The city needs: No new roads, increased prices on downtown parking and $2/liter gas

[Super_Geo]

Traffic is getting to be ridiculous coming into the downtown core in the AM. There is no chance that the city can build new infrastructure quick enough to meet the demand. What we need is:

- for people to start taking transit
- for people to start fucking carpooling!

Fuck building new roads, expand bus/c-train services, increase the price of parking downtown and hope gas prices goes through the fucking roof.

[Si_FlyGuy]

Maybe we need a restricted zone thing like in some places, where you get fined if you have less than 2 people in your car downtown during rush hour.

[CasperWho]

No one is keeping you off calgary transit, buddy!

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by CasperWho
No one is keeping you off calgary transit, buddy!

I take public transit, buddy!

[rc2002]

Originally posted by Super_Geo
Traffic is getting to be ridiculous coming into the downtown core in the AM. There is no chance that the city can build new infrastructure quick enough to meet the demand. What we need is:

- for people to start taking transit
- for people to start fucking carpooling!

Fuck building new roads, expand bus/c-train services, increase the price of parking downtown and hope gas prices goes through the fucking roof.

Traffic. There are WAY too many cars on the road now - I've had to change my working hours so that I'm not caught in rush hour coming into DT now.

Something does need to be done, but I don't think raising gas and parking is going to do it. People are still going to pay but they'll just complain more about it. Besides, gas and parking have gone up huge already and I haven't noticed any difference in traffic.

[Super_Geo]

Well, not that we have any control over gas prices, but I think if it went up substantially... like say to $2/liter, then people will start carpooling.

We need:
- A bus-only lane on Crowchild and all major roads feeding in&out of downtown
- Increased express bus services
- Increased C-Train service
- More parking at C-Train stations

I take the express bus to work, and throughout summer it had been great... bus stop is 2 houses down and follows the exact same path I would use to drive to work, and it drops me off downtown a block away from my office. Way more convienent than driving, and the bus is always at capacity when I take it. That's like what... 50-60 people? That means 50-60 fewer cars on the road (since Calgary likes to have 1 person / car).

What was a 25 minute express bus ride has now turned into 50-60 minutes

[Toms-SC]

Have any of you tried riding the Ctrain lately? The last thing we need is more people on it.

[Envitro]

Bus-Only lanes are the answer, as well as including carpoolers (3 or more) into that lane.

Increased parking fees are not the answer, as they are already ridiculously high (highest in Canada I believe).

We do need a solution, whether that's a subway system or something else, I don't know.

Having spent a few weeks in Europe this summer, I can honestly say that the subway is the most efficient transit system known to man. I was able to get around Madrid, Stockholm, and London without having a car, ever taking a taxi, or getting lost in either of the cities. So easy and cheap. $1Euro ($1.50CDN) each way in Madrid and Stockholm. And you can change lines, etc. Very convenient.

Whether or not it could ever be built in Calgary is a different question, and I won't be able to answer that.

[yellowsnow]

I agree with you, but the majority of calgarians won't. calgarians are spoiled bitches who like driving their big suvs or sports cars, and would NEVER think about taking public transit.

I can't blame them though, our transit system is terrible. Have you tried getting on the transit at around 5pm? Holy crap, I'm at the last stop in downtown heading northwest, and I cannot get on the c-train unless I go to the prior stop, or wait 30 mins. Compound the discomfort of having old men rubbing against you butt, there's no AC in the summer, so you get to smell a whole assortment of odours that mix into one super gut renching stench.

i hate the transit! it's probably not as squished as say japan's, but for a city of our size, it's terrible! They need more tracks, some heading to the NE. A subway would be ideal, but even a sky train would solve a LOT of problems.

Too bad Calgarians don't want that. People voted for bronco because of his promises for road constructions, and fixing up roads. He's doing exactly what the polls showed as Calgarians most important concern (ranking higher than health care, police, and all other essential services ) gotta love calgary

[adidas]

Originally posted by yellowsnow
A subway would be ideal, but even a sky train would solve a LOT of problems.

Its a little too late now for a subway, that planning should of begun 30 years ago!

I really think we got the worst transit system in the world.

I was lookin at Japans train system and i was shocked when i compared it to the one we have here. The train there goes all over the city, pretty much touches every spot, here you would be lucky if there is a ctrain stop within 15 min of your house!

[dragonone]

no kidding
i eat out everyday and live in DT
if you had to increase parking fees than i'd have to park illegally like everyone else in chinatown and THEN it's cause major traffic issues

[yellowsnow]

what they need is more efficient way of collecting c-train fares. I'd say 25%+ people don't pay for the c-train. During rush hour, how is a transit officer suppose to check if everyone bought a ticket.

[Envitro]

Originally posted by yellowsnow
what they need is more efficient way of collecting c-train fares. I'd say 25%+ people don't pay for the c-train. During rush hour, how is a transit officer suppose to check if everyone bought a ticket.

How would that help the congestion?

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by adidas


Its a little too late now for a subway, that planning should of begun 30 years ago!

They sort of did - a subway tunnel was built under 9th ave back in the 80's. It's never been used, but people have gone exploring in it. There's also a side-tunnel that's walled off.


http://www.geocities.com/corrosionia/passages.html

according to a third party conversation with a senior CT official, "very long term plans do contemplate a subway through the city centre. One recently built or renovated government building has a provision for a future station in its basement." This building is alleged to be the convention centre. However, a subway was begun in Calgary in the 1980's. The section below City Hall has been visited by urban explorers. The tunnel goes under the CP rail tracks south of 9th Ave. downtown. This tunnel in use and has a stub (the "secret tunnel") that veers west under city hall. The entrance to the stub is a hatch in the aldermen's parkade. There's a red sign near it that says "special procedures apply". Under the parkade, there's a concrete half-completed station with room for 4 tracks (1 island platform, 2 side platforms). The plan is to eventually have a tunnel under 8th Ave downtown.

[forkdork]

They need to lower the cost for a single ride! 2.25 is stupidly high. What motivation do I have to take a train when I can drive up to a 100km round trip for the same price?

1.50 a ride is much more reasonable.

[gp36912]

i would like to see more parking at ctrain stations, the ctrain service runs fine, once every 10 minutes on slow times and a train every 5 during rush hour. although some trains are late or even a no show.

[yellowsnow]

Originally posted by Envitro


How would that help the congestion?

fund them, give them more money.. therefore more bus lines. or if more ppl are paying, they can lower the transit prices.

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by yellowsnow


fund them, give them more money.. therefore more bus lines. or if more ppl are paying, they can lower the transit prices.

They should just increase capcity and fund it with the taxpayer's money. Decreasing congestion is something that will help all Calgarians out.

[TurboMedic]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


They sort of did - a subway tunnel was built under 9th ave back in the 80's. It's never been used, but people have gone exploring in it. There's also a side-tunnel that's walled off.


http://www.geocities.com/corrosionia/passages.html

Link doesn't work, but thats cool! I may have to try and check that out sometime

[TimG]

during rush hour the ctrains are probably running close to or at 100%. This is the problem with having so much urban sprawl - you'll never be able to have a supportable public transit system that services everyone.

what should be done is this:

immediately start modifying all c-train platforms to be able to accept 4 car trains with the space to expand to 5 cars in the future.

immediately start construction of a 'real' SW LRT route that actually does go to the SW, not down Macleod trail. maybe something that goes up along Crowchild and then into downtown via bow trail.

extend the NE line all the way to the airport. I don't understand why those mental giant city planners didn't do this in the first place.

stop cutting feeder bus routes off at 6pm or having them run every 40 minutes after 6pm. If i don't make it to my LRT stop by 6pm, i have to wait around for another 45 minutes. if the service was still every 15-20 minutes, then i wouldn't need to drive to the LRT parking lot.

Have a better way of ensuring that every rider pays their fare.

people who do not live within the City of Calgary (and hence don't pay any property tax to the city) should be charged extra for tickets, passes, and parking @ LRT park and rides (implementing this, however, is another story.) Have some kind of zone system like in Vancouver.