Calgary’s new northeast LRT extension is officially up and running.
Trains now travel through the communities of Martindale and Saddleridge, providing service to between 25,000 and 40,000 people in the northeast.
The mayor was one of the first to ride the new rails. He said investment in transit is one of the best investments a city can make.
He added that the Martindale station is more closely integrated into a neighbourhood than any other CTrain station in the city’s history.
The train cuts right through the community on land that was set aside when the neighbourhoods were developed.
Residents raised safety concerns about the level crossings, and Calgary Transit agreed to lower the train speed limit to 50 kilometers an hour.
The Martindale station has no park and ride, however, the Saddletowne station has a parking lot for 140 vehicles.
Meantime, the opening date for the new west leg of the LRT has been moved up.
The city had delayed the unveiling of the billion dollar project until next spring, but a productive summer has overcome many of the delays. Now, the line could open by Christmas.
“We have been able to get some of that time back because the testing and commissioning phase has gone very well,” explained spokesperson Tara Norton-Merrin. “We are still hoping for a 2012 opening date.”
When the west leg is open, it will mean another 40,000 riders using Calgary transit. A three-car train takes about 500 commuters off the roads. 38 cars have been ordered to handle the extra load on the west leg, and another 30 for when the city moves to four-car trains in 2015.
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