Smooth opening day for Saddletowne, Martindale LRT stops
CBC News
Posted: Aug 27, 2012 4:40 PM MT
Last Updated: Aug 27, 2012 6:31 PM MT
Commuters living in Calgary’s northeast were finally able to get on board the city’s light rail transit with the official opening of two new stations Monday.
The northeast line extension, including the new Saddletowne and Martindale stops, has been in the works for five years.
Calgary Transit officials said opening day went smoothly, except for some early driver errors on new feeder bus routes.
Neil McKendrick, manager of Calgary transit planning, said other complaints centered on the size of Saddletowne park-and-ride lot.
"We heard some people that said the parking lot filled up,” McKendrick said. “It's only 130 spaces, but with the ability to walk or cycle from just about anywhere in the community to one of the two stations, we don't anticipate a lot of people needing to drive."
The city estimates between 8,000 and 10,000 people a day will use the new Saddletowne and Martindale stations.
Saddleridge resident Siobhan Van Dusen said she’s already fed up with the noise of passing trains and honking horns.
“We were expecting another sound wall to be put up,” Van Dusen said. “The C-Train is right there."
Van Dusen said even with the windows closed, she can’t escape the noise. The train line runs through the middle of a residential neighbourhood.
"It's not a place that we will stay because of it."
The $130 million project was originally approved by council in 2007.
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