| Public Transit
Posted: 3/6/2007 6:11:06 PM | I havent taken the bus since high school. I just dont have the type of job where I could.
I am pleased to see the government taking an active role in encouraging transit by making 15.5 % OF THE COST OF YOUR BUS pass tax deductable. Good for them!!
I have on many occaisions taken rapid transit in other cities. Wow! it is great. It would not be feasible in this city to have something like that as we dont have the critical mass to justify the expense, however, it sure does make taking transit a lot more effecient. | |
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Posted: 3/6/2007 6:26:54 PM | | A fundamental problem in this city is that it is too cold to walk far or wait for a bus in winter. to have an effective and convenient transit system, we would need "park and ride" lots throughout the city. Given our climate, they would require plug-ins or half of the commuters would be greeted by a dead car at the end of the day. | |
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Posted: 3/6/2007 6:29:50 PM | Wpgfunguy - question for you and other on you last posting.
Your comment on rapid transit - "It would nto be feasible in this city to have something like that as we dont have the critical mass to justify the expense, however, it sure does make taking transit a lot more efficient."
Dont you think more people would use public transit if the system was efficient? So this is a catch 22 situation - many people here dont use public transit because it is not efficient.
I love the Toronto Go Trains as they have secure parking areas for people who take the Go Trains into Toronto that live in the burbs and that would work here at the shopping malls. This way, people like MKD and others who have kids to drive around or pick up, could still gain significant savings from using public transit. | |
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Posted: 3/6/2007 6:33:30 PM | Hmmm. I agree that park and ride lots would really help any rapid transit initiative in Winnipeg.
If the big retailers (hello Walmart, Superstore, Canadian Tire) with the huge parking lots dedicated sections of their lots to be park and ride spots, I would bet that sales from the extra traffic would more than pay for their electrical costs, especially if they cycle the electricity. If they provided me with a plug for my car, I certainly would pick that retailer first if I needed to pick up something after work. | |
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Posted: 3/6/2007 6:52:43 PM | a few comments. It is a catch 22. It is part of living in a small city. There are countlees services that we in Winnipeg would benefit, however, the cold reality is that we just dont have the population to support many services and infastructure projects. Even if 3 times as many people took a rapid transit system then our current transit sytem we couldnt afford the initial cost/or the maintenence of such a sysytem.
The Go train is a perfect example. GTA (greater toronto area) has something like 15 times the population we have. They still cant get out of the red. Even though they benefit from a huge ridership, and have great economoies of scale, it is still losing money. Can you imagine the cost and the deficit such a system would run in a city like ours?
As for the Wal_Mart plug in theory, although it would be great, it would be highly unlikely. It is perceived that these big box stores are made of money. the truth is, is that their success is based on the small margins they make. Wal_mart for example works on average of 3% margin. The more their costs increase....ie astronomical hydro bills....the more they have to increase their prices. They succeed because they market to the masses on low prices. I just dont see that happening.
Park and ride is great, however not neccessary. A huge population in Winnipeg dont live in the burbs. These are the ones the gov. should be targeting to take transit. I am afraid the burbs will rarely be the main target market for mass transit. Not in Wpg anyways. | |
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Posted: 3/7/2007 2:09:30 PM | Hey everyone... they DO have Park & Ride here in Winnipeg:
http://www.winnipegtransit.com/main/parkandride.jsp | |
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Posted: 3/7/2007 2:32:56 PM | I used to take my car to my son's daycare and then take the bus from his daycare to work, but leaving my car unplugged all day in the winter, plus I had to pay all purpose insurance, as I was still driving in rush hour, paying for bus fare, the couple of times a month I did need my car at work for appointments, it was easier to take my car to work (and cost $15 more a month to pay for parking, and gas still costs the same).
Bus service sucks horribly by my house, and on Sundays, there is none, unless I walk a half hour. | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 9:13:51 AM | Now BRT (bus rapid transit) is on the table again ?????? WTF for??? Taxpayer's $$$$ going into a project that only benefits people that ant to get from downtown to the U of M and back. I don't think any public funding should go into such a project unless it is going to service the entire city; I use the bus regularly and never have a need to take it to the U of M.
If the students & faculty feel a need for such a service, let them pay for it. | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 9:27:08 AM | I have never had a car so I depend on public transit. Having lived in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver I must say that our service here is pathetic but for myself, I don't have much of a choice. Just economic reasons.
The thing that really drives me nuts is when the 18 arrives at Confusion Corner, the 60 or the 61 pulls away....hey bus drivers! what? ya can't wait 10 seconds for people to run across the street? This happens every....freakin....day!!!!! Really burns me when it's freakin 40 below.....
The other time transit is a pain in the azz is when you have to go grocery shopping....with two kids....that's a drag.... | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 9:33:56 AM | Some time back I was seeing someone who was completing her degree and was living on campus. She held down three jobs on the side so her whole centered around the area of the university. She rarely had to take a bus anywhere.
I am assuming that many students at the university are still living at home or other parts of the city because it is somehow cheaper than living on or near campus? | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 9:37:26 AM | Maybe we could start a fleet of Harley's to assist in public transportation ...... pick me to manage that company .................... 
PP
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Posted: 3/23/2008 9:38:02 AM | | Many people live and or work down Pembina Hwy that have no affiliation with the U of M....has anyone noticed how many businesses are along Pembina? So it is not reasonable to assume that it would be just students and faculty who would use BRT....plus if you look at the original plan for BRT, the Pembina route was just one part of it. It would have in time connected the entire city. But no...this city is so short sighted that it was killed. Instead, this city has opted for massive traffic congestion (Kenaston, Polo Park area, ect..) because they did not have the foresight to logically plan for the long term. Rather than focusing on the short term and the almighty dollar, lets think about long term investment and future generations. How attractive will Winnipeg be to big business / investors 10 or 15 years down the road when gas is some insane price and our transit service still bites? | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 9:45:31 AM | there are many problems with transit in wpg. i lived in calgary and the LRT was great. people who worked downtown used it since as said earlier there were many park and rides along the route that had plug ins.
wpg buys some cheapest optioned buses from new flyer (ex new flyer employee). ottawa for example buys 60ft articulate buses with warm walls meaning it has a nice heating system to keep the bus warm. edmonton has bought them as well. you can get a bus with a/c as well. bottom line the city doesnt spend the $ to buy buses that could be more comfortable for the users. If you look at the current fleet not all buses are capable for handicap people. the old style is not handicap friendly. the new ones are kneeling buses which means they can drop the entrance down to sidewalk level and extend the ramp for wheelchairs.
the city needs to re-think transit and buy more 60ft buses to haul more people during peak hrs and at the same time make more express buses. | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 10:05:31 AM | It seems everytime BRT comes up, someone in th emedia (usually a newspaper columnist) will devote a column showing how good our bus service is by spending a day being dropped off at various locations & bussing it somewhere. BUT they always seem to do these test during prime periods (AM and PM rush hour times etc) and end the column by praising how convenient/ fast the service is. I'd like to see them start in Transcona around 10 PM Sunday & go to Charleswood or Inkster Park, Garden City....
Forget the BRT, lets spend the money improving service on non-peak hours and days; not everyone in Winnipeg works a 9-5 Monday to Friday job downtown. | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 11:14:46 AM | Considering how cranky everyone is over on the "%&$@**! carriages on buses" thread, sounds like transit should have more buses where you can fold up the seat to make room for strollers, oxygen tanks (wth?) babies and groceries.
I own and drive a car, some people on the bus don't. A little social tolerance is a good thing. When I take a bus it is by choice.
I live just off of Pembina Hwy, and take the bus to work downtown when the weather is poor and I don't have my kids. BRT will not only help transit riders avoid confusion corner at peak times, it'll help those mobs of car drivers who currently wait for 4 or 5 light changes to get through there.
I can accept buses as a start. Winnipeg will never grow if it does not develop better public transit.
winnipegrapidtransit ca/wrtneed htm lays out a plan for a city wide service.
Happy Easter everyone | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 11:25:26 AM | Looking at that site you provided FGD, I still wouldn't be able to use the rapid transit. In my area there is no service according to the maps they show there... so I would still have to take a regular bus to polo park and then get on a rapid transit... which really doesn't help me since 99% of the time I'm on the bus is the Charleswood to Polo Park half of it when heading downtown. None of the lines even comes close to where I am... not a huge surprise I have to admit. Regular transit already stinks out here.. and transit has admitted that our area is not a priority for them despite having a well used route; so why would they bother with rapid transit for us if they can't even fix the current problems.
I have nothing against rapid transit... as long as they do it smartly and don't just blow money around. Although I have to admit, it would be REALLY nice if the city woke up and realized how crappy the bus situation is out here already and did something to fix that while they can. | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 12:02:03 PM | | Is there not some type of special service in Norwood Flats/ St. B. that picks you up at the door run by transit? and not handi trasit either. | |
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Posted: 3/23/2008 8:53:00 PM | | unfortunately we have severe weather here! that is a drawback. If I didnt need my car for work I might consider it! Particularly if I had errands downtown on the way home. | |
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Posted: 3/24/2008 6:49:44 PM | | I agree with Munkeechi about crappy bus service. I'm in a somewhat similar situation. My house isn't on a major bus route. To get to one, it's at least a 20 minute walk (more after a snow fall). There is a feeder bus but it only runs ever 40 minutes and only in the morning until about 9:30 then in the afternoon from about 3:30-7. And a 20 minute walk is not fun when it's -45 out. So I take the feeder bus. On Mon, Wed and Fri, my first class isn't until 11:30 and if I want to take the feeder bus I have to get to school over an hour early, which means waking up an hour early (and I am not a morning person). On the way home it's awful. My class gets out at 3:20. The first bus I have to take home comes at 3:18 and the next one at 3:34 or something like that (you'd think transit would know what time classes get out and make it so buses are there at that time). So needless to say I usually catch the second one. But if that second one is 30 seconds late, I miss the feeder bus and either have to wait 40 min for the next one (thankfully there's a heated bus shack) or walk 20 min-1/2 hour to get home. I unfortunatly am a terrible driver and don't have a license so I have no choice. Oh and let's not even get started on the lack of buses at night! | |
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Posted: 3/24/2008 7:03:15 PM | Just a little comment about transit and not living in a convenient place. I think the Munkeechi & wpg chick both live in areas without access to public transit. You have to move. (j/k)
Cities get more dense around transport hubs. Look at the train/subway stops in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver or any other big city. They are very busy places. Lets face it most of us just want to get through our day with a minimum of hassle. If I can get where I want to go with a minimum of fuss - thats really all I want. I don't need a high end SUV to accomplish that.
Winnipeg has a long way to go to being convenient without a car. | |
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Posted: 3/25/2008 6:55:28 AM | "Winnipeg has a long way to go to being convenient without a car".
It certainly does!! AMEN!
I use Transit to travel back & forth for work & I also own a vehicle. My car is there for when I need to run my errands, visit family/friends, go to the lake, etc. There's the "Up's & Down's" in owning a vehicle. The expense & upkeep are somewhat a headache but I'm grateful for my car. I use it only when absolutely neccessary.
I must admit that I admire & respect our Bus Drivers for having the bravery & patience in dealing with some rude & idiotic Winnipeg Drivers & Bus Passengers on a daily basis!
Transit Drivers; Thanks for all of your hard work & dedication! | |
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Posted: 3/25/2008 9:53:08 PM |
Just a little comment about transit and not living in a convenient place. I think the Munkeechi & wpg chick both live in areas without access to public transit. You have to move. (j/k) I actually am moving soon and that's one thing I'm taking into careful consideration when looking for a place: accessibility to transit. However the late night lack of buses still exists. I remember going to Monty's (yes on pembina) a couple years ago. We stayed until about 10:30/11 then I went to go take a bus home. Well I had at least a 20 minute wait. And forget taking the bus at 2 am when the bars close! The last 60 comes at about 1:45. | |
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Posted: 4/2/2008 11:18:59 AM | hmmm... old thread but I thought id throw my 2 bits at it.
I often dont get the opportunity or the luxury of a jobsite near a bus route OR in city limits so depending on the job, floodway, out of city limits, just getting to work is an automatic extra cost and only some job sites allow for the travelling expense to compensate for gas(union standard)
September I had a choice of 3 jobsites after the last bridge I worked on needed to lay off or move some of us becuase the job was near completion.... There was milner ridge up near Beausejour, major travel time/gas everyday... Lockport less than half that, and the Health science centre 10 mins throught the city.
After driving the first month, to the tune of roughly 600/mo. for gas/insurance AND parking... not to mention the 15 min HIKE to and from the cheapest parking lot($4/day) I just said f*ck it.
Park the truck for the winter, save that $600 /mo, use Transit and get to and from work just as fast. Save the polar bears and meet the hotties you see everyday at those particular bustops every day.
There was a couple days when I was driving as well where the machine in the lot either wouldnt take your change, wouldnt give you a ticket OR just messed it up in the printing process that nobody could see the times OR the barcodes on it. Too cold or humid for the card reader to read my credit card or something stupid where youd have to call IMPARK first thing, leave a message becuase nobodies in their office at 6:30 in the mornings just to tell somebody PLEASE DONT TOW MY TRUCK YOUR MACHINE IS SCREWED UP, bla bla bla then PRAY somebody communicates that early in the morning to the LOT crabs looking for freeloaders so they wont give you a ticket..... One day I got a ticket cuz the printer screwed up and its a good thing I used my credit card that morning becuase all I had to do was print the transaction out for them to drop the ticket... it was STILL a hassel i didnt need.
Who needs that kinda stress first thing in the morning when you havent even enjoyed your coffee yet???
People bus it all the way from sekirk every morning down north main.
My question... what about people from oakbank and east selkirk -south... is there some kind of bus that comes down the east side of the river for those folks north of the perimeter?
Just curious. | |
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Posted: 4/2/2008 7:52:53 PM | | A new day has emerged. Our planet is on it's last legs and we must make hard , inconvenient, and maybe even "expensive"choices for the common good of the Earth. Soon, ditching the car for mass transit will have to happen, whether we like it or not. Our childrens futures will depend on it. Better to bite the bullet now and make the infrustructure now, rather than later when the costs will be much much higher. Electric trams, trains, busses , or whatever the vehicle must be. | |
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Posted: 4/3/2008 6:06:01 AM | Great point about trains, the environment, and our lack of govt concearn/spending.
How many times have we read or heard that great debate in the media where OUR city and many cities like itdont have the need or the cash for suck a project.
Ive actually SEEN the proposed routes on a city website that were designed or proposed in the late 80's!!!!
STILL nothing... cost too much, city doesnt need one, its not a govt priority.
Killing people in foreign countries seems to be the biggest priority these days.
Every city our size needs a train system.
People just have to start making that demend for them.
I love it tho when you hear some soccer moms and corporate types come up with every reason to dispute a need or acknowledge the problems mass transit WILL inevitably solve.
Its like listening to a drug addict make up lies and excuses for every wrong theyve done just to throw their lives away and point to everyones else yelling... I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM....THEIR/YOU'RE THE PROBLEM!!!!
which may or may not be marginally true. | |
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