Calgary Public Transit II - Page 480

UofC.engineer · #**9581** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 2:25 PM**

Looks like another pro car article trashing the C-train system:

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/harding-ctrain-doesnt-meet-real-needs-of-commuters

Thoughts?

Socguy · #**9582** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 3:51 PM**

I see some anger and name calling, but the article doesn't really have a point...

MalcolmTucker · #**9583** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 3:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Looks like another pro car article trashing the C-train system:

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/harding-ctrain-doesnt-meet-real-needs-of-commuters

Thoughts?

Has anyone built express track mass transit in the modern era that didn't have it in the early 1900s?

As for commuter rail, maybe he should look at a Calgary Regional Partnership transit plan before saying people aren't planning.

You put a different tone of the article but with the same arguments and it could sound like a super supportive of transit investment screed.

ByeByeBaby · #**9584** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Looks like another pro car article trashing the C-train system:

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/harding-ctrain-doesnt-meet-real-needs-of-commuters

Thoughts?

I have no idea what the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 a "public affairs consultant" is, but apparently it means someone who can't tell the difference between the 18 thousand people in Cochrane and the 2,833 thousand people in suburban Long Island. I have no idea how someone can survive to adulthood apparently routinely making mistakes of two orders of magnitude.

Ferreth · #**9585** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 5:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Looks like another pro car article trashing the C-train system:

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/harding-ctrain-doesnt-meet-real-needs-of-commuters

Thoughts?

The comments are more intelligent than the article.

MalcolmTucker · #**9586** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 5:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ByeByeBaby

I have no idea what the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 a "public affairs consultant"

Me if I didn't have a job and didn't want to seem unemployed

MasterG · #**9587** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 5:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ByeByeBaby

I have no idea what the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 a "public affairs consultant" is, but apparently it means someone who can't tell the difference between the 18 thousand people in Cochrane and the 2,833 thousand people in suburban Long Island. I have no idea how someone can survive to adulthood apparently routinely making mistakes of two orders of magnitude.

I hate it when people mix up percentages and absolute amounts.

Calgary growing by 10% = 120,000
Cochrane growing by 377% = 15,000

Also: very convenient to assume that all users are getting on at the ends of the lines. It's these kind of morons that don't understand that there are actually people living in the city that they drive through each day.

For a guy whose qualification is "taking transit in Long Island" he doesn't know 🞵🞵🞵🞵 about transit... oh wait, that makes complete sense.

DizzyEdge · #**9588** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 5:43 PM**

He's from (or was from) the Fraser Institute

milomilo · #**9589** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 5:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Has anyone built express track mass transit in the modern era that didn't have it in the early 1900s?

I don't think so. London's Crossrail will have some of it in the outer sections - but as you say these parts were already built 4/6 track a long time ago.

Does this guy not see the paradox in what he is saying? The car is a better option because the trains are packed - well obviously it isn't for those people! And which stations is he talking about where 'few if any passengers board or disembark'? What nonsense.

In fairness though, having commuter rail would be good and it is true to say that LRT is not suitable for long distance transport - I imagine the journey from the far reaches of the SELRT will be painfully long. The two systems would complement each other and help alleviate the problem of the Ctrain being packed with suburban commuters before it gets to the inner city.

ByeByeBaby · #**9590** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 6:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

He's from (or was from) the Fraser Institute

And previously (?) editor of PC People, the Pravda of the Alberta PC party. (I was going to say Neues Deutschland of the Alberta PC party, but that's an inaccurate comparison, since the PCs have been a single party in power longer than the East German communist party was.)

suburbia · #**9591** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterG

I hate it when people mix up percentages and absolute amounts.

Calgary growing by 10% = 120,000
Cochrane growing by 377% = 15,000

Also: very convenient to assume that all users are getting on at the ends of the lines. It's these kind of morons that don't understand that there are actually people living in the city that they drive through each day.

For a guy whose qualification is "taking transit in Long Island" he doesn't know 🞵🞵🞵🞵 about transit... oh wait, that makes complete sense.

Yeah - people not understanding numbers and stats is a major challenge. Fully agree with you. A couple having a kid can have a population increase in their home of 50% ... but that's only one kid.

Speaking of numbers, how many of the oversupply of 2,700 new condos on the market in Calgary do you feel is in the Beltline?

lubicon · #**9592** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 6:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbia

Yeah - people not understanding numbers and stats is a major challenge. Fully agree with you. A couple having a kid can have a population increase in their home of 50% ... but that's only one kid.

Speaking of numbers, how many of the oversupply of 2,700 new condos on the market in Calgary do you feel is in the Beltline?

Expressed as a number or a percentage?

I would say a majority thought, simply because this is where the bigger projects are.

lubicon · #**9593** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 6:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Looks like another pro car article trashing the C-train system:

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/harding-ctrain-doesnt-meet-real-needs-of-commuters

Thoughts?

I have to be honest and say he does bring up a valid point about how best to expand the system further out from DT and keep travel times acceptable to commuters. The idea of express type trains is at least worth exploring. Four (and even five) car trains will help with capacity too. But when it takes the train forever to get through DT along 7th Ave and then stopping at the first few stations after DT which are lightly used for the most part, it does add up to a slow trip. I realize all the stops have a purpose but for the 8-5 commuter who works downtown, it's the stops at Victoria Park, Erlton, 39 Ave, Bridgeland, Sunnyside, Banff Trail etc. that seem annoying as those are the ones that only a few people seem to use.

Anyway, point being how to improve overall travel time from the outer burbs to DT.

MalcolmTucker · #**9594** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 6:53 PM**

Yeah, eventually commuter rail will be needed. But it will be seriously expensive so better get the rest of stuff done first! The downtown tunnels will improve LRT travel times quite a bit.

fusili · #**9595** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by UofC.engineer

Looks like another pro car article trashing the C-train system:

http://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/harding-ctrain-doesnt-meet-real-needs-of-commuters

Thoughts?

I might have to write a letter to the editor in response. So full of dumb.

MasterG · #**9596** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 7:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

I might have to write a letter to the editor in response. So full of dumb.

Fusili, they would be forced to give you a permanent column to balance out these idiots of the week.

suburbia · #**9597** Posted **Apr 24, 2015, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lubicon

Expressed as a number or a percentage?

I would say a majority thought, simply because this is where the bigger projects are.

That's for you to decide, as long as you know the difference

Being serious though, yeah, I agree that a vast majority, IE thousands, are in the Beltline. Looking at it conversely, if you remove the Beltline from the equation, my inkling is that the rest of Calgary is really not doing too badly.

joe498 · #**9598** Posted **Apr 27, 2015, 2:56 AM**

Staples: Parties agree it’s time to build Alberta’s cities All four major parties support heavy investment in city infrastructure, LRT

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmo...+Alberta+cities+four/11006088/story.html

joe498 · #**9599** Posted **May 6, 2015, 5:23 AM**

Well we now have a radically different government with radically different priorities.

Will be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of public transit funding.

Socguy · #**9600** Posted **May 6, 2015, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe498

Well we now have a radically different government with radically different priorities.

Will be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of public transit funding.

What's more, this government came to power on the strength of the urban vote. They won't be so preoccupied trying to 'play' to the extreme right wing rurals.

I figure that in the next few years you will see a legislature that's much more amenable to funding all kinds of neglected public infrastructure.