Quote:
Originally Posted by fusili
It would be interesting to examine the idea of interlining the SELRT with an international avenue LRT. Not sure I am convinced, but it an idea to throw around. It would make better use of an expensive piece of infrastructure (the 2nd street subway), but that depends on how much of the capacity the SELRT will need. This has been discussed a bit here. A single transfer at Inglewood has been suggested and that wouldn't be a bad idea. My only issue would be whether the SELRT would have capacity at that point, or whether it would be full already. Having people transfer at Inglewood only to wait for 3 trains before getting on isn't the best solution in my opinion.
I do think that going with a low-floor vehicle model for the SELRT is a good option though, because it opens up more options for spur lines and interlining. I think 17th avenue SE would be better served as a low floor LRT, which would require the SELRT to be low-floor as well if interlined. Maintenance facilities could be shared as well.
I, however am not convinced at all for extending rail out to Chestermere. Too far and not enough ridership IMO.
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I definitely don't see an LRT to Chestermere being viable today but in the near future it might make sense. There is no point in putting a train through three miles of farms and cemeteries to reach a town of, what is it these days, 15 000 people? That said the corridor is quite different from other suburbs. The edge of the city there is only six miles from downtown and the current gap is, again, only three miles. All of that gap is also incorporated in either Calgary or Chestermere This differs from Airdrie, where the edge of town is nine miles north and the gap is another six miles, or Okotoks, where the edge of town is 11 miles south and the gap is nine miles.
So if those three miles are planned with rapid transit in mind, that is relatively densely and in a way that they could be easily served by north-south buses that intersect with future stations surrounded by TODs, and Chestermere is found to be willing to contribute, then it could be a very viable route with high ridership. It would also depend on what kind of redevelopment International Avenue can attract but if it can match some of the visions then a lot of potential riders could end up living in Forest Lawn. For those reasons I would prefer that any rail transit to the east be built to be capable of high capacity, rapid transit. The first phase would only go from Erlton Station to just east of 68 St and, yes, that could work as a tram for the current area but if the line needs to be extended and the area develops then it could prove to be less than what is needed.
So I'd have it start with an underground station below Erlton Station on the SLRT then, moving roughly due east, have it rise up to elevated for a station above the Crossroads Station on the SELRT. It would then continue east, cross over Blackfoot Trail and then follow its ROW on the east/south side with a station over 9 Ave. It would then keep going alongside Blackfoot, cross over Deerfoot, and then assume a position elevated over 17 Ave's median. It would stay elevated until just past 52 St, where it would sink to run in the median until just east of 68 St. Along the way there would be the following stations: the first would be elevated between 26 St and 28 St; the next would be elevated over 36 St; the next would be elevated over 44 St; the next would be elevated over 52 St; the next would be in the median just east of 60 St; the last would be in the median, either just east of 68 St or possibly under it if an interchange is called for. There would be plenty of land for a maintenance/storage facility on the hill between 26 Ave, Blackfoot Trail, and Highfield Rd. The whole route would be just over 9 kilometres long, 400 meters underground, just under 7 kilometres elevated, and about 2 kilometres on the surface.
I would imagine the cost, including track, stations, the maintenance/storage facility, and LRVs, would be roughly comparable with the West LRT at about a billion dollars. It could later be extended east to serve Chestermere and any planned TODs along the way or west to serve Marda Loop, Garrison Woods, and Mount Royal University.
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