Winnipeg City Transit/Rapid Transit

[bomberjet]

The U of M had strict directions on what could and couldn't be done. Taking over the quad with bus shelters, and knocking down a bunch of tress, was prohibited.

The station is at the same location as the old, but is longer. It's not that far down Dafoe. You can also use the other bus stops further west along Dafoe at School of Music and the stops on University Cres.

[pollswpg]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

Believe it or not, cheaper than the useless foot patrol inspectors being used now, and more effective since they would actually have police powers such as arrest and being able to ID people. One smaller than Winnipeg city in the US started with a force of only 6 on a trial basis and found it was so successful that they increased the number of officers to 14.

WPS would do the administrating so really no extra cost there. A 1st or second year constable earns less than a full time WT inspector too.

At very least those foot patrol inspectors should become actual transit security. I believe they're already special constables for a few things, like they can write tickets for parking in front of a bus stop and maybe smoking in a bus shack.

It wouldn't take much to at least train the to the same level as a police cadet, so they can physically remove unruly passengers once a couple inspectors are there. The police instructors already teach part time conservation officers, part time small town police etc, so the training infrastucture exists. It's just getting past all the political nonsense.

Police should still have a role, like investigating actual assaults or more serious incidents...but the day to day could easily be handled by better equipped/trained inspectors.

[bomberjet]

Are you talking about transit supervisors? If some transit guy tried to give me a ticket for smoking (I don't smoke) I would laugh at that guy and just walk away. If he touched me, the fight is on. He's a transit supervisor. How would he know my name? I definitely wouldn't give him any info. There's not cops, with handcuffs and guns.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

Buses into the U of M are being delayed by up to 15 minutes due to having to turn from University Cres onto Dafoe. Something wasn't well thought out.

Why would they be delayed 15 minutes for having to make a left turn? Is traffic hat busy they won't let a bus turn?

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by peg

The station is practically the same as before except further down Dafoe and a longer walk for its users. I had hoped that the station would have stayed in its old location along the Quad. Here there would have been more room for bigger shelters and more distinct RT stations. Overall the station works but I had hoped for more, considering it is the terminus of the SW transitway. Every time I use it though it does suck having to walk way down Dafoe in the cold just to catch the 160...

Is the station finished? I'm just not sure what you mean by walking way down Dafoe. Not trying to be harsh, just curious. The station is at the same place it was before. I guess they moved some of the stops further east? But there is for sure still a bus stop(s) at the same place they used to be.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Are you talking about transit supervisors? If some transit guy tried to give me a ticket for smoking (I don't smoke) I would laugh at that guy and just walk away. If he touched me, the fight is on. He's a transit supervisor. How would he know my name? I definitely wouldn't give him any info. There's not cops, with handcuffs and guns.

They wouldn't touch you (unless in self defense) and you aren't obliged to identify yourself. Pretty useless.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Why would they be delayed 15 minutes for having to make a left turn? Is traffic hat busy they won't let a bus turn?

There was a temporary stop just after turning onto Dafoe. I think it's been removed. It was adding to delays to turn onto Dafoe.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Are you talking about transit supervisors? If some transit guy tried to give me a ticket for smoking (I don't smoke) I would laugh at that guy and just walk away. If he touched me, the fight is on. He's a transit supervisor. How would he know my name? I definitely wouldn't give him any info. There's not cops, with handcuffs and guns.

I am not sure if they still have the special constable status that allows them to do the same as police constables under the police service act of Manitoba. I think at one time they did as well as some of the Security staff of the major Winnipeg hospitals.

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by cllew

I am not sure if they still have the special constable status that allows them to do the same as police constables under the police service act of Manitoba. I think at one time they did as well as some of the Security staff of the major Winnipeg hospitals.

When I worked security at Grace, one of the officers could write tickets. That was the extent of our power. In fact, the security was a complete joke. It was an Inner-Tec security posting. I was almost fired once because while working alone (which should never happen), I was attacked by an angry, drunk with a crutch who then tried to assault a nurse. I handcuffed him which led to us not being allowed to carry handcuffs anymore.

No problem, I told my supervisor, Ill beat the guy unconscious next time.

Shortly before I left, the big controversy was the ER using security to do some orderly duties because we were so poorly paid compared to them.

Im sure its much better now...I sure hope so!

[Wpg_Guy]

I’m probably breaking rules here but for anyone who can’t read Vikings latest opinion piece here it is:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/op...470455743.html
City should consider streetcar revival
Brent Bellamy By: Brent Bellamy
Posted: 01/22/2018

One hundred and 17 years ago this week, the first electric streetcar in Winnipeg jingle-jangled its way down River Avenue between Main and Osborne streets. Soon, a network of routes would criss-cross the city. At its peak, almost 400 cars carried 60-million riders annually on more than 200 kilometres of track.

Winnipeg owes much of its current urban form of large streets radiating out from the core to those early streetcar routes. The attraction of public transportation was used to drive development and target growth in new suburbs, by extending streetcar lines down streets, such as Osborne Street, Corydon Avenue, Sherbrook Street, Broadway, Portage Avenue, Academy Road and St. Mary’s Road. These roads would become dense retail and service corridors, running through neighbourhoods of grid-pattern residential streets that provided easy pedestrian access to transit stops.

As car ownership boomed and diesel buses became the future, the last streetcar made its final run down Main Street in 1955, with a banner on its side proclaiming, "I’m giving way to transit progress." The city form would change to follow this evolution, with primary growth occurring in distant, car-focused, low-density, cul-de-sac subdivisions with regional retail centres.

[esquire]

^ Great column.

Last fall I visited Krakow, a mid sized city without a subway system. They did, however, have a well used tramway (streetcar) system that did a lot to animate the streets where it ran.

Part of me thinks that there's nothing that streetcars can achieve that an improved bus system couldn't, but there is something compelling about the cities that have streetcar systems and the success they have experienced as a result. I'd say it's worth a shot... I could get behind it as the next big transit capital project after EBRT is built.

[drew]

From a perspective of "vanity", streetcars offer something more than buses. Just having them will give transit ridership a boost due to it being "cooler".

The fact that in the long term it would offer advantages in other ways, is just a bonus. I have a history on here of pumping the tires of a streetcar system in Winnipeg - and I still think it's the best move for our fair City.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Great column.

Last fall I visited Krakow, a mid sized city without a subway system. They did, however, have a well used tramway (streetcar) system that did a lot to animate the streets where it ran.

Part of me thinks that there's nothing that streetcars can achieve that an improved bus system couldn't, but there is something compelling about the cities that have streetcar systems and the success they have experienced as a result. I'd say it's worth a shot... I could get behind it as the next big transit capital project after EBRT is built.

Hey i was in Krakow last fall too. Never used their trams but they seemed busy. One of the really nice parts of the tram system is how quiet they are. Not like diesel buses which are quite annoying to listen too.

[bomberjet]

Winnipeg can't handle people crossing the street. Never mind street cars!

[GlassCity]

I've always really really hated streetcars as a transit/urban planning tool so I really really hope Winnipeg never starts building them.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by WpG_GuY

I’m probably breaking rules here but for anyone who can’t read Vikings latest opinion piece here it is:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/op...470455743.html
City should consider streetcar revival
Brent Bellamy By: Brent Bellamy
Posted: 01/22/2018

One hundred and 17 years ago this week, the first electric streetcar in Winnipeg jingle-jangled its way down River Avenue between Main and Osborne streets. Soon, a network of routes would criss-cross the city. At its peak, almost 400 cars carried 60-million riders annually on more than 200 kilometres of track.

Winnipeg owes much of its current urban form of large streets radiating out from the core to those early streetcar routes. The attraction of public transportation was used to drive development and target growth in new suburbs, by extending streetcar lines down streets, such as Osborne Street, Corydon Avenue, Sherbrook Street, Broadway, Portage Avenue, Academy Road and St. Mary’s Road. These roads would become dense retail and service corridors, running through neighbourhoods of grid-pattern residential streets that provided easy pedestrian access to transit stops.

As car ownership boomed and diesel buses became the future, the last streetcar made its final run down Main Street in 1955, with a banner on its side proclaiming, "I’m giving way to transit progress." The city form would change to follow this evolution, with primary growth occurring in distant, car-focused, low-density, cul-de-sac subdivisions with regional retail centres.

And take a wild guess on what does this, fancier vehicles or buses that come more frequently and can access more places?

Winnipeg isn't a sunbelt city that needs to spend exorbitant amounts of money on projects that do nothing for improving accessibility. There's already demand for transit, enough that many bus routes frequently overcrowd. Spend the money on improving bus frequencies, thereby increasing capacity and actually improving peoples' mobility rather than spending it on a vehicle that looks prettier because we think it'll bring more development in and convince a more 'favourable' clientele to ocassionally take rides.

[LilZebra]

^^^

You work for ESSO (Mobil) or Shell by any chance? Or perhaps at WT itself, since it has not yet shed its backwards views on rail-based transit.

[EndoftheBeginning]

For reference - here is 1945 centered on Portage and Main - look at how many streetcars you can count down the middle of both Portage and Main Street. At least one per block.

[Roger Strong]

A Prophesy:

Winnipeg won't build streetcar lines again until the last of the old streetcar tracks are torn up.

[bomberjet]

It's always sad looking back at the old photos. Look at all those buildings gone for parking lots and crappy developments.