Despite few YYC customers, high hopes reign for Calgary's airport bus
By Dave Dormer ,Calgary Sun First posted: Sunday, March 17, 2013 03:54 PM MDT | Updated: Monday, March 18, 2013 09:47 AM MDT
More than 1,000 people ride Calgary Transit’s airport express bus weekly, but only 30% of those are getting on at YYC, says a report going to the city’s transportation committee Wednesday.
And of those getting on at the airport, only 35% are travellers, with the remaining passengers people who board downtown and along Centre St. N.
While the route has met performance goals set by transit brass, ridership will likely increase further once the 96 Ave. N.E. overpass project and Airport Tr. improvements are complete, said Ald. Jim Stevenson, whose ward includes the airport.
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Established in June 2011, the bus ferries passengers from the downtown core, north on Centre St. to 64 Ave. where it cuts east to Deerfoot Tr. and north to Airport Tr., providing a direct link between downtown and the airport.
There is a survey put out by Calgary Transit asking riders in the West LRT area about their recent trips, the riding experience on bus and/or train and to compare them to before West LRT was operational.
Here's some recent photos taken by Tallis from CPTDB
Spoiler!
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LRT Station Refurbishments and 4 Car Capacity Extensions
Rundle is currently under construction (started in January). Will close over the May long weekend.
Marlborough is listed as starting mid-March, so could be any day now. Closes August long weekend.
Franklin will start mid- April. Closes September long weekend.
On the NE line, that leaves Barlow-Max Bell, Zoo and Bridgeland Stations, which will likely see similar staggered scheduling to the above three, but during 2014.
On the South line, Anderson is listed as starting in June of this year and Victoria Park Stampede Station to start in the fall of this year. This leaves 39th Avenue Station for a 2014 start. Chinook is obviously currently underway to open in the fall of this year.
On the NW line, Lion's Park and University stations are listed as starting in fall 2013. That leaves SAIT and Banff Trail for 2014.
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Even the airport has over 14,000 employees working onsite right now, and we're always hearing how only the employees would use an airport spur. Which is, imo, total BS, plenty of the 12 million+ passengers every year would take the train if it was available.
So, in conclusion, the priority should be something like 8th Avenue subway, NC LRT, airport spur, and then SE LRT.
12 million passengers a year so I think a very conservative estimate would be 6 million a year that might take the train showing about 16000 a day.
The two other lines get 260000 a day between them or slightly less than ten times the ridership on each line that might go to the airport. I can't imagine that 50% of people will take the train to the airport if it is available. On top of that, is your 12 million number based on flights that start or stop in Calgary or does it also include the people who transfer through Calgary without ever leaving the airport?
12 million passengers a year so I think a very conservative estimate would be 6 million a year that might take the train showing about 16000 a day.
The two other lines get 260000 a day between them or slightly less than ten times the ridership on each line that might go to the airport. I can't imagine that 50% of people will take the train to the airport if it is available. On top of that, is your 12 million number based on flights that start or stop in Calgary or does it also include the people who transfer through Calgary without ever leaving the airport?
I provided a source for the number, it doesn't include transfers.
Also, I wasn't saying it would be better than the existing lines, just that it would be better than the SE line. Since the existing lines are already built, it only makes sense to compare current new projects. Really, the fact the existing lines have such high ridership supports my contention that the 8th avenue subway should be first.
Also, you're comparing the ridership of an entire line to the ridership potential from one stop. It makes more sense to compare the ridership from an airport stop to the ridership from a Quarry Park or Seton stop, which was what I did above.
Location: Close enough to make a beer run during a TV timeout
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by bizaro86
Also, you're comparing the ridership of an entire line to the ridership potential from one stop. It makes more sense to compare the ridership from an airport stop to the ridership from a Quarry Park or Seton stop, which was what I did above.
To be fair, you are proposing an entire line be built for the sake of "one stop." So yes, to compare other lines to the cost of this line is fair. The fact that it really only has the one stop is why it may not be such a good idea.
Or to flip it around; let's say the SE line gets built but only has one stop; McKenzie Towne. How do you think that new SE LRT line will compare to the ridership of an Airport LRT? It will get a tonne of ridership due to it being such an express service.
The bottom line is the airport run while being cool isn't as practical as a SE run. The debate as to which should come first; SE LRT or subway is a fair debate- there are great points on both sides of that coin.
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I've always expected that a future branch off of the NE line to the airport terminal would have at least one stop in between. I don't think it makes sense to spend all that money and not build a station at Jacksonport retail. This station would be in the median of Airport Trail, between 36th Street and Metis Trail.
If the line one day continued as a connection to the NC line on Harvest Hills Blvd, there would be a stop to serve Aurora Business park and a high speed rail station. Depending on how development happens, one might be able to make a case for an additional station on either side of the airport.
To be fair, you are proposing an entire line be built for the sake of "one stop." So yes, to compare other lines to the cost of this line is fair. The fact that it really only has the one stop is why it may not be such a good idea.
Or to flip it around; let's say the SE line gets built but only has one stop; McKenzie Towne. How do you think that new SE LRT line will compare to the ridership of an Airport LRT? It will get a tonne of ridership due to it being such an express service.
The bottom line is the airport run while being cool isn't as practical as a SE run. The debate as to which should come first; SE LRT or subway is a fair debate- there are great points on both sides of that coin.
A spur off an existing line to the airport isn't comparable in cost or scope to an entire new line from downtown to the edge of the city. I certainly wasn't suggesting an express line from the airport to downtown, which would certainly be a boondoggle, but rather a spur off of the existing NE line or the new NC line.
Calgary transit's route ahead estimated a airport spur would cost 175MM$ and generate 3.5 MM trips per year, or $50 per annual trip.
Route ahead also estimates a bus-only transitway to Douglas Glen/Quarry Park would cost 667MM$ and generate 4.6 MM trips pers year, or $145 per annual trip.
Replacing that bus only transitway with LRT is estimated to cost 1,650 MM$, and generate 10.5 MM annual trips, or $157 per annual trip.
So I submit that an airport spur is more practical than a SE line, and should be built first.
12 million passengers a year so I think a very conservative estimate would be 6 million a year that might take the train showing about 16000 a day.
The two other lines get 260000 a day between them or slightly less than ten times the ridership on each line that might go to the airport. I can't imagine that 50% of people will take the train to the airport if it is available. On top of that, is your 12 million number based on flights that start or stop in Calgary or does it also include the people who transfer through Calgary without ever leaving the airport?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ken0042
To be fair, you are proposing an entire line be built for the sake of "one stop." So yes, to compare other lines to the cost of this line is fair. The fact that it really only has the one stop is why it may not be such a good idea.
Or to flip it around; let's say the SE line gets built but only has one stop; McKenzie Towne. How do you think that new SE LRT line will compare to the ridership of an Airport LRT? It will get a tonne of ridership due to it being such an express service.
It's not a line, it's a spur. It costs $200M compared to $2B for the SE LRT. RouteAhead estimates ridership at 3.5M anually for the airport spur, vs 22M for SE. So on a $/rider basis, the Airport Spur is ahead.
Compairing a one-stop SE LRT to the airport spur is an obviously flawed comparison, as the airport spur would be much cheaper.
Marlborough is listed as starting mid-March, so could be any day now. Closes August long weekend.
This week I noticed the train has started to slow down around Marlborough, I hopped off at the station today and they are beginning to construct the fence.
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“Such suburban models are being rationalized as ‘what people want,’ when in fact they are simply what is most expedient to produce. The truth is that what people want is a decent place to live, not just a suburban version of a decent place to live.”
I wonder if Encana stock price will go up in CT switches to a nat gas fleet.
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Rudy was the only hope in 08
2011 Election: Cons 40% - Nanos 38% Ekos 34%
It's kind of surprising to me that you had the foresight to pre-empt that move (considering how ridiculous it was), but good work!
It was to use in a supporting powerpoint. In the end, the Mayor went to the live site during his presentation. Just after, we realized they had taken it down literally during the 20 minutes he was speaking. Truly strange.
The city’s Community and Protective Services committee Wednesday will consider whether $8.4-million in public art funding for the city’s West LRT should be leveraged to incorporate some of the original Centre St. Bridge lions as decor on the train line.
