Calgary Public Transit II

[kw5150]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Which is both a blessing and a curse. It's starting to get me downtown more (I mean beyond work), but yeah, there's just no incentive to not booze and drive for many people.

In the past I've done exactly what kw suggests, but many of my acquaintances are horrified at the thought. Public transportation? Why, when I can just drive (and hope the cops don't have a Checkstop)?

Horrified......lol I hear ya. I know people who would rather risk it as well and I have no idea why.

The train is a great way to go for a night out. I now live in the beltline so the train days are partly over unless I am going all the way accross downtown to go somewhere.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Hopefully it will mean those BUDD RDC cars sitting in Moncton will finally get used. Last time I was in Moncton I saw them shunting other via cars going in for repair and repainting and I had a chance to get on one of the refurbished ones during the train safety days. I was really impressed how nice the seats were. The onboard washroom was a nice touch too.

The washrooms had to be completely redone because they were both not particularly handicapped accessible and the "hole in the floor" system is frowned upon by various government agencies and the CPR, even though VIA Rail has been ignoring regulations to that effect for more than 20 years.

[unibrain]

Maybe it's time to consider driving OVER traffic?


http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/669166


China Plans Huge Buses That Can DRIVE OVER Cars (PHOTOS)

Tue Aug 3, 4:05 pm ET
China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases and biggest energy consumer.
But the country is also thinking in big and bold ways when it comes to how it will reduce pollution and a new plan to build a "straddling bus" is among the most space-age schemes yet.
In an effort to go green and relieve congestion without widening roads, the Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company is developing a "3D Express Coach" (also known as a "three-dimensional fast bus").

The innovation will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel underneath the upper level of the vehicle, which will be carrying passengers (PHOTOS).
According to China Hush, the 6-meter-wide 3D Express Coach will be powered by a combination of electricity and solar energy, and will be able to travel up to 60 kilometers per hour carrying some 1200 to 1400 passengers.

The first 115 miles of track is set for construction in Beijing's Mentougou district starting in late 2010. The Chairman of the Huashi Future Parking Equipment company boasts it will take only a year and 500 million yuan (around $73 million) to build the futuristic transportation system.

IN PHOTOS: See more pictures of the futuristic bus here.

[DizzyEdge]

^^ The scary part about that is imagining "1200 to 1400 passengers" in that rendering.

[Xelebes]

They are double lane vehicles - so instead having four abreast, you could have 8 to 10 abreast.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

They have to double track and triple track some rather tight segments with hills/valley walls (not exactly sure if you could say cliffs) bounded by the river on the other side, mostly running through a Provincial Park. In all, not the easiest proposition, hence the cost.

It's still not going to cost half a billion for upgrades to less than 40 km of track. Where did you get that figure from?

The final report of the CRP from last December - which had representatives from Canadian Pacific - has the following to say about capital costs (p. x of the Executive Summary):

The estimated total capital costs (in 2008 dollars) for providing three peak commuter rail branches, one to Cochrane, one to Airdrie and one to High River/Okotoks, is $1.2 to 1.3 billion, or about $285 to $330 million per corridor, and approximately $250 million for downtown trackage and station requirements, contingencies and spare vehicles.

[MalcolmTucker]

Yeah so to get one corridor running, you need to do most of the downtown work, a third of the equipment purchases, most of of the capital facilities (yard, downtown station), and then the corridor.

From your (presumably from the CRP report) numbers it is pretty easy to see how they would add up to close to $500 million.

[Policy Wonk]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Hopefully it will mean those BUDD RDC cars sitting in Moncton will finally get used...

Metrolinx is going to put out an RFP for DMU's for delivery in 2014 - that doesn't bode well for the the RDC's being used for whatever "Blue 22" comes to be called. I suspect Talgo might win this one.

[freeweed]

CT now has near-constant announcements on the PA advising everyone to stand back from the yellow line. It's actually really annoying, firstly because it's about as useful as stickers on hair dryers warning people to not use in the tub (ie: only there because of greedy lawyers). Secondly, because I like many people wear headphones and listen to music when on the LRT. We're accustomed to muting/pausing/removing an earbud when the PA squawks, assuming there's an important announcement coming on train delays, etc. Now, you do it and 99% of the time it's a warning to stand behind the yellow line (that you just heard).

I've been watching over the past few days, and myself and at least a dozen other people are stopping our iPods, listening for a second, and then getting a pissed-off look on our faces. Every single damn time.

CT, please stop with this pointless crap. It's about as useful as "do not leave your baggage unattended" at airports being repeated every 5 minutes.

[srperrycgy]

CT needs to be perceived as actually doing something about safety. Give it a couple of months and the announcements will disappear. Hard to enforce common sense though.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by srperrycgy

Hard to enforce common sense though.

If it's common, there's no need to.

[rail car designer]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

Metrolinx is going to put out an RFP for DMU's for delivery in 2014 - that doesn't bode well for the the RDC's being used for whatever "Blue 22" comes to be called. I suspect Talgo might win this one.

any idea if this RFP will be based on the RFP released by SNC?

[korzym]

Originally Posted by unibrain

Maybe it's time to consider driving OVER traffic?


http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/669166


China Plans Huge Buses That Can DRIVE OVER Cars (PHOTOS)

Tue Aug 3, 4:05 pm ET
China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases and biggest energy consumer.
But the country is also thinking in big and bold ways when it comes to how it will reduce pollution and a new plan to build a "straddling bus" is among the most space-age schemes yet.
In an effort to go green and relieve congestion without widening roads, the Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company is developing a "3D Express Coach" (also known as a "three-dimensional fast bus").

The innovation will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel underneath the upper level of the vehicle, which will be carrying passengers (PHOTOS).
According to China Hush, the 6-meter-wide 3D Express Coach will be powered by a combination of electricity and solar energy, and will be able to travel up to 60 kilometers per hour carrying some 1200 to 1400 passengers.

The first 115 miles of track is set for construction in Beijing's Mentougou district starting in late 2010. The Chairman of the Huashi Future Parking Equipment company boasts it will take only a year and 500 million yuan (around $73 million) to build the futuristic transportation system.

IN PHOTOS: See more pictures of the futuristic bus here.

http://gizmodo.com/5447279/kolelinia-let...ign=Feed%3A+gizmodo%2Ffull+%28Gizmodo%29

[The Fisher Account]

Just started a new job at City Hall.. anyone know when the City Hall platforms and station are going to be back in service?

[srperrycgy]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Just started a new job at City Hall.. anyone know when the City Hall platforms and station are going to be back in service?

June 2011.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by The Fisher Account

Just started a new job at City Hall.. anyone know when the City Hall platforms and station are going to be back in service?

Spring or Summer 2011. They haven't really done much yet aside from starting to relocate the crossover, so I'd lean towards summer.

[The Fisher Account]

Thanks you two ^^^

[srperrycgy]

Probably complete by Stampede next year.

[lubicon]

The August update for the XRT project is out. A couple of things I found to be interesting regarding the Tuscany Station:

1. sounds like they will utilize infloor glycol heating for the station.
2. there will NOT be an escalator for this station. Not really a big deal in my opinion but something I find curious. This might be the only station in Calgary outside of downtown that does not have one and that requires climbing to leave the station.

Link is here:

http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/tran...ridge_tuscany/august_2010_newsletter.pdf

[freeweed]

I'm torn about the escalator. It sure will save costs (and space) in the long run. But there are just some days when I want to be lazy coming home, whether I'm just in pain from a good day of skiing or hiking, or maybe I'm nursing some small injury. Taking the elevator (which is really intended for disabled folks) is sure to get me some pretty dirty looks from people when I'm not showing any outward signs of injury. I guess not a big deal but for those 3 or 5 times a year when climbing stairs is just sheer agony...

Holy crap that's a lot of parking. If they keep the PnR fee in place I'm willing to bet it'll be half empty most days.

I am pretty impressed with the incorporation of the Eamon's sign. I'm clueless as to the actual significance or history, but it's a landmark and a very classy thing to do.