But seriously, folks...
Commuter rail is a good fit for places like Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks for two fundamental reasons. Firstly, commuter rail can be scaled and scheduled to meet the demand for those communities independently of the scaling and scheduling required for effective C-Train service within Calgary's city limits--three-to-ten-minute schedules from downtown Calgary to Cochrane and Okotoks, notwithstanding the merits of Seaman Stadium and MacKay's Ice Cream, is probably overkill for the foreseeable future. More importantly, the basic heavy rail infrastructure from Calgary to places like Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks is already in place*, which makes it much easier to sell these centres on platforms and terminal facilities than would be the case for LRT track and way.
The Calgary Regional Partnership is onside for commuter rail, and so, at least in the early going, is the CPR. There's enough money on the table for Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks to ante up for at least a train set and a no-frills terminal apiece. Why
not start laying the groundwork for commuter rail while the stars are aligned?
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* Insert annoyed grunt from Strathmore here.