Skytrain a good addition to Kelowna?

[Tandr]

I would get rid of my car if we had a skytrain in Kelowna!

Me too.

not to detract, but kelowna is laid out as such that you would need your car to get to the skytrain station in the first place.

support the busses so they're full and maybe then the city would take us seriously about more rapid transit.

[twz1982]

not to detract, but kelowna is laid out as such that you would need your car to get to the skytrain station in the first place.

support the busses so they're full and maybe then the city would take us seriously about more rapid transit.

In some situations I agree with you with people that choose the Mission for example. People will always justify a car in some way. I'd give up my car because I live Downtown and a station will most probably be very close to my loft. Actually when my car's lease comes up for renewal in 2010, I will be ditching my car anyways since Queensway bus station is so close to me as well. I will be using bus/my motorcycle for transit. My work is also on Harvey just down towards Banks. I just wish that more professionals like me commuted on the bus like in Vancouver. When I told my coworkers what I was planning I got some chuckles that's for sure but I'm not letting it stop me.

I don't need a lot off of the Harvey/Downtown route so more efficient mass transit in my case would change everything for me...but my life certainally doesn't reflect the majority. I can't wait to go car free and reclaim that % of my income it robs.

[Tandr]

i've been car free for the last 5 years without much of a hitch since i live downtown as well. the only real problem, which i hope gets fixed each year and neve does, is that most of us need to take more than one bus between destinations and 1 bus every hour doesn't cut it for those who travel to and from work or school. especially if the job or school is on the weekend as well. if we encourage more usage, then they will add more times, i would hope.

Right now, a major deterrant is that it is not an option to miss a bus and wait for the next one as that would mean up to an hour's wait in alot of cases.

[SCL]

Maybe in 100 years people. KLO is still a hicktown and needs to grow by at least 700,000 before it comes viable.

[barrymor]

*repost without any of your personal information/blog link/whatever/Jo*

[Cumungala]

Thats a bold vision, but that would cost a fortune to build.

[crazy100]

There are cheaper options then skytrain if we do it now
an Electric trolley system a line down the new bypass and a
line down pandosy.
The new bypass line could have stations at- Prospera
-Gordon
-apple bowl
-Orchard park Mall
-Hwy 33
-Grand 10
-UBC O
-Airport

[crazy100]

Maybe in 100 years people. KLO is still a hicktown and needs to grow by at least 700,000 before it comes viable.

Nothing could be more narrow minded then a comment like that.
we can make this city a great city to live work and play to heck with
ideas that say we can,t ,"yes we can"

[fvkasm2x]

I think it's a great idea.

Here's the snag, how much would it cost?

Exactly. Great idea, but it would cost BILLIONS. No way that project gets funded with our population

[damngrumpy]

While I agree with the concept it would cost a hell of a lot more than one would think and the
problem is, it would come with a gasoline tax on vehicals. Therefore we would be depending on
people driving their cars and trucks to pay for a transit system that is supposed to cut down the
need for driving cars and trucks. As someone in agriculture, I have taken to buying my farm fuel
at the gas station to cut down on the danger of spills creating envonmental damage and the tax
would take longer for me to get back as farm fuel has special tax status.
I think if there were a different tax for the purpose of financing the cost of the system I say go for
it, it would benefit the community as a whole. Students, senior shift workers and the changing
lifestyles of people would pay for the system in time. This would also be a good time to build as
costs would be cheaper, and the recession would see an infastructure jobs boost, plus it could also
be used by government to promote, apprenticeship training for the trades. Even though we have
problems right now we must plan for the future. Build it by all means

[Cateyes]

Why is this tread not in the "dillusional fantasy" section of the board.

[crazy100]

Why is this tread not in the "dillusional fantasy" section of the board.

well they said the same thing about those who wanted to go to the moon
use your brain and your imagination ,if its done right it is completely realistic
and kelowna would truly be a visionary city to live in.
Kelowna dosn,t need no can do ers - If we have the will there is a way-

[TedD]

Not a bad idea, but a much cheaper alternative would be to try out an LRT service on the current rail tracks. Re-lay the track to the old CN station on the corner of Ellis and Clement. Then the downtown (along with Prospera Place) could be connected with shoppng along Enterprise, UBC-O, the airport, and other points north.

And, if they ever build us a second crossing, integrate an LRT right-of-way into the design of this 2nd bridge.

But are these transportation ideas viable with the current economic situation? Look at how many local companies shut down. Currently I see Kelowna possibly shrinking rather than growing.

[golem22]

once a train system is completed it would reduce the amount of people using cars......... But that is OK because it is a hell of a lot cheaper to run than it is to build. In other words that it would not reduce gasoline tax income until after it was built, at that point since it is cheaper to run than to build the reduction in gasoline tax income would not be a problem.

Also important to consider, something like this would be beneficial to to community, and to the environment (though if your rational you would realize that those in the end equate to the same thing)

[crazy100]

better yet in Brazil they built a LRT using eletric buses like the over head
electric buses in Vancouver.They would run on the bypass theywould automatically
trigger red lights green as they approached and pre pay stations are buildt
(much like a skytrain station)buses pull up doors fly open like a skytrain car
people quickly move on and off and they come by every 5 minutes no need
for schedules.

Kelowna can only become more densly populated because there is no room
to expand really so rapid transit everywhere should be a priority now
despite what anybody says from Victoria or Vancouver