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

[Locke]

Originally Posted by J epworth kendal

There will be leeches on the trains??!

Actually....yes, in a manner of speaking...

[Huntingwhale]

I don't live in the south east anymore so I dont' give a flying fart.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

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

This is a quick analysis of the current situation in the deep SE, east of the Bow river.

Downtown Express
Douglasdale Express 6 buses
Cranston Express - 4 buses
McKenzie Express - 10 buses
Douglas Glen Express - 2 buses
McKenzie Towne Express - 10 buses
New Brighton Express - 7 buses

39 Downtown expresses a day.

Regular routes serving Downtown/Ogden/Quarry Park/Surrounding Industrial
24 Ogden - ~50 buses
409 Douglas Glen ~40 buses
302 SE BRT Lots of buses

Regular routes from deep SE communities that feed Anderson or Sommerset LRT.
416
92
96
406
14
153

Ridership is very high during the morning and evening rush, even the BRT

[Jimmy Stang]

Part of me thinks that there's probably as much demand, if not more, for the SE LRT compared to the WLRT. Loads of people work in the Foothills Industrial area, plus all of the residential that extends into the deep south.

Not saying that we don't need both, but I can't see the SE LRT being anything less than a slam dunk in terms of ridership.

Random thought: I wonder if there is a way to add a surcharge to the SE LRT to help fund itself? Obviously, it would have to be built first, but a portion of the cost could be recovered by having an extra $1 or 2 tacked onto the ticket price for those using that line for 2, 3, 5 years. For people to buy into that I think that it would have to go directly to paying down the debt from the project, and for a finite length of time.

[Northendzone]

i remeber buying my house in mackenzie towne and the sales guy in the show home was showing me the plans forthe LRT track - my reaction at that time was I'd be surrpised if I could take the train home from my last day at work before I retired........

I think the BRT was built somewhat to calm the masses - given the per km cost of building LRT lines, it is going to be a long time before there is a line that loops out to the hospital.

it is surprising that mayor nenshi may not be able to deliver on some of his promises?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

it is surprising that mayor nenshi may not be able to deliver on some of his promises?

Nenshi can want the SELRT more than anything in the world, but this funding was never intended for SE LRT and he is, after all, just one vote on city council. McIver also campaigned in favour of building the SE LRT and also wouldn't have been able to use this funding for that.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i remeber buying my house in mackenzie towne and the sales guy in the show home was showing me the plans forthe LRT track - my reaction at that time was I'd be surrpised if I could take the train home from my last day at work before I retired........

I think the BRT was built somewhat to calm the masses - given the per km cost of building LRT lines, it is going to be a long time before there is a line that loops out to the hospital.

it is surprising that mayor nenshi may not be able to deliver on some of his promises?

Never! For me as a voter to be satisfied that this magical man is truly the one with all the answers I shant be happy unless I see him building the damned thing himself on evenings and weekends and with his own money!

[firebug]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i remeber buying my house in mackenzie towne and the sales guy in the show home was showing me the plans forthe LRT track - my reaction at that time was I'd be surrpised if I could take the train home from my last day at work before I retired........

I think the BRT was built somewhat to calm the masses - given the per km cost of building LRT lines, it is going to be a long time before there is a line that loops out to the hospital.

it is surprising that mayor nenshi may not be able to deliver on some of his promises?

Nenshi never promised a SE LRT.

The farthest I am aware that he went regarding it, is to say that he supports it.

Naheed's Policy Statement #5 (Better Idea regarding public transit) demonstrating what he did promise regarding transit.

[Tyler]

We don't need a SE LRT!

I much prefer sitting on Deerfoot every morning for an hour waiting for the eventual gridlock at Douglasdale, and then Anderson, and then Southland because the only entranceway into our area of the City was never designed to handle the amount of people living in the SE quadrant.

Thank goodness we now have the BRT. Not only do they stop every 3 minutes, but it takes me a full hour to get from McKenzie Towne to downtown! Who needs to drive when the bus ride is even longer!

But yes, let's definitely build that airport tunnel ASAP.

/rant

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Tyler

But yes, let's definitely build that airport tunnel ASAP.

/rant

Yes, let's build the tunnel now so we can use the ~$750 million we saved by doing it now on the SE LRT!

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by Tyler

We don't need a SE LRT!

I much prefer sitting on Deerfoot every morning for an hour waiting for the eventual gridlock at Douglasdale, and then Anderson, and then Southland because the only entranceway into our area of the City was never designed to handle the amount of people living in the SE quadrant.

Thank goodness we now have the BRT. Not only do they stop every 3 minutes, but it takes me a full hour to get from McKenzie Towne to downtown! Who needs to drive when the bus ride is even longer!

But yes, let's definitely build that airport tunnel ASAP.

/rant

things you should have realized before you moved there?

[Jimmy Stang]

The big problem with BRT, obviously, is that the bus is stuck in the same traffic that the cars are. A dedicated (new) bus lane on Deerfoot would make that BRT sing, but of course who would pay for it? And there are probably plenty of other logistical problems with it. But the point remains that a bus in traffic is pretty similar as a car in traffic.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

things you should have realized before you moved there?

I hear this argument a lot, and I agree. But its the same for people who moved closer to downtown and their complaints about everything from taxation to traffic. People like to bitch about their current situation, but unless you moved there prior to the issues, you knew about it before you moved.

[pepper24]

I think they should push to get the downtown LRT underground or above ground (+15 level) first.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

The big problem with BRT, obviously, is that the bus is stuck in the same traffic that the cars are. A dedicated (new) bus lane on Deerfoot would make that BRT sing, but of course who would pay for it? And there are probably plenty of other logistical problems with it. But the point remains that a bus in traffic is pretty similar as a car in traffic.

Except the BRT does not travel the most congested area of that commute, the Igor strong bridge through the Southland interchange. It cuts up through Douglas Glen, Quarry Park and Ogden Rd. All of which are pretty decent whenever I go through there.

[Hessen]

Originally Posted by pepper24

I think they should push to get the downtown LRT underground or above ground (+15 level) first.

Actually there is already underground tunnelling and at least one station (below city hall) that was put in in the 80's.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by pepper24

I think they should push to get the downtown LRT underground or above ground (+15 level) first.

Building the SE LRT can't happen without a subway downtown. If the line is a go, the subway is part of it.

Originally Posted by Rathji

Except the BRT does not travel the most congested area of that commute, the Igor strong bridge through the Southland interchange. It cuts up through Douglas Glen, Quarry Park and Ogden Rd. All of which are pretty decent whenever I go through there.

LOL... Ivor Strong

[SebC]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

$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.

If the 7th Ave corridor is at capacity already, are the additional LRVs just to cover the expansion to four cars?

IMO it makes more sense to expand capacity then buy the cars to fill it... a track with less than saturated service is still useful, whereas a car with no track capacity to run on isn't.

Also "replacements"? Really? I had no ideas the LRVs were disposable.

Also, leeches! Calgary really needs to team up with Edmonton to get a pro-urban party into the provincial legislature.

[username]

Actually us inner city folk who can walk to work that get the shaft.

Great to hear that a billion dollars has just got allocated to the subburbs again.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

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

A massive park and ride lot has just opened up in Mckenzie Towne and is filled up mon-fri. The SE is going to need a train line sooner rather than later. But like others have said this money was never allocated for a SE train line so the the council will have to work some magic to get the project started.