Transit, cycling, and driving all require some semblance of a network to thrive

It takes a network

Many North American cities suffer from a polarization between those that live in what I will refer to as the core (older, denser, inner area) and the edge (less dense, more car dependent). Transit consultant Jarrett Walker has seen it many times:

In just about every North American regional transit debate I’ve ever been involved in, someone has said: “Why is all this money being spent on transit downtown! Downtown already has lots of transit, while out here in ___, we have nothing!”

Some of the best evidence of this conflict can best be seen in voting maps such as the one here examining the 2010 Toronto mayoral election:

Sometimes this polarization can become regional, as in Vancouver where Jarrett Walker points out a serious gap in the network:

The Critical Network

When it comes to Calgary, though,. Most Calgarians (and many councillors) recognise the value in improving transportation in other areas of the city, because (surprise surprise)

For any transportation system to be useful, it needs to form some sort of well-connected network. We need to recognise that people who do not live right next to a new service will also be affected by it, in most cases positively. There is a point at which a network turns into more than just a series of connected lines, and becomes more than the sum of its parts. I like to call this the critical network, much like the idea of critical mass.

One great example is Calgary’s core cycle track network, which has exceeded expectations through its pilot program. This is because they have reached a critical network required to be truly useful and provide a safe way to travel around the core. There are still missing pieces that would make the network even better, but it shows us that to be successful, you don’t need cycle tracks or bike lanes on every street, but you do need a good network.

In terms of transit, the best example of a move towards making a useful network instead of just a commuter car-replacing service is the BRT program. A little-shared but very important map of Calgary’s planned primary transit network [PDF] shows that there is an effort to “grid up” the system:

This map is quite busy, but that’s part of the point: all of the blue lines represent planned non-LRT high frequency service (buses every 10 minutes or less). Compare that with the hub-and-spoke model of the current transit system, and you can see that the city is really trying to make a network out of it, and work towards the critical network that is needed to make Calgary a transit friendly city for commuter

Importantly, the whole network needs to exist to work. This includes the southwest portion along 14 Street that will serve two of these routes at least, and should be built to accommodate more in the future. Unfortunately, the plan is under attack by a small group of individuals who either do not understand the idea of the critical network. The Southwest BRT and transitway is part of a project for the whole city, not just a neighbourhood project.

The Southwest BRT has generated a lot more news than is warranted, and I keep returning to it time and time again because of all the misinformation and fear floating around about a relatively small but critical transit project. As Calgarians, I believe we are above the area versus area debate. I think we can recognize that there are some things, like transportation, that take a whole city effort to improve and reach full usefulness.

Sometimes, though, our city council needs reminding of this fact. I encourage you to do so ahead of the council meeting on July 20.