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frinkprof · 02-23-2012, 01:29 PM

Lots of updates that I've been meaning to get to.

7th Avenue Refurbishment

Work at Centre Street Station is almost complete. Some public art has been installed.

Photos:

Spoiler!

Once this is completed, that leaves 11th Street West (Kerby) Station to be completed and the old 10th Street West Station to be removed. It could be interesting to see how this is done. Since the existing tracks at 10th Street Station need to be re-aligned to tie into the new tracks serving Kerby Station, this could mean that the NE line service could be affected for however long this would take. What we could see is Crowfoot acting as the terminus for both lines for a short period.

New LRVs

33 of the order of 38 LRVs are now in service. Not sure how many have arrived, but the completion of this order is nearing.

NE LRT Extension to Martindale and Saddleridge

Looks like signal work is mostly complete. I'm hearing a late August/early September opening for this extension.

CONNECT Smartcard Fare Payment System

Card readers have been installed at most (or all) LRT stations and many buses. The cards will come in two varieties, disposable and re-loadable with key FOBs also being available. There will be three colours. Adult passes will be red, youth passes will be blue and senior passes will be yellow. Tickets still be sold and accepted as payment, as will cash. U-Passes will be in the form of an e-stickers on student ID cards (similar to the current stickers but electronically readable).

Retailers that currently sell passes (7-11, Mac's, Safeway, etc.) will sell both reloadable and disposable cards, but you have to do the re-loading via the internet, they will not be able to do it in the store. The disposable ones will be loaded with a single month pass, which can be done in the store.

It will be a "tap" system where you tap (as opposed to swipe or insert) the card on the readers. Peace officers on C-Train patrols will carry portable card readers.

Most of the technical and hardware work has already been completed and next comes testing, training, marketing and final rollout. There will be a pilot testing phase before the full availability of the card. Looks like I will be a part of this so I'll keep you up to date on that.

"Better Transit in Calgary" Event

Calgary Transit Camp in cooperation with the City of Calgary, Calgary Transit, Civic Camp, SAIT Polytechnic and Sustainable Alberta is holding an event titled 'Better Transit in Calgary.'

Finer details are in the works, but there are activities planned over three days, April 12-14. The main event runs 9:30 - noon on Saturday April 14th at SAIT. This is intended to be an open-ended engagement with just the simple theme 'Better Transit in Calgary.' The model for this type of event follows the hugely successful and well-attended Civic Camp engagement events leading up to and following the last municipal election in 2010.

As a primer for the main event, there will be a lecture given by Jarrett Walker on the evening of Thursday, April 12th at SAIT. Mr. Walker is a Portland, Oregon based author, speaker, blogger and transit consultant who has worked internationally. His 'Human Transit' blog can be found at http://www.humantransit.org/.

There will also be discussions with representatives from Calgary Transit and the City of Calgary on the evening of Friday, April 13th at SAIT, focusing on the Strategic Transit Plan that Transit/The City is working on. This is a 30 year long-term network and service plan for Transit.

Jarrett, some City and Calgary Transit people will be joining us for the main event on the Saturday.

I hope to see some of you there.

02-23-2012, 01:29 PM	#973
frinkprof First Line Centre Join Date: Dec 2009 Exp:	Lots of updates that I've been meaning to get to. 7th Avenue Refurbishment Work at Centre Street Station is almost complete. Some public art has been installed. Photos: Spoiler! Once this is completed, that leaves 11th Street West (Kerby) Station to be completed and the old 10th Street West Station to be removed. It could be interesting to see how this is done. Since the existing tracks at 10th Street Station need to be re-aligned to tie into the new tracks serving Kerby Station, this could mean that the NE line service could be affected for however long this would take. What we could see is Crowfoot acting as the terminus for both lines for a short period. New LRVs 33 of the order of 38 LRVs are now in service. Not sure how many have arrived, but the completion of this order is nearing. NE LRT Extension to Martindale and Saddleridge Looks like signal work is mostly complete. I'm hearing a late August/early September opening for this extension. CONNECT Smartcard Fare Payment System Card readers have been installed at most (or all) LRT stations and many buses. The cards will come in two varieties, disposable and re-loadable with key FOBs also being available. There will be three colours. Adult passes will be red, youth passes will be blue and senior passes will be yellow. Tickets still be sold and accepted as payment, as will cash. U-Passes will be in the form of an e-stickers on student ID cards (similar to the current stickers but electronically readable). Retailers that currently sell passes (7-11, Mac's, Safeway, etc.) will sell both reloadable and disposable cards, but you have to do the re-loading via the internet, they will not be able to do it in the store. The disposable ones will be loaded with a single month pass, which can be done in the store. It will be a "tap" system where you tap (as opposed to swipe or insert) the card on the readers. Peace officers on C-Train patrols will carry portable card readers. Most of the technical and hardware work has already been completed and next comes testing, training, marketing and final rollout. There will be a pilot testing phase before the full availability of the card. Looks like I will be a part of this so I'll keep you up to date on that. "Better Transit in Calgary" Event Calgary Transit Camp in cooperation with the City of Calgary, Calgary Transit, Civic Camp, SAIT Polytechnic and Sustainable Alberta is holding an event titled 'Better Transit in Calgary.' Finer details are in the works, but there are activities planned over three days, April 12-14. The main event runs 9:30 - noon on Saturday April 14th at SAIT. This is intended to be an open-ended engagement with just the simple theme 'Better Transit in Calgary.' The model for this type of event follows the hugely successful and well-attended Civic Camp engagement events leading up to and following the last municipal election in 2010. As a primer for the main event, there will be a lecture given by Jarrett Walker on the evening of Thursday, April 12th at SAIT. Mr. Walker is a Portland, Oregon based author, speaker, blogger and transit consultant who has worked internationally. His 'Human Transit' blog can be found at http://www.humantransit.org/. There will also be discussions with representatives from Calgary Transit and the City of Calgary on the evening of Friday, April 13th at SAIT, focusing on the Strategic Transit Plan that Transit/The City is working on. This is a 30 year long-term network and service plan for Transit. Jarrett, some City and Calgary Transit people will be joining us for the main event on the Saturday. I hope to see some of you there.