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Calgary Transit

New kiosk at Bridgeland station.

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I want to like this, but it might be just about the worst station for a kiosk like this. Doesn't bridgeland have some of the lowest rider numbers? Also, selling commuter snacks at a station one stop from the core doesn't really sound like a business win.

Seems more like CT wants to seal the lid on kiosks forever and will use the poor sales here as justification.

IMO this space, expanded would work better as a small cafe, take over the south side of the upper level, and leverage the river / skyline view.

Bigger picture, it'd be great to see the walkways over memorial redone, and new bridges over the bow added so there was a fairly direct pedestrian path from bridgeland to the pathways west of the elbow.

Plenty of opportunities along that route to further activate the pedestrian realm with more cafes and micro retail. Could evolve into a whole mini market route when the density levels up on both sides of the river.
 
Seems more like CT wants to seal the lid on kiosks forever and will use the poor sales here as justification.
I don't know what CT's goals are, but I imagine these kiosks are rented out, so there shouldn't be a downside for CT. I don't know what Bridgeland's numbers are today, but it was one of the lowest in 2005. I'm guessing it'll be a lot busier with all of the new development around Bridgeland.
 
I think the big thing that may have pushed Bridgeland station up the list was the fact that it often had homeless people doing drugs in the enclosed station due to the fact it is close to downtown, is heated and has low ridership so it gave them a semblance of privacy. It lead to big safety perception issues. Now with the kiosk open, I doubt those occurrences will happen much as the staff at the kiosk are a continuous presence and can immediately report issues to the transit cops.
 
https://livewirecalgary.com/2025/11...-all-weather-wheels-to-aid-in-winter-driving/

I'm curious how much the wear rate will differ, especially with longer and hotter summers. Delivering more reliability in the worst times is probably worth the extra costs here (I know article claims same cost, but if these tires are actually effective then they will definitely wear faster), but I wonder how much it will really help on those 10-15 most extreme days of the year when the whole road network just falls apart anyways.

Another thing I had never considered is how well dedicated busways manage during heavy snowfalls? I'm sure they are a top priority for clearing, but they lack the benefit of thousands of tires and warm IC engines/exhaust running over that pavement (as an aside, that may be an interesting side effect if/when EVs become the lion's share of vehicles). But perhaps there are also fewer spots where vehicles have polished the road into a slippery start zone?
 
Red line extension looks reasonable. Didn't realize there was a new MSF as part of this. Kind of annoying that both stations are boxed in by the slough, so the access to Chaparral and Walden isn't that great.

Interesting that they are allowing for extension even further south, I haven't seen that before. I guess there's nothing in the way along the CP corridor between 210 Ave and Okotoks so you never know.
 
Is the maintenance and storage facility mean to replace Anderson or add on to it?
Add -- Anderson, Haysboro, and Oliver Bowen are all near capacity, so this will be necessary with both Red Line South and Blue Line NE extensions + all-day 4-car trains (Which, according to the PM for this MSF that I talked to at one of the engagement sessions, Anderson can't store 4-car train sets due to fire regulations)
 
Is the maintenance and storage facility mean to replace Anderson or add on to it?
Add -- Anderson, Haysboro, and Oliver Bowen are all near capacity, so this will be necessary with both Red Line South and Blue Line NE extensions + all-day 4-car trains (Which, according to the PM for this MSF that I talked to at one of the engagement sessions, Anderson can't store 4-car train sets due to fire regulations)

Isn't that a reason to make the new MSF a replacement size?

If the Anderson facility can't handle the new standard trainset, seems that land might be better repurposed for TOD
 
The 144 Avenue North BRT Study also has a plan reveal.

Proposed route would start from Crowfoot Station, go towards Hell On Earth Beacon Hill Shopping Centre via Sarcee Trail, then enroute to Sage Hill/Symons Valley Transit Terminal, and then get onto 144 Ave N, where it'll continue east towards Centre Street/Green Line in Livingston. In the future, it would continue east towards the Blue Line, with the routing to be imagined later on.
 
Isn't that a reason to make the new MSF a replacement size?

If the Anderson facility can't handle the new standard trainset, seems that land might be better repurposed for TOD
The thing is that suitable MSF sites are few and far between, obviously unlike a bus garage rail MSFs need to actually be on the alignment so CT will take absolutely any capacity they can get. This one in Belmont will definitely be as large as the site will allow. I did hear at the engagement workshop that a storage facility similar to Haysboro is being considered for Tuscany to reduce deadheading and avoid outdoor storage, but I can't think of many other spots to put a full MSF.
 

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