

Part of it is. It was a $90M/$90M/$90M split between the 3 levels of gov't that funded the whole CT 'package'. So in my mind its possible they used the federal part for stuff underway already (SE BRT, 7th ave upgrades, GPS system, etc) while the rest will be used for later parts (11th street station, 4 car expansions, traction power upgrades, etc)

I believe the program was designed to make sure the matching funds were spent by the end of next fiscal year aswell, or else we would have never got to 2% gdp. This was the reason they didn't allow stimulus funding for the Toronto streetcars.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by faxri

Maybe they should just start on 5 car platforms

Which is what Edmonton is building their new platforms to accomodate.