Calgary Public Transit II - Page 236

frinkprof · #**4701** Posted: **Mar 21, 2012, 7:42 PM**

Last I'd heard, we have already had 125+ people register to attend, which is already more than I thought we might get for a first-time event like this and there's still almost a month to go.

Here's the direct link to the registration page: http://bettertransitincalgary.eventbrite.com/?ebtv=C
Registration is free.

We have also launched a new website: http://transitcamp.ca/

frinkprof · #**4702** Posted: **Mar 21, 2012, 8:55 PM**

Tele-Text

"Tele-text" has been launched. It is an SMS messaging service that will provide scheduled bus times via text message by the user texting stop numbers to the service.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/sms/

You Need A Thneed · #**4703** Posted: **Mar 21, 2012, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Tele-Text

"Tele-text" has been launched. It is an SMS messaging service that will provide scheduled bus times via text message by the user texting stop numbers to the service.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/sms/

Tried the service, just for fun, with the stop nearest to me. Response came in less than a second.

srperrycgy · #**4704** Posted: **Mar 22, 2012, 1:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Tried the service, just for fun, with the stop nearest to me. Response came in less than a second.

Ditto. Great text-back speed.

5seconds · #**4705** Posted: **Mar 22, 2012, 1:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

According to the agenda of the Transportation and Transit Committee, the sity wants to initiate a report on moving the NC LRT line to Centre Street or Edmonton Trail and out of Nose Creek.

A little bit about that here

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...863/story.html

Wooster · #**4706** Posted: **Mar 22, 2012, 5:40 AM**

Yeah, it's pretty much been decided that Nose Creek is a no go. Now it's really looking at which more central alignment is preferable. On first brush I can't see anything other than Centre Street working. For instance how would one get from downtown to Edmonton Trail? It seems as though the NC line must be an extension of the SE line out of downtown, and Edmonton Trail is pretty far east from 2nd street SW in Eau Claire where the SE line terminates.

Policy Wonk · #**4707** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 9:20 AM**

Beating a Dead Horse
Season 6, Episode 2

My best recollection is an Edmonton Trail alignment would follow third street until intersecting with Edmonton Trail, naturally from 7th Ave.

You Need A Thneed · #**4708** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 2:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

Beating a Dead Horse
Season 6, Episode 2

My best recollection is an Edmonton Trail alignment would follow third street until intersecting with Edmonton Trail, naturally from 7th Ave.

Getting over to 3rd Street is a little shorter than getting to Edmonton Trail, but you still need a tunnel under the river, or find some above ground alignment that goes over centre street.

MalcolmTucker · #**4709** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 3:06 PM**

Quote:

, but you still need a tunnel under the river

That is a given on any alignment that doesn't interline with the W-NE LRT

fusili · #**4710** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 3:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

That is a given on any alignment that doesn't interline with the W-NE LRT

Or you could do a bridge.

You Need A Thneed · #**4711** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 3:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

That is a given on any alignment that doesn't interline with the W-NE LRT

...and an interline is never going to happen. That's the biggest reason why a Nose Creek alignment won't happen.

You Need A Thneed · #**4712** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 4:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

Or you could do a bridge.

A bridge makes sense to connect to Centre Street. It makes less sense if Edmonton Trail is the chosen route. I imagine that they would want to stay in the river valley as long as possible, which would likely mean a bridge going over top of the Centre Street Bridge, depending on the exact alignment.

Not that getting under Centre Street would be easy, but getting to Edmonton Trail is even more complicated.

Bassic Lab · #**4713** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 4:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

Or you could do a bridge.

It might be difficult to have any line transition from underground to at grade right before a river crossing with limited disruption to the street network and park system. I mean, it would be possible but there would be clear drawbacks. That transition would basically be a necessity. Really, any new surface alignment through the core is essentially a non-starter; if anything we'll be getting rid of the ones we have, not adding any more.

You Need A Thneed · #**4714** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

It might be difficult to have any line transition from underground to at grade right before a river crossing with limited disruption to the street network and park system. I mean, it would be possible but there would be clear drawbacks. That transition would basically be a necessity. Really, any new surface alignment through the core is essentially a non-starter; if anything we'll be getting rid of the ones we have, not adding any more.

Yup, for a bridge over the river, there would have to be a transition in Prince's island park, however, with a direct transition from underground to elevated, the transition might not need to take up as much space as one might think.

Underground to elevated probably takes up less space than underground to at grade.

kw5150 · #**4715** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 4:35 PM**

Lets DO this. Great news on the new support for a better alignment.

Bassic Lab · #**4716** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Yup, for a bridge over the river, there would have to be a transition in Prince's island park, however, with a direct transition from underground to elevated, the transition might not need to take up as much space as one might think.

Underground to elevated probably takes up less space than underground to at grade.

Could elevated even work there? It is a pretty steep incline up the hill. I'd be tempted to say that any bridge over the river would lead directly from one tunnel portal to another, even at the maximum climb that LRVs are capable of.

fusili · #**4717** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 5:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassic Lab

Could elevated even work there? It is a pretty steep incline up the hill. I'd be tempted to say that any bridge over the river would lead directly from one tunnel portal to another, even at the maximum climb that LRVs are capable of.

Pretty much. But it is better to start elevating as quick as possible rather than go under the river and then have an even larger grade to climb after the river. My prediction is a tunnel/bridge transition in Prince's Island, then a bridge over the river/memorial to a portal in the bluff. Then a tunnel until 16th street and then elevated again.

Policy Wonk · #**4718** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 5:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

...and an interline is never going to happen. That's the biggest reason why a Nose Creek alignment won't happen.

Here we go again... indeed interlining as far as the zoo is a factor strongly in favor of the Nose Creek alignment.

Bassic Lab · #**4719** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 5:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fusili

Pretty much. But it is better to start elevating as quick as possible rather than go under the river and then have an even larger grade to climb after the river. My prediction is a tunnel/bridge transition in Prince's Island, then a bridge over the river/memorial to a portal in the bluff. Then a tunnel until 16th street and then elevated again.

I'm curious about the engineering hurdles involved in a tunnel portal in the bluff which we've all been told is unstable. It might make sense to keep it lower, in a more stable substrate, until past the point of erosion risk. That could mean bored tunnel until just past 16 Ave.

I'm also not too sure how elevated would go over. I think there will be a big debate between cut and cover and elevated (I just don't see anything in street being viable for the required capacity) and the end result will depend on how much more expensive cut and cover is and how much opposition to elevated there is. Personally, I favour cut and cover all the way to Beddinton Trail but a huge price tag (ie, more than a billion in price differential) could easily change my mind.

Bassic Lab · #**4720** Posted: **Mar 23, 2012, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Policy Wonk

Here we go again... indeed interlining as far as the zoo is a factor strongly in favor of the Nose Creek alignment.

Really, strongly in favour? I know we've been over this ground many times before but I just can't see it being a huge plus. I mean, supposing for the sake of argument that it wouldn't constrain capacity to something below a level we might one day want, there would still be an issue with short turning trains or massively excess capacity to the West LRT. Under the best scenario, interlining might be acceptable or adequate but it wouldn't be ideal. It would always be a sacrifice in exchange for cheaper cost.