Decision 2010: Calgary Municipal Election

[mooky]

Wow, thanks to those that have acknowledged and also voted with your wallets along with me! Thank you.




Does anyone have daily ridership numbers for the 301 North BRT up Center Street? I don't even need to see offical numbers to know the numbers are well above even the numbers that use the SE BRT, and that's being championed as a precursor to an LRT line in the SE, so why in the north are we doing the exact opposite by encouraging people to use the 301 North BRT and then in the future we will bait and switch them over to the less efficient alignment that depending where along the route you are is at least 1 km to 4 km east of Center Street?

Center Street makes sense from a usage and population density sense, will the bureaucrats be able to sell it politically as the cost will be substantially higher then the on the board alternative? That is anyone's guess.

[Bassic Lab]

Originally Posted by mooky

Wow, thanks to those that have acknowledged and also voted with your wallets along with me! Thank you.




Does anyone have daily ridership numbers for the 301 North BRT up Center Street? I don't even need to see offical numbers to know the numbers are well above even the numbers that use the SE BRT, and that's being championed as a precursor to an LRT line in the SE, so why in the north are we doing the exact opposite by encouraging people to use the 301 North BRT and then in the future we will bait and switch them over to the less efficient alignment that depending where along the route you are is at least 1 km to 4 km east of Center Street?

Center Street makes sense from a usage and population density sense, will the bureaucrats be able to sell it politically as the cost will be substantially higher then the on the board alternative? That is anyone's guess.

I do not have specific figures but there was a news story some time ago that listed Centre Street as the busiest bus corridor in the city with a ridership of around 30 000 people. Mind you this included both the 301 and the 3.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

I do not have specific figures but there was a news story some time ago that listed Centre Street as the busiest bus corridor in the city with a ridership of around 30 000 people. Mind you this included both the 301 and the 3.

I wouldn't completely discount the #3 ridership, but since an LRT would have much more widely spaced stops, like the 301, I think it's ridership should be weighted pretty heavily.

[MalcolmTucker]

In 2006 the peak north calgary --> downtown flow was 3700 (1 hour flow) with a total north central corridor traffic of 41,500 a day, of which 8800 was cross town traffic according to the report posted above. At this period the report says the BRT frequency was every 9 minutes.

[Bassic Lab]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I wouldn't completely discount the #3 ridership, but since an LRT would have much more widely spaced stops, like the 301, I think it's ridership should be weighted pretty heavily.

Oh, I wasn't discounting the 3. In weighing the ridership potential for a Centre Street Subway I'd count both routes evenly. I was just making it clear that I wasn't answering the specific question of 301 ridership. If anything the LRT would increase corridor ridership substantially with superior service and the reorientation of busses towards feeding the train line.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by mooky

I know I'm asking a lot, but I just made a second donation and I challenge all Nenshi supporters to make a second donation to make the push to the finish line.

Whatever you can spare, 10, 20, 50 dollars, whatever, it all helps! Don't let Ric win!

The Bigtime's have just donated another amount to the Nenshi cause. Look to hear some radio ads very shortly!

[Bigtime]

Srperry, what have you been doing to Joe this evening on Twitter?

[Policy Wonk]

How many of you have already voted?

[srperrycgy]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Srperry, what have you been doing to Joe this evening on Twitter?

He responded to my RT'ing someone else's tweet and I responded:

@joeformayor Sorry Joe, you should have ran in Ward 6. #yycvote

@joeformayor Your attitude and arrogance is a turn off. People don't want to be shouted at. #yycvote

@joeformayor Your treatment of speakers in the PlanIt public hearing last year was a disgrace. #yycvote

From him:

@srperry it may be a good idea if you stopped following me. You seem very stressed. Maybe follow some more mellow

Kinda funny in that I DON'T follow him on Twitter

@srperry if you had any courage, you would run in ward 6 and give something back

Yeah....umm... I don't live in Ward 6. I wouldn't run anyway. But I give back plenty in my own way, especially in regards to Transit with my website, discussions here and on Twitter.

He probably saw my username and wanted to start in. I've responded to some of his tweets over the last few months with some sarcasm about his chances and some of the inane tweets (Hi, I'm at XX place, doing XX for whatever).

I've tweeted with Burrows and Lord and they are pretty decent guys and their tweets were intelligent (for the most part), but like I said in the tweet to Joe, his arrogance is appalling. I have better opinions of these two guys now through some policy opinions and the whole #jonlord1st meme. I watched the PlanIt hearings like a lot of you guys did and his attitude and conduct with the speakers was incredibly bad. If he didn't hear his answer to his questions, you got cut off. This galvanized my opinion of him and that needed to be heard by the twitterati.

So I hate to say this, but I was a tad bit of a troll with him.

As an aside to this, we passed each other in SouthCentre twice on Wednesday night. He was heading to the can in the new Food Court both times. Almost ran me over on his way in the second time. Odd, because the closest can to centre court is on the bottom level in the Customer Service area. Gave me a slight sneer when he saw the Nenshi button on my hoodie.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

How many of you have already voted?

I voted on Friday.

Originally Posted by srperrycgy

He responded to my RT'ing someone else's tweet and I responded:

@joeformayor Sorry Joe, you should have ran in Ward 6. #yycvote

@joeformayor Your attitude and arrogance is a turn off. People don't want to be shouted at. #yycvote

@joeformayor Your treatment of speakers in the PlanIt public hearing last year was a disgrace. #yycvote

From him:

@srperry it may be a good idea if you stopped following me. You seem very stressed. Maybe follow some more mellow

Kinda funny in that I DON'T follow him on Twitter

@srperry if you had any courage, you would run in ward 6 and give something back

Yeah....umm... I don't live in Ward 6. I wouldn't run anyway. But I give back plenty in my own way, especially in regards to Transit with my website, discussions here and on Twitter.

He probably saw my username and wanted to start in. I've responded to some of his tweets over the last few months with some sarcasm about his chances and some of the inane tweets (Hi, I'm at XX place, doing XX for whatever).

I've tweeted with Burrows and Lord and they are pretty decent guys and their tweets were intelligent (for the most part), but like I said in the tweet to Joe, his arrogance is appalling. I have better opinions of these two guys now through some policy opinions and the whole #jonlord1st meme. I watched the PlanIt hearings like a lot of you guys did and his attitude and conduct with the speakers was incredibly bad. If he didn't hear his answer to his questions, you got cut off. This galvanized my opinion of him and that needed to be heard by the twitterati.

So I hate to say this, but I was a tad bit of a troll with him.

As an aside to this, we passed each other in SouthCentre twice on Wednesday night. He was heading to the can in the new Food Court both times. Almost ran me over on his way in the second time. Odd, because the closest can to centre court is on the bottom level in the Customer Service area. Gave me a slight sneer when he saw the Nenshi button on my hoodie.

Yup, that's Connelly, class act all the way...

[srperrycgy]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Yup, that's Connelly, class act all the way...

You know it.

[shogged]

Originally Posted by srperrycgy

He responded to my RT'ing someone else's tweet and I responded:

@joeformayor Sorry Joe, you should have ran in Ward 6. #yycvote

@joeformayor Your attitude and arrogance is a turn off. People don't want to be shouted at. #yycvote

@joeformayor Your treatment of speakers in the PlanIt public hearing last year was a disgrace. #yycvote

From him:

@srperry it may be a good idea if you stopped following me. You seem very stressed. Maybe follow some more mellow

Kinda funny in that I DON'T follow him on Twitter

@srperry if you had any courage, you would run in ward 6 and give something back

Yeah....umm... I don't live in Ward 6. I wouldn't run anyway. But I give back plenty in my own way, especially in regards to Transit with my website, discussions here and on Twitter.

He probably saw my username and wanted to start in. I've responded to some of his tweets over the last few months with some sarcasm about his chances and some of the inane tweets (Hi, I'm at XX place, doing XX for whatever).

I've tweeted with Burrows and Lord and they are pretty decent guys and their tweets were intelligent (for the most part), but like I said in the tweet to Joe, his arrogance is appalling. I have better opinions of these two guys now through some policy opinions and the whole #jonlord1st meme. I watched the PlanIt hearings like a lot of you guys did and his attitude and conduct with the speakers was incredibly bad. If he didn't hear his answer to his questions, you got cut off. This galvanized my opinion of him and that needed to be heard by the twitterati.

So I hate to say this, but I was a tad bit of a troll with him.

As an aside to this, we passed each other in SouthCentre twice on Wednesday night. He was heading to the can in the new Food Court both times. Almost ran me over on his way in the second time. Odd, because the closest can to centre court is on the bottom level in the Customer Service area. Gave me a slight sneer when he saw the Nenshi button on my hoodie.

haha, I had a twitter argument with him too. he told me to "push off and go put on my purple t-shirt"

I also called him out for being so arrogant.

Jokes on him though, he is polling less than 1% and is doing more harm than good by remaining as a no chance candidate

[srperrycgy]

I hope Joe doesn't stroke out at one of the forums.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by srperrycgy

I hope Joe doesn't stroke out at one of the forums.

If he lives, that could draw a lot of McIver voters.

[suburb]

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

How many of you have already voted?

We voted on Thursday - and I know of others who have done the same. I think the best candidate has a higher proportion of the advance votes

[Radley77]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Would there be any case for the current NLRT route combined with a Centre St streetcar? or would that just end up being a more expensive version of the current BRT?

I like the HOV lanes for Centre Street as in Plan It. I don't know if this could be further enhanced by signalization with priority for public transit on Centre Street?

As for a street car, I think one needs sufficient level of density above single family homes, and Centre street doesn't have a lot of density currently. Street cars I think work well for intraneighbourhood use, whereas LRT works well for interneighbourhood use. Maybe a better application for a streetcar would be to start in the Beltline?

One of the things I think really adds value to Plan It, is if there were more details around implementation timelines. It's kind of like the Bank of Canada is able to use language to target long term bond yields. If you use the right language, then it will also provide more reassurances for the rest of the development industry to get on board with projects that will help realize that strategic value. Perhaps a Plan It prioritization table identified by capitalization efficiencies, and then use that to create a Gantt chart and budget?

One of the things I like about the Nose Creek alignment is the possibility to assemble large land packages that would capitalize on the strategic value of TOD. LRT has worked well because of the parking available at LRT stations. A Centre street alignment would necessitate high density residential so that people are within walking distance of a subway station to be economic. For many communities this kind of change seems to move very slowly. One could expand the HOV lane network to allow this density to build up organically over time.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by Radley77

One of the things I like about the Nose Creek alignment is the possibility to assemble large land packages that would capitalize on the strategic value of TOD. LRT has worked well because of the parking available at LRT stations.

Although land assembly might be easier, what really matters is the ability for the arrival of rapid transit to push development over the viability threshold. Corridor-TODs may be unconventional in Calgary but they were taking place before master planned TODs. Also, how does its freeway-adjacent location affect the Nose Creek Valley alignment's viability?

Originally Posted by Radley77

One could expand the HOV lane network to allow this density to build up organically over time.

Considering rail bias, wouldn't a tram be better suited for this task?

[SubwayRev]

Originally Posted by Radley77

I like the HOV lanes for Centre Street as in Plan It. I don't know if this could be further enhanced by signalization with priority for public transit on Centre Street?

As for a street car, I think one needs sufficient level of density above single family homes, and Centre street doesn't have a lot of density currently. Street cars I think work well for intraneighbourhood use, whereas LRT works well for interneighbourhood use. Maybe a better application for a streetcar would be to start in the Beltline?

But the Nose Creek alignment does?

[Radley77]

Originally Posted by Riise

Although land assembly might be easier, what really matters is the ability for the arrival of rapid transit to push development over the viability threshold. Corridor-TODs may be unconventional in Calgary but they were taking place before master planned TODs. Also, how does its freeway-adjacent location affect the Nose Creek Valley alignment's viability?




Considering rail bias, wouldn't a tram be better suited for this task?

Rapid transit pushes things over the viability threshold?

In 1989, population in Bridgeland was 4,529. In 1985, Bridgeland received LRT service. As of 2008, Bridgeland's population was 5,251.

Sunnyside is another example of a community that's population hasn't exactly exploded due to LRT service either. Both these places are also fairly walkable. I thjnk communities urban fabric is relatively static. Park'n'rides are a key component of LRT success. An underground route is going to cost several fold an at grade-route as well have no park'n'ride, so would also require more bus service or else would be entirely limited to areas within walking distance of a station.

As for rail bias, my preference is for the fastest route to get to my destination possible. I would probably only choose rail if it was 10% slower than another public transit alternative. Is rail bias going to necessitate spending many times the amount in capital costs and operational costs?

[fusili]

Made a second donation to the Nenshi campaign as well.


With regards to the Centre Street subway issue, some quick points:
- Centre street does not have much ROW capacity for a transit-only lane. Any streetcar will most likely be limited due to having to operate in mixed traffic
- The nose creek alignment will probably involve a new ROW in the DT. Using 7th avenue, IMO, is creating a new problem
- When comparing costs between the subway and nose creek, the Nose Creek alignment cost should include a new ROW in the DT, and the cost of the streetcar
- And to Radley's earlier comment about using the money instead on implementing Plan-It, I don't see how this is not an implementation of Plan-It.