Here's a post I made explaining the big reason why I think we need rapid transit:
Quote:
When it comes to building a rapid transit plan I think that Winnipeg stop selling itself short. I think we all realize that a rapid transit plan can't simply be something that unclogs the streets, but as an instrument in changing the way this city grows and the way people in this city live. This means that we have to look at things holistically rather than just looking at getting one part built.
Currently to live in Winnipeg you need a car. In most places you do not simply need a car to get to work, you need a car to get even the very basics such as groceries. We can all agree that it is neither sustainable or ethical to have a society that only works for people who have cars. Really what we want is a city for pedestrians - one where all people can simple walk to get the basics. To make a city for pedestrians you need density to support services within walking distance, traffic has to be slow and crossings must be convenient, safe and numerous. But right now this is politically impossible as this comes into direct conflict with a way of life that relies on the automobile. People and politicians will complain that slowing down streets will hinder the economy as their car trips will be longer, or that a mixed-use development will take up needed parking. It is difficult to refute these claims as their are no compelling alternatives to the automobile - public transit is infrequent, slow, uncomfortable and inconvenient.
That's where rapid transit comes in. Rapid transit provides the compelling alternative to the automobile by providing frequent, fast and convenient service. With rapid transit car drivers no longer have an excuse to stop the slowing of streets and building on parking lots. Now planners and developers no longer have to focus on designing around drivers, but around transit and pedestrians.It is rapid transit that allows us to build the pedestrian-friendly cities we want that are sustainable, beautiful, livable and provide equal opportunity to all citizens.
Of course we all know other cities that have rapid transit systems, but don't have the transit and pedestrian oriented development that is ideal. That is why any rapid transit plan has to be part of a greater plan that involves transforming the entire city. For each station there must be a development plan to complement it. Bikeway routes should also be coordinated as well as large scale redevelopment plans. Not only does this development provide a sustainable way of living and ridership to the transit system, it can also help pay for it. By using tax-incremental financing (which uses a levy charged on the resulting property value increase from an improvement - i.e. rapid transit line - to help pay for the improvement) a very capital intensive project with huge economic rewards can be built without years of begging to higher levels of government. With this I think Winnipeg could easily build a light-rail network.
In Winnipeg's case things will needs will need to be planned very much in a holistic manner. Most rapid transit corridors in Winnipeg would use rail corridors, some of which are abandoned, others which are very much in use. However, to me at least, it doesn't make sense for much of those freight trains to be going through the city as: most of them aren't destined for Winnipeg; they get slowed down through the city and they are a potential safety hazard. Winnipeg should build a freight-rail bypass around the city as it would be more efficient for freight companies and would free up rail corridors for transit and bike routes. This could also boost Winnipeg's role as a hub of continental trade, and with an intermodal hub west of the airport Winnipeg would become a place companies would want to set shop in. Rail companies could be enticed into this plan by profiting from the developments near corridors they freed up and by the money they would save through a more efficient system.
For an immediate plan: I suggest that while the city negotiates with the rail companies and does planning studies for light-rail it should put in B-Line-esque bus routes that go along all major city corridors. This in itself will greatly improve transit from where it is now.
This may all be pie-in-the-sky, but I hope it at least shows that rapid transit is a corner stone of any vision to help Winnipeg re-emerge has a place people can be proud to live in
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So this is what I think Winnipeg should do:
1. Put up several high-frequency (5min or less), high capacity bus routes with clearly marked stations. This would be like the B-Line bus routes in Vancouver which are often a precursor to real rapid transit. They would use articulated buses. The first key routes I see are:
-U of M - Downtown
-Portage Avenue
-Main St.
-Sargent Ave to the Airport
-Henderson Hwy
-Grant Ave.
-St. Mary's Rd.
-Osborne-Dakota
-Notre Dame
-Transcona to Downtown
2. Negotiate with rail companies about implementation of rapid transit on rail corridors. Rapid transit lines that are not on rail corridors can be built immediately.
3. Build an LRT system financed by
tax incremental financing. Negotiations