Edmonton Public Transit - Page 367

Daveography · #**7321** Posted **Dec 9, 2015, 5:18 PM**

Stay connected on Capital LRT Line
Open City Wi-Fi available at platform stations

The City of Edmonton has expanded Wi-Fi service to include the Capital Line LRT. Open City Wi-Fi is available on all 15 platform stations on the Capital Line, bringing the total to 82 locations within the Edmonton area.

"We promised that all stations along the Capital Line would be Wi-Fi ready by the end of the year," said Musse Dese, Acting Director of Customer Service and Innovation."Open City Wi-Fi allows our customers to stay connected and be productive while using the LRT."

An interactive map of Open City Wi-Fi locations can be found at data.edmonton.ca. The City plans to expand the Open City Wi-Fi network in the coming construction year, starting with the Metro LRT stations.

Southgate was the first LRT station to receive Open City Wi-Fi, with the service introduced there earlier this year.

Under the Open City guidance, the City of Edmonton is committed to becoming a connected city, reducing barriers to information and providing access to services through digital networks, connecting people wherever they are.

For more information:
Visit: edmonton.ca/opencitywifi

Media contact:
Jackie Ortiz
Communications Advisor
Open City
Office: 780-508-9141

mcc16 · #**7322** Posted **Dec 9, 2015, 7:47 PM**

As a tourist, city provided wifi is awesome. I'm not big on carrying paper maps, so countless times I've had to wonder through cities with my wifi open looking for businesses with open wifi. Always left me with a good impression of a city when randomly in a public square (or something like that) open wifi would pop up. Hate when you have to follow links or provide passport info, or have to re-sign in every time your phone locks... Is Edmonton's truly open or do you still have to agree to terms and conditions?

Never mind, answered my own question...didn't see the website at first in the previous post. Terms and conditions required... 12 hour limit... So not really what I thought... But to be fair, it was very rare that I came across a fully open wifi connection... I think once in an airport, and once in a train station..

240glt · #**7323** Posted **Dec 9, 2015, 9:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcc16

As a tourist, city provided wifi is awesome. I'm not big on carrying paper maps, so countless times I've had to wonder through cities with my wifi open looking for businesses with open wifi. Always left me with a good impression of a city when randomly in a public square (or something like that) open wifi would pop up. Hate when you have to follow links or provide passport info, or have to re-sign in every time your phone locks... Is Edmonton's truly open or do you still have to agree to terms and conditions?

Never mind, answered my own question...didn't see the website at first in the previous post. Terms and conditions required... 12 hour limit... So not really what I thought... But to be fair, it was very rare that I came across a fully open wifi connection... I think once in an airport, and once in a train station..

Back when I was on the road a lot I always found that the best places to score free WIFI was to park at a real estate office or at an independent hotel/ motel.. Almost always open and insecure

Do people really find they need WIFI nowadays ? I almost never bother to turn mine on (except for at home) as I have more than enough data on my inexpensive Koodo plan that I'm never worried about going over

Daveography · #**7324** Posted **Dec 10, 2015, 9:40 PM**

Looks like they're replacing all the static ad panels in Central Station with digital:

EdmTrekker · #**7325** Posted **Dec 10, 2015, 9:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daveography

Looks like they're replacing all the static ad panels in Central Station with digital:

Looks tacky

Airboy · #**7326** Posted **Dec 10, 2015, 10:15 PM**

sooooo. hearing that the signals will not be signed off until late next year. The system may be up to speed earlier but not officially until maybe Sept.

Daveography · #**7327** Posted **Dec 10, 2015, 10:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdmTrekker

Looks tacky

I'm inclined to agree, though part of that is I feel like the platform level of Central is way overdue for a remodel.

At least with these we probably won't have ads for events that took place several months to a year prior sticking around.

CanadianCentaur · #**7328** Posted **Dec 10, 2015, 10:51 PM**

Those black things on the station wall look rather like giant cell phones!

teddybear · #**7329** Posted **Dec 11, 2015, 4:17 PM**

All old stations should be remodel! They can put wall of plants like the one in the new airport terminal, and put on lights..

Daveography · #**7330** Posted **Dec 14, 2015, 10:24 PM**

Came across this document today; "General Guidelines for the Design of Light Rail Transit Facilities in Edmonton", originally published in 1984.

A pretty neat read if you're a nerd like me.

http://www.trolleycoalition.org/pdf/lrtreport.pdf

MalcolmTucker · #**7331** Posted **Dec 15, 2015, 5:58 AM**

Lots of nuggets in that document! Great find.

Coldrsx · #**7332** Posted **Dec 15, 2015, 4:57 PM**

^concur, ^^thanks for posting that... learning is fun!

mcc16 · #**7333** Posted **Dec 15, 2015, 8:29 PM**

Northgate is ridiculous... Is it supposed to be used as a park and ride or do they ticket people who park there to take transit? I know tnt, and the offices, and small college all contribute to the parking nightmare, but it HAS TO be partially because of the transit centre...

On a related note, every time I drive down 97st, I think about how perfect it would be for a spadina style streetcar all the way from 167ave to downtown... The only part that I'm not sure about would be where it would go from 118ave and 97th. I think most logical would be for it to go over to 101, but even then not sure where best place to terminate would be. Maybe turn on 105th ave and end by macewan station? I understand that anything on 97th is a long long way off though...

Coldrsx · #**7334** Posted **Dec 15, 2015, 9:54 PM**

Just back from the Valley-line 'Downtown' working group meeting. Not much of an update, but in March we get to meet the proponent and have a first glance at the preliminary schedule.

Jaws · #**7335** Posted **Jan 5, 2016, 4:03 PM**

Tristin Hopper: The $600 million Edmonton train that snarls traffic, slows down transit times and increases emissions

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-commen...wn-transit-times-and-increases-emissions

Coldrsx · #**7336** Posted **Jan 5, 2016, 4:17 PM**

...well yeah.

240glt · #**7337** Posted **Jan 5, 2016, 5:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaws

Tristin Hopper: The $600 million Edmonton train that snarls traffic, slows down transit times and increases emissions

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-commen...wn-transit-times-and-increases-emissions

mcc16 · #**7338** Posted **Jan 5, 2016, 10:32 PM**

Agree that metro line is a disaster but this article is stupid. Writer makes its sound like the way its operating is how it was planned all along and then mentions the signalling problems as an after thought. Then he seems to suggest it will never be fixed. He also mentions passing trains with half a dozen riders

. Completely useless article that offers no suggestions on what could have done better or ways to fix it, just needless bitching. If the train gets up to speed (please god let it be fixable) the metro line will be fine. I do however hope they consider grade separating the crossing at nait when the nait station is moved in the future. It is probably impossible at this point to grade separate the station at the Royal Alex, but at least releiving a bit of the traffic at nait would be useful.

240glt · #**7339** Posted **Jan 5, 2016, 11:05 PM**

Article was spot on IMO

i've certainly grown weary of apologizing for this city, and tired of listening to the apologists (including our mayor) try to justify failures and screwup after screwup in departments such as transit, planning, capital projects and so on. It is what it is, a huge screw up, and I do doubt it'll ever be properly fixed.

Ironically I write this sitting westbound on 112th by the Alex as I had to head to one of our other properties this afternoon. 9 minutes so far...

mick · #**7340** Posted **Jan 6, 2016, 12:14 AM**

Every large organization and public body has project failures, and I'm prepared to forgive the city the odd delayed project, which often seem to the result of private contractors failing to meet deadlines/standards. Having said that, this metro line farce appears to go beyond Thales abysmal failure to include design issues that should have been identified up front. I'm on-board with running LRT primarily at-grade but that intersection was busy and, more importantly, awkward even before adding train crossings at kingsway and 111ave. In short, they should have elevated or trenched that portion and I'm getting to the point where I think they should do that now - sunk costs notwithstanding - given that all future nwLRT will run on this portion of track.