Downtown Calgary: Where are we at in 2014?

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I think it's absolutely that we still have an at grade freight train crossing in the downtown of a major city in 2014. Anyone know the timeline for this? I assume it's a long way off...

Who would pay for that? Better not be my tax dollars.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

As I alluded to earlier, the only reasonable solution at 9Ave and 11St SW is to build an underpass. I think it's absolutely that we still have an at grade freight train crossing in the downtown of a major city in 2014. Anyone know the timeline for this? I assume it's a long way off...

You're right, that is the only solution that would fix the whole mess. An underpass in all inner city streets should have been done decades ago. This should be a serious priority.

In the meantime though, while we wait for 50 million dollars, a few tweaks to the sidewalks and changing the light timing can be done for very little funding and add to a very much improved experience for pedestrians and N-S Beltliners who are bearing the brunt by sacrificing their mobility disproportionately compared to suburban auto-commuters.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Who would pay for that? Better not be my tax dollars.

Is this a serious post? of course tax dollars would pay for it, it's city infrastructure afterall. CP might pitch in some money, not sure though. I imagine the framework will be the same for the 4St SE underpass.

[McMurph]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

As I alluded to earlier, the only reasonable solution at 9Ave and 11St SW is to build an underpass. I think it's absolutely that we still have an at grade freight train crossing in the downtown of a major city in 2014. Anyone know the timeline for this? I assume it's a long way off...

Or you could make all of downtown an at-grade, uncontrolled crossing like Embarcadero near Jack London Square in Oakland. That's a modern take on the "fire a cannonball down the street and not hit anyone" type of place.

Thankfully Calgary has a bit more going on than Oakland, but in all honesty I'm not sure all CPR crossings downtown have to be grade separated. I'd rather have a couple more punched through at grade than to put all the available money into sinking 11th below grade. For pedestrians and cyclists in particular more at grade crossings would be a whole lot more useful than a single separation at 11th.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by McMurph

Or you could make all of downtown an at-grade, uncontrolled crossing like Embarcadero near Jack London Square in Oakland. That's a modern take on the "fire a cannonball down the street and not hit anyone" type of place.

Thankfully Calgary has a bit more going on than Oakland, but in all honesty I'm not sure all CPR crossings downtown have to be grade separated. I'd rather have a couple more punched through at grade than to put all the available money into sinking 11th below grade. For pedestrians and cyclists in particular more at grade crossings would be a whole lot more useful than a single separation at 11th.

This. I do think 11th can warrant a underpass given the traffic levels. But I am with you: I want to see as many at grade-ped/cyclist connections through the CPR tracks as possible. They cost next to nothing and would dramatically improve Beltline Access to DT.

I believe the kink in this plan is CPR occasionally likes to park trains between 11th Street and Inglewood, which would reduce level crossing effectiveness to zero. And the city usually has their hands up in the air because they have little pull on CPR to do anything with it being regulated federally.

There should be paths connecting 7th and 6th Street in particular.

That's a frustrating reality. There are solutions that can vastly improve the well-being and access of inner city residents that cost almost nothing but can't get them through because of one reason or another. Moving a few CPR parking spots is hardly a big ask unless there is some other reason I am not aware of.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by McMurph

Or you could make all of downtown an at-grade, uncontrolled crossing like Embarcadero near Jack London Square in Oakland. That's a modern take on the "fire a cannonball down the street and not hit anyone" type of place.

Thankfully Calgary has a bit more going on than Oakland, but in all honesty I'm not sure all CPR crossings downtown have to be grade separated. I'd rather have a couple more punched through at grade than to put all the available money into sinking 11th below grade. For pedestrians and cyclists in particular more at grade crossings would be a whole lot more useful than a single separation at 11th.

You realize 11th is the only at grade crossing left downtown right? Try telling anyone who has to wait for a 100 car freight train to pass by in rush hour that we don't need to go under the tracks.

While it would be nicer to keep the crossings at grade from a pedestrian perspective, I don't think it's realistic. The absolute best solution would be the relocation of the CPR line through downtown, but I very seriously doubt that will happen in my lifetime.

Edit. If you are talking about adding a couple pedestrian crossings at grade, there is nothing wrong with that as long as the trains don't block the crossing as MasterG alluded to.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by MasterG

This. I do think 11th can warrant a underpass given the traffic levels. But I am with you: I want to see as many at grade-ped/cyclist connections through the CPR tracks as possible. They cost next to nothing and would dramatically improve Beltline Access to DT.

I believe the kink in this plan is CPR occasionally likes to park trains between 11th Street and Inglewood, which would reduce level crossing effectiveness to zero. And the city usually has their hands up in the air because they have little pull on CPR to do anything with it being regulated federally.

There should be paths connecting 7th and 6th Street in particular.

That's a frustrating reality. There are solutions that can vastly improve the well-being and access of inner city residents that cost almost nothing but can't get them through because of one reason or another. Moving a few CPR parking spots is hardly a big ask unless there is some other reason I am not aware of.

Originally Posted by Calgarian

You realize 11th is the only at grade crossing left downtown right? Try telling anyone who has to wait for a 100 car freight train to pass by in rush hour that we don't need to go under the tracks.

While it would be nicer to keep the crossings at grade from a pedestrian perspective, I don't think it's realistic. The absolute best solution would be the relocation of the CPR line through downtown, but I very seriously doubt that will happen in my lifetime.

Edit. If you are talking about adding a couple pedestrian crossings at grade, there is nothing wrong with that as long as the trains don't block the crossing as MasterG alluded to.

They don't seem to park them there as much as they did prior to the new siding in Manchester. That said it's likely they would park them there just to spite the city if the city managed to get them to agree to a crossing. Also at grade crossings are a safety and security concern, especially where you have parked or slow moving trains.

As to moving the tracks, we have built our downtown in the perfect spot for trains, a relatively flat wide river valley without dramatic grades, finding a similar route that avoids downtown would be challenging at best and prohibitively expensive at worst if you could even find one. A third factor is the location of the inter-modal yard (SE Industrial 52 st & 114 ave) and the Alyth yards any other route than the current one would add dramatic costs to CP's operations.

[Surrealplaces]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Edit. If you are talking about adding a couple pedestrian crossings at grade, there is nothing wrong with that as long as the trains don't block the crossing as MasterG alluded to.

I would be happy with seeing a couple more at grade crossings being added. Keep the existing underground crossings, but add a couple more at grade crossings.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

They don't seem to park them there as much as they did prior to the new siding in Manchester. That said it's likely they would park them there just to spite the city if the city managed to get them to agree to a crossing. Also at grade crossings are a safety and security concern, especially where you have parked or slow moving trains.

As to moving the tracks, we have built our downtown in the perfect spot for trains, a relatively flat wide river valley without dramatic grades, finding a similar route that avoids downtown would be challenging at best and prohibitively expensive at worst if you could even find one. A third factor is the location of the inter-modal yard (SE Industrial 52 st & 114 ave) and the Alyth yards any other route than the current one would add dramatic costs to CP's operations.

It's stupid we can't move a train. Every inner city intersection that isn't already obstructed by a building could be a pedestrian crossing for a fraction of the cost of 1 underpass.

There is some perception issues with waiting to cross a train track: waiting for a train for 4 or 5 minutes seems like a tough thing to do, while wait 4 or 5 minutes for the light to change is not nearly as an outrage.

This is the reality on 11th Street SW currently. Something about waiting a guaranteed long time is less significant than waiting the same amount of time but sporadically.

[DizzyEdge]

I wish we could simply trench the tracks, and then every north/south street could be an at grade bridge over it.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I wish we could simply trench the tracks, and then every north/south street could be an at grade bridge over it.

I think in the distant future that is bound to happen. Until then we are stuck with it.

[MasterG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I think in the distant future that is bound to happen. Until then we are stuck with it.

I wish we could take small steps easier. Calgary has grown up with the expectation that we shouldn't do anything until we have the money to do it right and the best. This is good and has gotten us a lot of high-quality infrastructure.

Adding a level pedestrian intersection and requiring a train to move should almost no effort or money. It is not as ideal as grade separated but I don't want to wait my entire life to have better access to DT. I am young, but there is no guarantee that I will see that improved access even in my lifetime.

[Spring2008]

White: Here's why you should embrace downtown Calgary's explosive growth

Nearly 12,500 residential unites proposed in downtown and Beltline alone

By Richard White, For the Calgary Herald June 26, 2014 5:09 PM


Downtown’s ever changing skyline. Richard White for the Calgary Herald

Calgary’s urban sprawl is unique in that it’s happening both at the edge of the city as well as all around its downtown.

While much attention is given by city councillors, planners and the media to the ever-increasing number of new suburban communities, the number of new master-planned urban villages close to downtown (under construction or in the design phase) is significant. Perhaps we can coin the phase “downtown sprawl.”

With more than seven million square feet of new downtown office space constructed during the past five years and another five million under construction or in the design phase, Calgary is a leader in downtown growth in North America. Twelve million square feet of office space will accommodate another 40,000 office workers, many of whom will undoubtedly want to live in or close to downtown.

In May, Altus Group reported there are an amazing 12,447 residential units proposed, in pre-construction and construction stages in the downtown and Beltline. This doesn’t include the condos proposed for communities north of the Bow River, east of the Elbow River or any of the new inner city urban villages along or near Crowchild Trail.

Urban Transformation

Calgary’s thriving downtown has literally transformed the Beltline into a parade of show condos; there are new condos being built on almost every other block. During the past decade, the Beltline has evolved into one of North America’s best yuppie communities with great restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs, two grocery stores and a health food store.

Everyone knows about the incredible transformation underway in East Village, designed to become a new urban village of 10,000 people. There are currently more construction cranes in East Village than in the entire downtown. And, of course there is Bridgeland, where the old General Hospital site is in its final phases of master-planned redevelopment.

Mission is quickly becoming the Mount Royal of condo living with numerous luxury condos along the Elbow River. More recently, the Hillhurst/Sunnyside community is also experiencing the impact of downtown sprawl with several new, mid-rise (under 10 floors) condos recently completed, under construction or in the design phase. New urban-type condos (main floor retail with condos above) are also popping up in Marda Loop, West Hillhurst and Montgomery — with more to come.

But the impact of downtown sprawl doesn’t stop here. There are plans for several new planned urban infill villages — Currie Barracks, Jacques Lodge, West Campus, University City, Stadium Shopping Centre and Westbrook Village. Each of these planned, mixed-use developments has been carefully researched in collaboration with the neighbouring communities and city planners to create “walkable” villages where residents’ everyday needs will be within walking distance.

They will also be well-served by public transit, allowing easy access not only to neighbouring employment centres, but also to downtown. During the next few months, I will be profiling each of these new urban villages.

Inner-City Makeover

In addition to the new urban villages, downtown sprawl is responsible for the incredible demand for inner-city, single-family infill housing. During the past five years, inner-city communities from Altadore to Tuxedo and from Inglewood to Spruce Cliff have become a parade of infill show homes. From 2008 to 2013, 3,345 new infill homes (excluding condos and apartments) were built in Calgary’s inner city communities. At three people per home, that is the equivalent of building an entire new community for 10,000 people. Most new communities take 10 to 15 years to build out (such as Aspen Woods), yet we have, in effect, built a new inner-city community in just five years. The value of these new homes is estimated at $1 billion, equivalent to the value of one major office tower the size of Eighth Avenue Place or The Bow. These homeowners will pay $15-million in property taxes per year, about five times what was being paid by the small cottage homes they replaced.

New infill homes mean new families moving into the inner city, a very healthy evolution as young families bring new energy to schools, parks, playgrounds, recreation centres and local retailers. Even some major businesses are looking beyond the traditional greater downtown boundaries for office space. A good example would be the relocation of Venture Communications last year to the old UMA building at the corner of Memorial Drive and Kensington Road in West Hillhurst. Recently, the Calgary Co-op opened a liquor store next to Venture Communications and rumour has a New York Style cafe opening on the same block. The Memorial Drive/Kensington Road corner (in the early 1900s this area was called Happyland) has the potential to become a micro-hub; there already are several professional offices, a convenience store, two sportswear stores and Pizza Bob’s Classic Pie nearby. Another rumour has Phil & Sebastian and Starbucks looking for a location in the West Hillhurst area, further evidence the influence of downtown’s growth is spreading north and west.

Calgary is unique

While some, including me sometimes, lament the loss of the tiny cottage homes and the independent mom-and-pop shops, and that including me sometimes, the adage rings true — change is the only constant in life. It rings especially true for community development. I liken community development to gardening. Plants grow for a few years, but eventually some die and some need to be split and transplanted. A garden needs constant attention — new planting, weeding, fertilizing, deadheading and pruning. A community, like a garden, is never static — it is growing or it is dying.

During the past year, I have visited numerous cities across North America, including Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Memphis, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tucson and Portland. All those would love to have the downtown sprawl Calgary has. Instead of complaining, we should consider ourselves very fortunate and capitalize on the opportunity to make a good city great. Calgary has an incredible opportunity to transform its established communities into vibrant new urban ones, thanks to a thriving downtown.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/homes/W...279/story.html

[Jimby]

Clearly White doesn't know the meaning of sprawl.

[Spring2008]

Definitely a different way to use the term, but I think his description in general is very apt. Urban evolution starting from our massive core and spilling over into every inner-city neighborhood and even some suburbs.

[Chadillaccc]

Yeah, the word may be misused but the message is clear and mostly well though-out.

[onanewday]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Yeah, the word may be misused but the message is clear and mostly well though-out.

I liked this article. Calgary is seeing quite transformation in the areas around the central core. Sometimes I don't think we always see what is happening right in front of us. But every time I drive through these neighbourhoods, I am amazed at the amount of infill construction.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by Jimby

Clearly White doesn't know the meaning of sprawl.

Here's the definition of sprawl (not specifically urban sprawl):

sprawl (sprôl)
v. sprawled, sprawl·ing, sprawls
1. To sit or lie with the body and limbs spread out awkwardly.
2. To spread out in a straggling or disordered fashion

Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sprawl

The second definition would seem to match his description of the density and vibrancy of the core spreading out.

[onanewday]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

Here's the definition of sprawl (not specifically urban sprawl):



The second definition would seem to match his description of the density and vibrancy of the core spreading out.

White does know what urban sprawl is. He was trying out in a different context. I got his intended meaning, but probably not the best usage of words.

[RyLucky]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 'where we are at', but here's my read:

Where are we at in 2014? I think Calgary has successfully reversed the trend of urban decay that was worst in the 70's and 80's (though probably extended from the 1950s to the 2000s). Early-century houses, shops, and apartments have made way for mid-century parking lot after parking lot after parking lot. FINALLY, I think the tide has turned and people are investing in even our most dilapidated hoods.

Calgary is not unique in that regard (Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal all had the same issue and all reversed it; Edmonton, some areas of Toronto, Hamilton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and two dozen American cities are lagging a bit IMO but are just on the verge of reversing urban decay), but Calgary, I think, is perhaps unique in that it may have jumped a weight-class in the renewal. To compare us to Toronto, Calgary used to feel like the harbourfront (rundown parking lots with a few scattered, sterile office developments), and now certain areas of Calgary feel like Queen Street or Midtown, albeit smaller. In fact, perhaps other cities are becoming less useful as comparators as Calgary's own character develops - one that has increasing focus on our greenspaces, street life, and urban culture.

What's the next step? One of the biggest and most visible changes I've seen lately in North American cities is BIKES. Bike lanes and bikesharing has popped up even towns and small cities I did not expect. Last week I visited Madison WI and was blown away by their bike infrastructure. Wisconsin is one of the coldest states with the most snow! Given the relatively minuscule cost of improving bike infrastructure, it's a no brainer. Another thing that Calgary is doing great at and should continue to do is improving green spaces. The Bow and Elbow are assets that other cities ought to envy. Toronto and Montreal have nothing like it. Let's embrace our parks and improve green streetscape. The last thing that Calgary will have to do in the future, in my opinion, is to be openminded/flexible with zoning and land use. If we can enable privately-developed inner-city lofts for 200k by reducing parking requirements, let's do that, and let's make sure those people have access to other options like cycling and Car2Go. If relaxing a bylaw gets us Festival Hall, "temporary" (actually permanent) curbside bikeracks, and block parties like the one at Lukes Drug Mart, let's relax. Let's plan development that can adapt to include new uses as new industries and technologies arise. Let's give people as much choice as we can - about how they get around, where they live, what they do for entertainment, and where they work. From 2014, the future of Calgary looks very, very bright.