Calgary Public Transit II

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Can someone explain the method of converting busway to LRT? Is the ROW wide enough to have bus lanes on one side and LRT on the other so the buses can keep running during construction?

They've actually planned it pretty well. The busway will be fairly wide. Once we decide to build LRT the busway will become single lane in the peak flow direction while the LRT is built alongside, and this lane will then become a service road/cycle way once it's all completed.

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/...ast-transitway/SE-transitway-concept.pdf

Still would be better to build it all at once though - we know we're going to need it.

[SmokWawelski]

Wife and I went to the opening of Tuscany station very nicely done. We've been in Royal Oak for 7 years waiting and waiting for this day

We timed our walk from home to the Tuscany station..... 15 minutes from door to door. Whereas prior to Tuscany station... 27 minutes from door to Crowfoot station.

I took pictures but can't upload them as I have no flickr or tumblr and frankly I don't want another online account

[SmokWawelski]

Here is the funny part.... tomorrow new routes will be servicing the Tuscany station, yet when you go on calgary transit web site, they still have not posted schedules for the new routes (157).... just maps. Good old calgary transit, always one step behind

[Govertical]

went to the opening of Tuscany as well, quite impressed with the whole thing, it even has a public restroom!!!

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by milomilo

They've actually planned it pretty well. The busway will be fairly wide. Once we decide to build LRT the busway will become single lane in the peak flow direction while the LRT is built alongside, and this lane will then become a service road/cycle way once it's all completed.

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/...ast-transitway/SE-transitway-concept.pdf

Still would be better to build it all at once though - we know we're going to need it.

Thanks milomilo

Could the service road also be used for shuttle service if the LRT is closed for maintenance?

[Trans Canada]

SmokWawelski, try www.imgur.com, hit "upload images" top left corner

Originally Posted by Govertical

went to the opening of Tuscany as well, quite impressed with the whole thing, it even has a public restroom!!!

Uh oh... don't they realize that there is now a direct transit line from downtown to a public restroom? I foresee a massive "reverse commute" of hobos from EV to Tuscany

[Bcasey25raptor]

I remember seeing a news article awhile back that stated there was plans to put an LRT through forest lawn.

Does anyone know the status on this? My mother lives there and I visit semi annually so it'd be nice to have easier access to the trains.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Thanks milomilo

Could the service road also be used for shuttle service if the LRT is closed for maintenance?

Physically, I expect so, but if they do use it as a cycle lane instead that would stop that idea.

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

I remember seeing a news article awhile back that stated there was plans to put an LRT through forest lawn.

Does anyone know the status on this? My mother lives there and I visit semi annually so it'd be nice to have easier access to the trains.

No official plans for LRT, but for a BRT. I think it would be a good place for an LRT line though - I like the idea of a tram going down 17th in the east, crossing Ramsay somehow, perhaps elevated across the Stampede grounds with a station on the east and an interchange with Victoria Park Stampede, and then at street level along 17th in the Beltline (with it probably closed to cars). Pure fantasy though.

[Doug]

LRT through Forest Lawn might make sense once Belvedere adds ~80K people to the east of the city and Chestermere expands. Maybe 20-30 years into the future.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

I remember seeing a news article awhile back that stated there was plans to put an LRT through forest lawn.

Does anyone know the status on this? My mother lives there and I visit semi annually so it'd be nice to have easier access to the trains.

Any plans for LRT to Forest Lawn are very long-term and highly speculative. Right now Forest Lawn is served by a regular bus (#1) and a BRT route (#305). Improvements are mostly along the lines of improving BRT; dedicated lanes and transit priority at lights, more fully-featured shelters, and so on. I believe the Route Ahead plan went as far as to suggest segregated lanes, beyond regular transit lanes.

[DizzyEdge]

The #1 is quite an interesting route. Bowness Park, Bowness 'main street' (and the 77th st commercial area), Montgomery 'main street', Parkdale commercial area, 'Kensington', downtown, east village, inglewood, 'international avenue'. Hits a lot of places with potential.

[Chadillaccc]

I just absolutely can not believe the city isn't planning to have the 8th Ave Subway until the 2040s. What a complete fucking joke. We should have it now, we'll need it in five years, and it will be imperative in ten years. Just insane.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

The #1 is quite an interesting route. Bowness Park, Bowness 'main street' (and the 77th st commercial area), Montgomery 'main street', Parkdale commercial area, 'Kensington', downtown, east village, inglewood, 'international avenue'. Hits a lot of places with potential.

It shows it too. One of the few routes that is busy all-day in some capacity, connects many nodes. Common to see full buses in both directions most times of the day. Many of these nodes are already undergoing serious intensification with more to be expected. Route 1 / 305 is an excellent candidate for quality improvements, second to only Route 3 IMO.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

I just absolutely can not believe the city isn't planning to have the 8th Ave Subway until the 2040s. What a complete fucking joke. We should have it now, we'll need it in five years, and it will be imperative in ten years. Just insane.

Where we'll really need it is in 5-7 years when we've eaten up the additional 4th car capacity and then can't expand further without that subway.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by MasterG

It shows it too. One of the few routes that is busy all-day in some capacity, connects many nodes. Common to see full buses in both directions most times of the day. Many of these nodes are already undergoing serious intensification with more to be expected. Route 1 / 305 is an excellent candidate for quality improvements, second to only Route 3 IMO.

I really liked the comment by Fusili (I'm paraphrashing here) about a standard increase of service. Ie, shuttle bus->normal bus->10 min service->articulated buses->BRT 'lite' ->BRT w/Transitway -> LRT

Would there be any point in inserting streetcars in there when you could just use single-car LRT which is then easily expandible? I'm assuming single car LRT wouldn't be useful in mixed traffic as I'd think that a streetcar would be more designed for constant start and stop movement than an LRT car, and using the order above you'd already be at the stage of dedicated lanes.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by MasterG

It shows it too. One of the few routes that is busy all-day in some capacity, connects many nodes. Common to see full buses in both directions most times of the day. Many of these nodes are already undergoing serious intensification with more to be expected. Route 1 / 305 is an excellent candidate for quality improvements, second to only Route 3 IMO.

Does anyone have actual data on ridership of specific routes?

I'd love to know which routes make the top 5. They could compete for a title.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

Does anyone have actual data on ridership of specific routes?

I'd love to know which routes make the top 5. They could compete for a title.

Calgary Transit gave this to us awhile ago including operating costs, but I think it was just select routes. Off (my very poor) memory- it was something like the 301 and then all routes numbered 1-10 which had the highest ridership. The 3 is the 2nd highest after the 301.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by RyLucky

Does anyone have actual data on ridership of specific routes?

I'd love to know which routes make the top 5. They could compete for a title.

I'd be curious to see this as well. I've went looking for such data without any luck.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by VIce

I'd be curious to see this as well. I've went looking for such data without any luck.

Imagine getting this kind of data. CT should do a better job documenting and releasing their ridership numbers. I assume they at least have a guess on how many people board routes, but I doubt in this kind of detail:

From an optimization audit of Translink in Vancouver a few years ago:

http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Document...Bus%20System%20Performance%20Review.ashx

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Physically, I expect so, but if they do use it as a cycle lane instead that would stop that idea.



No official plans for LRT, but for a BRT. I think it would be a good place for an LRT line though - I like the idea of a tram going down 17th in the east, crossing Ramsay somehow, perhaps elevated across the Stampede grounds with a station on the east and an interchange with Victoria Park Stampede, and then at street level along 17th in the Beltline (with it probably closed to cars). Pure fantasy though.

Any hope remaining for a West Campus gondola in advance of whatever they envision for the long-term? There was a one year report commissions like two years ago. What happened?