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Is retail traffic moving away from the +15 and onto popular streets?

adamyyc said:
I had to drive into the office today for the first time in a long time. What a nightmare getting home. I don’t understand how/why people do it every day.
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The one time this year I drove into work, I left at rush hour, and it was a real headache going home. I took me almost the same time as it would the ride the bike or take the bus, and on the bus I can mentally check out by surfing or listening to podcasts/music.
 
I will be switching to driving instead of the bus/train combo I have been doing now. Reason being my wife is going back to work, and I will be repsonsible for my son's school drop-off. In order to make transit work, I would either be arriving at work at 9:15 AM, or I would have to drop him at school at 7:30 in the morning (which means having to pay for before/after school care, a cost of about $600 a month). Quickly doing the math, given I only go in 3 days a week, it is cheaper for me to drive him and pay for parking 12-13 days a month as opposed to that cost, plus it means a much better schedule for everyone. As annoying as driving is in rush hour, it is still on average faster than my transit commute typically is, not counting the times when there is a delay on the train downtown and I miss my bus transfer by 1-2 minutes, and as a result have my commute extended 30-40 minutes due to poor frequencies on the bus routes.

The biggest downside is my commute time can no longer be spent reading things on my phone, but financially and time wise, driving is just more favourable now.
 
MichaelS said:
I will be switching to driving instead of the bus/train combo I have been doing now. Reason being my wife is going back to work, and I will be repsonsible for my son's school drop-off. In order to make transit work, I would either be arriving at work at 9:15 AM, or I would have to drop him at school at 7:30 in the morning (which means having to pay for before/after school care, a cost of about $600 a month). Quickly doing the math, given I only go in 3 days a week, it is cheaper for me to drive him and pay for parking 12-13 days a month as opposed to that cost, plus it means a much better schedule for everyone. As annoying as driving is in rush hour, it is still on average faster than my transit commute typically is, not counting the times when there is a delay on the train downtown and I miss my bus transfer by 1-2 minutes, and as a result have my commute extended 30-40 minutes due to poor frequencies on the bus routes.

The biggest downside is my commute time can no longer be spent reading things on my phone, but financially and time wise, driving is just more favourable now.
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My wife just went back to work, but we trade off days at home and in the office, and the person who works from home will drive the kids to daycare while the other takes transit to work. But occasionally we have days that overlap where we are both in the office and have to drive in together.

I never really appreciated the logistics of working and having kids until recently, because our first was born during COVID, so this the first time we’ve both worked while being back in the office part time.
 
MichaelS said:
I will be switching to driving instead of the bus/train combo I have been doing now. Reason being my wife is going back to work, and I will be repsonsible for my son's school drop-off. In order to make transit work, I would either be arriving at work at 9:15 AM, or I would have to drop him at school at 7:30 in the morning (which means having to pay for before/after school care, a cost of about $600 a month). Quickly doing the math, given I only go in 3 days a week, it is cheaper for me to drive him and pay for parking 12-13 days a month as opposed to that cost, plus it means a much better schedule for everyone. As annoying as driving is in rush hour, it is still on average faster than my transit commute typically is, not counting the times when there is a delay on the train downtown and I miss my bus transfer by 1-2 minutes, and as a result have my commute extended 30-40 minutes due to poor frequencies on the bus routes.

The biggest downside is my commute time can no longer be spent reading things on my phone, but financially and time wise, driving is just more favourable now.
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There are definitely variables that affect commuting times and convenience. So much depends on where one lives and where one works, schedules of spouses, etc... I used to work just off Barlow and 16th and driving was easily the best solution.

The distance as a crow flies from my home to the Barlow workplace was 6.5km, but cycling took about 50-60 minutes, and was an un-enjoyable ride, navigating through a patchwork of crappy connections, transit was two buses and about 45-50 minutes, while driving took 15-20 minutes.
The distance as a crow flies from my home to the current downtown workplace is 4.2km, driving is about 15-20 minutes, sometimes as much as 25 minutes. The transit is about 20 minutes. Cycling is 15 minutes one way, and about 25 minutes uphill the other way. I wholly enjoy the cycling in to work, and look forward to it. Transit's okay. It's reasonably convenient, and short. Driving is okay off-peak, but definitely a headache at rush hour...and there's that good old parking fee. I'm a weather wimp, and don't cycle in past October, but transit works well.

If one works downtown and lives reasonably close to downtown, transit and cycle generally works well, but in other cases Calgary still isn't set up for it, and we have a ways to go yet.
 
Yeah, I have been spoiled in terms of logistics for my mornings, being fortunate enough that my wife was only working part time until our son was old enough to be in school all day, 5 days a week.

I have considered the cycling option, I would have a pretty decent pathway ride for most of it. Problem is the giant hill on the way home. My dad has an ebike, I might borrow it next spring for a week to try it out, that might be a viable alternative.

Sorry to derail the topic of this thread.... to kind of bring it back, I can say the current setup of our downtown streets do make driving in from the suburbs pretty easy. Probably could remove some lanes without too much impact.
 
How big of a hill do you have going home? One way I look at cycling is that you get your gym workout / steps in / cardio... however you want to look at it, done just by commuting. Now that's easy for me to say, my ride to work is 9km and 20m of vertical, and the ride home is 7.5km and 20m of vertical lol.
 
Well, it would be coming from downtown and having to get all the way up to the peak of the hill on the west side. Think where West District is. Going to work would be a breeze, all downhill and coasting on the flat pathway. It is just such a long climb at the end of the day that is unappealing. I'd like to think I am still relatively young/healthy enough i could get used to it pretty easily, but not on my costco hybrid bike. If I am then investing in a proper bicycle for commuting purposes, might as well go e-bike.
 
MichaelS said:
Well, it would be coming from downtown and having to get all the way up to the peak of the hill on the west side. Think where West District is. Going to work would be a breeze, all downhill and coasting on the flat pathway. It is just such a long climb at the end of the day that is unappealing. I'd like to think I am still relatively young/healthy enough i could get used to it pretty easily, but not on my costco hybrid bike. If I am then investing in a proper bicycle for commuting purposes, might as well go e-bike.
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Even for my short commute home the uphill side is unappealing. I would probably like it more in the morning, but at the end of the work day it can be a bit tiring.
Uphill for me is around 80m, most if it on one hill at Centre Street or 10th street by SAIT.
The trip in to work is great. 15 min door to door with most of it downhill. 👍
 
A big hill in the morning wouldn't be so bad, but in the evening, no thanks haha. Going west you also ride into the wind most days, so it's already more tiring.
 
potatopizzafan said:
I actually prefer that my hill climb is in the afternoon, i dont get sweaty on the way to work, and it's a nice little workout after sitting at a desk all day. Also a good warmup for days i go to the gym after work
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Lol now that this thread has turned into "Tell me about your commute", I have to agree with potatopizzafan, hills in the afternoon; nice and easy in the morning.
 
potatopizzafan said:
I actually prefer that my hill climb is in the afternoon, i dont get sweaty on the way to work, and it's a nice little workout after sitting at a desk all day. Also a good warmup for days i go to the gym after work
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Maybe my energy level is just higher in the morning, but I'm usually slower in the evenings.
 
Surrealplaces said:
Even for my short commute home the uphill side is unappealing. I would probably like it more in the morning, but at the end of the work day it can be a bit tiring.
Uphill for me is around 80m, most if it on one hill at Centre Street or 10th street by SAIT.
The trip in to work is great. 15 min door to door with most of it downhill. 👍
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I like to zig-zag up the gravel path on McHugh Bluff as means of getting up the hill.
 
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