Calgary Public Transit II

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

Exactly

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&laye...67,-114.04403&spn=0.003693,0.009398&z=17

I would imagine that the railway will want to hold enough land to twin its tracks if they ever feel the need. Does it look like there is enough room there for six tracks? It looks like it would be tight with just four.

I've been reading all the HSR rail reports commissioned by the Alberta government for work (1976 onwards), and none anticipate building dedicated tracks within the cities of Edmonton and Calgary. The trainsets will be FRA compliant or have a waiver, and the entire corridor will have moving block train control or something equivalent or better, including freight within the corridors.

The cost for building a fully dedicated access is just way too high. Most of the models show three mixed tracks within the cities, until a dedicated station access track branches off. Access downtown will be elevated from Inglewood on, to a station at +15 level, since it is too hard to share the mainline for various reasons.

Still, I doubt 5 tracks would fit.

[Koolfire]

Originally Posted by suburb

Edmonton trail hybrid, therefore, is likely the best - and also best serves the Aurora Business Park.

I disagree simply based on Edmonton trail not being straight as centre which would mean slightly longer. It makes more sense to do it up centre and then right turn a McKnight if they really think it's better to go through Nose creek for the rest of the way. When you have high per km cost because it's buried 800m is significant. To a certain extent it's splitting hairs with cost as the ROW gets wider north of McKnight anyways. And everyone seems to forget it's likely that in the Nose Creek area if you don't get CP rails row you need to build new bridges. It's likely that hybrid route would need a rebuilt wider bridge at 64th.

[Koolfire]

Originally Posted by suburb

We certainly know that the per kilometer cost of running along CPR is the least of the options, and we know the construction disruption is also the least.

Do we? There is no agreement between CP Rail and the City (Confirmed by Calgary Transit). This could be the next Airport tunnel where the city has to negotiate a deal with them and who knows what CP comes up with for demands.

[MalcolmTucker]

^ Yeah, just like people who anticipated commuter rail to Cochrane would be a cheap win, then CPR came back and said to make it work would require $500 million in track work. Mind you, the main line is a lot more busy than the Calgary - Edmonton line (around forty trains a day compared to fifteen between Edmonton and Calgary on CPR if my memory is correct) but still.

[Bassic Lab]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

I've been reading all the HSR rail reports commissioned by the Alberta government for work (1976 onwards), and none anticipate building dedicated tracks within the cities of Edmonton and Calgary. The trainsets will be FRA compliant or have a waiver, and the entire corridor will have moving block train control or something equivalent or better, including freight within the corridors.

The cost for building a fully dedicated access is just way too high. Most of the models show three mixed tracks within the cities, until a dedicated station access track branches off. Access downtown will be elevated from Inglewood on, to a station at +15 level, since it is too hard to share the mainline for various reasons.

Still, I doubt 5 tracks would fit.

Well, there isn't much difference in what the government would have to build between having three mixed tracks and having two dedicated passenger rail tracks. It would all depend on how heavy the demands are from the railway. Really, if the company would accept it, at that point I'd prefer that the province pay for three sets of tracks and give one of them to the railway in exchange for the ROW for the other two. That way it would be done and we would never be in a situation with shared track rights and getting bent over if we want to increase frequency. As it stands, I don't want to imagine the kind of deal the freight railroads will try to negotiate. Probably something insane like five hundred million to the company to triple track it in exchange for the right to put twenty trains through a day.

[MalcolmTucker]

Well, the freight railway needs two tracks so freight trains can pass eachother, plus they don't want to be forced into a situation that limits their future operations too much. Nose Creek Valley already has substaintial portions double tracked just to sustain today's freight operations (you often see a train stretching from Memorial to 16th Ave waiting for yard clearance and whatnot, or for a passing train).

Expanding the full ROW to three tracks buys you one track worth of access for HSR, and there isn't anything the provincial government can do to change that. Railroads have the powers they do for very good reasons, and you win more friends with honey than vinegar.

On a totally unrelated note, one of the studies said only 2 tracks (plus sidings and where they currently exist) were needed outside of the cities for both combined freight and HSR operations if you installed high speed crossovers approximately every 12 km.

Getting back to the LRT still it doesn't paint a pretty picture for a Nose Creek alignment, expropriating a 15m ROW through industrial land and building new LRT underpasses at every major road.

[DarkKeyo]

In the midst of all this north lrt talk, has anyone noticed that the new display signs are showing up at stations?

[outoftheice]

Originally Posted by DarkKeyo

In the midst of all this north lrt talk, has anyone noticed that the new display signs are showing up at stations?

Calgary Transit has a timeline up on their website now for all of their new technology.

CCTV replacement December 2010
Transit Email Alerts February 2011
Real Time Information (CTrain) July 2011
Credit/debit card payment machines at various CTrain stations July 2011
Enhanced Trip Planning on the Web December 2011
Electronic Fare Payment June 2012
Real Time Information (Buses) June 2013

Definitely good to see!

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

[outoftheice]

The initial reviews are in on the NC LRT open house. The public's response looks promising for the elmination of the Nose Creek routing.

Running C-Trains down the unpopulated Nose Creek valley is proving to be the least popular Calgary Transit idea since the $3 park-and-ride fee.

That charge has been axed, and the long-proposed valley alignment for the future north-central LRT line seems on its way out too, given Calgarians’ response to the option at an open house Tuesday.

The public preference is clearly one of the other two dotted lines strung on transit planners’ maps: one option down Centre Street, the other along Edmonton Trail.

It also appears that we're not the only ones who have picked up on the City's resistance to exploring a Centre Street Subway option.

Two other options are coming to the fore: an elevated line — every second open-house visitor seemed to mention Vancouver’s Sky Train — and the low-floor tram that’s common throughout Europe, which Calgary planners are dubbing “urban LRT.”

It’s cheaper than existing light rail because stations can be glorified sidewalks, but operating at street level down Centre Street would be slow.

“Keep in mind they’re not worried about speed in Europe,” transit planning manager Neil McKendrick told a crowd gathered around him.

The city seemed to subtly discourage a north-central subway option. A board showed nine dollar signs next to that possibility, and only five for traditional C-Train and three for a low-floor tram

Full Article Here:
Open house visitors nix Nose Creek valley C-Trains
By Jason Markusoff, Calgary Herald
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Open+house+...+Trains/4840306/story.html#ixzz1NrJN3OMK

[freeweed]

Real time transit info might finally be the thing that forces me to get a more current smartphone. Nothing worse than missing a bus by 30 seconds... if only I walked just a tiny bit faster...

Awesome stuff coming down the pipe.

[polishavenger]

Its a breath of fresh air to hear that people are thinking more about the city as a whole rather than just about what they need.

[RicoLance21]

New C-train platform signs installed

[freeweed]

CT's going crazy on fare enforcement. 3 times in the past week and a half. I usually get hit up maybe once or twice a year.

[srperrycgy]

I was listening to the QR77 Morning Show on Shaw this morning and they interviewed the Security head for CT. Apparently, if you haven't paid your fare and get caught you have the option of doing a 10-question survey on Fare Evaison. For a limited time only.

[polishavenger]

Originally Posted by freeweed

CT's going crazy on fare enforcement. 3 times in the past week and a half. I usually get hit up maybe once or twice a year.

I wonder how long it will take CT to get on a system like the octopus card in hong kong. It looks like a credit card, you preload money on it at any 7-11 and subway station, and you use it to pay your fair on the subway, busses, taxis, and some ferry's. Its so simple and convenient, I cant understand why its not everywhere. In addition it would also help track ridership without connecting it to any one person as no ID is attached to the card. The card also makes paying fares based on distance possible, which I think has some merit as Calgary grows outward and people need to commute further.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by srperrycgy

I was listening to the QR77 Morning Show on Shaw this morning and they interviewed the Security head for CT. Apparently, if you haven't paid your fare and get caught you have the option of doing a 10-question survey on Fare Evaison. For a limited time only.

Ah, that explains why people have seemed less agitated when caught lately. Usually fare evaders are university-aged kids and they look pretty nervous when getting a ticket. The last few I've seen, the CT guy has been casually chatting them up with a clipboard. And it's not been CT security all the time either, just guys in plainclothes.

Thanks for the enlightenment. This is a positive thing in my opinion - instead of "here's the rules, you break then, PUNISHMENT!", we're actually taking the steps of "hmm, WHY did you break the rules, let's actually try to find out so we can prevent it in the future".

Carrot vs. the stick, and all that. Me likey.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by polishavenger

I wonder how long it will take CT to get on a system like the octopus card in hong kong. It looks like a credit card, you preload money on it at any 7-11 and subway station, and you use it to pay your fair on the subway, busses, taxis, and some ferry's. Its so simple and convenient, I cant understand why its not everywhere. In addition it would also help track ridership without connecting it to any one person as no ID is attached to the card. The card also makes paying fares based on distance possible, which I think has some merit as Calgary grows outward and people need to commute further.

So long as I can still get the convenience of a monthly pass, I'm all for whatever is chosen. I love being able to just hop on and off trains and buses without ever even thinking about fares. Half the time I forget I even have my pass on me until they come asking for it.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by polishavenger

I wonder how long it will take CT to get on a system like the octopus card in hong kong. It looks like a credit card, you preload money on it at any 7-11 and subway station, and you use it to pay your fair on the subway, busses, taxis, and some ferry's. Its so simple and convenient, I cant understand why its not everywhere. In addition it would also help track ridership without connecting it to any one person as no ID is attached to the card. The card also makes paying fares based on distance possible, which I think has some merit as Calgary grows outward and people need to commute further.

Electronic Fare Payment is coming June 2012.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by RicoLance21

New C-train platform signs installed

Yep, the new signs are up at about 1/2 the platforms already and should be working by Stampede.

[CTrainDude]

Originally Posted by mersar

Yep, the new signs are up at about 1/2 the platforms already and should be working by Stampede.

Umm, they said July - and you guessed it - I believe it's the end of July, not by Stampede.