Umm...Rapid Transit (Would it be a Winnipeg forum without this thread?)

JTF wrote:No no...they've tried that approach...now they're on to saying it's "rapid" to get new customers...it's all about increasing ridership by telling folks they'll save 4 minutes (4 minutes faster than the regular bus that is.)

Yeah, but how are the bus drivers gonna be able to go fetch their lunches at McDonald's???

JTF wrote:If we really want rapid transit, sell the buses to the drivers and make transit private.

Soon, drivers will be speeding along to make sure they're there first.

The rest will work itself out.

This system is in place in much of the world.. I wonder what would happen if the current bus system was replaced with a private system.

Let the market take care of it.

Not enough ridership on a specific route, no bus.

High profitability area? Multiple busses, convenience.

New developments? Must be someone willing to test the waters.

In Mexico they use small vans that can fit 8 people comfortably, or 15 when it gets packed. Or on the larger routes they have big tour busses. It only costs 60 cents a trip, is faster than Winnipeg transit and available at all times every 10 minutes at the least. Could this work?

Deank wrote:take 30% or more off the vehicle traffic off the streets and put them on freeways and all the bus routes will become faster

how do you do that?

Freeways direct to downtown

I agree with this DeanK, Freeways are one of the answers to reduce decongestion. Winnipeg needs more underpasses and less traffic lights.

The city should also look into old railway lines which are no longer in use (Eg, St James, Raleigh/Gateway) in which to put new dedicated bus lanes, which in the future can be converted to LRT.

There should be a connection from gateway/ralleigh al the way through st boniface/archibald to downtown. An alternative route from henderson.

They are talking about closing the CP rail lines in Point Douglas.
A good planning committee would take that entire line from East to West and put a decent road through there with limited access to feed direct from the Perimeter.
It would alleviate traffic on Portage, and provide a good "straight through" roadway across the city with only 3 or 4 "exits" to feed major routes (Main, McPhillips, etc.)

Business and residential areas can then be built "under"/along the route...which initially property taxes can go directly to construction & maintenance costs of the route.

AGEsAces wrote:They are talking about closing the CP rail lines in Point Douglas.

That won't be happening any time soon... if ever.

To remove that line you would have to first relocate the rail yards.

[quote="Bretton Woods"]

Deank wrote:take 30% or more off the vehicle traffic off the streets and put them on freeways and all the bus routes will become faster

how do you do that?

Freeways direct to downtown

I agree with this DeanK, Freeways are one of the answers to reduce decongestion. Winnipeg needs more underpasses and less traffic lights.

The city should also look into old railway lines which are no longer in use (Eg, St James, Raleigh/Gateway) in which to put new dedicated bus lanes, which in the future can be converted to LRT.

There should be a connection from gateway/ralleigh al the way through st boniface/archibald to downtown. An alternative route from henderson.

[/quote

The old railway line running parallel with Raleigh/Gateway was converted to a multi-use recreational path about 5 years ago. It extends from Chalmers all the way to McIvor.
It's called the Northeast Pioneer Gateway and is heavily used by walkers, cyclists and in-line skaters. No chance it gets converted to a bus route.