Quote:
Originally Posted by Cage
Before we start a conversation about adding stations along the red line, we should have conversation about the importance of TOD along the green line. My understanding is that SE green line sucess is heavily dependent on new TOD development for the majority of new stations that are between Ramsay and Quarry Park.
If we are putting in billions dollar investment into new LRT line that doubles our network capacity and service area, then we should concentrate all efforts to make this line a day one sucess. My estimate has SE green line has minimum of 5 stations completely dependent on TOD to justify the stations existence. To put this into perspectives he following stations have TOD under construction; Heritage, Brentwood, Westbrook, and dalhousie (limited to one development). Did I miss any TOD near LRT?
If my estimate is correct, SE green line will double the number of TOD areas with immediate potential. Simultaneously constructing the north green line will bring more TOD areas on stream. To protect the massive investment in green line, perhaps delaying new TOD on the redline is the best course of action.
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You forgot the NE line, which is largely a blank slate of parking lots to be redeveloped at every stations.
I think Northland has a real opportunity, as well as a 50th Avenue replacement of 39th Street. At least, equally as much as the five or so TOD on the Greenline that you mentioned.
I am happy the city is looking long-term with the Greenline and planning land-use and the transportation components together. The result should be impressive. However it is a
very long-term plan. It's taken 30 years before our first LRT lines are seeing actual TOD in University City at Brentwood. Times have changed and TOD-style developments are popular and attractive which will help speed things up, but if more TOD is a goal, we already have 2 dozen stations that are under-developed by TOD standards.
The real low-hanging fruit of the TOD world is the existing stations, not the Green Line. I assume some work is already being done, but there should be some effort made to encourage development more aggressively along the line.
Related to TOD: The City and institutions also do a poor job integrated into exist activity centres at stations. Projects like the Chinook pedestrian bridge and sidewalk upgrades should be in place at nearly every existing station, it's amazing how little integration is considered at some stations. These fixes would cost a fraction of new stations or lines and would make the whole system more attractive for current users and future TODs.
Examples of poor station designs off the top of my head:
- Rundle: PLC entrance on opposite side, Sunridge Mall walk through a parking lot, car-oriented multi-family adjacent to the station with fences to make it impossible to cut-through to the station etc.
- Marlborough: no pedestrian crossing at south portion of the station, Marlborough Mall with no direct pedestrian walk to nearest door for no reason
- Zoo: No pathway to Telus Spark, No coordination with Zoo creates the most car-dependent science centre in the country
- Heritage: No side-walks to high-density condos, ridiculously inefficient pedestrian bridge wastes time
- Banff Trail: No coherent sidewalks throughout the jumbled mess of Motel Village to indicate there is station anywhere nearby
- University: Busiest station outside the core. Narrow stairs, narrow paths and a complete lack of interest by U of C to leverage it's TOD potential by continually building new structures farther and farther from the station. Instead they have left major parking lots and access roads to cross on the way from the station to any buildings. all this from the campus' most popular access route (the LRT). They have had 30 years to adjust to the LRT's presences and have done nothing to leverage it as an asset.
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