Calgary Public Transit - Discussion

[Jimmy Stang]

Very unimportant detail at this point, but I hope that they drop those doubled station names (Auburn Bay/Mahogany, for example). Just pick one. People in Mahogany will still find their way home if their station is simply called Auburn Bay. The long, hyphenated, double names annoy me more than they should.

[Lil Pedro]

Up Centre St, have they decided if it will be elevated, underground or at grade? Or a combination of all three?

[Maccalus]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Up Centre St, have they decided if it will be elevated, underground or at grade? Or a combination of all three?

Nothing decided yet

[Swift]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Very unimportant detail at this point, but I hope that they drop those doubled station names (Auburn Bay/Mahogany, for example). Just pick one. People in Mahogany will still find their way home if their station is simply called Auburn Bay. The long, hyphenated, double names annoy me more than they should.

Hate those too! One station is technically called Southern Alberta Institute of Technology/Alberta College of Art and Design/Jubilee Station.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Cameron Swift

Hate those too! One station is technically called Southern Alberta Institute of Technology/Alberta College of Art and Design/Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Station.

Corrected.

[MrMastodonFarm]

The official name is SAIT/ACAD/Jubilee but in the previous train announcement (woman's voice) it was always funny that they said the full title of Alberta College of Art and Design.

Such a mess of a station name.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Up Centre St, have they decided if it will be elevated, underground or at grade? Or a combination of all three?

It will be at grade most of the distance. Travelling southbound, it will go underground somewhere around 24th Ave and stay underground past 16th Ave. They are still debating what to do south of 16th to get across the river and through downtown.

North of 24th Ave, it will be at grade.


Back in February, the City began debating how it will go through downtown. The proposals they are are considering were discussed in this thread at the time.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Muffins

Staggered NB/SB stations doesn't really work outside of the core.

Think about it, you park by a station, hop on the train and head downtown. How are you gonna get back to your car?

Stations along Centre Street may very well not have parking.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Addick

Stations along Centre Street may very well not have parking.

Who needs parking lots when we can all just park in front of people houses in the surrounding blocks?

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Who needs parking lots when we can all just park in front of people houses in the surrounding blocks?

Like you take transit.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Like you take transit.

Of course I do. Flames games... Umm... The Stampede... And that time I got put in the drunk tank...?

[timun]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

New high-floor LRT lines just aren't being built anymore, and really haven't been since the mid-eighties. Since Calgary, Edmonton and a couple other cities were very early adopters, they have lines that were high floor from the outset, and thus every time they are extended (i.e. Crowfoot, Saddleridge, even the WestLRT was an operational extension of the NE line), they have had to build new high-floor platforms and buy high-floor trains.

The Green Line NC-SE will be operationally separate from the rest of the system, and thus is not mandated to built as high-floor. It will not share cars nor maintenance facilities with the rest of the system, nor will it likely be physically connected with it (as in the ability to shuttle cars throughout all lines on the system via track connections). Perhaps train parts and components could be shared though.

And just because we could go low-floor doesn't mean that we should. Many of those newer low-floor LRT systems in North America are glorified streetcar systems, whereas the Green Line will be tasked with functioning as commuter rail from far-flung 'burbs to a subway downtown, all in one line.

Low-floor was an attractive idea when huge portions of the Green Line were planned to be BRT first before being converted to LRT 20-30 years from now; ideally the bus station platforms could be exactly the same height as the low-floor LRT. Instead of MacGyvering the BRT system into an LRT we can do whatever's best from the outset, and that's not necessarily low-floor.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Who needs parking lots when we can all just park in front of people houses in the surrounding blocks?

This isn't a problem at present and Centre Street is already one of the most well-used transit corridors in the City.

[RW99]

So is there any concern that there is only the one station downtown? With all the ridership numbers they are expecting, that is a lot of people getting on and off one platform.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by timun

And just because we could go low-floor doesn't mean that we should. Many of those newer low-floor LRT systems in North America are glorified streetcar systems, whereas the Green Line will be tasked with functioning as commuter rail from far-flung 'burbs to a subway downtown, all in one line.

Low-floor was an attractive idea when huge portions of the Green Line were planned to be BRT first before being converted to LRT 20-30 years from now; ideally the bus station platforms could be exactly the same height as the low-floor LRT. Instead of MacGyvering the BRT system into an LRT we can do whatever's best from the outset, and that's not necessarily low-floor.

It is true that many LRT systems are closer to streetcars, but there is also a wide spectrum of other types, including ones that operate closer to commuter rail or mini versions of high capacity heavy rail subway and fully elevated systems. Actually, "LRT" has become a bit of a catch-all term that has been used to describe everything from lines that are just a cut above streetcars in terms of capacity, reach, speed to things like Vancouver's fully grade separated and automated Skytrain.

Regardless, there are low floor options that can function exactly like the current high floor trains do. Same or greater capacity, same top speed and acceleration, etc. Ultimately, the design and philosophy of the line may be closer to an "urban LRT" type system in the more inner city areas (as per visioning sessions a couple years ago), but that won't be because of any constraint the low floor aspect causes.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by RW99

So is there any concern that there is only the one station downtown? With all the ridership numbers they are expecting, that is a lot of people getting on and off one platform.

The map is misleading, both in number of stations shown downtown and the alignment. The alignment will be along 10th Avenue and 2nd Street West downtown, with the vertical alignment and connectivity over or under the river to Centre Street still to be chosen among options. There will be stations at Eau Claire (roughly 2nd Avenue), 7th/8th Avenue, 10th Avenue at roughly 1st Street West/Centre Street and at 4th Street East.

[GirlySports]

gimme a chinatown station (center street and 3rd Ave)

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by RW99

So is there any concern that there is only the one station downtown? With all the ridership numbers they are expecting, that is a lot of people getting on and off one platform.

With one downtown stop, you would pretty much need a grand central station concept where people can branch off onto busses or the blue/red lines. Shouldn't be too difficult if the subway rough in tunnels are large enough.

[Hack&Lube]

I spoke with a city engineer over the weekend and she pretty much confirmed the projected models for green line are all low-floor/at-grade.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Very unimportant detail at this point, but I hope that they drop those doubled station names (Auburn Bay/Mahogany, for example). Just pick one. People in Mahogany will still find their way home if their station is simply called Auburn Bay. The long, hyphenated, double names annoy me more than they should.

The original name for Tuscany station was Rocky Ridge/Tuscany. They wisely dropped the double name along the process, and I don't think there are any on the West LRT, so I'm hoping that means we've already seen the end of the double named stations.