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Aside from South Campus there aren't too many place where it's advantageous to jump the tracks in order to save a few seconds. Belgravia is excellently designed and most of the people using Health Sciences have to walk north towards the end of the platform to reach the crosswalk anyways. I saw a few kids jump the tracks at Health Sciences and then subsequently jay walk across 114 st, however i don't think any barrier would have detered these kids. I agree as well that any fencing has been done very tastefully and strategically as to not create an eyesore. One improvement Belgravia station could have is the installation of pedestrian crossing gates on the South end of the platform. Currently it is possible that under the right circumstances someone running for a North bound train could be struck by a south bound train leaving the platform. I've seen at least one close call where the operator had to sound his horn.

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Had the privelage of Marcel operating both my train to work and home from work yesterday. Spoke to him for quite a while yesterday morning. He still misses driving the trolleys. At least he is driving some form of electric traction now. He said to say hi to everyone!

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Had the privelage of Marcel operating both my train to work and home from work yesterday. Spoke to him for quite a while yesterday morning. He still misses driving the trolleys. At least he is driving some form of electric traction now. He said to say hi to everyone!

Big "Hi" back to him from me PLEASE. :P

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Big "Hi" back to him from me PLEASE. :P

I did already because you told me last time! lol

On that note, Kelly says hi to all and misses everyone very much here. He was thinking about options to come back to Edmonton but i think the trolleys are keeping him there in Vancouver!

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I've seen at least one close call where the operator had to sound his horn.

Close call? Come ride the Ctrain with me during rush hour in Calgary, I'll show you some close calls that I experience in one day! (I'll even let you honk the horn) :P

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My train was delayed a bit this evening. Held at Central for a while and then trains in both directions held at Churchill for a little bit. The operator played the "We are experiencing technical difficulties which may result in delays system wide" announcement a few times. But it was OK from that point on. I noticed we were going a bit slow between Corona and Bay.

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More than a month after the North escalator at University was shut down due to flooding it still remains closed. Does anyone know how severe the flooding was? Although it's not a critical situation there is a significant amount of conjestion in the morning due to everyone filing up one escaltor. The south escaltor has been making some unpleasant noises of late, one wonders of the excess use is causing increased wear.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Maybe it's something I've missed for the past couple of days, but the platform extension at Southgate appears to be done. The ends resemble what you see at Health Sciences (except the stairs/ramp just go into the median as opposed to connecting to anything useful).

May go take pictures later.

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LRT train collides with vehicle

8:30 pm

Click here to email Thomas Dias

2/5/2010

Edmonton police are investigating a "minor" collision between an LRT train and a vehicle.

There were no reported injuries according to the Southwest Division.

But the collision left east and westbound traffic at a standstill at University Avenue and 114th Street around 6 p.m. Friday.

Police say it's still too early to tell if charges will be laid. (td)

Source: http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/NewsL...aspx?ID=1193318

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http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2...7/12782366.html

What is interesting about that article is one of the comments.

I encourage everyone to research the 'low-floor' LRT that the city just approved for the west and southeast lines. They have had HUNDREDS of collisions with cars whereever they have been used in the states...Houston, portland, dallas. Although the train has a dedicated lane, there is no physical separation between cars and the train. The one in Houston has an average speed of a segway scooter. None of those cities have ice or snow!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1092808/posts http://www.briannelsonconsulting.com/houst.../accidents.html

Incidentally: http://www.subchat.com/buschat/read.asp?Id=185479

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http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2...7/12782366.html

What is interesting about that article is one of the comments.

Incidentally: http://www.subchat.com/buschat/read.asp?Id=185479

The low-floor LRT I observed in Seville, Spain last summer had the speed of a segway scooter as well.

The LRT can't be all things to all people. Either it's a vehicle that speeds commuters from the burbs to the core (relieving automobile congestion on freeways), or it's a neighbourhood-friendly tram that makes urban spaces more livable by allowing pedestrians to take short hops to perform shopping, etc without the use of a car.

The whole debate over Stony Plain Road vs 87 Ave was really about those two competing visions.

Which of the two offers Edmontonians the greatest opportunity for reduction of overall greenhouse gas emissions (which after all is what this is all about)?

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LRT planners get extra $2M

BY GORDON KENT, EDMONTONJOURNAL.COMFEBRUARY 10, 2010

EDMONTON – An engineering consulting firm received an untendered $2-million contract increase Tuesday to fast-track LRT planning in hopes of a successful bid for Expo 2017.

But several council members asked why the boost in CH2M Hill Canada Ltd.'s contract to $4.5 million wasn't put out for bids or the work postponed until there's funding for the proposed west and southeast lines.

"At some point in time we have to make a decision whether we're going to continue to spend money if we don't have the capacity to build it. There are lots of other priorities," Mayor Stephen Mandel said. "Doing all the design if we aren't going to build it for another 10 years doesn't make sense."

By the end of the year, CH2M Hill will come up with proposed station locations and track alignments in corridors council approved last December, months faster than putting the deal out for bids, transportation officials said.

A report last year on consultants by city auditor David Wiun raised concerns about sole-source contracts that "challenge" the principle of public service transparency.

While transportation general manager Bob Boutilier admitted he was sensitive to Wiun's recommendations, he said CH2M Hill is a world-renowned firm that has already done much of the city's LRT work.

Some planning has been done, and this will allow residents to know what's happening in their neighbourhoods as soon as possible, he said. "If we want to build this quickly for Expo, I want to ensure I remove any bottlenecks, any obstacles that could get in the way."

The provincial and federal governments are expected to indicate by the end of 2010 whether they'll support Edmonton's $2-billion Expo bid.

Councillors want a sign from the province that it's willing to put money toward the two new LRT routes and the line to NAIT, which will cost a total of roughly $3 billion. "If the signals are times are tough (and there's no transit money) ... I don't see value in spending the $2 million," Coun. Don Iveson said.

"If that's the signal, then for at least five or 10 years we're not building LRT, unless something shifts at the provincial or federal level."

© Copyright © The Edmonton Journal

Source: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmont...1430/story.html

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Well, my issues with the Stony Plain Rd route is that it is trying to be all things to all people. It still runs from the edge of the city to Downtown, and travel time is still the main criteria being used for it, so it is clearly trying to be the commuter line from the west end to the core. At the same time, it is trying to be more local by running through established neighborhoods, and mostly following exisitng bus routes. The end result is a mish-mash of services, where commuter time from the west end to downtown remains static compared to bus service today, while the neighborhoods really don't get any local service, but simply stops at the major intersections. On 156 St, the majority of the apartment blocks are between the proposed stations at 95 Ave and Stony Plain Rd, meaning that people would face a few block walk, which is not a good thing at night in that area. Similarily, the majority of the business district on Stony Plain Rd will not be served by having stations only at the east and west ends of the strip (156 St and 149 St). However, adding these stations would slow down the commute of people using it from the far west end, reducing its attractiveness to commuters. The solutions I see is that 87 Ave and Stony Plain Rd are not competing pieces of the puzzle, but rather complimentry pieces. A rapid transit line on 87 Ave from Lewis Esates to Health Sciences, where it will tie into the exisiting system, will provide a main high capacity transit corridor from the west end to Downtown. By removing the need to speed up the Stony Plain Rd route to accomodate commuters, a true neighborhood streetcar line can be built, running from Meadowlark (with a connection to the 87 Ave LRT) up 156 St and east on Stony Plain Rd/104 Ave to Downtown. On this line, it will be possible to provide more frequent stops, and truly serve the neighborhoods en route with true urban service.

The low-floor LRT I observed in Seville, Spain last summer had the speed of a segway scooter as well.

The LRT can't be all things to all people. Either it's a vehicle that speeds commuters from the burbs to the core (relieving automobile congestion on freeways), or it's a neighbourhood-friendly tram that makes urban spaces more livable by allowing pedestrians to take short hops to perform shopping, etc without the use of a car.

The whole debate over Stony Plain Road vs 87 Ave was really about those two competing visions.

Which of the two offers Edmontonians the greatest opportunity for reduction of overall greenhouse gas emissions (which after all is what this is all about)?

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Well, my issues with the Stony Plain Rd route is that it is trying to be all things to all people. It still runs from the edge of the city to Downtown, and travel time is still the main criteria being used for it, so it is clearly trying to be the commuter line from the west end to the core. At the same time, it is trying to be more local by running through established neighborhoods, and mostly following exisitng bus routes. The end result is a mish-mash of services, where commuter time from the west end to downtown remains static compared to bus service today, while the neighborhoods really don't get any local service, but simply stops at the major intersections. On 156 St, the majority of the apartment blocks are between the proposed stations at 95 Ave and Stony Plain Rd, meaning that people would face a few block walk, which is not a good thing at night in that area. Similarily, the majority of the business district on Stony Plain Rd will not be served by having stations only at the east and west ends of the strip (156 St and 149 St). However, adding these stations would slow down the commute of people using it from the far west end, reducing its attractiveness to commuters. The solutions I see is that 87 Ave and Stony Plain Rd are not competing pieces of the puzzle, but rather complimentry pieces. A rapid transit line on 87 Ave from Lewis Esates to Health Sciences, where it will tie into the exisiting system, will provide a main high capacity transit corridor from the west end to Downtown. By removing the need to speed up the Stony Plain Rd route to accomodate commuters, a true neighborhood streetcar line can be built, running from Meadowlark (with a connection to the 87 Ave LRT) up 156 St and east on Stony Plain Rd/104 Ave to Downtown. On this line, it will be possible to provide more frequent stops, and truly serve the neighborhoods en route with true urban service.

Fully agree!

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Northwest LRT to City Limits

What's New

Listening & Learning

The City of Edmonton has identified three potential LRT routes for the Northwest LRT line and is seeking your input as part of the planning process. You're invited to participate in an online survey about the benefits and impacts of the Northwest LRT route options.

Northwest LRT Survey (Available until February 24, 2010)

About the Project

In 2009, the City of Edmonton began evaluating potential Northwest LRT routes that support the City’s strategic vision and overall LRT Network Plan. The Northwest LRT corridor will be an extension of the Downtown to NAIT LRT line, connecting the planned NAIT station to a future park and ride facility at the northwest city limits.

Northwest LRT will use high-floor LRT technology, with an urban approach to system style and operations. The extension will allow for potential regional connections and create opportunities for collaboration with the City of St. Albert.

Where We Are Today

A new LRT line can take several years of planning and engineering before the project budget is known and construction can begin.

Route selection takes place at the beginning of the planning process. Once the LRT corridor is defined, the City will identify how the LRT best fits within the corridor.

Selecting the Northwest LRT route now helps the City prepare for the future, so when land is developed or new people move to the area, the decision will already have been made.

Get Involved

The Northwest LRT Survey is available online until February 24, 2010. Workshops and further online consultation in March will provide more opportunities to get involved.

What's Next

Evaluating Benefits & Impacts

Workshops & Online Consultation March 2010

Sharing Information on the Recommended Route

Open Houses May 2010

Presentation to City Council and Decision

Public Hearing June 2010

Report Back

Information Sharing on City Council's Decision Fall 2010

Join our e-mail update list!

E-mail LRTprojects@edmonton.ca and type “subscribe to NWLRT email” in the subject box

source: http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/nw-lrt.aspx

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I was on my way home around 9:30PM when I noticed 1004 NIS at South Campus.

Sure enough, by the time I got to Southgate, I heard the crossing signal go off and turned arouned to see 1004 pull into Southgate; after a few moments it headed off back north towards South Campus.

Wonder why they were doing testing that late at night...

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I was on my way home around 9:30PM when I noticed 1004 NIS at South Campus.

Sure enough, by the time I got to Southgate, I heard the crossing signal go off and turned arouned to see 1004 pull into Southgate; after a few moments it headed off back north towards South Campus.

Wonder why they were doing testing that late at night...

It's a good time to do that sort of thing when there is lighter traffic.

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