West LRT | 7 Stations | 8.0 KM | In Service

[fusili]

Originally Posted by freeweed

The real problem is that not everyone can live on an existing train line, and the city won't build a new line until demand is there. So you have the annoying situation where people have to live with crappy transit for a decade or two or three, and then finally see the LRT.

I'm not sure what the answer is, either. I'd be furious if the city spend billions running a new line into the middle of nowhere, when we have areas that could be serviced today - but the inevitable result is people living without decent transit.

I think the answer is mode progression. Put in good bus service along identified corridors from the start, and build LRT when the capacity is needed. The SETWAY is a good example of this.

[lubicon]

Originally Posted by fusili

Surprisingly very few people do much research into transportation and especially transit service when they move. Most people will drive out to the show home on say, a Saturday afternoon, think the traffic isn't bad at all and then be completely shocked by the level of traffic on their first day commuting.

I only have so much sympathy for those living in the SE who complain about traffic or the lack of transit. It is an area far, far away from much of anything else and to expect the same level of transit just isn't rational.

It doesn't help when the sales people at the showhomes tell everyone that it is a 20 minute drive to Downtown. Which I suppose it is - if you happen to drive to work at 3AM.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by lubicon

It doesn't help when the sales people at the showhomes tell everyone that it is a 20 minute drive to Downtown. Which I suppose it is - if you happen to drive to work at 3AM.

No offence to realtors, but this happens too often. A good realtor will be honest with you and do some due diligence with respect to commuting. Many, however, will tell you whatever they need to to make the sale. The same goes for bad contractors that never bother to get permits.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by fusili

No offence to realtors, but this happens too often. A good realtor will be honest with you and do some due diligence with respect to commuting. Many, however, will tell you whatever they need to to make the sale.

When it comes to showhomes, let's remember that these are the same people who put out signs that say "starting from the 300,000s" when every single house in their development was $450,000+. Back during the boom they claimed that they couldn't change their signs fast enough.

Of course, in any other industry this would be considered false advertising. Real estate somehow gets a bye with their blatant lies, however.

[MMMBeer]

Originally Posted by fusili

No offence to realtors, but this happens too often. A good realtor will be honest with you and do some due diligence with respect to commuting. Many, however, will tell you whatever they need to to make the sale. The same goes for bad contractors that never bother to get permits.

Good realtors are hard to find, to be sure - but what happened to doing one's own due diligence?

Before I moved to west suburbia I drove out in early mornings to the park and ride and took the 301 myself to make sure I knew what the commute was like under "real world conditions"...

[fusili]

Originally Posted by MMMBeer

Good realtors are hard to find, to be sure - but what happened to doing one's own due diligence?

Before I moved to west suburbia I drove out in early mornings to the park and ride and took the 301 myself to make sure I knew what the commute was like under "real world conditions"...

Good on you.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by MMMBeer

Good realtors are hard to find, to be sure - but what happened to doing one's own due diligence?

Before I moved to west suburbia I drove out in early mornings to the park and ride and took the 301 myself to make sure I knew what the commute was like under "real world conditions"...

Kinda defeats the entire purpose of a realtor if we're obliged to do all the research on our own.

I don't disagree with you, but that's because I've never trusted a single salesperson in my entire life. Which is essentially what realtors are.

[Aegis]

Originally Posted by freeweed

I don't disagree with you, but that's because I've never trusted a single salesperson in my entire life. Which is essentially what realtors are.

That's all they are. They would admit that, too.

[jsbertram]

I was able to try out the new West LRT last week when I had a long layover between planes.

What kid (young or old) doesn't want a shiny new train for Christmas?

I'm sure the last time I had such a goofy grin was when I got a Lionel CPR "The Canadian" passenger train set for my birthday way back when.

[5seconds]

Came across this and thought it was interesting. Nearly 32 years ago:

[srperrycgy]

Yep. All options were being considered in the 1980s West LRT Functional Study, including running the line on 17th Ave and 11th St in Connaught.

[PPAR]

Originally Posted by 5seconds

Came across this and thought it was interesting. Nearly 32 years ago:

This is exactly the reason why the people who fought expropriation on the house they bought on 17th in 1985 really had no leg to stand on. They made it sound like they were homesteaders.... but it was clear from the early 1980s that the LRT would eventually be coming down 17th. The project was on the books a really long time!

[5seconds]

Yea, I have read the 1983 functional plan, but hadn't seen anything as early as 1981. Saying that, I have seen the original 1967 plan for the west leg, and it's pretty interesting. It's route shares none of the route of the final line.

[DizzyEdge]

I'm glad they didn't run it all down 17th, as their comments about damaging the pedestrian corridor are correct. In fact I wish where they had run it down 17th they had run it a full lot + alley distance further north, even though it would require more expropriation, so that the 'orphaned' row of houses between the LRT trench and 17th could one day be commercial.

[kw5150]

After visiting Phoenix and seeing their new LRT (which runs next to major roads) I an appreciate why it should be next to major roads. There is an element of feeling safe when you are next to a busy road. I wish the south leg ran next to McLeod Trail instead of a block away in the shadows. Stations like 39th, chinook and Heritage have a kind of isolated, dark neglected feeling to them.

Phoenix did such an amazing job with their new LRT. I hope Calgary can get these TOD's developed soon the bring the lines more into the urban fabric.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by kw5150

After visiting Phoenix and seeing their new LRT (which runs next to major roads) I an appreciate why it should be next to major roads. There is an element of feeling safe when you are next to a busy road. I wish the south leg ran next to McLeod Trail instead of a block away in the shadows. Stations like 39th, chinook and Heritage have a kind of isolated, dark neglected feeling to them.

Phoenix did such an amazing job with their new LRT. I hope Calgary can get these TOD's developed soon the bring the lines more into the urban fabric.

The South LRT alignment was chosen basically because it was adjacent to the rail ROW and thus, cheap. I agree there are times it is a very poor location, especially in relation to Chinook. Putting it down Macleod would have meant many new grade separations and a much more expensive route, as the rail row was already grade separated pretty much entirely (really only 36th, 39th, 50th, 58th ave, 61st Ave, Heritage, James McKevitt and 162nd avenue are grade crossings).

You are right though that especially north Heritage, the route feels like you are traveling through a wasteland. The SE line isn't much better.

[DizzyEdge]

Which is a reason to push redevelopment around those stations, so that although they weren't built where any activity existed, the activity can come to them.

[YYCguys]

This city loves to approve car dealerships in close proximity to LRT stations and I hope that this will change in the future. The area immediately around Crowfoot Station is a prime example of wasted land use.

[kw5150]

I totally hear you about the Mcleod alignment.....I was framing a hypothetical situation where the Mcleod Trail ROW was 2x as wide 20 years ago. I realize why the South line was not on Mcleod. Sorry, should have clarified that. I have always disliked the 39th ave station. It is a POS.

Originally Posted by fusili

The South LRT alignment was chosen basically because it was adjacent to the rail ROW and thus, cheap. I agree there are times it is a very poor location, especially in relation to Chinook. Putting it down Macleod would have meant many new grade separations and a much more expensive route, as the rail row was already grade separated pretty much entirely (really only 36th, 39th, 50th, 58th ave, 61st Ave, Heritage, James McKevitt and 162nd avenue are grade crossings).

You are right though that especially north Heritage, the route feels like you are traveling through a wasteland. The SE line isn't much better.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by kw5150

After visiting Phoenix and seeing their new LRT (which runs next to major roads) I an appreciate why it should be next to major roads. There is an element of feeling safe when you are next to a busy road. I wish the south leg ran next to McLeod Trail instead of a block away in the shadows. Stations like 39th, chinook and Heritage have a kind of isolated, dark neglected feeling to them.

Agreed. Although I'm not sure it totally works, having the NWLRT in between Crowchild is nice for the exposure if nothing else. The bad part is that it's still pretty isolated from the surrounding community in some respects.

Unfortunately for the full effect we'd have to have a situation like 36th St, which brings its own problems. Not sure where the right balance is.