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Post by locch on May 10, 2005 12:43:41 GMT -5
Well, this is it folks. After these next few days we will all be able to see what the Rapid Transit Task Force came up with regarding a built in Rapid Transit System for the City of Winnipeg. I'm really excited about this. No more prolonging this alright. Have the public/city decide which concept will work best and implement it ASAP! The city has been lacking this form of transportation for quite sometime and is missing out on all the benefits it has. I truly believe that once we have RT running you will see Winnipeg grow no doubt about it. City growth has been a known fact after RT implementation hence Ottawa, Calgary etc. Winnipeg will finally be up there with the big boys. Time to move into the 21st century!
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 10, 2005 20:18:35 GMT -5
Rapid transit would do nothing for Winnipeg. Just look at the way the city is designed. Unless they build am route along Portage Ave to Transcona (which would cost a fortune), it would never fly. Just look at what bad decisions the city has made. Instead of being like Edmonton and Calgary, where they create bicycle pats from abandoned rail lines, Winnipeg decides to build big box stores near Polo Park, making it impossible for a bike path to ever connect Linden Woods to St James. It's a damm shame. but then again, we have more parking for Best Buy and Old Navy
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Post by FrontierSaga on May 11, 2005 13:19:49 GMT -5
Vancouver's rapid transit isn't so bad..actually it works for that city and yes I've rode in it..not that bad actually
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 11, 2005 14:41:14 GMT -5
Vancouver's rapid transit isn't so bad..actually it works for that city and yes I've rode in it..not that bad actually Yes, but keep in mind, thats Vancouver, with a metro population of 2,100,000 or 3 times the size of Winnipeg. Vancouver also has the Fraser River, which is a very large river that commuters from Richmond (pop. 200,000) and Surrey (pop. 360,000) can only cut across by 2 or 3 bridges. With the implementation of the Vancouver Rapid transit, you can park at the Surrey Centre, and get downtown in 15 minutes, instead of 120 (45-60 crossing the bridge). Soon there will be a Line from Vancouver to Richmond, making the commute easier. Winnipeg has no such problems. Cities like Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton would kill for Winnipeg's commuting times, from the outer suburbs (Ft Richmond, Charleswood, East St Paul, etc) to downtown.
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Post by locch on May 11, 2005 16:56:39 GMT -5
I think it would work here. Winnipeg is spreading out as a city. Some parts/areas of the city are blending between the perimeter hwy and the inner city. As Winnipeg spreads out more and more due to new residential development RT will only make sense to have because commuters who work in the downtown vicinity will not want to drive 45min+ to downtown along with other downfall factors such as gas prices etc. Instead you would hop on RT from a station near your area and be downtown in 15mins. You can even implement a park and ride like Calgary. With RT implemented it would also benefit our current transit system by helping them focus on running more frequent service routes in residential areas instead of services running downtown. There are so many benefits about it.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 12, 2005 12:08:26 GMT -5
I think it would work here. Winnipeg is spreading out as a city. Some parts/areas of the city are blending between the perimeter hwy and the inner city. As Winnipeg spreads out more and more due to new residential development RT will only make sense to have because commuters who work in the downtown vicinity will not want to drive 45min+ to downtown along with other downfall factors such as gas prices etc. Instead you would hop on RT from a station near your area and be downtown in 15mins. You can even implement a park and ride like Calgary. With RT implemented it would also benefit our current transit system by helping them focus on running more frequent service routes in residential areas instead of services running downtown. There are so many benefits about it. Winnipeg is nowhere near spread out like some cities such as Ottawa, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Calgary, while not as spread out, is just massive compared to Winnipeg. Winnipeg isn't really spread out. With the exception of Transcona, it is a city that is very centralized. It never took me over 30 minutes to get from any point in Winnipeg to downtown. Unless you want an LRT for the sole purpose of making it easier for people in Transcona to attend Bomber games, I don't think it's worth it yet...
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Post by MOC on May 12, 2005 19:22:00 GMT -5
I don't think it's worth it yet... Better to build it now, for the future, before the future makes it impossible to do so. In 30 years, the average Winnipegger won't be able to afford to drive a whole lot - how will they get around then? How will the city be able to afford something whose construction would rely almost chiefly on those very same depleted fossil fuels?
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Post by Trent Steele on May 16, 2005 14:51:13 GMT -5
Did anyone go to the Convention Center for the open house on Rapid Transit this weekend? I'm just wondering what kind of concepts the task force has come up with.
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Kaos1
Rookie Member
Posts: 2
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Post by Kaos1 on May 17, 2005 1:03:19 GMT -5
Actually, Winnipeg is Very spread out, which is why we are the city coffers are bare. In fact if you ever look at a satelite photo Winnipeg is Physcally as large as Edmonton and probably bigger than calgary. Its too bad becuase there is too much Suburbia in this city of ours.
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Post by locch on May 17, 2005 9:18:55 GMT -5
I was at the Convention Centre on Saturday. Basically the main focus is on BRT similar to what Glenn Muarry proposed however RTTF reduced the costs by using/improving what Winnipeg already has such as priority signals, diamond lanes etc. This would be phase 1. The changes that will occur but have not been confirmed yet is making dedicated roadways throughout the city specifically used for BRT only, this would be phase 2. The proposal also indicated that they will purchase new longer coach buses, new service stops including kiosk machines w/real-time display schedules. Phase 3 would be a built in LRT system running in a loop downtown. There was no info regarding speedier service (estimated time frame) and ridership fees.
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Post by MOC on May 17, 2005 19:59:00 GMT -5
The "Made In Winnipeg" approach to rapid transit is hardly rapid at all.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 17, 2005 20:15:48 GMT -5
I was at the Convention Centre on Saturday. Basically the main focus is on BRT similar to what Glenn Muarry proposed however RTTF reduced the costs by using/improving what Winnipeg already has such as priority signals, diamond lanes etc. This would be phase 1. The changes that will occur but have not been confirmed yet is making dedicated roadways throughout the city specifically used for BRT only, this would be phase 2. The proposal also indicated that they will purchase new longer coach buses, new service stops including kiosk machines w/real-time display schedules. Phase 3 would be a built in LRT system running in a loop downtown. There was no info regarding speedier service (estimated time frame) and ridership fees. So we could look forward to LRT, sometime in 2029...
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 17, 2005 20:17:32 GMT -5
Actually, Winnipeg is Very spread out, which is why we are the city coffers are bare. In fact if you ever look at a satelite photo Winnipeg is Physcally as large as Edmonton and probably bigger than calgary. Its too bad becuase there is too much Suburbia in this city of ours. You're joking, right? Edmonton is WAY more spread out than Winnipeg. There is no comparison. Secondly, Winnipeg is NOT bigger than Calgary. Last, there is far less suburbia in Winnipeg, than in edmonton or Calgary.
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Post by MOC on May 17, 2005 21:21:34 GMT -5
You're joking, right? Edmonton is WAY more spread out than Winnipeg. There is no comparison. Secondly, Winnipeg is NOT bigger than Calgary. Last, there is far less suburbia in Winnipeg, than in edmonton or Calgary. 'Tis true; just did the number crunching to confirm. Less typical suburbia, however, equals better RT in theory. Denser neighbourhoods closer together exist in Winnipeg than in Calgary or Edmonton (by and large). If they can make it work, we can too.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 18, 2005 0:45:16 GMT -5
At least they could have build some goddam bikepaths in Winnipeg. Removing the old rail line near Polo Park, only to add room for Future Shop and Best Buy was a "great" idea.
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Post by locch on May 18, 2005 15:47:12 GMT -5
So we could look forward to LRT, sometime in 2029... It seems like it.
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Post by bison33 on May 30, 2005 21:49:30 GMT -5
A skytrain system might work.....the city planners were retards when this city was laid out. With expansion, only more lights and stop signs go up. A LRT would even make traffic more tied up. Fix the bloody pothole problem, companies should offset monthly passes (a tax write off for them), more cycling paths and of course...NHL hockey...takes the mind off of being stuck in traffic.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on May 31, 2005 20:03:03 GMT -5
A skytrain system might work.....the city planners were retards when this city was laid out. With expansion, only more lights and stop signs go up. A LRT would even make traffic more tied up. Fix the bloody pothole problem, companies should offset monthly passes (a tax write off for them), more cycling paths and of course...NHL hockey...takes the mind off of being stuck in traffic. Why the hell did they not make the abandoned Railway line going through St James and River Heights a bike path? It's nice to see the land was put to great use, mainly as a source of additional parking for the BestBuy and Old Navy stores. What on earth was the city thinking when it decided NOT to build a bike route there???
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Post by MOC on May 31, 2005 21:09:28 GMT -5
Why the hell did they not make the abandoned Railway line going through St James and River Heights a bike path? It's nice to see the land was put to great use, mainly as a source of additional parking for the BestBuy and Old Navy stores. What on earth was the city thinking when it decided NOT to build a bike route there??? Amen. Damn the city and its short-sightedness.
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Post by bison33 on May 31, 2005 21:21:51 GMT -5
Yep....And folks wonder why Winnipeg is considered a hick town by many.
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