Calgary Public Transit Discussion Thread

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by schocker
Good, finally being able to pay without change.

For the people who drive to crowfoot though, what time do you have to get there to get parking lately. I used to get there at 7:30 and get parking, then when it was free again, no parking, then I was getting there at 7:15 and getting parking for awhile but for some reason that changed last week. Today I got there at 7:05 and no parking what so ever. How much earlier must I leave? I have signed up for the reserved wait-list but that isn't until June so I still have a few weeks to go.

By 6:25-6:30 the closest two free lots are full. 10 minutes earlier and its half empty. Im not sure what time the other lots fill though.

[frinkprof]

Realtime arrival information coming for the LRT in July.

Real Time CTrain Displays and Automated Station Announcements

As part of Calgary Transit’s efforts to improve the transit system, new “real-time” information signs will be installed at CTrain Stations. These signs will let you know when the next train is coming, in real time, not scheduled time!

A new and improved automated audible “next train” announcement system will also be installed across the transit system.

[...]

Currently, automated announcements are made only on 7 Avenue station platforms. The new “next train” real-time signs and improved automated audible announcements will be unveiled across the transit system in July.

Link

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by schocker
For the people who drive to crowfoot though, what time do you have to get there to get parking lately. I used to get there at 7:30 and get parking, then when it was free again, no parking, then I was getting there at 7:15 and getting parking for awhile but for some reason that changed last week. Today I got there at 7:05 and no parking what so ever. How much earlier must I leave? I have signed up for the reserved wait-list but that isn't until June so I still have a few weeks to go.

All I know is, by 7:45, there is a huge line of cars trying to get into Brentwood for Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Causing quite a slowdown on Crowchild.

Thursday is fine although I left a bit late today that people may be heading to McMahon. I'm gonna bet that gas price is spiking the ridership.

[frinkprof]

Here is the proposed bus routing system for the area served by West LRT when it opens in 2012.



There is more info and a listing of what is happening with each route in the area in this PDF: http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/We..._June_2011.pdf

Basically the system will change from an "express to downtown" to a "feeder to LRT" system, with some other changes and a couple of BRT routes to MRU thrown in.

There are some public consultation open houses upcoming in June that will allow for input on the changes. Dates are as follows:

For residents west of Sarcee Trail:

Wednesday, June 1 from 5:00-8:30 p.m.
Strathcona Community Association
277 Strathcona Drive SW Upstairs Loft


For residents east of Sarcee Trail:

Thursday, June 9 from 5:00-8:30 p.m.
Glenbrook Community Association
3524 – 45 Street SW Main Hall


For Beltline residents:

Thursday, June 16 from 5:00-8:30 p.m.
South Calgary Community Association
3130 – 16 Street SW Main Hall


For Lakeview residents:

Thursday, June 23 from 5:00-8:30 p.m.
Lakeview Community Association
6110 – 34 Street SW Main Hall

[frinkprof]

Reminder about the North Central LRT open houses coming up this week:

Wednesday May 25, 2011(4pm – 8pm)
Location: Cardel Place
11950 Country Village Link NE (lobby area)

Thursday May 26, 2011 (4pm – 8pm)
Location: Winston Heights Community Association
520-27 Ave NE (main hall)

Saturday May 28, 2011 (10am – 2pm)
Location: Huntington Hills Community Association
520-78 Ave NW (main hall)

http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/n...t_oh_2011.html

If you can't make it, you can e-mail your comments to [email protected]

I heard that they will be looking to create a group made up of members of nearby communities for further consultation meetings after this round of open houses. If you're interested in that, you may want to bring it up if you attend the open houses next week.

[ekguy]

I just completely hate the new cars, thank god I almost never get them. Also just hate rush hour...I love when I get to drive to the shop rather than meet at the job sites downtown...

Transit here is a joke. Montreal is where it's at for transit.

[calgarygts]

I just came back from a two week vacation in ireland/scotland. Used transit everywhere over there for almost my entire trip and didn't run into any problems. It wasn't always the cheapest but then gas is 2.30 a litre over there.

I flew back to Calgary today, caught a bus from the airport which went to the train. That was shutdown throughout downtown, so off I go to another bus that took me half way home. I had to walk to rest of the way - I got on the bus at 2:20pm and got home (14ave 8st SW) at 3:45. What a joke.

It never took that long to get anywhere over there when I didn't know where I was going.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by kaput
Do you happen to know what the bunker looking thing is that being built on the west end of downtown where the track switches are? They took down the hoarding last week and the concrete looks more than a foot thick

It's an electrical substation, which I think is replacing the one across the street which is near the old location of the 8th Street West Station. The new one might also house some signal control equipment for 7th Avenue. Not sure about that though.

[J-D]

Just a quick example of why I never take transit, I live in the S.E naturally. This is the Sunday schedule which I believe is worse, and a single stop... I can't even imagine taking transit with multiple errands to run.

[sexualbanana]

Has there been any thought given to looping tracks? Ie. Connecting the SE tracks to the SW tracks, rather than keeping downtown as a central transit hub?

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by J-D
Just a quick example of why I never take transit, I live in the S.E naturally. This is the Sunday schedule which I believe is worse, and a single stop... I can't even imagine taking transit with multiple errands to run.

Looks like you live in my old 'hood of Queensland (or Deer Ridge/Deer Run). The only possibly worse commute is from there to the NE (which I used to do - 2 trains, 2 buses).

You would get much better results on weekday, or even a Saturday (Sunday and holiday is the worst all around), but driving door to door would still be faster. This is the case largely due to two reasons.

1. Living in a diametrically opposite end of the city from your destination.

2. The layout and road hierarchy setup of your community (and indeed much of the surrounding communities and ones of its age) being difficult to effectively serve with transit.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
Has there been any thought given to looping tracks? Ie. Connecting the SE tracks to the SW tracks, rather than keeping downtown as a central transit hub?

Nothing officially. However I have spoken with a couple of the higher-ups in transit about possible long-term future plans, and some have mused about this. In particular, looping the Northeast and future North Central lines together well north of the currently developed area of the city.

I think more connectivity between the radial lines without going downtown can be achieved with a more interior circle route of BRTs and other crosstown routes, and indeed this is in the plans. It would be extremely difficult to have a fully LRT circle route, but it could happen in select parts of a circle, namely a spur from the West LRT to MRU, and a spur to the airport from the NE LRT line (enabled by the airport tunnel).

[Guillermo]

i live and work right on the train, but never take it to work. takes 20 minutes by car, but it's taken me over an hour by train at times.

[Grogador]

Sweet Gandalf's balls, did you know a monthly transit pass is NINETY FUCKING DOLLARS?

$90!

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Grogador
Sweet Gandalf's balls, did you know a monthly transit pass is NINETY FUCKING DOLLARS?

$90!

and?

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by codetrap


and?

He feels its very expensive. Is it that hard for you to understand?

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Grogador
Sweet Gandalf's balls, did you know a monthly transit pass is NINETY FUCKING DOLLARS?

$90!

vs

$200 parking +
$200 gas +
$200 depreciation/maintenance

= $600.

IMO. Transit should worth 2x what they charge right now.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by Xtrema


vs

$200 parking +
$200 gas +
$200 depreciation/maintenance

= $600.

IMO. Transit should worth 2x what they charge right now.

While I feel your $600 is exaggerated, my time is worth a TON of money to me (which is why I only earn $50k per year atm but only work 38 hours per week with tons of time off).

[Cos]

Ill be at the Cardel transit thing tonight. We need a train dammit!

[LLLimit]

Originally posted by Cos
Ill be at the Cardel transit thing tonight. We need a train dammit!

I use to take the 301 a couple years ago.
Being stuffed like cattle made me move to Bridgeland so I can walk to work.

Has that route improved recently?