Calgary Traffic

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Mango

Off hand, was there a reason for the LRT not going west?

The issue at hand right now is where to have it hit downtown. 7th ave can't handle the additional 2 lines (SE and West) and I doubt if it could even handle 1 more. 11th ave is supposed to be the 2nd downtown leg, and now they are seeing if putting that underground would be better than the mess that 7th ave has become.

Of course, it costs more money to dig than to just lay track.

I also think there should be 3 tracks in suburban areas instead of 2. That way you could have express trains. For example in the south, have a train that runs from Sommerset to Anderson making all the stops, then direct to downtown. Have another route that runs from Anderson up and makes all of those stops. That way people could still fit onto the train at Heritage.

[Resolute 14]

Going west would not add a new line since it is merely an extenstion of route 202

[fredr123]

Maybe not the best place to ask it but what the heck. On Centre street north of 16th up to Beddington (and a few other places too) I have noticed these bluish purpley LED lights mounted above the pedestrian walk signals. What the heck are they there for?

[Sample00]

traffic's a killer here too..it takes me a whole 10 minutes to get from one end of town to the other, with a traffic jam on main street!!

I dont miss Calgary traffic at all!!!

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The issue at hand right now is where to have it hit downtown. 7th ave can't handle the additional 2 lines (SE and West) and I doubt if it could even handle 1 more. 11th ave is supposed to be the 2nd downtown leg, and now they are seeing if putting that underground would be better than the mess that 7th ave has become.

Of course, it costs more money to dig than to just lay track.

I also think there should be 3 tracks in suburban areas instead of 2. That way you could have express trains. For example in the south, have a train that runs from Sommerset to Anderson making all the stops, then direct to downtown. Have another route that runs from Anderson up and makes all of those stops. That way people could still fit onto the train at Heritage.

Wow changes like you've suggested would dramatically help the situation. It would really pick up the speed of the whole process- and not to mention comfort. I've heard that the C-train just bought an additional 40 cars, is there any truth to this? Honestly even like... 2 or three more inches of space per train would help immensely.

The express train would be fantastic. Nobody gets off between Anderson and the city core!

[MacDougalbry]

What I've noticed is that road construction projects out here seem to be horribly managed. I live near Bow and Sarcee and it seems like most of the time I see very little activity on the construction site. Same thing when they were building the Shawville overpass on South MacLeod. Seems like they go and close a whole bunch of lanes and then go off and pick their noses for a week. Here's a radical idea: how about working through the night to get these projects finished.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by MacDougalbry

What I've noticed is that road construction projects out here seem to be horribly managed. I live near Bow and Sarcee and it seems like most of the time I see very little activity on the construction site. Same thing when they were building the Shawville overpass on South MacLeod. Seems like they go and close a whole bunch of lanes and then go off and pick their noses for a week. Here's a radical idea: how about working through the night to get these projects finished.

CITY TV did a story on this not too long ago. The tight labour market has made it impossible to go all out on all the projects underway. They have to shift workers around to complete projects. Added about 6 months to everything....at least.

As for the C-Train not going west, it's because once upon a time (88-93, no one really lived past Sarcee (Coach Hill / Pumphill only I guess) unless you made uber money, and that demographic didn't support extending the train there. An express bus service downtown from those areas was more than fine. Made more sense to put the LRT into the far flung NE and NW.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Cube Inmate

Why can't the freaking city get those traffic cameras operational at 14th/Glenmore? They've been up for months now, and are still offline. Throw me a freakin' bone here!

Perhaps they aren't operational because of all the construction on the interchange? Perhaps it would be a waste of money to run cabling and lines only to pull them up when traffic is diverted? I'm sure the city wouldn't do it just to **** you off...

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The issue at hand right now is where to have it hit downtown. 7th ave can't handle the additional 2 lines (SE and West) and I doubt if it could even handle 1 more. 11th ave is supposed to be the 2nd downtown leg, and now they are seeing if putting that underground would be better than the mess that 7th ave has become.

Actually, the 2nd downtown leg is earmarked for underground between 8th and 9th avenue. All new developments along 8th and 9th avenue out to about 10th Street SW are required to have allotments for C train access whether they are stations or simply for maintenance access.

Now if you really want to talk about awaited C Train leg, the ones I'm looking forward to are the 204 North Leg and the 205 Airport Leg that would originate from the Calgary Zoo station on a new line. This would effectively connect downtown to the airport and northern end of the city. It could encourage more transit commuting from Airdrie residents who work in Calgary as well.

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

Try living in Douglas Dale, it IS already a gong show there, and supposedly, all the contruction is suppose to be done!

It's a living hell driving to work every morning.

I think the whole issue around Douglasdale is that traffic is trying to merge onto the Deerfoot as it goes from 3 lanes down to 2. There is another bottleneck northbound Deerfoot just past Glenmore as well. It seems kind of stupid to me to take that volume of traffic that fills 3 lanes and reduce it to 2 lanes then back to 3 and then back to 2 and back to 3 again. If it was just left as 3 lanes it would flow much better.

[Robbob]

I think if they put a little thought into it and did the project is a certian order it would help things. Before they really started the elbow/glenmore job they should have completed the 37th street extention. That alone would have helped the traffic by diverting cars away from the site.

The problem with doing everything at once is it stretches resources and a couple accidents at certain locations totally cripples the city.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Robbob

I think if they put a little thought into it and did the project is a certian order it would help things. Before they really started the elbow/glenmore job they should have completed the 37th street extention. That alone would have helped the traffic by diverting cars away from the site.

The planning for urban development takes place up to decades before projects are undertaken and the city did not have a plan in place regarding 37th Street and the T'su Tina Nation so they could not start that project before the GE5 (Glenmore, Elbow and 5th Street SW) project.

[Mr.Coffee]

Could the city consider a sky train like Vancouver has? Anybody here feel that that would be feasible, cheaper and probably less of a construction issue then digging up downtown?

Edit:

To add, could the city consider double decker trains on the current route, or more cars? There seems to be many solutions doesn't there? Is money the issue?

[Mr.Coffee]

One thing I do know (or at least think I know) is that the 16th ave expansion was sorely needed, and will provide great relief for east-west inter-city travel. It's tough to hit up the Deerfoot to get to the airport unless your in the south or east. That's a whole quarter of a city left out!

[Tron_fdc]

I do believe there is already underground tunnels (or an underground station, I can't remember exactly) underneath city hall.

Yup...according to Wikapedia

The city may also choose to implement its original plan to move the downtown portion of the system entirely underground (beneath 8th Avenue). Though some tunnels were built (and still exist), the plan was scrapped early on due to the high costs. There is a partially completed LRT station underneath City Hall - and an underground spur tunnel was built, branching from the tunnel behind City Hall. This spur tunnel is easily visible to passengers riding on Southbound trains on Route 201. However, after urban explorers discovered the tunnel and visited it during a transit strike, the spur tunnel was walled off with cinder block. The underground station still exists.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

I do believe there is already underground tunnels (or an underground station, I can't remember exactly) underneath city hall.

I've heard this too. A hidden train station underground. I've heard that four turtles and a giant rat live there that were genetically mutated by "ooze".........

[Tron_fdc]

and a link to photos:

http://www.geocities.com/corrosionia/passages.html

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Could the city consider a sky train like Vancouver has? Anybody here feel that that would be feasible, cheaper and probably less of a construction issue then digging up downtown?

Edit:

To add, could the city consider double decker trains on the current route, or more cars? There seems to be many solutions doesn't there? Is money the issue?

Money is always the issue. Unfortunately, double decker trains would not work due to tunnel depths along the C train lines being too shallow.

I don't think there would be as much digging up of downtown than you think. Even Bankers Hall already has an unused but allocated C Train station in it. The new tower that's slated for Penny Lane even has allotments for C Train access.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

and a link to photos:

http://www.geocities.com/corrosionia/passages.html

Holy crap. I seriously thought you were kidding.

That's some nice foresight there..

[BuckFiddyThree]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

traffic?

you guys dont know traffic, i am currently in Hong Kong and just left Guangzhao. When I get home. I will never complain about traffic again!

You basically take your life into your hands when you get in a car here.

I know what you mean, I worked in Guangzhou for six months in '04 and then stayed in HK for a month after my expat ended. It isn't that bad, despite the Darwinism traffic system (i.e. busses > vans > cars > motorcycles > pedestrians), the speeds tend to be so slow that accidents don't tend to be fatal. Crossing the street for the first time was quite the adventure in GZ though. But you gotta love the density of trains, busses, and taxis - sure makes not driving a non-issue.

Hong Kong is much worse traffic-wise than GZ, particularly on Hong Kong Island. But at least they treat the traffic signs and lights as rules rather than suggestions.