[IanO]

Amazing shot. Forward thinking/planing is one thing, especially in certain cities, but with scarcity of resources, you need the best bang for your buck today.

 

[Seamusmuldrew]

^i'd bet that that station has the lowest usage of any station in the modern world and while it's infra-ahead-of-people and somewhat was required, it goes against everything foundational about mass transit.

walk
bus
rapid bus
LRT
Heavy rail

Was gonna let the “only city building stations in fields” thing go but now I have to step in because I’d like to talk about St Louis. Their *busiest* station got 4,800 riders per day in 2018, and their entire system’s daily ridership is less than University Station. All that to say that I would argue there are some systems with far more likely contenders for lowest usage stations. Not to mention “College Station” which is very much in a field, and featured 500 riders per day in 2018, with that number likely now being lower.

 

[The_Cat]

“Trains are for poor people.” (In the U.S.)

 

[ADob]

I don't know, when we lived in Naperville, a fancy Chicago suburb, both the Metra (their commuter train) and the L were filled with some pretty fancy looking people. Similarly, I had a slightly snooty friend's wife tell me in Vancouver that of course he'd take the Skytrain, but NOT the bus because...shudder. Coming from Europe, buses and streetcars are just a fact of life. Then again, transit there is brilliant, gas expensive, parking tight AF, so I'm always stumped that anyone drives there. Here, obviously driving is so much easier than all other options.

 

[David A]

“Trains are for poor people.” (In the U.S.)

IMO one of the easiest ways for people with money to end up with no money is to over spend on cars. They are also the ones most likely to be complaining about how broke they are despite having a good pay cheque.

 

[TAS]

IMO one of the easiest ways for people with money to end up with no money is to over spend on cars.

Sooooooo true about over spending on cars. And people with not a lot of money to stay that way or go into further debt.

My good friend knows cars better than anyone I know and has helped people buy used vehicles for considerably less than their first consideration of buying new. A lot of people don't feel as comfortable buying used because they don't know cars well (I'm one of them who doesn't) even though it can be a much smarter option in terms of financial wellness.

When I was in Switzerland in April and riding the train, I was told by a local that they pay 4,000 Euros a year for unlimited train usage in the country. That takes them to ski hills, hiking trails, all cities and towns and all the places within.

 

[yeggator]

Similarly, I had a slightly snooty friend's wife tell me in Vancouver that of course he'd take the Skytrain, but NOT the bus because...shudder.

To be fair, I can’t blame people for being very accepting of taking the train but not bussing, and this goes back to someone else’s comment in this thread about the new park’n’ride significantly boosting ridership on the LRT extension. A train allows you to avoid inclement road conditions and traffic while offering a much smoother and faster ride, and can feel superior to driving. The bus does not, with the added disadvantages of unreliable and infrequent schedules, extra stops and you’re still stuck with sharing space with other people. The park’n’ride will be a boon for the LRT, like it was at Century Park until 2014. Plus, the land use makes sense. It’s in the TUC and near a major pipeline corridor, so high-density development just isn’t possible.

 

[David A]

Yes. Busses are ok for shorter trips and where the service frequency is reasonable (ex. Jasper Ave or Whyte Ave), but LRT is better and or smoother for going distances that are longer. Park and ride is good for commuters.

 

[The_Cat]

I put the comment in quotations because of the mentality in some American cities.

 

[northlands]

To be fair, I can’t blame people for being very accepting of taking the train but not bussing, and this goes back to someone else’s comment in this thread about the new park’n’ride significantly boosting ridership on the LRT extension. A train allows you to avoid inclement road conditions and traffic while offering a much smoother and faster ride, and can feel superior to driving. The bus does not, with the added disadvantages of unreliable and infrequent schedules, extra stops and you’re still stuck with sharing space with other people. The park’n’ride will be a boon for the LRT, like it was at Century Park until 2014. Plus, the land use makes sense. It’s in the TUC and near a major pipeline corridor, so high-density development just isn’t possible.

Also: LRT stations, even the more open air ones, are much more pleasant to wait at than most bus stops in this city.

 

[David A]

Also: LRT stations, even the more open air ones, are much more pleasant to wait at than most bus stops in this city.

Yes, some are even heated, partly enclosed or more sheltered, which probably matters more in a place like Canada where we can have some very cold days, unlike the more moderate climate in much of the US.

 

[The_Cat]

 

[ntt1]

Slightly tangential, but the 23 Ave/111 St temporary intersection is a death trap for pedestrians and active transport users. There's barely enough room for one person to stand at each corner, the alignment is awkward, and the turn angles are clearly prioritized for vehicles.

I've almost been hit by buses turning right to go west on 23 Ave (the bottom right corner in the screenshot) countless times without even bothering to look, and fear that something worse happening might be inevitable. I sent a concern via 311 and the only thing they did was repaint the lines.

 

[BrettB]

Wow and the crosswalks in three corners don't even deliver you all the way to a sidewalk. I can see your point.

Would right turn signals help solve the problem?

 

[ntt1]

Wow and the crosswalks in three corners don't even deliver you all the way to a sidewalk. I can see your point.

Would right turn signals help solve the problem?

For further context, this is what the two corners are like while crossing on foot on the westside crosswalk. Dedicated turn phases could help but I doubt they'd even consider that given the congestion at this intersection.

NW corner:

approaching NW corner:

SW corner:

approaching SW corner: