Getting Downtown with Public Transit? (Park n Ride)

[Lee~]

Hey guys!

I landed a new job Downtown for the first time, which means I'll need to use Transit and the Park and Ride. I'm hoping someone with some experience on the topic can give me a few pointers here.

I'm down near Somerset/Bridlewood station. I'll arrive at the station around 6am. Will that be early enough to claim a parking spot? and does the Ctrain get pretty packed at that time?

I just don't want to end up being late my first day Thanks for your help guys.

-Lee

[SebC]

Could you do a test run? Try the commute before your first day?

[Lee~]

Originally Posted by SebC

Could you do a test run? Try the commute before your first day?

I wish I could, but I'm still working my final week at the job I'm leaving, so I won't have time to swing by the ctrain station.

[Otto-matic]

C-Trains I find usually hit the peak at around 6:30-7 AM, but for park and ride its a tough call.

[ken0042]

I'd leave a little early- aim to be downtown a solid hour before your shift starts. Better to kill some time at a coffee shop than to be late.

I've arrived at Sommerset at 6:30 to find no parking available. That was also without snowbanks taking up parking spots (I'm assuming.) So I can't tell you if 6:00 would be that much better. However that day I tried to park at Sommerset I ended up driving up Anderson and didn't have an issue.

[Burninator]

Somerset/bridlewood is the last/first stop so you will have no problem getting on any train. They don't get packed until several stops later. I don't ever park at a station so I can't help you with that but I will say that they monitor the non transit parking lots around there like hawks. So if the transit lot is full it's probably much safer to try Anderson's lot. Do you start at 7 or 8? Either way you shouldn't be late.

[malcolmk14]

Girlfriend says parking fills up by 6:30 at Somerset/Bridlewood. Get there any later than that and you won't get a spot.

If it's full, try the overflow parking behind the Superstore across from Shawnessy station.

[Senator Clay Davis]

As a regular Bridlewood rider at right around 6am, that should be good for a spot. 6:10 is pushing it, 6:20 is looking for one of the last 5 spots, 6:30 is no shot.

[cDnStealth]

I often found it to be way more convenient to simply park at Anderson or Chinook.

[Jimmy Stang]

Are you close enough to walk to the station? Perhaps not ideal, but if it is possible, a brisk walk might save you more time and stress than trying to get a parking spot. At least until you get used to the patterns around there. Or even a feeder bus. You might be close to a good route, and if you time it correctly, you might find that this is the most efficient way.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

As a regular Bridlewood rider at right around 6am, that should be good for a spot. 6:10 is pushing it, 6:20 is looking for one of the last 5 spots, 6:30 is no shot.

Unless you're willing to pay for a reserved stall. I don't think those are ever more than half full at any station.

[Maccalus]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Unless you're willing to pay for a reserved stall. I don't think those are ever more than half full at any station.

There is a long wait list for the reserved stalls at Somerset. The other stations have lots of openings.

[woob]

Check the Calgary Transit twitter when you get up as well, so that you know if there's any issues on the line ahead of time.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Maccalus

There is a long wait list for the reserved stalls at Somerset. The other stations have lots of openings.

Ahh, so basically there are a lot of people in that area willing to pay money to screw other commuters over?

In that case, yes, go rent a stall at Canyon Meadows.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Ahh, so basically there are a lot of people in that area willing to pay money to screw other commuters over?

In that case, yes, go rent a stall at Canyon Meadows.

But when commuters were required to pay their own cost for parking, everyone complained. So now one group subsidizes the other. I don't see how that is screwing anyone over.

I don't think that the current arrangement is perfect by any means, but there is a cost to provide parking that should be paid for by the user in some form.

[Senator Clay Davis]

You have to remember Somerset-Bridlewood will almost certainly be getting all vehicles from Okotoks, High River and the other south feeder (leach?) communities.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

You have to remember Somerset-Bridlewood will almost certainly be getting all vehicles from Okotoks, High River and the other south feeder (leach?) communities.

I believe that the CP preferred term is "parasite communities."

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

As a regular Bridlewood rider at right around 6am, that should be good for a spot. 6:10 is pushing it, 6:20 is looking for one of the last 5 spots, 6:30 is no shot.

I have nothing of substance to add, but that's ridiculous.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

You have to remember Somerset-Bridlewood will almost certainly be getting all vehicles from Okotoks, High River and the other south feeder (leach?) communities.

While I don't commute downtown very often (don't work there, thank god), the times that i have needed to go there, I've never seen the reserved area close to full. Its annoying if people are paying for the stalls and not using them, thus preventing people who would use them from paying.

[squiggs96]

In 2005-06 I lived in Copperfield and would drive to the Somerset CTrain station in the morning. I started this in August and never had a problem with getting a spot at 6:30. The problems came in September when school was back in and by 6:15 all the spots were gone. They quickly put up no parking in the residential areas as well. I found it easier to drive to Chinook Station and get on there. I always found a spot and I found the total commute time from my door to my office door was about the same. The biggest downfall was cramming into the train when you got on.