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NE LRT Extension to Martindale and Saddletowne


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  • 2 weeks later...

In addition, Transit's now posted individual route maps for all the modifications as a result of the extension. These also allow us to figure out roughly which bus bays at Saddletowne are used by which routes.

See you on the 25th of August at Saddletowne!

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Received an email from TI regarding the opening of the line extension to Saddletowne. There's going to be a "block party" at Saddletowne's Park & Ride lot from 11:30 to 2:00pm on Saturday, August 25th, with the formal program of speeches from the mayor and provincial dignitaries starting around noon. As one of the members of the Community Consultation Committee, I've been granted an invitation to ride the inaugural train. I'm hoping to see a few of you there!

Jon

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I did my orientation ride the other day, and I thought everything looked pretty good - the track will be fast, that's for sure. A few little bugs, but nothing that would probably noticed too much by the general public. Hopefully the opening and revenue service go off smoothly. One thing I know for sure, I definitely wouldn't want to live in those houses right there!

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Would that be due to noise levels? Can't be much worse than having Peigan Trail and an industrial area behind your home like I have in Erinwoods...

It is true that some homes back right onto the right of way, similar to the line south of Canyon Meadows, but the city did relent on their demands for a noise wall, and the entire corridor is set up with them.

I've seen the speed limit signs of 80, and am pleased they are allowing that speed, though I'm sure a few parents and fellow CCC members are going to express concern over that.

Jon

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Would that be due to noise levels? Can't be much worse than having Peigan Trail and an industrial area behind your home like I have in Erinwoods...

Mostly just for the houses right at the crossings. Hearing that ringing from 04:00 till 01:30 every day would get pretty old.

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Mostly just for the houses right at the crossings. Hearing that ringing from 04:00 till 01:30 every day would get pretty old.

Sorry but I have no sympathy for them. It was obvious that the green corridor would become a Ctrain route when they purchased the houses. I bet anything that instead of seeing the future with trains passing by they only saw a green area that their kids could play in, as well as no neighbours on one side.

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There are numerous transit corridors in the City of Calgary, namely in newer (post 1980's) subdivisions. Most are not utilized nor will they be. Most are designated as bus corridors. People buying in McKenzie Towne might not feel that there will be trains servicing the community in the near future, but as with what John was suggesting, the election of a new mayor under duress to deliver on key priorities can mean expansion can occur years ahead of time.

A few examples are;

- Colwood Gate NE? Coventry Hills - Bus Corridor

- 200 Scandia Place NW Scenic Acres - Bus Corridor

- 700 Varsity Place NW Varsity Estates - Bus Corridor

- McKenzie Towne/Promenade SE - Train Corridor

- Woodbine Cres. SW at 130 Avenue - Bus Terminal

- Christie Estates-Strathcona Blvd - Bus Corridor

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Mostly just for the houses right at the crossings. Hearing that ringing from 04:00 till 01:30 every day would get pretty old.

Agreed! I can't argue with that at all... Excellent point made.

Sorry but I have no sympathy for them. It was obvious that the green corridor would become a Ctrain route when they purchased the houses. I bet anything that instead of seeing the future with trains passing by they only saw a green area that their kids could play in, as well as no neighbours on one side.

But I do agree with 'D40LF' as well.... Well made points as well.

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It is true that some homes back right onto the right of way, similar to the line south of Canyon Meadows, but the city did relent on their demands for a noise wall, and the entire corridor is set up with them.

I've seen the speed limit signs of 80, and am pleased they are allowing that speed, though I'm sure a few parents and fellow CCC members are going to express concern over that.

Jon

I live under a flight path (which also has CF-18's using it), on a truck route, with a daytime bus route which just happens to use a ton of D40s in the very early morning hours when I'm attempting to sleep, along with guys with deep-bass speakers going by late at night racing. The C-Train noise is nothing. :P

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Sorry but I have no sympathy for them. It was obvious that the green corridor would become a Ctrain route when they purchased the houses. I bet anything that instead of seeing the future with trains passing by they only saw a green area that their kids could play in, as well as no neighbours on one side.

Just so we're clear, I don't have any sympathy for them either, I just think it would really suck ;). They knew it was going to be there one day, they just didn't think it would happen while they lived there. They rolled the dice and lost.

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Oh here come the NIMBY's!!! They sure pick a good time to raise their concerns. I actually have a suggestion. Don't open the new stations, charge any costs to these people that the delays incur, and have them design their perfect crossing, again charging any costs to them. Once their property taxes soar they will soon complain about something else (their new taxes!!!).

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The sad thing is that both Kelly Jones and Jim Stevenson have attended virtually every single Community Consultation Committee meeting for this line extension (I should know, they're both extremely familiar to me as fellow CCC members) and that they've raised the concerns already with the City. Why they're coming out to the media now with their stories is beyond me.

I'm going to be mighty pissed with them both if the injunction goes ahead and I need to continue taking the bus to McKnight-Westwinds to get to and from work post August 27th.

Jon

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This is bull shit when I was 5 I crosses at 14 st west end level crossing and knew that bells and what I called then "ding ding bars" meant a train was comming so I shouldn't run out !!! Give me a break with these weak safety concerns

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This is bull shit when I was 5 I crosses at 14 st west end level crossing and knew that bells and what I called then "ding ding bars" meant a train was comming so I shouldn't run out !!! Give me a break with these weak safety concerns

Plus I'm pretty sure they can look both ways before crossing the tracks, especially if theres safety barriers like at Sunnyside Station...

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Well that's just silly, why the heck are they just NOW speaking out about safety concerns....

Btw, having watched the video clip on CTV, I noticed that each side of the track only has one lone barrier with a large open space beside it. I assume the crossing arms will come down to cover that open space but why don't they just add a second staggered barrier (don't know what to call it but it's the two barriers arranged so that people can't make a straight shot through the crossing) like you see at most other LRT crossings.

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Or maybe put bubble wrap on the outside of the trains and restrict the track speed to 5 kph. I obviously don't think that to be advantageous.

The Martindale Community President is obviously pandering to a minority of residents who worry about their ability to control their children. The simple solution is as Jim Stevenson suggested, is for the children to be trained by their parents. If the children cannot recognize or understand how to use a railway crossing, they likely shouldn't be let out of the house or backyard until they can.

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why don't they just add a second staggered barrier

Since this is a residential area, I wouldn't be surprised if there were complaints about the flow of the sidewalk or some other silly reason. The open space + crossing arms could have been a compromise.

Unlike what was suggested in the news clip, trains won't be travelling through the crossing at 80km/h. They will be stopped at the platform before proceeding through the crossing. The trains may be going close to 5km/h after all.

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I believe the concerns are regarding the Martindale east grade crossing, where the speed limits do appear to be 80kph, though given the proximity to the crossovers approaching Saddletowne station, the odds are in favour of the trains already starting to slow down.

Education will definitely be key here... Parents will actually have to <gasp> teach their kids to look both ways before crossing any train tracks.

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