Quote:
Originally Posted by SebC
Are you arguing that we should build the less useful route to deter people from filling it up? 
As noted, the Center Street alignment would have much higher capacity than the Deerfoot alignment, and once the 8th Ave Subway is finished the S/NW line will also have much, much higher capacity. Before that, 4 car trains will help a little. This might sound crazy, but I think we should build the routes that will have high ridership and high capacity instead of low ridership and low capacity. |
No, what I am saying is that the area closer to the downtown, along center street, will likely be better served with a dedicated tram than by an LRT. If the train is full before it hits McKnight, fewer people along that route are really going to use it the same way that people further north do. Just look at the south LRT track. No one that lives near 39th st station really considers using it to get to work. There isn't a lot of people who use the train station at Chinook to get to work downtown either. The train is full.
If a tram is being planned as well as the LRT, then the "less useful" route becomes MORE useful, because it covers a larger geographical area (once you take the tram into account), and the people of the area between Center and Deerfoot have a lot more options and access to transit.
Of course if the tram isn't going to be built, then yeah, the Center street alignment for the LRT makes a LOT more sense. Even if it is more expensive. A tram is going to be a lot less expensive than a Center St LRT, and the alignment along Deerfoot is going to be much cheaper for the larger train. But they actually have to build the tram.
I live in that area in question, and I think that a tramline down Center Street makes more sense and is more cost effective than a cut and cover subway down the same street.