Winnipeg City Transit/Rapid Transit

[rrskylar]

^ The share of the cost the city picked up was probably the total of the actual cost, I mean look who actually built it and their track record.

[dmacc]

Don't forget there is a second, equally beautiful open air canopy with benches and a heated bus shack on the other side of the road. Basically they got it at a discount. haha

[esquire]

^ Yes, of course, let's not overlook the fact that there are two such structures. Man, $8 million for that. Crazy. It makes WT's propensity for putting stations too close together even more ridiculous... cut out a few stations, improve trip times and save literally tens of millions of dollars.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Yes, of course, let's not overlook the fact that there are two such structures. Man, $8 million for that. Crazy. It makes WT's propensity for putting stations too close together even more ridiculous... cut out a few stations, improve trip times and save literally tens of millions of dollars.

This.

--

Side note, I'm very curious to see what the city has planned (if anything) to get 2 lanes of busses from Harkness Station to Union Station eventually. There just isn't any room to carve out closer to the tracks. Only way I can really see it working without drastic changes to the (fairly new) street/sidewalk layout there is by going up to a raised platform immediately north of Harkness, as opposed to closer to Main.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by buzzg

This.

--

Side note, I'm very curious to see what the city has planned (if anything) to get 2 lanes of busses from Harkness Station to Union Station eventually. There just isn't any room to carve out closer to the tracks. Only way I can really see it working without drastic changes to the (fairly new) street/sidewalk layout there is by going up to a raised platform immediately north of Harkness, as opposed to closer to Main.

That's how i always envisioned it, raised platform across Main Street new bridge over the river into union station.

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by WpG_GuY

That's how i always envisioned it, raised platform across Main Street new bridge over the river into union station.

Unlikable but likely:

The buses get transit signal priority (TSP) to cross main street, and two dedicated lanes on the existing northbound Main Street bridge.

One of those lanes is already a diamond lane so it won't be missed (much.)

As for the second lane, the northbound span already switches from four lanes to five partway across the bridge. It would be relatively inexpensive to extend the fifth lane the rest of the way. The existing auto traffic lanes merely get shifted one to the left. No need to build two new bridges.

Again, *unlikable.* But more likely. Sorry.

[Wpg_Guy]

Where would the busses ramp up into union station?

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by buzzg

This.

--

Side note, I'm very curious to see what the city has planned (if anything) to get 2 lanes of busses from Harkness Station to Union Station eventually. There just isn't any room to carve out closer to the tracks. Only way I can really see it working without drastic changes to the (fairly new) street/sidewalk layout there is by going up to a raised platform immediately north of Harkness, as opposed to closer to Main.

By the time they start construction it won't be new at all.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by WpG_GuY

Where would the busses ramp up into union station?

Current plan is just north of the Main Street bridge.

[The Unknown Poster]

In the Chancellor/Markham area, what is the plan? Will the RT roadway be East or West of the existing railway tracks? And are they moving the tracks over a bit? Doesnt seem like a ton of room there.

It seemed to me the RT roadway was ging West of the tracks but then busses would have to wait for trains before they could cross over to Southpark. And speaking of Southpark, are they going to be widening that road? (Again, doesnt seem like a ton of room there).

[esquire]

^ SW BRT will be east of the tracks around Chancellor and Markham... there is a grade separation being built north of Bishop Grandin that will push the route west of the tracks towards the dogleg part of the route.

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by The Unknown Poster

In the Chancellor/Markham area, what is the plan? Will the RT roadway be East or West of the existing railway tracks? And are they moving the tracks over a bit? Doesnt seem like a ton of room there.

It seemed to me the RT roadway was ging West of the tracks but then busses would have to wait for trains before they could cross over to Southpark. And speaking of Southpark, are they going to be widening that road? (Again, doesnt seem like a ton of room there).

To add to Esquire's answer - yes the tracks will be shifted westward south of bishop to accommodate the RT line. I think a sound barrier is being installed along the west side for the residential. The city expropriated about 1m on each side of Southpark drive to allow three lanes (two driving, 1 parking) and the addition of sidewalks (and bike path?)

[The Unknown Poster]

Thanks guys. Makes sense. Its my neck of the woods.

I noticed some concrete piles (or something) all along the fence line of the residential properties west of the tracks.

But it means the RT Station at Markham will be West of the tracks while the RT roadway will be East of the tracks...?

Southglenn is tight as it is. I noticed the little flags marking underground lines but they will be removing a lot of trees and bringing the roadway pretty close to the buildings...or so it seems.

[esquire]

^ Winnipeg Transit has released detailed PDFs on their website that show you where everything will go.

[buzzg]

Over the long weekend a taxi icon was added to all the diamond lane signs. I didn't even realize this got approved – what a f*cking joke.

So we're supposed to be becoming this innovative tech hub, but when the government tried to "reform" taxi laws to allow ridesharing to operate here, not only did MPI step in to make it nearly impossbile, but we actually gave taxis MORE benefits by allowing this, while simultaneously hurting bus service?

Plus, it's already bad enough bikes and busses are supposed to share lanes, but you're going to add taxis who are unarguably the worst drivers on the road?! Nightmare.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Over the long weekend a taxi icon was added to all the diamond lane signs. I didn't even realize this got approved – what a f*cking joke.

So we're supposed to be becoming this innovative tech hub, but when the government tried to "reform" taxi laws to allow ridesharing to operate here, not only did MPI step in to make it nearly impossbile, but we actually gave taxis MORE benefits by allowing this, while simultaneously hurting bus service?

Plus, it's already bad enough bikes and busses are supposed to share lanes, but you're going to add taxis who are unarguably the worst drivers on the road?! Nightmare.

Actually I thought allowing crappy Priuses in the diamond lane was a bone the city threw them for letting UBER come here, now there’s no UBER but we’re stuck with crappy Priuses and their crappy cab drivers in diamond lanes, what progress!

Any second Tache will pipe in that Skylar is racist against crappy cab drivers!

[buzzg]

Yeah the Prius thing is ridiculous. I've been all over the world, and I can't think of any city I've been to that has such horrible cabs. It's not just the fact that they're Priuses, but that they're not maintained at all, any comfort in the seats is stripped out and horrible plastic put in, they rattle like no tomorrow, half of the time damaged panels and doors are replaced with ones that don't even match the colour. It's such an embarrassment to the city. But that's what happens when you essentially force an oligopoly – no reason to improve.

[headhorse]

what's with winnipeg transit riders exiting through the front door all the time? i've lived in 4 different cities and have never seen this as much as i do here. is it really just that people have trouble with the strips?

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by headhorse

what's with winnipeg transit riders exiting through the front door all the time? i've lived in 4 different cities and have never seen this as much as i do here. is it really just that people have trouble with the strips?

1) The strips often work only at random. Yes, even when you take your glove off and press (hard)/release/press (hard)/release. Riders will see several people in a row have problems, and just go to the front when it's their stop.

2) Winter safety. A couple weeks ago I was let out the back door into a large steeply sloped mound of snow. I had to be VERY careful not to end up under the tires. Given that the driver was loading passengers at the front, he probably wouldn't have noticed.

This was Portage eastbound at Arlington. You can get two or three buses in a row at once there, so the whole stretch may not be cleared.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by Roger Strong

1) The strips often work only at random. Yes, even when you take your glove off and press (hard)/release/press (hard)/release. Riders will see several people in a row have problems, and just go to the front when it's their stop.

2) Winter safety. A couple weeks ago I was let out the back door into a large steeply sloped mound of snow. I had to be VERY careful not to end up under the tires. Given that the driver was loading passengers at the front, he probably wouldn't have noticed.

This was Portage eastbound at Arlington. You can get two or three buses in a row at once there, so the whole stretch may not be cleared.

1) Problem is having 4 different types of rear door activators. The old buses have tactile strips which get stiff in cold weather. Thumb press near the top of the strip will always open it. If they have the decal saying touch here to open it's a motion sensor. Certain mitts will not bounce the beam to open the door. With bare hands you can wave your hand at elbow level without touching the door and it will open. Inviro buses have a grab strip. Pretty easy but still not foolproof. Driver has push button activators which don't always work on first try. Last are the touch bars. Pretty simple as long as you aren't pushing on the bar before the green light is on.

2) With lack of major snowfall a lot of bus stop clearing has been less than stellar. Can't blame anyone for using the front door at most stops. Most operators will try not to let anyone exit where it is unsafe.