Green Line LRT | ?m | ?s | Calgary Transit

[DougB]

I assume 196th Ave is now Seton Dr? A little funny that they presume an underpass there...2017...simpler times! This next image indicates 196th might be further south, aka Seton Ave?

From the link you posted it looks like there would be ROW (as of 2022) to turn around the catholic HS and run ENE along Union Ave

View attachment 699377

That makes no sense given that green field development should have allowed optimal rounding of the Green Line. It should have a stop immediately next to the hospital. It also should have the optionality to extend further south. What were they thinking?

 

[CalgaryTiger]

I assume 196th Ave is now Seton Dr? A little funny that they presume an underpass there...2017...simpler times! This next image indicates 196th might be further south, aka Seton Ave?

From the link you posted it looks like there would be ROW (as of 2022) to turn around the catholic HS and run ENE along Union Ave

View attachment 699377

Thank you for this map, I see the ROW possibilities now along Union Avenue. Not in my lifetime, but I do think the city will grow more to the east here rather than south over the bow.

If they could find a way to connect the Green and Red Lines at 212 avenue, that would be ideal!

I did a rough estimate for the length of a Gondola from 210 Ave SW to the Green Line Station.

For reference the Banff Sunshine Gondola is 4.5KM. So 9.15KM is realistic if....

You have a transfer station at the 4KM mark at the bottom of the hill near Wolf Willow, this would also allow residents of Wolf Willow to use it to get to the Red Line or Green Line. People could also use the Gondola to get to the river pathways. (Not Pictured) Another transfer station would be required between Legacy Village Link and Legacy Boulevard.

Across the river, you could do a transfer station at Cranston's Riverstone for the same reason you have one in Wolf Willow.

It is realistic but is it necessary, I don't know?

 

[MichaelS]

That makes no sense given that green field development should have allowed optimal rounding of the Green Line. It should have a stop immediately next to the hospital. It also should have the optionality to extend further south. What were they thinking?

Welcome to Calgary, where planning doesn't include infrastructure.....

 

[accord1999]

I assume 196th Ave is now Seton Dr? A little funny that they presume an underpass there...2017...simpler times! This next image indicates 196th might be further south, aka Seton Ave?

The name change annoyed me as well when trying to match the old plan with the current naming system. After a bit of searching, 196th turns out to be Seton Boulevard.

From the link you posted it looks like there would be ROW (as of 2022) to turn around the catholic HS and run ENE along Union Ave

At a high level, it seems to be a possible ROW. But looking at recent Google Earth imagery, they made it harder on themselves by removing land restrictions and allowing a bunch of stuff (though fortunately looks to be inexpensive and easy to to tear down if needed) to be built around it.

The Rangeview outline plan also indicates Union Ave hits a green space and can't continue straight east. That community also doesn't seem like it has any set-aside space for a train.

 

[darwink]

I don't think the south bit has changed much if at all, has it? From 2017:

More:

more detailed profiles and maps available in the attachments here: https://pub-calgary.escribemeetings...8214b1b&Agenda=PostMinutes&lang=English#49544

 

[FCC1982]

Aren’t the crossings going to be grade separated? That means it won’t be so slow I would assume.

Ha - Dream on!

Centre St. N is a nightmare in waiting as currently planned.

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

A cautionary tale regarding street running trams - looking at you Center Street N. Green Line

Edmonton Valley Line LRT ridership falls far short of estimates - SkyTrain for Surrey, not LRT!

Despite recent cost increases, the SLS remains Canada's best value transit project, costing less per-kilometre than many surface LRT proposals.

skytrainforsurrey.org

Here in Toronto - we are about to open a 2.5 billion dollar LRT that will be slower than the bus it replaces.

Lesson here: do whatever you can to advocate that as many grade crossings are removed as possible and each grade crossing has FULL signal priority, otherwise you would have been better off painting a bus lane on the road.

Again, the Green Line should have been a grade separated light metro aka Montreal's REM from day one. Oh well.

 

[badc0ffee]

Again, the Green Line should have been a grade separated light metro aka Montreal's REM from day one. Oh well.

I can't speak for the future north phase, but the GL should have priority at all of its grade crossings in the south. The Red Line has lots of grade crossings, but we never think of them as slowing it down. (Outside of 7 Ave, I mean)

 

[whatchyyc]

Since the design headway for green line is 3 minutes I doubt they could even get away with any non-priority grade crossings

 

[Red Star]

Here in Toronto - we are about to open a 2.5 billion dollar LRT that will be slower than the bus it replaces.

Lesson here: do whatever you can to advocate that as many grade crossings are removed as possible and each grade crossing has FULL signal priority, otherwise you would have been better off painting a bus lane on the road.

Again, the Green Line should have been a grade separated light metro aka Montreal's REM from day one. Oh well.

Speed.
Directness.
Frequency.

If the train is slow, more people are going to opt out to drive.

1. Straighten out as many curves and turns as possible
2. Grade separate whenever possible

WTF is this? It adds distance and travel time to the line.

These 'S' curves are going to slow down the line. Even if it makes the travel time 10-30 seconds longer. It all adds up over the long run.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Speed.
Directness.
Frequency.

If the train is slow, more people are going to opt out to drive.

1. Straighten out as many curves and turns as possible
2. Grade separate whenever possible

WTF is this? It adds track and travel time to line.
View attachment 699979

These 'S' curves are going to slow down the line. Even if it makes the travel time 10-30 seconds longer. It all adds up over the long run.
View attachment 699981

The answer is money saved during expropriation. Probably just should've spent the money then to save money later.

 

[darwink]

Speed.
Directness.
Frequency.

If the train is slow, more people are going to opt out to drive.

1. Straighten out as many curves and turns as possible
2. Grade separate whenever possible

WTF is this? It adds distance and travel time to the line.
View attachment 699979

These 'S' curves are going to slow down the line. Even if it makes the travel time 10-30 seconds longer. It all adds up over the long run.

This looks to avoid a quarry that was then a landfill of some sort. It is zoned "Special Purpose - City and Regional Infrastructure". A sanitary main built in 2021 goes around it instead of across, adding distance to its run. I have to think there is a good reason.

 

[InfrastructureEnthusiast]

Thank you for this map, I see the ROW possibilities now along Union Avenue. Not in my lifetime, but I do think the city will grow more to the east here rather than south over the bow.


I did a rough estimate for the length of a Gondola from 210 Ave SW to the Green Line Station.

For reference the Banff Sunshine Gondola is 4.5KM. So 9.15KM is realistic if....
View attachment 699434

You have a transfer station at the 4KM mark at the bottom of the hill near Wolf Willow, this would also allow residents of Wolf Willow to use it to get to the Red Line or Green Line. People could also use the Gondola to get to the river pathways. (Not Pictured) Another transfer station would be required between Legacy Village Link and Legacy Boulevard.
View attachment 699435

Across the river, you could do a transfer station at Cranston's Riverstone for the same reason you have one in Wolf Willow.
View attachment 699436

It is realistic but is it necessary, I don't know?

This is more or less the route I had in mind, but running east of Deerfoot to capture the nostalgia neighborhood.

And also keeping it as LRT, gondola transit is a total meme. Fortunately for gondola enthusiasts, Banff is very near.

But that's a lot of track for not a lot of new stations. Hard to justify until many many other projects are done, but still worth planning for IMO.

 

[jhappy77]

This is more or less the route I had in mind, but running east of Deerfoot to capture the nostalgia neighborhood.

And also keeping it as LRT, gondola transit is a total meme. Fortunately for gondola enthusiasts, Banff is very near.

But that's a lot of track for not a lot of new stations. Hard to justify until many many other projects are done, but still worth planning for IMO.

Gondola transit is actually very underrated for short-medium routes without crushing demand because the speed isn't that much worse than a train but the frequency means you'll never be waiting long, meaning the total travel time can be amazing compared to alternatives

 

[InfrastructureEnthusiast]

Gondola transit is actually very underrated for short-medium routes without crushing demand because the speed isn't that much worse than a train but the frequency means you'll never be waiting long, meaning the total travel time can be amazing compared to alternatives

Valid point about frequency, I hadn't factored that in, although I'm still not sure gondola would be the best fit for the far south.

The better spot to connect them would be Quarry Park to Southland Dr (by gondola!)

Have to agree with this though, that could make for a really nice shortcut link in the network.