Calgary Public Transit II

[Aegis]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

If other cities don't have problems with the AC malfunctioning, then why do we? Most other cities don't have openable window in their train cars at all. Pretty much all of those cities have a lot greater risk of overwhelming heat than we do.

How do you know it isn't a problem? I've been on busses, trains, and planes where the A/C didn't work, and it wasn't fun! Of course it will be a problem, eventually.. everything needs to be fixed at some point.

[MichaelS]

Originally Posted by Aegis

The simple solution is, just leave the window functionalty! That way, you have the best of both worlds. Most people would understand that when the A/C works, you close the windows so that you get maximum benefit.

I see your point Aegis, and do agree with it for the most part. However, the part that I have quoted, I think I disagree with. Perhaps you have more faith in your fellow man than I do, but as Freeweed mentioned in a post on the previous page, he watched a woman struggle to open a window, in a car that had (I assume, as he didn't say otherwise) a perfectly functioning A/C.

Perhaps most people understand not to open it, but it only takes a few who don't to lose the benefit. And unfortunately it is this minority that you need to design for.

[Riise]

I'm back in Calgary for the summer and over the past weekend, while using Calgary Transit, I discovered one simple design aspect that CT could learn from TfL; bus stop information. However, after doing some brief research I've found out that it isn't so simple and a lot of thought goes into it. Anyway, I was walking from my sister's house in Brentwood toward Brentwood Station and seeing as how I had both my sister's bus pass and night-life attire on, I though I'd catch a bus along the way to prevent any unnecessary sweating. Unfortunately I take longer than most girls to get ready for a night-out so I didn't get to check CT's website for local route information and I only have a social data pack on my Berry so I couldn't check it on the way. This was a wee bit problematic as when I reached the first bus stop and took a look at the pole, there was a very minimal amount of information on where the busses were going and if any of them were going to Brentwood Station. As I was in a bit of a hurry I decided to walk it, it wasn't a great inconvenience but with a little bit of urban design it could have been avoided. How? With these:


Source: designworkplan.com

These maps are simple and straight forward but extremely helpful! On the maps and tables are: timetables for the routes; and linear route maps that display the previous stops, upcoming stops, estimated time of travel to the next stops, and if these stops have interchange facilities. As the next image shows, they don't even require that much infrastructure.


Source: designworkplan.com

[The Chemist]

Originally Posted by Riise

I'm back in Calgary for the summer and over the past weekend, while using Calgary Transit, I discovered one simple design aspect that CT could learn from TfL; bus stop information. However, after doing some brief research I've found out that it isn't so simple and a lot of thought goes into it. Anyway, I was walking from my sister's house in Brentwood toward Brentwood Station and seeing as how I had both my sister's bus pass and night-life attire on, I though I'd catch a bus along the way to prevent any unnecessary sweating. Unfortunately I take longer than most girls to get ready for a night-out so I didn't get to check CT's website for local route information and I only have a social data pack on my Berry so I couldn't check it on the way. This was a wee bit problematic as when I reached the first bus stop and took a look at the pole, there was a very minimal amount of information on where the busses were going and if any of them were going to Brentwood Station. As I was in a bit of a hurry I decided to walk it, it wasn't a great inconvenience but with a little bit of urban design it could have been avoided. How? With these:


Source: designworkplan.com

These maps are simple and straight forward but extremely helpful! On the maps and tables are: timetables for the routes; and linear route maps that display the previous stops, upcoming stops, estimated time of travel to the next stops, and if these stops have interchange facilities. As the next image shows, they don't even require that much infrastructure.


Source: designworkplan.com

I agree. Calgary bus information is severely lacking at the bus stops. Here in Shanghai they have something like the ones you've posted from London (although the information is all in Chinese, so unless you can read (as I can to some extent), the information won't be of much use to you. Knowing where buses go from a particular stop, especially if you're not familiar with the routes or the city, is quite important, IMO.

As for the AC argument, here in Shanghai the windows on the trains don't open either. And I've never been stuck on a train in summertime when the AC was broken (thankfully). I'd imagine that if the AC breaks on a train in Shanghai in summer, it's immediately taken out of service, considering how hot the summers are here.

The other thing that they do to trains here that run above ground is they tint AND put a mirror-like coating on the windows to reduce the amount of sunlight that enters the carriages, keeping the interiors at least somewhat cooler.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

I see your point Aegis, and do agree with it for the most part. However, the part that I have quoted, I think I disagree with. Perhaps you have more faith in your fellow man than I do, but as Freeweed mentioned in a post on the previous page, he watched a woman struggle to open a window, in a car that had (I assume, as he didn't say otherwise) a perfectly functioning A/C.

Perhaps most people understand not to open it, but it only takes a few who don't to lose the benefit. And unfortunately it is this minority that you need to design for.

Yeah. I can't properly explain just how funny this was, but let me try anyway. She got on on 7th Ave and departed at around Brentwood or so. At every single station, once the train came to a stop, she stood up and struggled with the window until the train started moving. She'd then sit down, frustrated, until the next stop. She did this at least 5 times. She didn't look particularly stupid or even mentally handicapped, just your average person who's used to opening windows on transit out of habit. And stubborn.

And it was noticeably colder on the train than outside, clearly obvious there was A/C running - but some people just want that fresh flowing air I guess. Maybe when it's 30C outside it would have been more noticeable.

This was the very first air conditioned LRT car I had ever been on in Calgary. I haven't seen a repeat of this behaviour, but like I said they've now got stickers on the windows so maybe people are slowly figuring it out.

Long story short, people WILL open windows unless you keep them nailed shut, regardless of interior/exterior conditions. It's the same reason so many newer hotels have windows that don't open - it seriously messes up the HVAC in hotter times.

That being said, I'm NOT looking forward to the first time the A/C breaks and it's 30C outside. I can barely stand breathing on the C-Train on the way home as it is, so I'll probably be the guy vomitting in the corner thanks to everyone's BO. What would be nice is to have windows that are by default locked electronically, but have some way for the driver to trigger them openable if the A/C dies. I could whip up a magnetic lock myself but who knows if it's feasible en masse.

[DarkKeyo]

Toronto and Vancouver have bus schedules on display at most of their stops. Maps too sometimes. But they have simpler straighter routes that carry more passengers than ours. We have a lot of (infrequent) suburban feeder routes, and community shuttles, and they have a lot of grid roads with buses running along them. We also change our schedules fairly often, cutting them back, adding onto them.

That said, it wouldn't be too hard to put a piece of paper schedule in a plastic case on the bus signposts, with times and the destination of the bus.

I'd also like to see Teleride add a texting feature; you text to them the bus stop number and it texts back (automatically) the next few departure times.

Regarding A/C, having the windows locked is ok with me, I figured out pretty fast that they didn't open. But if they had some way to unlock the windows if the A/C failed, that would be good too.

Originally Posted by outoftheice

"I’m proposing that we get maximum value by starting at-grade downtown and going as far as we can get with the money available," Hawkesworth told reporters in a lobby of a new 10th Avenue S.E. building, near where the train would stop.

I hope he is referring to stopping the train at 4 St SE and not having it at grade west of there. We really should e-mail the candidates and tell them we think cut and cover to Calgary Tower station, Mersar's idea originally I believe, is better. And that Douglasdale isn't far enough, and that it can't cost that much more to extend a mostly surface line to Mckenzie Towne.

[You Need A Thneed]

NE Photo Updates: (Taken with my iPhone this morning)

Martindale Station Outbound Platform:


Inbound Platform:


Tunnel under 64th Ave:



Pedestrian Bridge by McKnight Westwinds:




Whitehorn Station:


Sorry about the poor quality.

[mooky]

Calgary Transit had a crew out at Franklin station last night around 8:00 pm with jackhammers in the vicinity of what I can only imagine is the old piles for the extension to station for a 4 car setup. Must have been 5 or 6 guys. I was going by on Memorial eastbound so I didn't get too good a look, but they were jack-hammering something.

[srperrycgy]

Thanks for posting the pics, YNAT.

I've edited my previous Stampede CTrain Tips and added it to my website:

http://members.shaw.ca/LRTinCalgary/Stampede.html

I edited out the Twitterspeak for the old guys like Freeweed (j/k). Thanks for the suggestions folks.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by srperrycgy

I edited out the Twitterspeak for the old guys like Freeweed (j/k).

Remember: it's not that I'm old, it's that I'm crotchety and willingly refuse to adapt.

I should run for the WRA or something. *cymbal crash*

[greg_a]

Funding for Alberta Transit
Posted on 06 July 2010

This week, Alberta announced that funding it promised to its municipalities two years ago for transit is finally about to flow. Through the Green Transit Incentives Program (GreenTRIP), Edmonton and Calgary will each get $800 million, with another $400 million going to smaller municipalities.
Edmonton recently opened its South LRT and new funding could mean the 3.1-kilometer corridor expansion planned to reach the northeast of the city will go ahead as scheduled. The line is scheduled for completion in 2014.
Calgary’s West LRT is already under construction, but the new funding could go towards its $1.6-billion Southeast LRT or a regional commuter rail—though it won’t go very far.
Beyond this funding, Alberta recently announced it’s putting together a 40-year transportation plan, looking into future demands on roads, airports and public transit, including LRT. The Calgary Herald reports the study should be complete by December.

http://renewcanada.net/2010/funding-for-alberta-transit/

[freeweed]

Dear Alberta gov't: please, for the love of all that is holy, stop promoting exurban sprawl with this regional transit nonsense. Instead spend the money on expanding Edmonton and Calgary's LRT systems. You'll see 10-50x the ridership and will encourage some actual densification.

Thank you.

[DarkKeyo]

Originally Posted by DarkKeyo

I'd also like to see Teleride add a texting feature; you text to them the bus stop number and it texts back (automatically) the next few departure times.

I found out through a blog that as of today, Toronto has started doing this, for some routes.

[srperrycgy]

That could work very well here. I like this one.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by DarkKeyo

I'd also like to see Teleride add a texting feature; you text to them the bus stop number and it texts back (automatically) the next few departure times.

This is something that I think would be really helpful and I actually approached my brother-in-law, who is a programmer, about pursuing it as a business idea we could take to TfL. I was reading an article about how some transit agencies are providing free access to their GPS data so programmers can use them in Next Arrival apps for smart phones. It's rather brilliant as it costs the agencies nothing yet improves their service. Nonetheless, I prefer the SMS/text option as not everyone has a smart phone and/or data.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Riise

Nonetheless, I prefer the SMS/text option as not everyone has a smart phone and/or data.

Knowing the time it would take to develop/test/implement something like this, I'd just as soon they not waste their time and money on an SMS option. By the time CT actually rolls it out, damn near everyone will have a data plan.

Kinda like how people 10 years ago would have said "I hope they make it a call-in service and not SMS, because not everyone has an SMS-enabled phone". Once it's on the Internets, it'll be available forever to thousands of apps in the future. SMS-bound, it's just a pain in the ass stuck on the flavour of the month technology.

I've been waiting for realtime, GPS-driven, Internet-available transit scheduling since the mid 90s or so. I even helped prototype one years and years ago (and a second system in 2003), but with the slowness of transit agencies we're JUST staring to see this being discussed seriously. It's about freaking time.

[DarkKeyo]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Dear Alberta gov't: please, for the love of all that is holy, stop promoting exurban sprawl with this regional transit nonsense. Instead spend the money on expanding Edmonton and Calgary's LRT systems. You'll see 10-50x the ridership and will encourage some actual densification.

Thank you.

I agree. I think the regional transit buses are fine, but I would never want them to even consider putting regional commuter rail before any of the LRT expansions.

Knowing the time it would take to develop/test/implement something like this, I'd just as soon they not waste their time and money on an SMS option. By the time CT actually rolls it out, damn near everyone will have a data plan.

Kinda like how people 10 years ago would have said "I hope they make it a call-in service and not SMS, because not everyone has an SMS-enabled phone". Once it's on the Internets, it'll be available forever to thousands of apps in the future. SMS-bound, it's just a pain in the ass stuck on the flavour of the month technology.

I've been waiting for realtime, GPS-driven, Internet-available transit scheduling since the mid 90s or so. I even helped prototype one years and years ago (and a second system in 2003), but with the slowness of transit agencies we're JUST staring to see this being discussed seriously. It's about freaking time.

Well, maybe everyone will have smartphones by then, but it shouldn't take 10 years to implement a SMS service. Although I would like to see realtime GPS driven transit scheduling... But that seems a bit unrealistic at this point. SMS is more realistic. At least for now. It's more permanent than a flavour of the month technology, and data plans need a LOT of development before they're really workable. Unless you can find me one that is, I've been looking and there isn't much good out there.

[youngregina]

It's kind of neat. Regina has now numbered all of our bus stops. We just text to the number on the stop, and it tells us what time the next bus comes. We also now have a gps based website that shows where buses are in real time. The transit live ( http://transitlive.com/ ) is just a pilot project and there are plans to expand it to all buses.

[TransitSupporter]

Originally Posted by youngregina

It's kind of neat. Regina has now numbered all of our bus stops. We just text to the number on the stop, and it tells us what time the next bus comes. We also now have a gps based website that shows where buses are in real time. The transit live ( http://transitlive.com/ ) is just a pilot project and there are plans to expand it to all buses.

That transit live is very cool. Wish we had something like it in Calgary.

[MalcolmTucker]

City studying bus-only lane on International Avenue

$248M plan pitched for Inglewood area


Read more

Plan includes:
17th Avenue transit lanes - $94 million
Busway to connect 17th Ave SE with SE LRT in Inglewood - $153 million, plus land purchases

I was wondering - why go to the SE LRT? Why not up to Barlow/Maxbell? The route is shorter, doesn't need the SE LRT (which might not get all the way downtown in the first phase), and likely much cheaper to shore up a hill side that to buld bridges over a rail yard, freeway, canal and river.

Orange = SE LRT
Red = NE LRT
Yellow = Barlow Maxbell 17th BRT connector
Blue = 17th BRT and Inglewood Transitway