Winnipeg City Transit/Rapid Transit

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

I work in the airport area and we received a survey from transit about a new PROPOSED route to help service the new terminal, canada post, greyhound, standardaro new building.

new bus route to service entire airport campus area. extending the route 20 (academy/watt), coming from polo park, via empress and wellington

There is a need for service using Empress, and a need to connect the airport terminal to the Polo Park area. Too bad they can't think of a good way to run service from the terminal near the airport/Polo Park area hotels and then Portage Ave. Would be pretty easy, and offer faster service to downtown that the 15. I always thought that running a bus down Wellington, King Edward up to Portage, and then downtown as an express bus would work well.

I guess extending the 20 would accomplish some of that.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by drew

What routes do you drive?

I'm all over the place right now.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

I'm all over the place right now.

some of us have probly crossed paths with u in our daily adventures lol

[Reed Solomon]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

Hard to put my idea in writing, but if you ever ride my bus I could tell you all about it. Unless there was a complete planning overhaul upstairs at Transit the current status quo will continue, with useless grand ideas like BRT. I guess it's a start at least, but I'd rather see the energy expended on basics first. Make the system more comfortable, and make it work better for more people. I'll be amazed if much changes before I'm eligible to retire in 13 years.

I know these things have been said at many rapid transit workshops I have attended, that part of the problem is the fact that the routes have not truly been changed since the early 60's. People move, areas of influence change. Bridges get built. There is only one bus that uses the kildonan bridge, the 77. anything else that goes across chief peguis trail is out of service. How hard would it be to get some 11's or 90's to skip across the bridge to head around riverbend/templeton then turn around? Why do we build bridges if transit doesn't use them?

Not to mention the recent change to the transit phone service with 311, now when you call and ask for the next bus, next bus means 20-30 minutes, not the one that is 3 minutes away. They used to say "oh there's one scheduled for 8:00 and its 8:01, and the next one is at 8:25".

Since I'm on a rant already, that 311 service drives me crazy. I hate when people are forced to waste my time with being overly friendly "Thank you for calling 311" SHUTUP. Give me my information, and shutup! I don't need phony ass corporate mcdonalds brand customer service. It wastes my time. I just my information then hang up without being rude. Is there anything else we can help you with? No, if there was, I'd have said so! But that one doesn't bother me as much. Also when you're on hold the 311 service hold message calls you a customer. NO, I'M YOUR BOSS. I PAY YOUR SALARIES. MY TAXES PAY YOUR SALARIES. DO NOT CALL ME A CUSTOMER. Yeah I'm being a bit extreme but all the same, customer is not the word I would use.

[wags_in_the_peg]

I've spoken with others that are very happy with the 311.

If the drunks start phoning this and asking for beer delivery instead of 911 then that is huge in itself. (and yes I know a 911 operator and yes she does receive calls for beer delivery). only major repeat offenders get charged

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

I've spoken with others that are very happy with the 311.

If the drunks start phoning this and asking for beer delivery instead of 911 then that is huge in itself. (and yes I know a 911 operator and yes she does receive calls for beer delivery). only major repeat offenders get charged

so it is true dam never thought it was lol

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

There is a need for service using Empress, and a need to connect the airport terminal to the Polo Park area. Too bad they can't think of a good way to run service from the terminal near the airport/Polo Park area hotels and then Portage Ave. Would be pretty easy, and offer faster service to downtown that the 15. I always thought that running a bus down Wellington, King Edward up to Portage, and then downtown as an express bus would work well.

I guess extending the 20 would accomplish some of that.

The taxicab board might not want easier access for people wanting to travel via Transit.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

The taxicab board might not want easier access for people wanting to travel via Transit.

we need to get rid of the taxi cab board

[1ajs]

Katz Takes Rapid Transit Idea To Ottawa
CJOB's John Copsey reporting
3/4/2009

Mayor Sam Katz says he wants to advance funding for infrastructure projects by meeting with Federal ministers in Ottawa.. ideally, after city council approves the City's operating budget on March 24.

The Mayor says Rapid Transit is a project he wants to discuss front-and-centre with the Conservative government...






Katz says he wants to discuss the feasibility of an alternative form of rapid-transit he's commissioned a report on, called an 'Automated People Mover'.

The system is similar in concept to monorail or duorail systems in use in cities like Minneapolis and Las Vegas.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Katz says he wants to discuss the feasibility of an alternative form of rapid-transit he's commissioned a report on, called an 'Automated People Mover'.

The system is similar in concept to monorail or duorail systems in use in cities like Minneapolis and Las Vegas.

Ohhhh yaaa!

Please say yes Ottawa. Please say yes.

[1ajs]

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Katz Takes Rapid Transit Idea To Ottawa
CJOB's John Copsey reporting
3/4/2009

Mayor Sam Katz says he wants to advance funding for infrastructure projects by meeting with Federal ministers in Ottawa.. ideally, after city council approves the City's operating budget on March 24.

The Mayor says Rapid Transit is a project he wants to discuss front-and-centre with the Conservative government...






Katz says he wants to discuss the feasibility of an alternative form of rapid-transit he's commissioned a report on, called an 'Automated People Mover'.

The system is similar in concept to monorail or duorail systems in use in cities like Minneapolis and Las Vegas.

So:

Monorail = Las Vegas
"Duorail" (LRT?) = Minneapolis

In the end though, it's not how to build a "cheap" system, but one that will grow with Winnipeg as Winnipeg grows, and we won't have to tear down the whole system just to extend the capacity load (passengers per hour).

[MalcolmTucker]

I don't think the province will find anything cheaper than LRT. It might find something more cool, but definitely not cheaper.

The more grade separated and the more exclusive ROW the more expensive it will be. There is no way to avoid that fact, and some whiz bang technology isn't going to change it.

Winnipeg if it wants something cool should just invest in Cabintaxi and operate it in conventional mode, along a linear path with large sized cars. Basically just a small scale Skytrain.
• Video Link

[MalcolmTucker]

Duo rail is when the car grips the rail (instead of sitting on it) and usually has an external propulsion system, most conventionally cables (link Toronto airports Link) or motorized tires that touch acceleration plates at the bottom of the car (think a roller coaster).

They are mostly used in mines.

[LilZebra]

From the Monorail Society website:

What is a monorail...

http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/WhatIs.html

Disney is monorail, Vancouver SkyTrain is not.

Osaka Japan has a monorail (and other rail technologies), while the San Francisco BART is not.




And this one, is definately NOT a monorail.... The Miami Metromover.



That's just a bus above ground.... Blech!

All photos courtesy of The Monorail Society.

[vid]

Miami's Metro Mover is the cutest mass transit system on earth.

[LilZebra]

Further to Mayor Katz's suggestion that he wants the City to look into an elevated version of the Minneapolis LRT, like so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiawatha_Line



Specs for the Minneapolis Hiawatha Line LRT vehicles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexity_Swift

But he also mentions he likes the Las Vegas monorail, like so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Monorail



Specs for Las Vegas monorail are here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_MVI

And I like when Mayor Katz says that he wants it to be an automated system, so it will always be safe to ride in some ways.

Now the thing to convince them of then is that the stations be closed off from the open air so that when the wind chill is -40 Celcius in February that the passengers will still have a warm place to wait for the next train.

Images courtesy of Wikipedia.

[Kris22]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

Now the thing to convince them of then is that the stations be closed off from the open air so that when the wind chill is -40 Celcius in February that the passengers will still have a warm place to wait for the next train.

I really think this is key for any new form of transit built in Winnipeg. No matter how much quicker, cheaper, or environmentally friendly RT is, no one will take it if they have to walk and then wait in windchills of -30 or lower for more than a few minutes. They will just warm up their cars instead. We have an extremely cold climate and need to accept it and work with it.

[Reed Solomon]

Originally Posted by kyle_olsen

Winnipeg if it wants something cool should just invest in Cabintaxi

ONLY if they play that background music on a loop over and over again while you ride it.

[Only The Lonely..]

Mayor boosting bigger vision for rapid transit

By: Bartley Kives | Winnipeg Free Press - MArch 5, 2009

Mayor Sam Katz will fly to Ottawa at the end of the month to sell the Conservative government on a Winnipeg rapid transit system that could include an "automated people mover" similar to what's in place at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The mayor plans to meet with federal ministers to secure more funding for a rapid transit network that could include both a bus corridor from the University of Manitoba to the south end of Main Street and an ultra-lightweight rail system that would allow passengers to continue all the way through downtown to the University of Winnipeg.

"In a perfect world, you would see one university connected to the other," Katz said in an interview Wednesday, divulging more details about a downtown rail line city officials previously described as ultra-lightweight aluminum rail. "They have it in Las Vegas. They have it in Minneapolis. Just last week, I was looking at it (and) it may make total sense for our city."

In September, when the city and province announced plans for a $327-million bus corridor between Queen Elizabeth Way and the University of Manitoba, Katz surprised reporters by stating "light rail is just around the corner."

In January, city officials confirmed they were studying ways of augmenting the bus corridor with some form of light rail. Katz said Wednesday that a report about the enhanced rapid-transit plan could come before council next month.

In the meantime, the mayor will fly to Ottawa after the March 25 council meeting to meet with Conservative ministers about Winnipeg's rapid transit corridor. The city has only secured funding for the $138-million first phase of the busway component, from Queen Elizabeth Way to Jubilee Avenue.

The cost of the second phase of the busway is pegged at $189 million. But when the city handed Ottawa a list of "shovel-ready" projects that could benefit from a fresh influx of federal infrastructure dollars, the "total estimated cost" of the rapid-transit corridor was listed as $600 million, not $327 million.

The mayor said Winnipeg could be in line for additional rapid-transit cash without having to pony up more funds of its own.

"Other cities are getting significant contributions toward rapid transit," Katz said, mentioning only Toronto by name. "I want the federal government playing a role in rapid transit. I want to see it happen sooner rather than later."

Ottawa has already promised Winnipeg $17.9 million in rapid transit funding through a transportation contribution to the province announced in March 2008.

But the more recent pledge to spend an additional $7 billion on Canadian infrastructure -- a major component of Ottawa's recession-fighting strategy -- handed Winnipeg an opportunity to seek hundreds of millions more.

The mayor's office says the infrastructure wish-list Winnipeg presented to Ottawa included six "shovel-ready" projects, ranging from the $600-million rapid transit corridor to a $7.5-million upgrade of Transcona's Gunn Road.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca