It’s Monday morning, so back to the work week routine, a good excuse to talk about the third anniversary of the grand opening of the West LRT line which is coming up at the beginning of December. I generally work from home, but head downtown about once/week for meetings and appointments.

At the time the West LRT started running, I ran some numbers and concluded that it made sense to ride the LRT instead of driving when I have to head downtown. Even though the fare for one return trip has since increased by 80 cents to $6.30, it still makes sense:

• I get some exercise walking the 2 km to/from the nearest station PLUS I often turn one of those walks into a mini photo walk.
• I can read a book or review my choir music while riding the train.
• I don’t have to worry about finding (and paying for) a parking spot downtown.
• I don’t have to pay the new carbon tax on gas for driving downtown.

Yes, it’s irritating to be stuck waiting to cross 17th Avenue as the trail rolls into the station across the street, but I usually make the best of the 10 minute wait by taking a few photographs at the station. I’ve discovered math calculations on some of the steel beams, dating back to the construction phase. I’ve taken some longer exposure shots as the next LRT rolls into the station. There’s almost always something new that captures my attention. Here are a few photographs I’ve taken recently…

Do you ride public transit? What are the pros/cons that factor into your choice? If you live in Alberta, do you think the NDP’s new carbon tax on gas at the pump have any impact on your preference?