WestLRT Construction Transgression thread

[mykalberta]

It would seem the whole point of a C Train is to assist low income housing users who cannot afford a car to get around. Its to bad Calgary has buildings for one income class in the first place - i guess another classic case of he current leadership we have in Calgary.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It would seem the whole point of a C Train is to assist low income housing users who cannot afford a car to get around. Its to bad Calgary has buildings for one income class in the first place - i guess another classic case of he current leadership we have in Calgary.

Wait....you're angry at the city providing low income housing?

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It would seem the whole point of a C Train is to assist low income housing users who cannot afford a car to get around.

Boy, in that case there sure are a lot of poor people going in and out of downtown every day. Hope they have enough street cops to handle these bums.

[You Need a Thneed]

The angles of the I beams probably aren't random, and yes, many bridges have foundations like that. Steel beam piles are used quite often.

There's probably a combination of piles - some straight down, and some leaning away from the roadway. Having the combination of vertical and angled piles makes it even more difficult for natural forces to lift the piles out of the ground, or for them to settle down, since it's easier for a pile to move in the direction of least resistance (straight along its long direction). Having piles at slightly different angles mean that for the foundation to move, one set of piles has to move in a direction that isn't along it's length.

Often, they hammer piles down "until refusal," which means that the giant hammers they use to pound them down can't budge them any more. In other words, unless you dig a giant hole around the whole pile, they aren't moving by any means.

For one of the bridges we built, we used some steel piles to hold up the temporary formwork, and we had planned to pull them out with a bulldozer. We ended up having to cut them off below grade, because the D8 caterpillar couldn't budge them.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Anyone know what the F they are doing at the 24th street pedestrian bridge? (South side of bow)

Over the past 2 weeks they've rammed ~20 steel I-beams into the ground, all at awkward angles and such. Seems like a terrible way to make a support/foundation for a new bridge.

This doesn't explain the construction methods (YNAT does that a bit in his post), but here's some renderings:





From http://www.westlrt.ca/files/24th%20S...n%20Bridge.pdf

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It would seem the whole point of a C Train is to assist low income housing users who cannot afford a car to get around.

This is just plain wrong. Have you ever boarded a C Train, particularly on a weekday at 7-8 AM and 5-6 PM? Also the existence and popularity of Park N' Rides kind of bely the "cannot afford a car" thing.

The "point of a C Train" is to move people along high-traffic-volume corridors and operate as the backbone and highest order of the transit system.

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Its to bad Calgary has buildings for one income class in the first place

Every sizeable city in Canada and North America has some sort of affordable/subsidized/co-op housing stock. While I would say there are ways to improve how they are designed, built, located, managed, etc., it's certainly not a Calgary-only phenomenon.

Originally Posted by mykalberta

- i guess another classic case of he current leadership we have in Calgary.

These types of buildings and housing have been around long before the current mayor and council, and will be here long after even the next mayor and council.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

It would seem the whole point of a C Train is to assist low income housing users who cannot afford a car to get around. Its to bad Calgary has buildings for one income class in the first place - i guess another classic case of he current leadership we have in Calgary.

Thats a weird assumption. The point of public transit in my mind is to ease traffic and parking concerns, especially where downtown in concerned. But it also can promote environmental concerns by lessening pollution and our need for gas. Its not meant simply for the poorest people but should be an alternative for everyone.

Do you travel downtown everyday via car and pay for parking? If not you probably don't realize how bad traffic is and how expensive parking is (one of the most expensive cities in North America to park).

In many cities in the world public transit is the preferred way to get around. Especially older European cities that really don't have the amount of parking real estate the newer North American cities do.

[ken0042]

Guys, let's keep this thread on topic- the status of the West LRT.

It's nice to have info in one relatively short thread.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Thats a weird assumption. The point of public transit in my mind is to ease traffic and parking concerns, especially where downtown in concerned. But it also can promote environmental concerns by lessening pollution and our need for gas. Its not meant simply for the poorest people but should be an alternative for everyone.

That's not really correct either, and a bit simplistic. However, it is probably closer to how expansions and improvements to Calgary's system have been justified and motivated in the past. That is changing a bit though.

Any mode of transport (walking, cycling, boat, aircraft, rail, bus, car, etc.) on their most basic level is simply a means of moving people or goods from point A to point B. The most common in an urban setting (walk, cycle, bus, rail, car) all have their place in the system. A balanced approach of ensuring that each one is as viable an option as possible is best.

EDIT: Sorry ken, back on topic.

[SilverGS]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Man I am glad I moved away from the 69th Ave. area.....those pics make it look like absolute bedlam going to and coming home from work.

Of course it's Summer but I havn't found the construction snarls to be near as bad as I thought it might be and my regular path home is the exact route of the WestLRT leg. There have been delays and I have changed my route home but when I do have to go up Bow Trail and 17th it hasn't been that bad.

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Another note I forgot to add. The big yellow launching truss near Millennium Park is now in action and installing segments of the elevated guideway.

Definitely seeing some decent progress. When I saw it I thought it's pretty cool.

So far I have been very impressed with the rate of speed of construction on this project and how well it has done to not have too many traffic snarls due to the size and length of the project.

Will the westbrook station be heated somewhat even if both sides are open to the elements?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by SilverGS

Will the westbrook station be heated somewhat even if both sides are open to the elements?

The Westbrook Station is underground. It will be the City's flagship station when all is said and done.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by The Goon

The Herald got the timeline wrong. There's 30 months to go, not 18 - it's scheduled to open in December 2012.

The video is quite good, though!

Duuuuude, that's insane how much Calgary especially my old stomping grounds are changing.

[frinkprof]

While this thread is handy, here's some recent pics.

Excavation for tunnel near 37th St.

Credit: srperrycgy at SSP

45th St. Station excavation

Credit: srperrycgy at SSP

Guideway elements being placed by the launching truss about a week ago

Credit: mersar at SSP

Guideway construction, panoramic stitch

Credit: yyc_engineer at SSP

From the top of the guideway, looking east
[
Credit: yyc_engineer on SSP

Top of the guideway, looking west at the launching truss

Credit: yyc_engineer on SSP

Sunalta Station

Credit: yyc_engineer on SSP

Looking West from the top of Sunalta Station

Credit: yyc_engineer on SSP

[You Need a Thneed]

Westbrook station will be heated. It might not always be "inside of a building" warm though. A train that goes through could push a whole bunch of cold air in on cold days.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Muta

The Westbrook Station is underground. It will be the City's flagship station when all is said and done.

True, but funny, considering the location isn't central, or something that the majority of LRT users will access frequently.

I'm guessing that the "flagship" will change once the downtown underground stations get on track (Would be nice to have a central station of some sort, maybe something that ties in with the mythical high-speed train).

In my mind the Sunalta station will the most landmark-worthy. It can't not be, considering it's location in the air.

[SilverGS]

On second look from the video the openings on either end are not as open as i was thinking for some reason. People in that area will love it not having to wait for the Train in the cold.

Can we petition for 69th street station to be more underground or covered and heated as well . Seems a good chunk will be covered by 69th street anyway.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Table 5

True, but funny, considering the location isn't central, or something that the majority of LRT users will access frequently.

I'm guessing that the "flagship" will change once the downtown underground stations get on track (Would be nice to have a central station of some sort, maybe something that ties in with the mythical high-speed train).

In my mind the Sunalta station will the most landmark-worthy. It can't not be, considering it's location in the air.

I could be wrong, but I don't think the LRT downtown is going underground for a long time. They just invested a bunch of money into new LRT platforms.

The 'flagship' Westbrook station was supposed to be in Brentwood I believe, but the residents ran that idea out pretty fast. Residents in Westbrook told the City they could put a great LRT station there instead, and that's what they're doing.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by SilverGS

Can we petition for 69th street station to be more underground or covered and heated as well . Seems a good chunk will be covered by 69th street anyway.

Well, there will be an indoor station head on either side of the platform at 69th Street Station.

[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I could be wrong, but I don't think the LRT is going underground for a long time. They just invested a bunch of money into new LRT platforms.

The 7th Ave. Refurbishment project is independent of the Stephen Avenue Subway project. The old stations on 7th Avenue were nearing/had passed their lifespan and needed to be replaced, and the entire system needs to move to 4 car capacity platforms, which is why the existing downtown platforms are being replaced. While the Stephen Avenue Subway is being formally studied now, planning to date has it that the Subway will operate in addition to (rather than replace) the 7th Avenue infrastructure. One line (probably south <=> northwest) will run in the new tunnel, while the other line (probably northeast <=> west) will run on the existing 7th Avenue at-grade line.

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

The 'flagship' Westbrook station was supposed to be in Brentwood I believe, but the residents ran that idea out pretty fast. Residents in Westbrook told the City they could put a great LRT station there instead, and that's what they're doing.

Not sure what you're referring to here. The Westbrook Station was supposed to be in Brentwood?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I could be wrong, but I don't think the LRT downtown is going underground for a long time. They just invested a bunch of money into new LRT platforms.

The 'flagship' Westbrook station was supposed to be in Brentwood I believe, but the residents ran that idea out pretty fast. Residents in Westbrook told the City they could put a great LRT station there instead, and that's what they're doing.

When the LRT goes underground downtown, it will only be for the S-NW line. The NE-W line will stay above ground on 7th Ave - at least until the newly built stations are nearing the end of their lifespans.

Once the SE LRT is built, there will probably be a flagship station on 2nd Street downtown, inbetween 7th and 8th avenues. One station, with connection to all three lines. S-NW underneath 8th Ave, SE line under 2nd Street, and the NE-W line at grade on 7th Ave.