Calgary Public Transit - Discussion

[Voodooman]

The whole implementation of the MAX Purple line has been a joke. The first day, the scheduled bus simply didn't show up at all, and yesterday an afternoon rush hour bus was running 13 minutes late, which is pretty impressive for service that is supposed to be a 12 minute frequency. It was apparent that no bus had been by in some time as it was packed by the second DT stop (and of course, in usual CT style, it wasn't an articulated bus, even for their supposed new "showcase" service).

I live close to the 9th Avenue SE station, and construction is incomplete. There is supposed to be a set of lights at 16th ST SE which doesn't exist yet, so crossing 9th Ave can be a bit challenging. The alleged "real time" display at the station clearly just shows the schedule, not when the bus will actually arrive.

CT is just such a third-world, pitiful excuse for a transit system. 10 years later, they still aren't anywhere close to a tap payment system, and meanwhile Vancouver now accepts any Visa/MC for fare payment by tap. They spend tens of millions on this SE transitway down 17th Ave for 2 bus lines that during peak rush will each have a bus every 12 minutes. Of course, since they can't get buses to run on any sort of schedule, the 1 and the MAX will inevitably end up following each other all the way to DT, and users will get to wait around 20 minutes for the next 2 buses to show up simultaneously.

[Cuz]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I haven't noticed the poles so much as the uncomfortable seats - and the slooowww doors. Can that at least be fixed? It seems like it is using a 286 computer trying to run Windows 10 to check if it's okay to allow the doors to open. I am sure the time is actually very negligible, but it feels like a long time compared to even the very old trains, that actually seem to allow the doors to open even before the train comes to a full stop.

The seats are super uncomfortable, aside from the ones close to the cab doors, they have a normal size backrest.

The doors do take a little bit longer to open than other trains, but they are much more efficient when closing. If someone opens the door near the end of the door cycle, they will immediately close, thus making it harder to keep a door open and delay the train. The door cycle is still around 20 seconds.

[frinkprof]

Yeah, the MAX Purple has had some big issues in the early going. Some of it is due to the signals at 19th, 26th and 28th Streets not operating properly and giving the buses priority. The schedule/bus deployment also needs to be fixed to align with reality on the ground. You should see those fixes coming soon. Engineers are on the signal issue apparently. The concept should be able to shine soon with some of these fixes.

The smart card thing was a huge disaster and disappointment. Frustrating. Apparently the goal is mobile ticketing/payment. We shall see.

[Mazrim]

Why can't the City just license an already successful smart card system? Seems like there's plenty out there.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Why can't the City just license an already successful smart card system? Seems like there's plenty out there.

Something like that would be easy but the City wants...

Spoiler!

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Why can't the City just license an already successful smart card system? Seems like there's plenty out there.

I always thought the city could trade the Park Plus system, which I find convenient and easy to use, to another city for their transit pass system. But I guess they would rather dump tens of millions of dollars in to reinventing something that was already figured out years and years ago by many other cities. It's 2018, and Calgary Transit is still using cardboard and the honour system.

[Voodooman]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Yeah, the MAX Purple has had some big issues in the early going. Some of it is due to the signals at 19th, 26th and 28th Streets not operating properly and giving the buses priority. The schedule/bus deployment also needs to be fixed to align with reality on the ground. You should see those fixes coming soon. Engineers are on the signal issue apparently. The concept should be able to shine soon with some of these fixes.

The smart card thing was a huge disaster and disappointment. Frustrating. Apparently the goal is mobile ticketing/payment. We shall see.

If only there had been some means of checking these things out prior to the system going live. Some sore of mechanism to determine proper functionality in the month between when the lights were installed and when service started. But really, what can they do? You can only install things and pray, I guess.

MP and #1 trailing each other down Transitway again, after no bus going by for 10 minutes. Digital display at station said next MP was in 4 minutes and next #1 in 8. They showed up together in 6 minutes.

Seriously, such a bunch of strugglers.

[Lil Pedro]

Will the new SW BRT be a MAX line as well? And any idea what colour?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Will the new SW BRT be a MAX line as well? And any idea what colour?

The shortlist is : mauve, pewter, and fuscia.

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Will the new SW BRT be a MAX line as well? And any idea what colour?

Teal

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Will the new SW BRT be a MAX line as well? And any idea what colour?

Originally Posted by Amethyst

Teal

In addition to Teal that goes to Westbrook, there is a fourth line coming in 2019 that will run between Downtown and Woodbine.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Will the new SW BRT be a MAX line as well? And any idea what colour?

Yellow, gold or brown. I've heard all three as possibilities.

[Jimmy Stang]

Imagine the city called it "MAX Silver" as tribute to the angry mob that fought so hard against it in that part of town. That would be the gift the keeps giving.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Voodooman

If only there had been some means of checking these things out prior to the system going live. Some sore of mechanism to determine proper functionality in the month between when the lights were installed and when service started. But really, what can they do? You can only install things and pray, I guess.

Totally agree. I don't quite understand why there isn't more of a testing phase. In this case I suspect the ongoing construction/late handover really stunted some testing and refinements. Just by my own eye test of the project through the summer and into September and October, I was thinking that they would have to push back the launch date.

[LWcrowfoot]

The Max map and transfer points are ... dubious. They really list the Max Orange SAIT stop as a transfer point to the train station? That's a good walk across campus and anyone not in the know would be confused trying to switch to the other.

Not having it loop through to connect to Lions Park train is a big miss IMO

[Peanut]

I do not understand the logic behind the MAX Orange stops on the NW side either. I thought one of the concepts of MAX was to link riders to the train but outside of downtown. Also the MAX stops outside the Children’s Hospital are still well under construction.

I trust it’ll be good once they get the bugs worked out but... yeah. A more robust testing phase before full roll out would have likely been helpful.

[Cuz]

Originally Posted by LWcrowfoot

The Max map and transfer points are ... dubious. They really list the Max Orange SAIT stop as a transfer point to the train station? That's a good walk across campus and anyone not in the know would be confused trying to switch to the other.

Not having it loop through to connect to Lions Park train is a big miss IMO

I can see why you think that, but looping buses into Lion's Park along 14th ave would add a lot of time. For example, during rush hour, turning eastbound onto 14th ave from southbound 19st can take up to 5 minutes with the LRT crossing on 14th ave.

[frinkprof]

The Northwest "Hub" is difficult to serve and to connect the rest of the city in an efficient manner.


There's three large-area campuses (Foothills, U of C and SAIT) with the Children's hospital and McMahon Stadium thrown in as large-area-but-high-traffic developments. Crowchild, Shaganappi and 16th Avenue are the main transportation corridors, but not one of them is adjacent to all the destinations. SAIT and Foothills are both on 16th Avenue, but U of C and the Children's Hospital are removed from it. U of C and McMahon are on Crowchild, but Foothills and the Children's Hospital are removed from it, etc. Then you have the developing West Campus/District area and it further complicates things.



As Cuz notes, it's difficult for a 16th Avenue line to hit both the under-served Foothills, and go to the U of C while also connecting closer to Lion's Park or SAIT LRT stations. Any rapid transit line (existing NW LRT line, plus this new BRT line) basically has to pick 2-3 destinations of the 6-7 (FMC, U of C, SAIT, ACH, West District, McMahon Stadium) for a direct connection and the ultimate answer is to have one or two more rapid transit lines (say an BRT or LRT spur up Shaganappi) and a good circulator transit line (bus, streetcar or even gondolas have been floated) to tie it together.


In hindsight, the NW LRT didn't do a great job of directly connecting to the U of C or McMahon Stadium, but at the same time, if it goes to the middle of U of C campus, how does it then service the far NW communities as a commuter line? Same problem with Mount Royal University. Any direct connection to it will divert from the efficiency of serving SW commuters.

[GirlySports]

i think the UofC and McMahon stations are fine, just a short walk away.

[Peanut]

Yeah I would agree with Girly. U of C, McMahon, and SAIT are all very well served by the LRT as is. SAIT also has the benefit of being on 16th Avenue as well (for buses).