Calgary Public Transit II

[mooky]

I believe the side signs are only on the series 8 SD160's which we only have had 2 arrive, and I don't believe the first is even in service yet. But I do remember seeing the side signs on Edmonton's new LRV's.

I assume the old SD160's could be retrofitted, but if they will is anyone's guess.

[SubwayRev]

I found this article in Wired about New York gridlock. What I found interesting is the suggestion of not charging for buses, as the time lost from people feeding coins into the bin actaully costs the city more money than they can collect from fares.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_komanoff_traffic/

[fusili]

Originally Posted by SubwayRev

I found this article in Wired about New York gridlock. What I found interesting is the suggestion of not charging for buses, as the time lost from people feeding coins into the bin actaully costs the city more money than they can collect from fares.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_komanoff_traffic/

Komanoff's work is really interesting. What was really interesting was how he calculated that each driver costs the city of New York something like $128. I like the argument that they should just provide transit for free, because it actually costs the city less than what drivers cost the city.

[DarkKeyo]

Originally Posted by mersar

Remember theres also side destination signs on the trains as well now.

Aren't those inside the trains? Though if they're outside too, then all the better.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by DarkKeyo

Aren't those inside the trains? Though if they're outside too, then all the better.

Theres inside facing ones at the end, plus one on the side windows facing out on each side on the new Series 8 LRV's.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by SubwayRev

I found this article in Wired about New York gridlock. What I found interesting is the suggestion of not charging for buses, as the time lost from people feeding coins into the bin actaully costs the city more money than they can collect from fares.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_komanoff_traffic/

Sounds like our LRT honour system for fares. Would cost more money to change how it works than you'd bring in from caught fares. At least I imagine someone's ran the numbers on this at one point...

[fusili]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Sounds like our LRT honour system for fares. Would cost more money to change how it works than you'd bring in from caught fares. At least I imagine someone's ran the numbers on this at one point...

Similar, but not exactly. It is amazing to find out that taking public transit, even for free, costs the city less than someone driving. Damn those externalities!

[outoftheice]

Well things really seem to be picking up speed with construction of the SE LRT using the $800 million Green Trip funds... at this rate I could see this being a done deal before the election with construction beginning as soon as the West LRT is completed. I really wanted to see this money leveraged into a P3 construction contract to build the SE LRT tied in to a Centre Street subway alignment of the NC LRT. I figured since this new route would be completely independent of Calgary's existing LRT infrastructure, they could have attracted very competitive bids from some of the world's biggest transportation companies (ie: Bombardier). Even if my dream scenario won't be coming true, this is still a positive step forward for Calgary....

Aldermen back bid to use grant for southeast LRT line


Calgary Herald July 15, 2010

Transit - The southeast LRT is getting rapid approval from aldermen, who unanimously backed a bid at committee Wednesday to build it with the province's Green Trip transit grants.

Much of the Calgary region's $800-million share of the funding would go to a downtown-to-Douglasglen line touted by Ald. Bob Hawkesworth, who will ask full council to back the plan Monday.

The funding application to Alberta Transportation is due in November. Initially, city officials proposed getting only the LRT line's design study to be considered for a Green Trip grant.

"If I'd not brought this forward, council would have missed out," Hawkesworth said.

Transit planners estimate that the full line, starting underground at Eau Claire and extending to the south Calgary hospital at Seton, would cost $1.5 billion.


Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Alderm...st+line/3280126/story.html#ixzz0tmYlgdIT

[ue]

When is the NC/SE LRT lines expected to start/complete by?

[ClaytonA]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

Well things really seem to be picking up speed with construction of the SE LRT using the $800 million Green Trip funds... at this rate I could see this being a done deal before the election with construction beginning as soon as the West LRT is completed. I really wanted to see this money leveraged into a P3 construction contract to build the SE LRT tied in to a Centre Street subway alignment of the NC LRT. I figured since this new route would be completely independent of Calgary's existing LRT infrastructure, they could have attracted very competitive bids from some of the world's biggest transportation companies (ie: Bombardier). Even if my dream scenario won't be coming true, this is still a positive step forward for Calgary....

+1 for the City itself versus the region (Okotoks commuters etc) I'd rather the SE LRT gets built than the remaining ring roads.

[You Need A Thneed]

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

When is the NC/SE LRT lines expected to start/complete by?

The is no timeline yet.

[DarkKeyo]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

Well things really seem to be picking up speed with construction of the SE LRT using the $800 million Green Trip funds... at this rate I could see this being a done deal before the election with construction beginning as soon as the West LRT is completed. I really wanted to see this money leveraged into a P3 construction contract to build the SE LRT tied in to a Centre Street subway alignment of the NC LRT. I figured since this new route would be completely independent of Calgary's existing LRT infrastructure, they could have attracted very competitive bids from some of the world's biggest transportation companies (ie: Bombardier). Even if my dream scenario won't be coming true, this is still a positive step forward for Calgary....

I would rather see a SE to N route too, but I'll gladly settle for a SE route.... But they would save a lot of money on buses and gain a lot of ridership if it went just a bit further to mckenzie towne. And also if they dont build the tunnel downtown it needs to end at calgary tower and not 4th st. I wonder which of them I should email to tell them that...

[mooky]

The SE route will end at 11th'ish avenue on 2nd street until downtown tunnel money is found, and that is fine with me.

Have they changed the south terminus? I was under the assumption it was Seton and the south hospital.

I'm hoping if they do the 2nd street tunnel and 8th avenue tunnel together after (again makes sense from a cost savings perspective) and end the SE line in Eau Claire somewhere, at that time, at whatever future date that is, they'll see the logical efficiency of taking the next step and plan to run it up center street as a subway. The 301N BRT carries a hell of a lot of people up Center street already and it fits planIT.

[ue]

Is there a map of the proposed NC and SE LRT lines (perhaps including the current/under construction NW/S/W/NE lines)? The only routes I've seen were from at latest 2005. I'm just not sure these maps are the most up-to-date and maybe routings have changed since then.

Sorry for all the questions of late.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

Is there a map of the proposed NC and SE LRT lines (perhaps including the current/under construction NW/S/W/NE lines)? The only routes I've seen were from at latest 2005. I'm just not sure these maps are the most up-to-date and maybe routings have changed since then.

Sorry for all the questions of late.

Unlike most cities Calgary's routes for the most part haven't changed much in a very long time - the only real question these days is which route and which line the NCLRT will take & join. Everything else has been set for at least 5 years, with the outer parts of the lines for at least 15.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by DarkKeyo

I would rather see a SE to N route too, but I'll gladly settle for a SE route.... But they would save a lot of money on buses and gain a lot of ridership if it went just a bit further to mckenzie towne. And also if they dont build the tunnel downtown it needs to end at calgary tower and not 4th st. I wonder which of them I should email to tell them that...

The route will stop at 4th Street SE, because after that it will go underground. At the Calgary tower, it might already be a tunnel (Tunnel with either start at 1st SE or 2nd Street SW). An underground station is planned at Centre street and 10th Avenue SW, after which it turns north up 2nd street and goes into downtown with stops at 6th avenue and Eau Claire. I have the functional study for the SE LRT Glenmore to Downtown section and the Downtown LRT feasibility study on my computer. If you want it, PM me so I can email it to you.

[ue]

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

Unlike most cities Calgary's routes for the most part haven't changed much in a very long time - the only real question these days is which route and which line the NCLRT will take & join. Everything else has been set for at least 5 years, with the outer parts of the lines for at least 15.

Thanks. There is more than one route choice for the NCLRT? The only one I've seen is along Deerfoot going past YYC. What are the other ones?

Also, what will these routes look like Downtown? The only maps I've seen of are city-wide. When mooky said that the SELRT could end at 11th Ave, does that mean the SELRT will be going through the Beltline?

[Wooster]

Originally Posted by edmontonenthusiast

Thanks. There is more than one route choice for the NCLRT? The only one I've seen is along Deerfoot going past YYC. What are the other ones?

Also, what will these routes look like Downtown? The only maps I've seen of are city-wide. When mooky said that the SELRT could end at 11th Ave, does that mean the SELRT will be going through the Beltline?

See the downtown section of this map by srperry. Basically long term it is planned to go like this. At first, the SE will likely terminate at what he's called "olympic way". As the downtown tunnels on 8th ave and 2nd street or built, theoretically the SE line will terminate at Eau Claire. Ultimately, most people hope that the SE line will then run north below centre street and form the North-Central line - instead of the route up Nose Creek along Deerfoot trail.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/lrtincalgary/FutureMap.html

[ue]

Thanks Wooster. Looks quite ambitious and promising. After all this is done...seems like only areas left really are SW areas around Mount Royal University, Beltline/Mission (which could be served by a potential "C-Tram" versus C-Train), the airport, and maybe Airdrie.

[Jack Doe]

The Downtown LRT Report is here:

http://www.calgarytransit.com///html/reports_surveys.html

click on "Downtown LRT Feasiblity Study" - March 13, 2006 (17.8 MB)