WestLRT Construction Transgression thread

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

but people going to Crowfoot were getting on the 69th street station at earlier stops in downtown and disembarking at the 7th street station to catch the Crowfoot trains. This caused massive crowding that needs to be solved.

Did you actually see someone get off a west train and get on a crowfoot train? Unless transit changed where the train was going in the middle of downtown, which is pretty rare in my experience, that makes no sense.

I get on the Crowfoot train at the east end of downtown, and sometimes I even get a seat. I'm always able to get on. If I rode the west leg to 7th street first, I'd never get a seat, and risk not getting on at all. Why would anyone do that? It makes no sense. Maybe there was one or two people who got confused, but I very much doubt there's a large number of people doing that.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Did you actually see someone get off a west train and get on a crowfoot train? Unless transit changed where the train was going in the middle of downtown, which is pretty rare in my experience, that makes no sense.

I get on the Crowfoot train at the east end of downtown, and sometimes I even get a seat. I'm always able to get on. If I rode the west leg to 7th street first, I'd never get a seat, and risk not getting on at all. Why would anyone do that? It makes no sense. Maybe there was one or two people who got confused, but I very much doubt there's a large number of people doing that.

At least 20-30 people on my car alone (my half, actually) got off at the 7th street station, which limited access to the car on the previous stations for 69th street riders. It was packed to the brim.

I have a strong feeling the digital signs are to blame - none of them were advertising a 69th street train approaching when I was there - it was all Crowfoot. However, the train itself said 69th street.

However, if this continues, I imagine there are going to be a ton of frustrated West line riders.

[RW99]

What I don't get is all the complaints and the news outlets rehashing the same story regarding people taking a bus to get to the train station. People in the NW, NE, SW, SE have been doing it for years. To me, the LRT is to get people in and out of downtown as painless as possible, removing busses from the core. Not living near the LRT would not be a complaint to me.

[Jimmy Stang]

I wonder if some people are just hopping on any Westbound train on 7th and then hop off after they realized that they've made a mistake and are on a Crowfoot train. There are probably a lot of "LRT rookies" at the moment, and they may not be familiar with the lines being interlined. Not making excuses for them, but I can see it happening.

I will admit to having done that once years ago and ending up at the old end of the line downtown when I wanted to go to Dalhousie instead. This was after a few beverages, however.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

At least 20-30 people on my car alone (my half, actually) got off at the 7th street station, which limited access to the car on the previous stations for 69th street riders. It was packed to the brim.

I have a strong feeling the digital signs are to blame - none of them were advertising a 69th street train approaching when I was there - it was all Crowfoot. However, the train itself said 69th street.

However, if this continues, I imagine there are going to be a ton of frustrated West line riders.

There is a lot of cheap parking in the Muwata/Planetarium area (7St), you sure make a lot of assumptions!

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Flacker

There is a lot of cheap parking in the Muwata/Planetarium area (7St), you sure make a lot of assumptions!

I guess people are so excited about it they forget to get off at the Kerby station . . .

[GirlySports]

Some people may not know there's a Kerby station. They just get off at 7th ST and walk to their parking lot like they have the last XXX months since the 10th ST station was closed. It'll take some time for people who don't live on the West LRT line to get used to things.

"wow, there's a Kerby station? I can get off there!? Gravy!"

[Ozy_Flame]

You mean to tell me that people walking to their cars around the Planetarium / Mewata / Kerby centre from the 7th street station during the Kerby station's construction didn't even notice a train station being built there? Even with all the construction, re-routing and track laying?

Come on.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I guess people are so excited about it they forget to get off at the Kerby station . . .

The high-density residential on the west end also couldn't be a factor, also as Girly has pointed out the force of habit is strong.

All those folks for sure got onto a Crowfoot train.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

You mean to tell me that people walking to their cars around the Planetarium / Mewata / Kerby centre from the 7th street station during the Kerby station's construction didn't even notice a train station being built there? Even with all the construction, re-routing and track laying?

Come on.

They may not have known that it opened exactly yesterday, they'll know soon enough.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

You mean to tell me that people walking to their cars around the Planetarium / Mewata / Kerby centre from the 7th street station during the Kerby station's construction didn't even notice a train station being built there? Even with all the construction, re-routing and track laying?

Come on.

I would suggest riding the NW/SE line sometime during rush hour and you will understand why the volume of trains is higher. It is fully justified.

Screw ridership, I just want a ton right at launch!! Doesn't show selfishness at all.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

They may not have known that it opened exactly yesterday, they'll know soon enough.

Pretty sure most of the people getting off at the 7th street station continued to wait there for the Crowfoot train. I had a good window seat to watch.

I'm hoping that over the course of the week, those who don't know it's open now will get the hint.

I suspect a few of them probably didn't get the message, but there has been more than enough warning signs and advertising (IMO) for people to get the message, especially those who park around the area rather than simply live there.

[GirlySports]

In that case people just got on the wrong train.. 69 looks like CR right?
Especially since the digital sign says

CROWFOOT
CROWFOOT
CROWFOOT

[mykalberta]

It brings up a good point, I know nitpicky but I wish the had the route number on them instead of the end of station name or a more descriptive name. West, North West, South, and North East line.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

In that case people just got on the wrong train.. 69 looks like CR right?
Especially since the digital sign says

CROWFOOT
CROWFOOT
CROWFOOT

Yes, people still look at signs

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Yes, people still look at signs

Depends. if you're walking from the parking lot to your office, you're not looking at signs.

Anyways, give it til the end of the week

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It brings up a good point, I know nitpicky but I wish the had the route number on them instead of the end of station name or a more descriptive name. West, North West, South, and North East line.

201 and 202? People will still get it mixed up. Unless you do it the New York way and put a big

A

on the front of the train.

[NuclearPizzaMan]

Ok, as a veteran of 7th st station who was there around 5:40, I can tell you exactly what was going on last night.

First, the Crowfoot train does not usually have that kind of frequency, but backups along the 201 line happen daily, and usually result in bursts of Crowfoot trains after 5pm. Often you'll only see 3-4 crowfoot trains between 5 and 5:30, followed by 3-4 in a row between 5:30 and 5:45. Happens several times a week with regularity. All it takes is one slow train with a stuck door, or even bad timing with a light to cause it.

Second, Last night was especially problematic because one of the trains (The one with the 2 sd 160s and 1 converted u2) got stuck at 4th street station for 7 minutes, and had to reboot.

Third, plenty of people get off at 7th from the NE train. I usually cross against them at the crosswalk if I get there as a train departs. Only a fool would travel to 7th to get on a crowfoot train.

Fourth, Never trust the real time signs at 7th Street. I don't know why this still hasn't been fixed, but 7th has a great deal of difficulty determining which is the next train. Often you'll see trains lined up downtown, and the sign will just juggle the train order seemingly at random, but there is a pattern. It's just wrong. It is more accurate when trains are less frequent.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It brings up a good point, I know nitpicky but I wish the had the route number on them instead of the end of station name or a more descriptive name. West, North West, South, and North East line.

I could see that causing choas; "West" could mean SW, NW, West lines. "South" could mean the SW or W lines (both in southwest). There is a reason they've gone with what they have.


And I still don't buy all this 7th St Station discussion. Somethings not adding up. edit:Pizza seems to have explained it rationally.

-There have always been 2 lines running through downtown, its not like Crowchild bound passengers have never had to look at which train they're boarding.
-Again, no one is trying to take a 69th train to get as far WB as they can in order to make it so they can't board a train.
-There isn't that much parking @ Mewata area that you've got dozens and dozens of people getting off from each train @ 7th and walking instead of taking the 69th train they're already on.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It brings up a good point, I know nitpicky but I wish the had the route number on them instead of the end of station name or a more descriptive name. West, North West, South, and North East line.

Agreed. And the names of the trains wouldn't need to change each time an extension is added. Direction is more important than the station at the end of the line that changes every few years anyway.