Calgary Transit Fantasy Thread

[JordanBerndt]

Every other city has it's own fantasy thread, why shouldn't we?

I'm going to start things off with me own fantasy CTrain Map that I created last October, with news that the Green Line will begin construction in 2017, I felt it was an appropriate time to dig this up again, what do you guys think?




Trivia:

- 207.3 Kilometers (128.8 Miles) of track, or about as many miles as the entire Paris Métro
- 121 Stations, almost as many as the city of Osaka.
- The largest Light Rail Transit system in the world

[RyLucky]

Looks good! I'm a geek about this stuff too. Here's a map I made a couple years ago that I've shared on here before.

One change I would make is match my NE leg with my SW leg, and the W leg with the E leg, amongst other changes.

[CalgaryAlex]

Originally Posted by JordanBerndt

Every other city has it's own fantasy thread, why shouldn't we?

I'm going to start things off with me own fantasy CTrain Map that I created last October, with news that the Green Line will begin construction in 2017, I felt it was an appropriate time to dig this up again, what do you guys think?

That aligns pretty close to what I've drawn up in Google Maps (which I'm too lazy to dig up). In particular, I drew a nearly identical line going from Bowness to International Ave... those two areas are so desperately in need of a boost and rapid transit could give it to them.

Great job, love it!

[holhm22]

Really great map and excellent design Jordan, but I think there isn't really a need for a Silver Springs station. Nice to see Northland on there though

[McMurph]

Originally Posted by CalgaryAlex

That aligns pretty close to what I've drawn up in Google Maps (which I'm too lazy to dig up). In particular, I drew a nearly identical line going from Bowness to International Ave... those two areas are so desperately in need of a boost and rapid transit could give it to them.

Great job, love it!

Bowness to 17 Ave SE would be great route for a street car line. I know BRT is just as effective, but trains are so much more fun.

[JordanBerndt]

Originally Posted by holhm22

Really great map and excellent design Jordan, but I think there isn't really a need for a Silver Springs station. Nice to see Northland on there though

Maybe not, but if you live in Silver Springs or Ranchlands there's no way you can walk to an LRT station, and considering that the train already runs right between the two communities, I think that's a missed opportunity for thousands of people. There really isn't enough space for a park n ride lot or bus loop so it'd have to be a pedestrian only station, but anyways I think it should be a thing.

If you've been to Northland Mall recently, they have all these posters up about their proposed plan to redevelop the land, which basically includes building a 2-story mall with 3-5 stories of office and residential above it, as well as adding a public square/plaza area directly across Brebeuf, while moving the main parking lot to where the gym and Best Buy are now. Interestingly though, the plans also included a CTrain Station, I don't know if that means that owners and/or developers will be lobbying the city or not to build a station or if (hopefully) if they'll be giving them land/money to help make it a reality, but I really hope it does become a thing, I was always so disappointed that there never was a station there.

Originally Posted by CalgaryAlex

That aligns pretty close to what I've drawn up in Google Maps (which I'm too lazy to dig up). In particular, I drew a nearly identical line going from Bowness to International Ave... those two areas are so desperately in need of a boost and rapid transit could give it to them.

Great job, love it!

Thanks! You should dig up the map you've made and post it too, I want to see it!

[holhm22]

Originally Posted by JordanBerndt

Maybe not, but if you live in Silver Springs or Ranchlands there's no way you can walk to an LRT station, and considering that the train already runs right between the two communities, I think that's a missed opportunity for thousands of people. There really isn't enough space for a park n ride lot or bus loop so it'd have to be a pedestrian only station, but anyways I think it should be a thing.

If you've been to Northland Mall recently, they have all these posters up about their proposed plan to redevelop the land, which basically includes building a 2-story mall with 3-5 stories of office and residential above it, as well as adding a public square/plaza area directly across Brebeuf, while moving the main parking lot to where the gym and Best Buy are now. Interestingly though, the plans also included a CTrain Station, I don't know if that means that owners and/or developers will be lobbying the city or not to build a station or if (hopefully) if they'll be giving them land/money to help make it a reality, but I really hope it does become a thing, I was always so disappointed that there never was a station there.




Thanks! You should dig up the map you've made and post it too, I want to see it!

OK, Silver Springs station isn't a bad idea, but if it's pedestrian only, I still don't think there will be enough people that will choose to just walk to the station in either community. In the end, I think that the cost of building a station there will not be worth it.

[DizzyEdge]

Silversprings/Ranchlands would need an upzoned TOD around the station to make it worthwhile.

[Innersoul1]

I have been meaning to post this for a while. A while ago there was some discussion on a Gondola System from the U of C to Foothills and then up to the top of Edworthy park. I saw this on CBC and it was well done. If they can pull it off in Colombia, why not here?

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20S...ID/2650654235/

Skip to the 6:30 mark for the gondola bit.

[Fuzz]

My biggest issue with gondolas would be the epic wind storms we get. Can they handle it? I know ski lifts around here often get shut down in big winds.

[googspecial]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

My biggest issue with gondolas would be the epic wind storms we get. Can they handle it? I know ski lifts around here often get shut down in big winds.

Often during these storms the C-Trains shut down as well

[Fuzz]

Really? Trains were still running yesterday, albeit a disaster due to passenger issues...I can't imagine a gondola would have operated then. How often to the traisn stop because of strong winds?

[googspecial]

Quick google search - Gondolas at ski resorts generally shut down when gusts reach 100km/h. Yesterday's gusts reached 78km/h.

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Really? Trains were still running yesterday, albeit a disaster due to passenger issues...I can't imagine a gondola would have operated then. How often to the traisn stop because of strong winds?

There was a wind storm a few summers ago when they shut down the lines.

Trains were running yesterday, but not only delayed by passengers, but crews needing to clean debris from the tracks. I imagine that that would be more significant reason to shut down over the wind itself.

[Wooster]

Gondolas were being studied by Calgary Transit for that connection across the Bow Valley.

[googspecial]

Green Line from Keystone to Woodbine/Cedarbrae/Tsuu T'ina
SE & East Calgary gets it's own "Purple Line"
Yellow Line is Gondola
Black as Streetcar Network
White dots at Major Transfer Points

[simster3]

Originally Posted by googspecial

Green Line from Keystone to Woodbine/Cedarbrae/Tsuu T'ina
SE & East Calgary gets it's own "Purple Line"
Yellow Line is Gondola
Black as Streetcar Network
White dots at Major Transfer Points

Not sure I could live with a street car in front of my house on 33rd St.

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by Wooster

Gondolas were being studied by Calgary Transit for that connection across the Bow Valley.

Do you know whatever became of the NW HUB mobility study? Seems to have disappeared off the radar. Same with the functional subway study that was supposedly commenced in 2007.

[RyLucky]

Nice map!

Although I like the streetcar routes you've mapped out (especially the one in the deep south - I never would have thought of that), I have mixed emotions towards the technology. I like the romance/nostalgia/permanence of streetcars, but there are a ton of reasons why they are pretty impractical: they are a headache for bicycles, wheelchairs, and strollers (both loading and to cross the tracks), there are many near-misses from centre-lane stations, and a bus can beat them in 9 out of 10 metrics. If there is a separated ROW, that may be another story, but I think you'd lose part of that nostalgic charm. If we still had the ones we built in the 30's, I'd probably argue that we should keep them as a part of our heritage, but now I'm not sure the charm is worth it when for the same price we might as well double bus service hours on those routes.

Originally Posted by Wooster

Gondolas were being studied by Calgary Transit for that connection across the Bow Valley.

Gondolas seem best for scenarios with dramatic elevation gain and physical barriers, especially when road (bike, bus, car) are completely unfeasible. They also tend to work better for the first mile, rather than the last mile, meaning people prefer to use them to connect home rather than work, with the exception of tourist purposes. For me, Gondolas are kind of a last resort, and I'm not convinced they are a good fit for present-day Calgary.

That is not to say that they could never work here. If more people lived at the University and at Westbrook, an aerial tram with a stop at Foothills might well serve all three. An even better solution would be continuous rapid transit that also connects nodes far more significant than Westbrook (MRU, Rockyview, and the SLRT) 30 years down the road. It reminds me of building a ferry where one day we will ask for a bridge.

Now, if Calgary built a community almost inaccessible by car (like the barios of Medellin or the housing projects of Roosevelt Island), I'm all for gondola. In theory, I could also get behind one that served tourists connecting Heritage Park to Chinook or something.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by simster3

Not sure I could live with a street car in front of my house on 33rd St.

How come? I'd love one.

That's a cool map, I like the idea of a network of streetcar lines a lot (although not actually in mixed traffic), but I fear there would be no business case for them as you'd need a pretty dense network of them over a largish densely populated area to get the most benefit.

[simster3]

Originally Posted by milomilo

How come? I'd love one.

That's a cool map, I like the idea of a network of streetcar lines a lot (although not actually in mixed traffic), but I fear there would be no business case for them as you'd need a pretty dense network of them over a largish densely populated area to get the most benefit.

Its a relatively small street for something like that. Also the sound. I would be happy if they took out a lane of parking and put in a separted bike lane to connect 26th Ave bike lanes to Westbrook and the river network though.

A street car would be a better fit on a road like 37th St, it is wider and the homes there are already used to higher traffic volumes.