The S.E. gets the short end ...again

[puffnstuff]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/De...868/story.html

Mayor Naheed Nenshi even made rail service to Douglas Glen one of his most immediate priorities.
But city transportation managers are recommending the city's Green Trip plan spend only $10 million on southeast LRT planning.
Another $200 million from the program would go to extra C-Trains to handle out-of-town commuters coming in on new regional buses, while $750 million over the next decade would be for a comprehensive network of new, bus-only lanes and the vehicles for them.
Unless another major pool of provincial or federal cash comes in -- or unless council rejects this proposal -- southeast LRT is likely on the back burner for another decade.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/De...#ixzz14K5hC4jl

Thoughts.....

[Jimmy Stang]

Leeches!

Seriously though, I thought that the SE LRT was a priority of the city's - not just Nenshi. My impression was that they'd be starting on that pretty soon, regardless of the new mayor. Even McIver was a big SE LRT proponent.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

As much as I would like to see a Southeast C-Train and I think it is a good idea, the fact of the matter is that there was little to no planning for the growth of Calgary in the 90s and frankly there just isn't enough funding for everyone to get everything they want.

How much would a south LRT expansion cost by the way, both in terms of construction as well as continual costs (new trains, employees, station upkeep, etc)

[frinkprof]

As much as the SE LRT is needed, it isn't really the project that the Green TRIP funding program was intended for. It was supposed to be for regional projects, and the list of items they are now talking about using it for better fits that bill.

$200M for LRVs would be great because they are needed for growth and replacements of old units on the existing lines anyway. That would buy about 50 LRVs. Current fleet will be just over 190 once all of the current order arrive.

The SE LRT is the top priority for transportation projects in the City. It will happen sooner or later via another funding iniative and/or P3.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

As much as I would like to see a Southeast C-Train and I think it is a good idea, the fact of the matter is that there was little to no planning for the growth of Calgary in the 90s and frankly there just isn't enough funding for everyone to get everything they want.

How much would a south LRT expansion cost by the way, both in terms of construction as well as continual costs (new trains, employees, station upkeep, etc)

Do you mean the existing south line or a new SE line?

[HeartsOfFire]

*cough*nomoreconsecutiveMcKnighttrains*cough*

[mykalberta]

I have always wondered how much a SE line would even be utilized. Most people in Calgary arent willing to take the bus to the C Train station, its unlikely they would take the bus from the C Train station to where they work in Foothills

If its just about servicing the people who live in the SE - how many people live down there? If you compare the SE line to every other line it seems to have a far less neighborhoods that it would service and while I dont travel down there, I cant see a place like Ribverbend or Mackenzie Town being that densely populated.

[algernon]

I think I heard it cost $10,000 a Metre to put in LRT track. I don't know if that is or was true.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I have always wondered how much a SE line would even be utilized. Most people in Calgary arent willing to take the bus to the C Train station, its unlikely they would take the bus from the C Train station to where they work in Foothills

If its just about servicing the people who live in the SE - how many people live down there? If you compare the SE line to every other line it seems to have a far less neighborhoods that it would service and while I dont travel down there, I cant see a place like Ribverbend or Mackenzie Town being that densely populated.

Well, maybe you should take a little tour of your own city one day, just to see how much growth has happened in the past decade?

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I have always wondered how much a SE line would even be utilized. Most people in Calgary arent willing to take the bus to the C Train station, its unlikely they would take the bus from the C Train station to where they work in Foothills

If its just about servicing the people who live in the SE - how many people live down there? If you compare the SE line to every other line it seems to have a far less neighborhoods that it would service and while I dont travel down there, I cant see a place like Ribverbend or Mackenzie Town being that densely populated.

The industrial parks in the SE and all the communities in the deep SE would easily fill a SE LRT, and will all the future development around the new South Hospital, it will be almost a requirement to have LRT down there in the future. There are more than a couple communities down in the SE, you know.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

If its just about servicing the people who live in the SE - how many people live down there? If you compare the SE line to every other line it seems to have a far less neighborhoods that it would service and while I dont travel down there, I cant see a place like Ribverbend or Mackenzie Town being that densely populated.

lol!

Dude, the plans for Seton alone are for a "mini city" with a population of 110,000. Ward 12, which includes Riverbend, McKenzie Towne and the adjacent neighborhoods currently has a population of 100,000 and still growing. Ultimately, the SE LRT will be serving a population base of 250-300,000 or more.

[Rhettzky]

Who cares about the SE, it's home to 3 of Calgary's 5 active dumps. Screw you SE and your crappy smelling dumps. If you don't like it then seperate you bunch of whiners.

[OBCT]

Doesn't S.E. stand for short end?

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I have always wondered how much a SE line would even be utilized. Most people in Calgary arent willing to take the bus to the C Train station, its unlikely they would take the bus from the C Train station to where they work in Foothills

If its just about servicing the people who live in the SE - how many people live down there? If you compare the SE line to every other line it seems to have a far less neighborhoods that it would service and while I dont travel down there, I cant see a place like Ribverbend or Mackenzie Town being that densely populated.

To summarize, you don't really know but figure thats the case.

Lets add more buses to the roads and make bus only lanes..? Pass
We already have those rapid buses to downtown which people hate. The biggest reason for congestion down here is there isnt really an alternative to driving. Also wouldnt you want decent public transit to the new hospital? Are they supposed to ride the bus for an hour from Anderson or Bridlewood? What a joke, adding regional buses to support people who pay little to no municipal tax.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

To summarize, you don't really know but figure thats the case.

Lets add more buses to the roads and make bus only lanes..? Pass
We already have those rapid buses to downtown which people hate. The biggest reason for congestion down here is there isnt really an alternative to driving. Also wouldnt you want decent public transit to the new hospital? Are they supposed to ride the bus for an hour from Anderson or Bridlewood? What a joke, adding regional buses to support people who pay little to no municipal tax.

You would really think they would want the LRT line to the South Hospital, and wouldn't a possible solution be to have minimal stations from downtown to the hospital and add stations in between later on? Would be more similar to the GOtrains in Toronto that would just serve the communities further away from downtown.

[burn_this_city]

If theres 100,000 people in the vicinity of the hospital it makes sense. Even if they couldnt put it all that distance in the first shot, it would be better to have a station in douglasglen, versus riding the bus all the way from anderson or bridlewood.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

The industrial parks in the SE and all the communities in the deep SE would easily fill a SE LRT, and will all the future development around the new South Hospital, it will be almost a requirement to have LRT down there in the future. There are more than a couple communities down in the SE, you know.

Yeah. Thats kinda the problem. Whats worse, rushing it and building a line that cant serve the required capacity or waiting until the resources are available to build the required infrastructure.

Also, leeches!!

[Bigtime]

If there was one project I had faith in getting built no matter who won the mayors seat it was the SELRT. I'm sure the city will find a way to get it moving.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah. Thats kinda the problem. Whats worse, rushing it and building a line that cant serve the required capacity or waiting until the resources are available to build the required infrastructure.

Also, leeches!!

There will be leeches on the trains??!

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Well, maybe you should take a little tour of your own city one day, just to see how much growth has happened in the past decade?

How many people 100K 200K? Past history says people wont take the bus from the Train to get to work so how many people in the SE could theoretically use this service (City of Calgary only) for transportation to downtown, university etc? I am for public transportation but the costs have to be justifiable and not just a way to increase someones property value.

Why would I drive down there, it would just waste gas and contribute to our already looming Al Gore environmental greenhouse gas disaster