Calgary Public Transit II

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by eggbert

Global News this morning reports it will be two years before a replacement system is in place.

I'd say that's somewhere in the reasonable to optimistic range.

[Radley77]

It's so awesome that the City of Calgary decided to develop the Park Plus system before Calgary Connect when there are vastly more people who use public transit per day than who park in city owned lots per day. Good jorb stopping the war on cars!

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by AgentGibb

It's unfortunate that it's gone so badly. Hopefully now that the contract has been cancelled we can go after something that's standard and proven like, say, this sort of thing:
http://www.calypsonet-asso.org/index.php

As someone who works on embedded systems for a living, I find it baffling that this should be so hard. It's been done before. Many. Times. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Do these off the shelf systems support NFC chips in phones out of the box?

[AgentGibb]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

Do these off the shelf systems support NFC chips in phones out of the box?

At least some do.

From the wikipedia article about SanFransico's "Clipper" card (which may well be a bad example, I'm having a hard time getting solid information on this):

Clipper utilizes a NXP Semiconductors MIFARE DESFire (MF3ICD40) integrated circuit to manufacture the card. The card operates on the 13.56 MHz range putting it into the Near Field Communication category (rather than RFID, as is commonly misconceived). Because the card uses NFC technology, any NFC enabled Android cellphone can read the serial number, travel history, and current balance on the card.[14] However, data cannot be written to the card without the proper encryption key, preventing unauthorized access to funds on the card.

If the frequencies are at least compatible, that at least in theory gives you the ability to use the phone *as* the card as well as being able to read them. Not sure if that'd be available out of the box, but I did find some stuff on the Calypso site that described doing exactly that. Unfortunately I've lost track of the page it was on.

[MalcolmTucker]

• Video Link

• Video Link

[frinkprof]

Winter Service Revisions - December 10th

Obviously most of these deal with the new West LRT going into service. Lots of routes cancelled, some new routes, still others revised.

Other than the West LRT changes, not much to write home about.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/winter_service_revisions_2012.html

-------------------------------

Transit priority lanes along Centre Street open November 26th.

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/...Reconstruction-and-Transit-Priority.aspx

[eggbert]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Winter Service Revisions - December 10th

Obviously most of these deal with the new West LRT going into service. Lots of routes cancelled, some new routes, still others revised.

Other than the West LRT changes, not much to write home about.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/winter_service_revisions_2012.html

I think Calgary Transit has to do a little better editing when updating their website. I clicked on at least two links that took me to the wrong page.

[Cage]

Regarding public Transit funding budget discussions. Everyting Nenshi is saying right now reminds me of the West Wing Episode " Indians in the Lobby". Here is a transcript of the scene:

SAM
[entering office] On Monday, the OMB is putting out a new formula for
calculating the
poverty level.

TOBY
I saw that. Doesn't it need Presidential approval before it goes to Congress?

SAM
Yeah.

TOBY
What's the problem?

SAM
It's a good news, bad news thing. Under the new formula, poverty is up two
percent. It was
anyone under seventeen thousand, five hundred and twenty-four before, now
it's twenty thousand.

TOBY
What does that shake out to?

SAM
Four million new poor people.

TOBY
Four million?!?

SAM
Yeah. Obviously, that's the bad news.

TOBY
Yeah...

SAM
The good news is more people will be eligible for benefits.

TOBY
And taxpayers are nuts about that. Let's get back to the bad news. Four
million people
became poor on the President's watch?

SAM
They didn't become poor. They were poor already. And now we're calling them
poor.

TOBY
What was wrong with the old formula?

SAM
I don't know.

TOBY
Find out.

SAM
It is possible that this is a statistical reality and not a political finding.

TOBY
Well, get together with somebody at OMB and find out what was wrong with
the statistical
reality of the old formula.

SAM
Yeah.

TOBY
And do it today.

SAM
[heading out of office] Yeah.

TOBY
It's like when they did that thing with the SAT scores and I got dumber
twenty years
after I went to college.

SAM
It's a little like that.

TOBY
Talk to somebody.

SAM
Yeah.

[Vascilli]

It seems nobody's hyped up for the WLRT opening? Somebody tell me if the petting zoo at Sunalta Station has rabbits.

[srperrycgy]

I am of course. Taking Monday off to cruise the rails to see how its going to work and to see if there are any problems.

Still crazy about the furry critters eh?

[bigcanuck]

I'll be riding it for the first time for my Monday commute - I'll buffer in some extra time since there is bound to be some confusion (both with myself and other passengers).

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Vascilli

It seems nobody's hyped up for the WLRT opening? Somebody tell me if the petting zoo at Sunalta Station has rabbits.

I am super hyped. I will be going on Saturday to check out the entire line. I think some of the TransitCamp crew will be doing a mini-tour of our own.

[O-tacular]

I saw the 69th St. terminal LED strips lit up last week. Really nice. Also saw a 4 car train. Will this line regularly be running 4 cars or is that not possible due to the NE line not being able to handle it?

[You Need A Thneed]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I saw the 69th St. terminal LED strips lit up last week. Really nice. Also saw a 4 car train. Will this line regularly be running 4 cars or is that not possible due to the NE line not being able to handle it?

They are just running 4 car trains for testing. Bridgeland through Rundle Stations can't take 4 car trains yet.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by fusili

I am super hyped. I will be going on Saturday to check out the entire line. I think some of the TransitCamp crew will be doing a mini-tour of our own.

Don't forget to stop by at the The City's Bike Program at Westbrook station. From their facebook page:The City's Bike Program will be inside the Westbrook Station during the opening event for WLRT from 10:30 to 2pm on December 8. Drop by to get a bikeway/pathway map, or to ask questions about the new facilities.

One really exciting (and not talked about) parts of the whole West LRT project is the huge advancement of regional pathways and bike infrastructure in that end of the city. Bike lanes, bike improvements, accommodations at all stations and the brand new regional pathway from 69th street all the way to Westbrook. Not to mention the new pedestrian/bicycle bridge east of Shaganappi Point. Make sure you stop by and support them, the city's new bicycle coordinator is doing some really good work in the right direction.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Calgary-Bicycle-Program/220163038114058

[DarkKeyo]

Originally Posted by fusili

I am super hyped. I will be going on Saturday to check out the entire line. I think some of the TransitCamp crew will be doing a mini-tour of our own.

Most likely I'll run into you then. I wouldn't miss the chance to stop at each new station for the world. I particularly look forward to the "Lego TOD activity booth" at Westbrook

[mersar]

I will be there for sure.

Had an interesting chat last night with the operator who gets to drive the mayor/premier on the first 'official' train to go on the WLRT for the opening, he seemed quite excited about the opening too. Also had some good stories to tell, including an interesting tidbit about some 'fun' they've had this week while testing. Seems that while they can run a 4 LRV consist with no issue on the line, on some consists the computer gets quite confused when you open the doors and won't let you close them automatically on the 4th LRV. Likely easily fixed before 2014 when we should actually see regular 4 LRV consists, but still kind of funny.

[freeweed]

Weird random observation - the Ctrain in the NW is half empty by 8-8:30 (depending on where you board). This gets a person into downtown with plenty of time to be at your desk for 9 - I'm kinda shocked that more people don't do this. We all supposedly have the ability to work on a bit of a flexible schedule, after all.

I haven't came in at this late in years. It used to be much busier this late.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Weird random observation - the Ctrain in the NW is half empty by 8-8:30 (depending on where you board). This gets a person into downtown with plenty of time to be at your desk for 9 - I'm kinda shocked that more people don't do this. We all supposedly have the ability to work on a bit of a flexible schedule, after all.

I haven't came in at this late in years. It used to be much busier this late.

I noticed that too when I used to take the train from Dalhousie. Before 8:00 the train is ridiculously packed. 8:20, almost nobody on the train.

[floobie]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Weird random observation - the Ctrain in the NW is half empty by 8-8:30 (depending on where you board). This gets a person into downtown with plenty of time to be at your desk for 9 - I'm kinda shocked that more people don't do this. We all supposedly have the ability to work on a bit of a flexible schedule, after all.

I haven't came in at this late in years. It used to be much busier this late.

You just described my commute verbatim. I usually leave the house at 8:30, and make it in to work by shortly after 9:00 (it helps that I work at Bankers Hall). I'm always able to get a seat and get comfortable, and the ride is nice and quick. Much faster than driving.

As for the West LRT opening, I can see myself going the weekend after opening with a friend to give it a whirl. I'd at least like to get off at the Sunalta and Westbrook stations and take in all that grade-separated goodness we've been so sorely lacking until now.