Calgary Public Transit II

[reflexzero]

Rant.

If I have to pay 3 dollars a day for parking my old beater car CT could at least have electricity flowing to the electrical outlets when it is -20.

Rant Off.

In other news, we should have an x-prize for inventing something to keep the snow from obscuring the destination signs on the LRT cars.

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by that_twisted_cm

Perhaps this would work?:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&h...14.045639&spn=0.216149,0.512924&t=h&z=11

I like the idea, but I take it the east/west BRT would go from Mount Royal(across across a bridge to 50th ave) and then to chinook or something?

[Robert in Calgary]

Originally Posted by that_twisted_cm

A Circle Route BRT IMO should centre itself on six points, clockwise from Northwest:

- UofC Campus/Foothills Hospital
- SAIT Campus
- Sunridge Mall/Peter Lougheed Hospital
- Southeast Industrial (north of Glenmore)
- Chinook Station
- Mount Royal University

For a bus route, I would be inclined to go:

21 stops

U of C
SAIT
Centre Street
Lougheed Hospital
Rundle Stn./Sunridge
17 Avenue, at 52nd Street
52nd Street at Erin Woods Drive
.....at 50th Avenue
......at 61st Avenue
......72nd Avenue
......76th Avenue
Ogden Loop area for 302 or SE LRT
Chinook Stn
Chinook Centre
MRU
33rd Ave.
17th Ave.
Shaganappi Point Stn.
29th St NW
Foothills Hospital
Childrens' Hospital

How many buses at what service frequency?

[Robert in Calgary]

As to service to MRU and 14th Street SW:

http://beta.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/24646826/

[that_twisted_cm]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

I like the idea, but I take it the east/west BRT would go from Mount Royal(across across a bridge to 50th ave) and then to chinook or something?

No, the MRU is a branch line with direct service to DT; I coloured it red to make it just a bit different.

[that_twisted_cm]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

It should connect directly to a NE LRT station, your proposed line does not.

Oops! Fixed. Just had to run the line onto Rundlehorn Drive to 52nd.

[that_twisted_cm]

Originally Posted by reflexzero

In other news, we should have an x-prize for inventing something to keep the snow from obscuring the destination signs on the LRT cars.

Mini windshield wipers. Yep, that's the ticket!

And LOL at your sig. (It does remind me of what I heard about how Gibraltar's airport works...)

[that_twisted_cm]

Originally Posted by Robert in Calgary

For a bus route, I would be inclined to go:

21 stops

U of C
SAIT
Centre Street
Lougheed Hospital
Rundle Stn./Sunridge
17 Avenue, at 52nd Street
52nd Street at Erin Woods Drive
.....at 50th Avenue
......at 61st Avenue
......72nd Avenue
......76th Avenue
Ogden Loop area for 302 or SE LRT
Chinook Stn
Chinook Centre
MRU
33rd Ave.
17th Ave.
Shaganappi Point Stn.
29th St NW
Foothills Hospital
Childrens' Hospital

How many buses at what service frequency?

I envision it to be similar to how the 301 runs right now...once every 15 during the day; once every 10 during rushes. (similiar to the LRT) Weekends could be bumped to once every 20-30.

This one would need one of the Double Artics (which if dedicated transitways are built for this route...would be PERFECT!):

[Socguy]

This route would be a great benefit to many people, me especially.

I live in Cedarbrae and work at MRU. In order to take transit, I am generally required to take a feeder bus to the train then transfer to another bus to complete the journey. The average transit time is between 1-2hrs. depending on how long one must wait during the transfers. ...By car 10-15 mins depending on the lights...

However, As I have to be at work by 5:30am, there are literally no buses running early enough to get me to work on time anyway!.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by Koolfire

That's crazy. I wonder what type of battery that is, NiMH, Li-ion or something else. But draining a rechargable battery a few times should not ruin it. Maybe the max charge is only 99% after the first couple times but that's far from ruined.

We're things can get interesting is if more hybrid buses get built/used. You should be able to add a pole system so that it can draw and return power (when braking if battery/capacitor is at 100%) from overhead lines and run as a hybrid the rest of the time.

I never thought to ask what kind of batteries were used (probably not that high tech as the spec was for short distances). The guide on the tour mentioned that each of the vancouver trolleys return about 25% of the energy they consume through regenerative braking.

[Riise]

I probably pay twice this much for a monthly travelcard but I get much, much more than twice the level of service...

Any North American comparisons? Is this a bang for our buck or complete and utter rip-off?

Calgary Transit Passes To Jump To $90
Budget Also Cuts Increases In Bus Service

22 November 2010
Calgary Herald
Jason Markusoff With Files From Richard Cuthbertson

Calgary Transit monthly passes are slated to rise to $90 in January, based on the same city budget that proposes a clawback of next year's plans for service improvements.

It's a 5.6 per cent jump from the currently monthly fee of $85.25, and marks the third straight annual hike.

It was planned back when council set a three-year budget plan for 2009-2011, but it hasn't been adjusted as a deficit-fighting city hall has recommended that aldermen support only a 2.5 per cent boost in transit service levels -- fewer than half the route improvements planned earlier.

Complete Article

[mersar]

Originally Posted by Riise

I probably pay twice this much for a monthly travelcard but I get much, much more than twice the level of service...

Any North American comparisons? Is this a bang for our buck or complete and utter rip-off?

Calgary - $90
Edmonton - $81.50
Toronto - $121
Vancouver - $81 to $151 (depending on zones)
New York City - $89
Chicago - $86
LA - $75
Miami - $100
Portland - $88
Denver - $79 to $176 (depending on what service you want, express bus and regional rail are more)

[MalcolmTucker]

Toronto is $121 and likely to increase next year once again.

[UofC.engineer]

There has been a lot of talk about how to spend the green TRIP money the province has promised Calgary. As a frustrated SE resident I believe I have come to a reasonable solution. The city of Calgary should build sections of the preliminary infastructure for the SE LRT but not lay the rails right away. Instead artic buses will be able to drive over the segments of infastructure created for the future LRT. However not all sections should be built at once since that would be too expensive and cost the entire lumped sum. The SE LRT should be built in many stages once the city has available funds. The first stages involve the upgrading of the BRT and the final stage involves the actual creation of an LRT line. Rome wasn't built in a day and niether should the SE LRT.

Did I explain myself well?? If you have any questions please comment away.

Below I have created links to the first stage in the BRT upgrades.





17th Ave SE Corridor -----------------------------------------$250 million
CRP proposal -------------------------------------------------$153 million
SW BRT/Bus lanes/transit priorities ----------------------------$200 million
*~SE BRT Upgrades~* ---------------------------------------$609 million


Province pays 800million
City pays 412 million




SE BRT Upgrades:
Red = exsiting route
Blue = proposed route

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44064107
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44064109
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44064114
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44064117
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44064120



CRP proposal : http://www.calgaryregion.ca/crp/media/66...n%20trip%20prelim%20projects%20final.pdf

P.S. I'm going to the SW BRT open house tomorrow, I hope to comment on the details

[DizzyEdge]

I'd actually come to the same conclusion, assuming it couldn't be build as an LRT. Purchase ROW and then pave it, and send busses on it.

[MalcolmTucker]

Double the disruption - I would rather delay than inflict that on the SE. Quick wins shouldn't be brought at the cost of high operating expenses - that is robbing peter to pay paul.

[mersar]

Not to mention that huge parts of it would be essentially useless once the conversion time came. The cost to pave would be well into the tens of millions I'd bet, and all that pavement would have to be ripped out to put the rails in. We'd have to shut the entire thing down for upwards of a couple years once construction actually began on the LRT components.

[MonctonGoldenFlames]

i don't support your idea. building it in pieces over a period of time, will take money away from other projects around the city. i do agree the selrt is needed, but it needs to built all at once, once funding is secured.

[Robert in Calgary]

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

I believe I have come to a reasonable solution.

(snip)

The SE LRT should be built in many stages once the city has available funds. The first stages involve the upgrading of the BRT and the final stage involves the actual creation of an LRT line. Rome wasn't built in a day and niether should the SE LRT.

Good God No!!

I would say this approach is completely unreasonable and a serious waste of money.

Request an increase in the gas tax to generate more money.

Going to Douglas Glen is the common sense compromise.

[atlas_inc]

Stupid question time: How many square feet is a single C-Train car? Anyone have a link to the company that builds them with some dimensions?