Calgary Public Transit II

[outoftheice]

Originally Posted by VIce

This is actually the first app I have downloaded from Google Play that I couldn't patch to my Z10. But as another BB user, I definitely, definitely recommend getting Snap and a GMaps patcher. You can use more or less anything thats available on the Google Play store.

Well that makes 3 of us then who are using BlackBerry 10 devices! Maybe there's more of us out there than I thought!

[Fuzz]

You people and your cellular communication devices...

[VIce]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

Well that makes 3 of us then who are using BlackBerry 10 devices! Maybe there's more of us out there than I thought!

• Video Link

[outoftheice]

LOL. Well if that doesn't make us worthy of a BlackBerry 10 app by Calgary Transit, nothing will!

[Full Mountain]

Can someone explain the rational behind the fact that the #2 has stops on three consecutive blocks?

6669 - SB Centre St @ 4 Ave S
5421 - SB Centre St @ 5 Ave S
5115 - WB 6 Ave SW @ 1 St SW

2 of those also serve the 3 & 17.

Really the 5421 stop in front of Suncor could go away and no one would be inconvenienced, creates a milk run when the bus has to stop at all three to let people off.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

Can someone explain the rational behind the fact that the #2 has stops on three consecutive blocks?

6669 - SB Centre St @ 4 Ave S
5421 - SB Centre St @ 5 Ave S
5115 - WB 6 Ave SW @ 1 St SW

2 of those also serve the 3 & 17.

Really the 5421 stop in front of Suncor could go away and no one would be inconvenienced, creates a milk run when the bus has to stop at all three to let people off.

This is a problem throughout the system. In many, many systems.

I have always thought that the easiest wins to improve travel time, schedule reliability and overall transit performance is with dumb stuff like this. Costs almost nothing - monetarily or in time - to fix and yields. Big improvements.

[Fuzz]

What amazes me is all the people who get off at that second stop. People from the first stop are usually walking past the bus as they get off. As a #2'er, there are a few other places that confound me with the number of stops less than 200m apart.

[Govertical]

I'm glad someone brought this up!, I thought I was the only one umimpressed by this, for me the #3 could go a lot further towards timesaving.

[Govertical]

Really glad to see that CT is fixing those awful stairs/ramps at rundle station starting this weekend according to their website. They'll be a lot less people likely to fall now...

[joe498]

Originally Posted by MasterG

This is a problem throughout the system. In many, many systems.

I have always thought that the easiest wins to improve travel time, schedule reliability and overall transit performance is with dumb stuff like this. Costs almost nothing - monetarily or in time - to fix and yields. Big improvements.

Route 20 spends 5 minutes simply going around the Hospital. One stop at the entrance would be more than enough.

[Fuzz]

I'll give some leeway to a hospital route, since some users may be unable to walk very far, though they could probably cut that down to 2 stops. One at the main building and one at the north one. That first stop by 14th doesn't even really serve the hospital, maybe meant for the transfer to the 306?

[ByeByeBaby]

Originally Posted by joe498

Route 20 spends 5 minutes simply going around the Hospital. One stop at the entrance would be more than enough.

The bus would still have to drive most of that loop to make a single stop at the entrance, and the north building (formerly Glenmore Auxiliary) would be a 500m walk from the single stop. Luckily everyone using a hospital is in incredibly fit physical condition and has no problem with a long walk! Especially the ones using the north building, which is almost entirely devoted to services aimed at ailing senior citizens.

The stop by 14th I suspect serves the residents of Kelvin Grove on the other side of 14th; there is a ped crossing at the 306 stop, just south of the intersection with 14th.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by ByeByeBaby

The bus would still have to drive most of that loop to make a single stop at the entrance, and the north building (formerly Glenmore Auxiliary) would be a 500m walk from the single stop. Luckily everyone using a hospital is in incredibly fit physical condition and has no problem with a long walk! Especially the ones using the north building, which is almost entirely devoted to services aimed at ailing senior citizens.

The stop by 14th I suspect serves the residents of Kelvin Grove on the other side of 14th; there is a ped crossing at the 306 stop, just south of the intersection with 14th.

In addition to distance consideration for the mobility challenged, there is significant elevation gain also. Different context completely from the downtown touchstone.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by ByeByeBaby

The bus would still have to drive most of that loop to make a single stop at the entrance, and the north building (formerly Glenmore Auxiliary) would be a 500m walk from the single stop. Luckily everyone using a hospital is in incredibly fit physical condition and has no problem with a long walk! Especially the ones using the north building, which is almost entirely devoted to services aimed at ailing senior citizens.

The stop by 14th I suspect serves the residents of Kelvin Grove on the other side of 14th; there is a ped crossing at the 306 stop, just south of the intersection with 14th.

Don't forget the community of Eagle Ridge is served by that stop. Many of those homes have domestic staff who use transit (who don't actually have sidewalks to walk on between the bus stop and the residence they are employed at).

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by MasterG

This is a problem throughout the system. In many, many systems.

I have always thought that the easiest wins to improve travel time, schedule reliability and overall transit performance is with dumb stuff like this. Costs almost nothing - monetarily or in time - to fix and yields. Big improvements.

Originally Posted by Fuzz

What amazes me is all the people who get off at that second stop. People from the first stop are usually walking past the bus as they get off. As a #2'er, there are a few other places that confound me with the number of stops less than 200m apart.

Originally Posted by Govertical

I'm glad someone brought this up!, I thought I was the only one umimpressed by this, for me the #3 could go a lot further towards timesaving.

In addition there is an off peak drop off north of 4th Ave, that creates a 4 block/4 stop stretch.

If they split the 2 & 3 stops they might make sense otherwise it's just additional dwell time that isn't needed.

6669 - SB Centre St @ 4 Ave S - This should be a #2 stop only
5421 - SB Centre St @ 5 Ave S - This could serve #3 & 17
5115 - WB 6 Ave SW @ 1 St SW - If 5421 is removed from the #2 then this stop makes sense

Then 6669 & 5115 are ~300m apart and puts the #3 stops ~450m apart.

That said I think one could argue that 5421 should be deleted entirely, this would put the #3 stops ~550m apart, which is about right IMO.

These stops seem to be based on a desire for every route to provide service to every 300m on it's route, this means that these stops need to exist to serve Chinatown.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by Govertical

Really glad to see that CT is fixing those awful stairs/ramps at rundle station starting this weekend according to their website. They'll be a lot less people likely to fall now...

Probably doing the same they did at University. Adding metal/rubber treads onto each step. Actually makes a remarkable difference, especially outdoors but even the indoors that they did recently.

[Govertical]

Originally Posted by mersar

Probably doing the same they did at University. Adding metal/rubber treads onto each step. Actually makes a remarkable difference, especially outdoors but even the indoors that they did recently.

According to the CT website/city webpage they are redoing it all due to the steep grade etc. I agree that those treads have done wonders at Brentwood for me too.

[joe498]

'Federal budget will fund up to $1B annually on transit projects in biggest cities, sources say'
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-commen...t-projects-in-biggest-cities-sources-say

[mellbell416]

Originally Posted by joe498

'Federal budget will fund up to $1B annually on transit projects in biggest cities, sources say'
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-commen...t-projects-in-biggest-cities-sources-say

The article seems to indicate that the Conservatives are using this initiative to chase electoral votes n strategic big cities - which doesn't bode well for Alberta, where it seems like a duck could get elected if it were running under the Conservative banner.....

[Fuzz]

I hate that they get to play politics with our money to buy votes where they need them most. It's nauseating. Ideally they would vacate that tax space, make room for the provinces to take those taxes and the provinces could provide more tax room for municipalities.