Calgary Transit

[UrbanWarrior]

New BRT stations are sprouting up!

Yeah I just noticed those on 16th yesterday! Very cool. Happy to see this.

 

[darwink]

I forget - are they putting ticket machines at the BRT locations? Even just putting basic machines like a park plus issuer makes it pretty accessible, Seattle did a good job at this.

 

[CBBarnett]

I forget - are they putting ticket machines at the BRT locations? Even just putting basic machines like a park plus issuer makes it pretty accessible, Seattle did a good job at this.

I sure hope so. BRT is all about keeping the buses moving:

• Off-board ticketing and proof-of-payment (like the CTrain) to reduce loading times
• All door boarding to reduce boarding/disembarking
• Stops far apart to keep bus moving at full speed for longer
• Keep the route as straight as possible to prevent unnecessary turns and delay-inducing exits/entrances into the traffic flow (no bus bays)
• No time-stops along the route; the bus only stops for a "break" at the end and beginning of the route

Also key is about about making BRT buses predictable and reliable:

• Frequency where it's useful for all day trips (under 10 minutes between buses at peak & under 15 minutes at off-peak is pretty typical in good BRTs)
• dedicated right-of-ways for buses
• signal prioritization and queue jumping
• digital next bus time displays and nicer stations so the wait doesn't feel as long

Calgary's new BRTs are accomplishing 3 or 4 of these things (stop spacing, straight routes, partial signal prioritization, digital next bus displays/nicer stations) and unfortunately not doing 3 or 4 of them (dedicate ROW, off-board payments, all door boarding, frequency).

So a big step forward, but still a conservative one based on our competitors like Vancouver and Seattle. I believe the expectation is to build ridership then re-look at the others. Off-board tickets and all-door boarding would be a huge game-changer. I don't really understand the reluctance to implement some of this stuff. I get right-of-ways are expensive and politically challenging to secure in existing roadways, but how hard is it to implement all-door boarding? Is it purely Calgary Transit cultural barriers? or is there a technical challenge to implement?

 

[Surrealplaces]

BRT Construction update

 

[hollahollaholla]

So I just noticed this and I'm not sure if it's been brought up here before but it looks like the city has changed the plans for WB bus only lanes over Glenmore. Also with the new bus route design I've heard that the SW BRT has dropped to busses every 25 minutes. Can anybody confirm this?

https://engage.calgary.ca/SouthwestBRT

Here is the original map that has been proposed

http://www.calgary.ca/_layouts/coci...Southwest-BRT-route-map.pdf&noredirect=1&sf=1

And here is the new map.

 

[darwink]

^ i think youre referring to the
South Crosstown BRT which will use some of the same infrastructure. https://engage.calgary.ca/BusReview/south-crosstown-brt

 

[Silence&Motion]

Every 25 minutes?? What's the point of even building BRT infrastructure if you're only going to run the buses every 25 minutes?

 

[GoVertical]

The stairs from hell are finally gone at Anderson:

 

[darwink]

Every 25 minutes?? What's the point of even building BRT infrastructure if you're only going to run the buses every 25 minutes?

Because 6 or so routes will use the infrastructure. The route replacing part of the 72-73 loop will be every 25 minutes.

 

[GoVertical]

17 Ave BRT bridge construction:

 

[Surrealplaces]

https://www.660news.com/2018/06/18/city-studying-plans-airport-lrt-service/
City studying plans for Airport LRT service

 

[darwink]

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportatio...ojects/Green-Line-to-Blue-Line-Connector.aspx

"A future transit connection will ultimately provide improved transit access to the Calgary International Airport by connecting the future Green Line LRT with the future Blue Line LRT. The Airport Transit Study will review technical requirements and provide preliminary estimates of capital and operating costs, land requirements, infrastructure requirements and community impacts.

The study will include recommendations for:

• The alignment, as well as number and location of stations between the future 96 Avenue N.E. Green Line station and 19 Street N.E.
• A transit technology (examples include high-floor LRT, low-floor LRT and automated people mover)
• Locations for a storage and maintenance facility
• Land requirements
• A staging plan and cost estimates"

 

[darwink]

North Crosstown:

 

[darwink]

More open house boards for the airport connector study. Looks like admin has narrowed the technology options and eliminated the possibility of a spur. Both good choices. Eliminating the possibility of a spur removes all my objections beyond that I'd rather a red line tunnel downtown for the same price instead of the airport service first.


http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/Documents/Transit-projects/RPR-COC-ATS-boards.pdf :

 

[Surrealplaces]

Totally agree about the downtown tunnel first.

More open house boards for the airport connector study. Looks like admin has narrowed the technology options and eliminated the possibility of a spur. Both good choices. Eliminating the possibility of a spur removes all my objections beyond that I'd rather a red line tunnel downtown for the same price instead of the airport service first.


http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TI/Documents/Transit-projects/RPR-COC-ATS-boards.pdf :