Calgary Public Transit II - Page 108

Bassic Lab · #**2141** Posted **Jan 21, 2011, 10:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Ouch...that ones gonna leave a mark

Don't get me wrong, I love public transit, but in landlocked cities like Calgary and Edmonton frieght rail and highway systems are very important from an economical stand point. Gotta move the goods in and out.

I am not saying that they necessarily should have completed the primary C-Train network instead of the ring road. If I was the one making that choice I am not sure what I would decide to do. I am merely saying that the provincial government has directed quite a bit towards transportation in Calgary and Edmonton and their pick was the ring road which costs a lot more than we might think. We can only expect so much from the province.

I do think that, whereas the eastern section of the ring road bypasses Deerfoot congestion and the northern section bypasses 16 Ave N congestion, the south west ring road is all about commuters and given the different costs transit expansion might be the better option.

Policy Wonk · #**2142** Posted **Jan 22, 2011, 7:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelS

Or if the MGA was altered to allow different styles of taxing, Cities could create their own reliable funding. Politically very difficult, but another option.

or a federal government who could replace their 1871 desk calendar and take an active role in transportation other than subsidizing VIA Rail and attempting to tax aviation out of existence.

In 2009 the US Federal government spent almost eight billion dollars on transit vehicles, they spent another eleven billion on transit infrastructure.

Divide by ten: Has Ottawa ever spent 1.9 billion combined in one year on public transit? I believe over the last decade the number is around 4-5 billion depending on what you call transit - or relatively speaking half of comparable US spending.

Policy Wonk · #**2143** Posted **Jan 22, 2011, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir.Humphrey.Appleby

I say this as a big L Liberal, besides the lack of tendering for the fighter contract which may have saved some money, I have no issues with it. The world is a dangerous place and being put in a situation where we couldn't contribute to western or north american collective defense would be the end of Canada as we know it.

There is no reason we can't do both, taxes and interest rates are at generational lows. Just have to watch out for construction inflation on the infrastructure side.

As another Big L liberal - I don't object to buying fighters, I object to buying that fighter. When the military gets onboard enormous American defense programs in-progress things take too long and cost too much and the F-35 is looking like a real lemon. Buy the new F-18, buy the Rafale, buy the Typhoon - all fine and proven platforms. While they steamrolled through a project that looks to be seriously facing cancellation... because Washington told them to.

How long did the procurement of the new Chinook helicopters take, come 2014 if delivered on-time: 9 years. How long did the procurement of the hush-hush Russian Mi-17 helicopters dubbed the CH-178: about six months. Since May the Canadian Forces have themselves been operating five Russian helicopters. They took them on because indemnifying private operators against hull loss and crew death was really, really expensive.

freeweed · #**2144** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 6:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by reflexzero

I really doubt we'd see high class business personnel riding transit to the airport, especially through the ghetto to get there. I'm very surprised when I see someone wearing a tie on the NE leg.

I found this comment worded just a teensy bit harshly, but there's definitely an element of truth to it. I find taking the NE train to be a completely different experience. It's a pretty neat experience to watch the ethnic/demographic changes as one heads further out of downtown into the NE.

Policy Wonk · #**2145** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 7:13 AM**

They will when it isn't terrible, if you ever find yourself in Ottawa hop on OC Transpo Route 97 around 4:30 in the afternoon and see an articulated bus full of suits headed to the airport for their flights back to Toronto and Montreal.

Most people prefer it to the Leduc style "YOW Airporter" that is too agonizing too use.

suburb · #**2146** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 7:27 PM**

Mayor Nenshi's latest column in the Calgary Sun ...

http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/columnists/2011/01/23/16998136.html

Snipit from the article ...

Quote:

Transit is one of the most important things in which any city must invest.

Not only is it an important part of the solution for congestion and pollution, it’s also a key tool to battle poverty and increase social inclusion.

If we can make it easier for people to get to work and school without needing a car, we all win.

Transit also helps those who don’t take it — if you give a person a choice to take transit when appropriate, it’s one fewer car on the road, making a clearer path for those who must drive.

This is why it’s so important to get transit decisions right.

You Need A Thneed · #**2147** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

I found this comment worded just a teensy bit harshly, but there's definitely an element of truth to it. I find taking the NE train to be a completely different experience. It's a pretty neat experience to watch the ethnic/demographic changes as one heads further out of downtown into the NE.

I'm often the only white male on the crowded bus, and not many others on the train, getting on at MKWW.

You Need A Thneed · #**2148** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 7:37 PM**

Whitehorn Station, following this weekend's work.

Innersoul1 · #**2149** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 8:59 PM**

Are a lot of the stations on the NE leg being reno'd?

mersar · #**2150** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 9:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innersoul1

Are a lot of the stations on the NE leg being reno'd?

Only whitehorn so far. The rest will be fairly similar renos, and likely easier (no others will be gaining the pedestrian access off the other end of the platform to the street). Next up to be done outside the core though is Southland I believe.

You Need A Thneed · #**2151** Posted **Jan 24, 2011, 9:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innersoul1

Are a lot of the stations on the NE leg being reno'd?

Just Whitehorn, for now.

Innersoul1 · #**2152** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 4:42 PM**

I must say that I love the sound in the tunnel underneath the Zoo station. Whenever, I am there I feel like I am in a Tube station in London.

Wooster · #**2153** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 4:50 PM**

How many U2s are in Calgary's fleet? I believe we lost a couple to accidents and so forth.

freeweed · #**2154** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 6:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innersoul1

I must say that I love the sound in the tunnel underneath the Zoo station. Whenever, I am there I feel like I am in a Tube station in London.

I still rather enjoy the sound of the train when underneath Cemetery Hill. I sometimes joke about "screaming souls" and whatnot, it really freaks out fellow passengers at night.

Aegis · #**2155** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 7:10 PM**

Wow, this is a bit of a shock.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/C...resigns_110125/20110125/?hub=CalgaryHome

The Avid Pedestrian · #**2156** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 11:11 PM**

Premier's stepping down seems to be a theme recently

Will this change the delivery schedule of GreenTRIP at all? perhaps now more uncertainty...?

I never was a fan of Stelmach, but it seems to me his best legacy might be his parting words "There is a profound danger that the next election campaign will focus on personality and U.S.-style negative attack politics...This type of U.S.-style wedge politics is coming into Canada, and it comes at our peril"

Floor is open for new leadership, and I'm optimistic that will improve transit investment in AB. This forum will no doubt be a farm for great ideas!

Looking forward to hearing all your thoughts!

polishavenger · #**2157** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 11:24 PM**

Ed Stelmach was the best thing to happen to Alberta politics in recent history... and thats because he started the down fall of the PC monopoly in AB. He has the charisma of a cabbage, and the combination of a bad economy and no platform spelled his inevitable early ending.

For too long the PC's ran on the personality cult of Ralph Klein and easy oil and gas money. Any monkey could have balanced budgets on the back of record oil and gas royalties, and thats just what we got, a great politician, but a bad leader. This province desperately needs a forward thinking party that considers the post oil economy. Unfortunately that doesnt exist right now, but I think now there is room for the seed of one to grow.

The Avid Pedestrian · #**2158** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 11:25 PM**

Just streamed Breakfast Televisions Interview with Mayor Nenshi. Excited!

http://video.citytv.com/video/detail/757587251001.000000/4th-street-station-now-open/

Can one of you please post some photos of 4th to/from the park? It'll be at least a couple months before I make it back to Calgary, and I can't wait to see the new station!

MichaelS · #**2159** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 11:27 PM**

Can we move the Stelmach talk to the Alberta politics thread in the BC/AB section, or at least try to tie it to transit like The Avid Pedestrian.

frinkprof · #**2160** Posted **Jan 25, 2011, 11:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wooster

How many U2s are in Calgary's fleet? I believe we lost a couple to accidents and so forth.

There were 83 originally, 4 have been lost due to collisions (2010, 2019, 2027, 2057), but 2 of those (2019 and 2057 I believe) have had their ends put together to form a new one, with a new fleet number of 2090.

So the answer is 80.