Calgary Roads

[mersar]

Back before Deerfoot was built in the mid 70's Barlow was one continuous road and wasn't fragmented like it is now. The biggest missing link (in terms of the name at least) between 17th and Peigan I'd suspect was done just to try to force traffic out of the residential area along 26th which was likely still being developed along that side at the time and onto Deerfoot.

I don't think we'll see any existing parts renamed, however if the proposed realignment along the east side of the airport actually happens with the same scale of road I can see it being given a different name.

[Stang]

I know that this came up a while back on here (well before the split into SSP Local).

My stance is: numbered roads should exist based on alignment. It's important to the addressing/navigation in the city. 32nd Avenue NW doesn't connect with 32nd Avenue NE. That's fine to me - there's a methodology behind it that still exists today.

Named roads, which I think is more what you are referring to anyway, should be continuous. Sarcee, Barlow, etc.

I understand that at one point they either did connect (as was the case for Barlow) or there was once a plan for them to connect (Sarcee was supposed to continue over the river and connect). But if that's never going to happen, why have two completely separate roads with the same name?

I can only imagine what someone from out of town must think. "I need to go to Westhills. My friend says that's in the SW off of Sarcee. So I'll just turn south on Sarcee from Country Hills Blvd... wait a minute... Silver Springs?"

I know that's what maps and GPS units are for, but it is a bit odd. Do any other cities have this "issue"?

[YYCguys]

I can only imagine what someone from out of town must think. "I need to go to Westhills. My friend says that's in the SW off of Sarcee. So I'll just turn south on Sarcee from Country Hills Blvd... wait a minute... Silver Springs?"

Haha! That exact thing happened to me when I first moved to our lovely city!

[freeweed]

Do any other cities have this "issue"?

Winnipeg has 2 great examples of both problems being discussed here:

1. A continuous street with at least 7 different names.

2. A single named street with at least 7 disconnected sections.

Plus many, many similar issues.

Calgary is positively easy in comparison. It's what happens as cities grow and change.

[Skeletor]

Winnipeg has 2 great examples of both problems being discussed here:

1. A continuous street with at least 7 different names

Would that be Main? I remember the road changing names a number of times as you drive south from Portage and Main toward St. Vital.

I think these kind of problems are quite common. Even in little wee Brandon, we had Willowdale Cres. that changes to Brandon Ave. as soon as you cross 26th St, then it dead ends at the Keystone Center, only to pick up again 5 blocks east where it continues to 1st St., then offsets a few meters at the intersection and turns into Madison Cres. on the other side.

Parker Blvd. becomes Hilton Ave. as you cross 18th St., and Stickney Ave. turns into McDonald Ave. also as you cross 18th St.

Queens Ave and Ottawa Ave and Brandon Ave all have missing sections many blocks long, and they don't even really line up with each other, yet they share the same name. Aagaard Ave and Daisy Ave do line up and are only separated by one block, yet have different names. Also, Daisy Ave is only one block long and has absolutely no addresses on it. All the buildings face the other streets around it.

Sorry.. got carried away there.. That's only a few of the inconsistencies in one small city.

[entheosfog]

I know that this came up a while back on here (well before the split into SSP Local).

My stance is: numbered roads should exist based on alignment. It's important to the addressing/navigation in the city. 32nd Avenue NW doesn't connect with 32nd Avenue NE. That's fine to me - there's a methodology behind it that still exists today.

Named roads, which I think is more what you are referring to anyway, should be continuous. Sarcee, Barlow, etc.

I understand that at one point they either did connect (as was the case for Barlow) or there was once a plan for them to connect (Sarcee was supposed to continue over the river and connect). But if that's never going to happen, why have two completely separate roads with the same name?

I can only imagine what someone from out of town must think. "I need to go to Westhills. My friend says that's in the SW off of Sarcee. So I'll just turn south on Sarcee from Country Hills Blvd... wait a minute... Silver Springs?"

I know that's what maps and GPS units are for, but it is a bit odd. Do any other cities have this "issue"?

In Vancouver, the road names carry on with the alignment of the road even if the road ends then starts up again. So you have to be pretty aware of the numbered blocks and the building number you're looking for. A map is a must to find any address in the city if you haven't been there and if the name doesn't sound familiar. A lot of the similar sounding street names were changed a long time ago but there's still some confusing bits, especially if you take all of Metro Vancouver into consideration.
For example, Marine Drive: there's SW Marine Drive, SE Marine Drive and Marine Drive in both North Van and West Van.
There's also a Cambie and Granville Streets in both Van and Richmond.
Once you get the hang of the streets, street names and layout quirks, it's not that bad, but spending most of my life in Calgary with the numbered streets, Van sure took some getting used to for me...

[freeweed]

:previous: Yeah, and at least Calgary, being a Unicity, doesn't have 16 adjacent cities all with the same street names.

That is SO freaking annoying for an outsider. No, I didn't particularly notice that this arbitrary street divides 2 contiguous cities. :hell:

Occasionally even Unicities screw this up (pretty sure Winnipeg missed a couple) but for the most part it's a non-issue. Find a street and you know you're at least on the right track - not on the complete opposite end of town.

[h0twired]

Would that be Main? I remember the road changing names a number of times as you drive south from Portage and Main toward St. Vital.

Its actually the street known as...

Salter Street -> Isabel Street -> Balmoral Street -> Colony Street -> Memorial Boulevard -> Osborne Street -> Dunkirk Drive -> Dakota Street

[dmuzika]

I know that this came up a while back on here (well before the split into SSP Local).

My stance is: numbered roads should exist based on alignment. It's important to the addressing/navigation in the city. 32nd Avenue NW doesn't connect with 32nd Avenue NE. That's fine to me - there's a methodology behind it that still exists today.

Named roads, which I think is more what you are referring to anyway, should be continuous. Sarcee, Barlow, etc.

I understand that at one point they either did connect (as was the case for Barlow) or there was once a plan for them to connect (Sarcee was supposed to continue over the river and connect). But if that's never going to happen, why have two completely separate roads with the same name?

I can only imagine what someone from out of town must think. "I need to go to Westhills. My friend says that's in the SW off of Sarcee. So I'll just turn south on Sarcee from Country Hills Blvd... wait a minute... Silver Springs?"

I know that's what maps and GPS units are for, but it is a bit odd. Do any other cities have this "issue"?

If the city planners already renamed Sarcee Trail south of Crowchild to to Sliver Springs Gate, maybe the section north of Crowchild should be renamed as Spy Hill Trail.

[freeweed]

If the city planners already renamed Sarcee Trail south of Crowchild to to Sliver Springs Gate, maybe the section north of Crowchild should be renamed as Spy Hill Trail.

They certainly should have thought about this before handing out street addresses on Sarcee. A couple of years ago, it would have been a seamless change. But Beacon Hill is all addressed based on Sarcee (at least the Home Depot is).

Stupid, stupid lack of planning.

Ah well, most people today are completely lost without in-dash GPS anyway, even in a city they've lived in for 20 years, so I guess it's a non-issue.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[dmuzika]

Its actually the street known as...

Salter Street -> Isabel Street -> Balmoral Street -> Colony Street -> Memorial Boulevard -> Osborne Street -> Dunkirk Drive -> Dakota Street

Brings to mind the major N-S route in Edmonton known as Manning Drive -> Fort Road -> Wayne Gretzky Drive -> 75 Street -> 66 Street. The 75 St -> 66 St makes some sense because the grid slightly shifts south of Whitemud Drive, other wise it needs one name....how about Manning Drive in honor Earnest C Manning, past premier of Alberta?

They certainly should have thought about this before handing out street addresses on Sarcee. A couple of years ago, it would have been a seamless change. But Beacon Hill is all addressed based on Sarcee (at least the Home Depot is).

Stupid, stupid lack of planning.

The addresses haven't stopped cities from changing street names in the past:

Calgary Trail Northbound was renamed Gateway Blvd in Edmonton, with all the businesses that would be like renaming Macleod Trail
Capilano Drive was renamed Wayne Gretzky Drive (as an Oilers fan, I still think that's cheesy)
Marquis of Lorne Trail (Hwy 22X) west of Macleod Trail was renamed Spruce Meadows Trail
Evergreen Blvd & 146 Ave SW (residential street with established houses) was renamed Fish Creek Blvd


Another thing is when the Ring Road is completed, and roads lke CHB, Deerfoot Trail, 16th Avenue, etc. intersect Stoney Trail twice. That could be confusing if you don't give enough detail when telling someone to exit at Stoney Trail, and they get on it at the wrong point, and maybe going the wrong way.

With the quadrents it shouldn't be any worse than the numbered streets. At least Deerfoot Tr & Stoney Tr (no quadrent) only gives you 2 options. Tell someone to meet at 10 Ave & 10 St (no quadrent) and there are 4 options.

[lineman]

I tend to give out of-towners exit numbers. I would anticipate Stoney Tr having them too.

[Knoots]

Anyone know if the City has plans, or will ever have plans to update the Crowchild Tr/Bow Tr interchange so that you can actually get onto west-bound Bow from north-bound Crowchild? Calgary is hilarious for the number of "you can't get there from here" instances. I can think of a couple examples right off the bat - 14th street/memorial, deerfoot/beddington.... Anyway, I don't really know the history of the Crow/Bow interchange, sounds like some of you might know.

[You Need A Thneed]

Anyone know if the City has plans, or will ever have plans to update the Crowchild Tr/Bow Tr interchange so that you can actually get onto west-bound Bow from north-bound Crowchild? Calgary is hilarious for the number of "you can't get there from here" instances. I can think of a couple examples right off the bat - 14th street/memorial, deerfoot/beddington.... Anyway, I don't really know the history of the Crow/Bow interchange, sounds like some of you might know.

You can add Stoney/Shaganappi to the list once it opens.

However, I don't think Calgary has any more of these then any other city. If I had to guess, I'd say Calgary actually has less.

Crowchild/Bow needs more then just that added ramp. Maybe building it so it has more than one continuous lane that goes through both Bow and Memorial?

Memorial/14th isn't so bad, since you can do it via that short stretch of Kensington Road.

Deerfoot/Beddington is understandable, It would cost quite a bit of money to get another ramp over the railway and the creek for low traffic volumes. Also, the Airport Trail to 96th Ave connection being built this summer will help that situation out, since people will be able to get between beddington and Deerfoot via Harvest Hills Blvd and 96th Ave.

[mersar]

Crowchild/Bow likely won't ever have that ramp added, and I doubt they'll ever fix the awkward access from WB bow to NB Crowchild either. The WLRT work will modify a few things but for the most part it will be the same, with the addition of the LRT running up the middle.

[jeffwhit]

Winnipeg has 2 great examples of both problems being discussed here:

1. A continuous street with at least 7 different names.

2. A single named street with at least 7 disconnected sections.

Plus many, many similar issues.

Calgary is positively easy in comparison. It's what happens as cities grow and change.

Well, I live in an area that is an exception, the 700 block of a Sunnyside Street. I am less than a block off Memorial, but every time I need a taxi to the airport they are driving around Crescent Heights looking for my place. Look at a Map of Sunnyside and watch how 2nd ave turns into 7th ave...

[Stang]

Well, I live in an area that is an exception, the 700 block of a Sunnyside Street. I am less than a block off Memorial, but every time I need a taxi to the airport they are driving around Crescent Heights looking for my place. Look at a Map of Sunnyside and watch how 2nd ave turns into 7th ave...

Kind of like that little segment of 14th Avenue that sits NORTH of 9th Avenue in Inglewood? Interesting little anomalies all over the place I guess!

On a side note, for those interested in the old school street names, Google Maps shows 9th Ave as "Atlantic Avenue" (in addition to 9th Avenue) through Inglewood.

[Bassic Lab]

This always gets me, and I unrelentingly rag on friends and family who whip out and/or turn on their GPS receiver when going somewhere they've been a hundred times and could drive to in their sleep. Maybe it comes from driving and navigating spiderweb service and access roads for long enough, but I always trust my brain first, and things like GPS-Nav devices are a last resort. Navigation is something that should always be actively thought-out, not passively acted upon as dictated by the chick with the accent on a device.

GPS and mapping technologies are a product of my field of education too, so I should be encouraging people to use them rather than not.

Anyway, to get this back to road talk, I guess the whole broken up road thing doesn't bother me that much in the big scheme of things. It's certainly a bit of a source of people getting lost/confusion, and maybe renaming sections is in order, but as pointed out, other cities have similar issues.

Another thing is when the Ring Road is completed, and roads lke CHB, Deerfoot Trail, 16th Avenue, etc. intersect Stoney Trail twice. That could be confusing if you don't give enough detail when telling someone to exit at Stoney Trail, and they get on it at the wrong point, and maybe going the wrong way.

I'm pretty sure there will be very few actual instances of a road passing through Stoney Trail twice. Deerfoot will only do so once, it will pass through the ring road twice but I've never heard any thing about Marquis of Lorne Trail being renamed Stoney. I imagine the ring road will actually have a number of names, Stoney, Glenmore, Sarcee, Spruce Meadows, Marquis of Lorne, and possibly another on the East side.

[mersar]

So far its not sounding like they will use another name on the east side, as far as 22X they've been referring to it as Stoney. Any southward legs off the main ring though would likely get a new name.

[McMahon]

Just a quick question.

I was randomly looking on Google Earth and I came across a few large homes located in the midst of Saddleridge. I guess some people refused to sell? Anyway, the intersection of Saddlecrest Boulevard and 89th Avenue looks pretty weird. Having never actually been there... is it actually like that, or is it an error on Google? It goes from a two lane road with sidewalks immediately into what looks like a one lane gravel road. If it's legitimate, is it because they eventually plan on buying the land and extending the road?

[You Need A Thneed]

I imagine that one day those acreages will be redeveloped. There's a bunch of acreage lots in the area. There was an acreage in the middle of Pineridge that remained there until just a few years ago when it was finally redeveloped.

I imagine some developer will buy up lots as they come available, until there's only a couple left, then maybe negotiate with the owners for the last ones.

That intersection looks like a driveway & gate to a private yard, not like a regular intersection at all.

The "Flights" Development is going to be built on three acreage lots elsewhere in Saddleridge.

[mersar]

I imagine some developer will buy up lots as they come available, until there's only a couple left, then maybe negotiate with the owners for the last ones.

That intersection looks like a driveway & gate to a private yard, not like a regular intersection at all.

Pretty much. The road was built from the intersection to the property line on that side, and even has a sign indicating that it is 89th avenue, but the edge of the paved road has a locked gate across it and I believe also a sign indicating to access from 68th Street. I figured it was pretty odd looking the first time I drove through that area.

[McMahon]

Thanks for the replies fellas!

Going back to the discussion on road names. I'm looking at a 2005 map and the road at the southern edge of Chapparal is named Dawes Road, which if I remember correctly was the name of a small hamlet/village in that area way back in the early days (and may even have existed until fairly recently for all I know). Anyway, of course, now it's called 194th Avenue. So the process of renaming roads with historic names to numbered roads didn't stop in 1904. And it's still pretty annoying.

On a related note, does anybody know what has happened to the road names in Langdon when it was annexed by Calgary. They had a 1st-5th Street there, which presumably wouldn't be allowed to stay in place.

[mersar]

Not too surprising about Dawes Road disappearing personally, as the only thing left that even uses that name is the gravel pits along there.

Langdon is still a ways out (10+ kilometers) from the existing city limit and hasn't been annexed yet so nothing will have changed.

[McMahon]

Oops, my bad. I was thinking of Shepard, and actually wikipedia provides the answer: "According to MapArt's Calgary & Southern Alberta Street Guide 2009 Edition, Shepard's numbered streets, previously labelled 1st Street through 5th Street, have been relabelled 85th-89th Street S.E. to come into line with Calgary's street-numbering system."

[You Need A Thneed]

also a sign indicating to access from 68th Street.

Of course, that sign will have to be removed when 68th Street closes in the area, as it has already closed south of 80th Street.

[mersar]

True. When that occurs though is yet to be seen, but I'd say probably sooner rather then later as there isn't planned to be any access to Airport Trail / 96th Ave from 68th, rather its planned to be from 60th which currently ends at 86th Ave NE. Of course its always possible they'll just cut 68th off north of Saddlecrest Blvd and leave the piece in the middle for the short term.

[YYCguys]

... Also, the Airport Trail to 96th Ave connection being built this summer will help that situation out, since people will be able to get between beddington and Deerfoot via Harvest Hills Blvd and 96th Ave.

So that's the construction I see whenever I take the Airport Trail exit from SB Deerfoot! When is it expected to be completed? Is there a link I can access to see the design, more info, etc?

[Stang]

So that's the construction I see whenever I take the Airport Trail exit from SB Deerfoot! When is it expected to be completed? Is there a link I can access to see the design, more info, etc?

That link should help out, but I have never found getting from Beddington (where my folks live) to the airport that annoying anyway. I know a lot of people complain about the Beddington/Deerfoot interchange, but I don't share the same hate.

I simply go southbound on Deerfoot, up 64th Avenue, back down onto Deerfoot to Airport Trail. Takes about a minute or two longer than if I could go north on Deerfoot from Beddington.

Of course, 96th Ave connecting Harvest Hills Blvd to Airport Trail will be pretty awesome for those in Harvest/Country Hills.

[mersar]

So that's the construction I see whenever I take the Airport Trail exit from SB Deerfoot! When is it expected to be completed? Is there a link I can access to see the design, more info, etc?

The city has the page from the study (http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_104_0_0_35/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Transportation+Planning/Network+Planning/Studies/96th+Avenue+NE+-+Deerfoot+Trail+to+Harvest+Hills+Boulevard.htm) still up, don't see a page for the actual construction of it though. They did an interim plan (http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/trans_planning/studies/96_avenue_n/96_ave_interim_plan.pdf) which is getting built, plus the long term ultimate plan (http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/trans_planning/studies/96_avenue_n/96_ave_ultimate_plan.pdf) that they figure will be needed. The link is needed before they procede with development of the Aurora Business park on the city owned land south of 96th (the road network for which shows on the ultimate plan along with where the future LRT station(s) may be located)

[sim]

The city has the page from the study (http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_104_0_0_35/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Transportation+Planning/Network+Planning/Studies/96th+Avenue+NE+-+Deerfoot+Trail+to+Harvest+Hills+Boulevard.htm) still up, don't see a page for the actual construction of it though. They did an interim plan (http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/trans_planning/studies/96_avenue_n/96_ave_interim_plan.pdf) which is getting built, plus the long term ultimate plan (http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/trans_planning/studies/96_avenue_n/96_ave_ultimate_plan.pdf) that they figure will be needed. The link is needed before they procede with development of the Aurora Business park on the city owned land south of 96th (the road network for which shows on the ultimate plan along with where the future LRT station(s) may be located)


That is also where the planned suburban station on the HSR connection would be built. With the completion of the 96th Ave, the plan, at least from Alberta Highspeed Rail, is that there would then be a shuttle bus from there to the airport. This, would thus, eliminate the need for the LRT station that the link you posted shows, which I really hope is something that happens anyway because no way should that line be allowed to be built up Deerfoot.

[mersar]

Looks like Crowchild eastbound past Crowfoot will be up to 3 lanes in the next day or two, they've removed all the barriers and had a street cleaner running back and forth, and were painting the temporary line markings when I went past at noon.

[lubicon]

Looks like Crowchild eastbound past Crowfoot will be up to 3 lanes in the next day or two, they've removed all the barriers and had a street cleaner running back and forth, and were painting the temporary line markings when I went past at noon.

Good, and hopefully they will increase the speed limit as well.

That said, they will have to do some major grinding and paving of that whole stretch to get the road to what it needs to be. I'm assuming that will happen over the summer (?).

[mersar]

Yeah, probably close each direction overnight one night and do it. I'd hope before the station opens. Theres also a small part of Crowfoot Circle that really needs to be ground down and repaved, hopefully they do it as well before

[mersar]

Crowchild Trail NW
http://compscience.info/public/images/2009/crowchild-apr29-1.jpg
http://compscience.info/public/images/2009/crowchild-apr29-2.jpg

[YYCguys]

City Council has once again postponed the decision to close Rocky Ridge Road and will consider it again on May 11th. Why all the delays? Personally, since I will be moving to Royal Oak in the fall, I am a proponent of keeping the road open but still finding ways to accomodate the Stoney/Crowchild interchange AND the XRT.

I do have a problem with one of the reasons the RR/RO Community Association gives in favour of keeping the road open: that Cochranites will be using the station there instead of Crowfoot. I find that hard to believe. I am sure that Crowfoot, being a regional centre, will have more Park n Ride spaces than the Rocky Ridge/Tuscany station. It was designed with the Cochranites in mind.

Further info regarding the Community Association's stance on this can be found at http://www.r3c3.blogspot.com

[mersar]

Yeah, I saw the community groups 'top 10 reasons (http://r3c3.blogspot.com/2009/04/top-reasons-to-keep-rocky-ridge-road.html)' to keep it open that they put out the other day. Fortunately (likely after my continual pointing out the flaws in their numbers) they are no longer claiming excessively exagerated numbers of people from Cochrane will use it, just that some will. Personally I'll drive to Crowfoot if I ever needed to. They also keep inflating the other numbers, such as their supposed $1000/year more in driving costs per household if the closure goes through. Then theres the LDS temple numbers, which I've heard second hand from someone who is a member of the LDS church, are at least an order of magnitude out of reality

Fortunately it sounds like the city has put the 11th as the last date as otherwise it will start pushing into the schedule.

[You Need A Thneed]

City Council has once again postponed the decision to close Rocky Ridge Road and will consider it again on May 11th. Why all the delays? Personally, since I will be moving to Royal Oak in the fall, I am a proponent of keeping the road open but still finding ways to accomodate the Stoney/Crowchild interchange AND the XRT.

I do have a problem with one of the reasons the RR/RO Community Association gives in favour of keeping the road open: that Cochranites will be using the station there instead of Crowfoot. I find that hard to believe. I am sure that Crowfoot, being a regional centre, will have more Park n Ride spaces than the Rocky Ridge/Tuscany station. It was designed with the Cochranites in mind.

Further info regarding the Community Association's stance on this can be found at http://www.r3c3.blogspot.com

There's not going to be any access to the park and ride lots from Crowchild on either side. There is easy access to the park and ride lots at Crowfoot. People are going to spend 5 minutes driving through communities, when Crowfoot is just 2 more minutes down the road? I think not.

[freeweed]

I do have a problem with one of the reasons the RR/RO Community Association gives in favour of keeping the road open: that Cochranites will be using the station there instead of Crowfoot. I find that hard to believe. I am sure that Crowfoot, being a regional centre, will have more Park n Ride spaces than the Rocky Ridge/Tuscany station. It was designed with the Cochranites in mind.

This makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. Keeping the road open will, if anything, give BETTER access to the XRT PnR lots. Closing it means a very long drive to get into them, and as one who drives by it just about every day, believe me when I say Crowfoot is 100x easier to park at. The RRROCA (say it as a word, it's fun!) folks have this completely backwards. Closing the road means LESS traffic into RR/RO. Period. That's their whole argument, isn't it? That the closure makes traffic patterns a pain in the ass?

Good to hear of another forumer moving in. RO is one of the nicest new suburbs in the city (but I'm biased :haha: ) in terms of transit access, freeflowing roads, proximity to the mountains, shopping, you name it. And everything happening to date, and for the next 3 years, will only make it better.

Except the closure; it's really too bad that there's no affordable alternative. It's really going to screw with traffic. Having 2 traffic signals within 200m of each other, followed by a 4-way 150m later (Royal Birch Blvd) - someone should be shot for such shitty planning. But, such is life in suburbia. At least we don't have to put up with a kilometer-long detour like the folks in Tuscany, again entirely due to stupid, stupid planning.

[lubicon]

This makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. Keeping the road open will, if anything, give BETTER access to the XRT PnR lots. Closing it means a very long drive to get into them, and as one who drives by it just about every day, believe me when I say Crowfoot is 100x easier to park at. The RRROCA (say it as a word, it's fun!) folks have this completely backwards. Closing the road means LESS traffic into RR/RO. Period. That's their whole argument, isn't it? That the closure makes traffic patterns a pain in the ass?

Good to hear of another forumer moving in. RO is one of the nicest new suburbs in the city (but I'm biased :haha: ) in terms of transit access, freeflowing roads, proximity to the mountains, shopping, you name it. And everything happening to date, and for the next 3 years, will only make it better.

Except the closure; it's really too bad that there's no affordable alternative. It's really going to screw with traffic. Having 2 traffic signals within 200m of each other, followed by a 4-way 150m later (Royal Birch Blvd) - someone should be shot for such shitty planning. But, such is life in suburbia. At least we don't have to put up with a kilometer-long detour like the folks in Tuscany, again entirely due to stupid, stupid planning.

Can't wait to hear all the screaming and complaining when this one goes into effect. It actually won't be that bad if you're going SB on Stoney, but it will suck if you are going to be heading NB (or coming into Tuscany from the north). Still, if the speed limit is going to be 60 then it will only add a minimal amount of time to the drive, not a big deal. But knowing the City they will make it 50 which everyone will promptly ignore.

Hell, the speed limit on Stoney has been 60 for so long now that we're used to it. We probably won't even notice the difference.

[Stang]

Can't wait to hear all the screaming and complaining when this one goes into effect.

I'm actually looking forward to it. Maybe I'm not bothered because 90% of my trips are heading/coming from the south, but I honestly can't see it taking much longer at all.

Plus, when the interchanges at Crowchild and Scenic Acres/Tuscany are both completed (I see them as connected as one wouldn't happen without the other), I'd guess that the average trip to Crowfoot will actually take less time.

That being said, I have retained the RR/RO anti-closure group to calculate my added costs, and it looks like I'll be paying $1000 more per year in gas. ;)

[kap384]

This makes absolutely NO sense whatsoever. Keeping the road open will, if anything, give BETTER access to the XRT PnR lots. Closing it means a very long drive to get into them, and as one who drives by it just about every day, believe me when I say Crowfoot is 100x easier to park at. The RRROCA (say it as a word, it's fun!) folks have this completely backwards. Closing the road means LESS traffic into RR/RO. Period. That's their whole argument, isn't it? That the closure makes traffic patterns a pain in the ass?

Good to hear of another forumer moving in. RO is one of the nicest new suburbs in the city (but I'm biased :haha: ) in terms of transit access, freeflowing roads, proximity to the mountains, shopping, you name it. And everything happening to date, and for the next 3 years, will only make it better.

Except the closure; it's really too bad that there's no affordable alternative. It's really going to screw with traffic. Having 2 traffic signals within 200m of each other, followed by a 4-way 150m later (Royal Birch Blvd) - someone should be shot for such shitty planning. But, such is life in suburbia. At least we don't have to put up with a kilometer-long detour like the folks in Tuscany, again entirely due to stupid, stupid planning.

EXACTLY. How bloody painful is that going to be:yuck: I think my biggest argument against the closure would be that dumbass bit of road design.

[mersar]

And another intersection that I'm starting to think really needs to have something done to it: Shaganappi at John Laurie. Its pretty unlikely there will ever be an interchange there, but even just adding a third lane before the intersection so one dedicated lane can feed the turn from NB to WB which a lot of the traffic is taking, would probably make a huge difference there. Took nearly 20 minutes today to get from Crowchild past John Laurie and it was all congestion, and its been like that a lot.

[freeweed]

Shag @ JL has been getting worse every year and it's close to capacity if there's any turning traffic. Even worse can be WB JL to SB Shag - you can sit through 5, 6, even 7 lights before getting through that. And it can back up an entire lane of JL for many, many cars beyond the turning traffic. At least there's that extra lane on the right...

That one is screaming for an interchange - why do you think there won't be one? Proximity to the park? I always thought the city had left enough room there. That certainly would be one of the rare cases where I'd be willing to lose a small amount of the park to clean up that area.

[Beltliner]

^^^ My read of the Shaganappi x John Laurie road allowance (http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/dba/lud_section_maps/1p2007/6N.pdf) suggests that there's room there for a diamond interchange or a SPUI; a Parclo AB might be a tight squeeze, but doable.

[mersar]

They've started ripping out the lanes on Crowchild that have been the main EB alignment, likely as the road is wide enough for 4 lanes but the road only will have 3 when its done. They were also installing another overhead sign on the off ramp and it looked like a paving crew was up on the north side of the connector bridge so hopefully they are starting the final paving.

[mersar]

And some good news:


-----------------------------------------------------------------
CITYBEAT - CITY OF CALGARY PRESS RELEASE
-----------------------------------------------------------------

As of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, two lanes on the east side of 4 Street SW between 10 Avenue and 11 Avenue have been reopened.

All four lanes had been closed since Friday, April 24 when a sinkhole was detected near the road adjacent to an excavated construction site.

Investigation and engineering reports have determined that the sinkhole is isolated to an area immediately adjacent to the construction site up to and including the sidewalk but does not extend beneath the surface of the road.

The two lanes on the west side of 4 Street SW will remain closed to remain a safe distance from the sinkhole while The City works with the construction site owners to determine what needs to happen in order to remediate the sinkhole to ensure the engineering safety of the excavation and the adjacent road.

The City would like to thank motorists and local residents for their patience and understanding.

[jeffwhit]

What the hell is going on on Marlborough Drive NE? I was finally going to go to Los Tortillas and got cockblocked by the road closure. boourns.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[Beltliner]

^^^ The docs going to Standing Committee next week are here (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=RyeqgsgcyN&msgAction=Download), here (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=OyegrTsqrU&msgAction=Download), here (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=PyegresqeX&msgAction=Download), and here (http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/livelink.exe?func=ccpa.general&msgID=ByeqgyseyL&msgAction=Download).

If the City is seriously contemplating making future HOV lanes contingent on expanding expressway capacity, then once you factor out the inner-city HOV lanes on the table, that's about {400 total lane-kilometres x $900K per lane-kilometre (http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/fzfeens/trans/Transport-lecture15.pdf) = } $360-million up front plus {400 total lane-kilometres x $2K per lane-kilometre (http://www.semcog.org/uploadedFiles/Programs_and_Projects/Local_Government_Efficiency/SEMCOG%20Information%20-%20Local%20Government%20Effectiveness%20-%20Benchmark%20Data.pdf) = } $800-grand a year in state of good repair costs. Perhaps a necessary evil, but hardly an inspiring use of tax dollars.

[freeweed]

As long as our HOV lane use is done with some thinking, I'm all for it.

1. There's zero need to designate lanes as HOV at 3am. Have times on the damned things, likely corresponding to the morning and afternoon rushes. It's unbelievable how many cities have HOV lanes sitting empty most of the day.

2. JL as HOV? Surely they're joking. Maybe if a 3rd lane was added. Expanding on that, anyone who takes a 2 lane road and designates 1 as HOV is clinically insane and a sociopathic asshole. Nothing like turning your expressways into single lane residential roads. Hmm, reading deeper that seems to be the plan. All I can say is, don't screw this up, Calgary. I've seen it happen.

3. Goes without saying that major bus routes should be looked at early on, too. Let transit users fly by everyone else stuck in a lineup and you'll see transit use skyrocket.

[You Need A Thneed]

2. JL as HOV? Surely they're joking. Maybe if a 3rd lane was added. Expanding on that, anyone who takes a 2 lane road and designates 1 as HOV is clinically insane and a sociopathic asshole. Nothing like turning your expressways into single lane residential roads. Hmm, reading deeper that seems to be the plan. All I can say is, don't screw this up, Calgary. I've seen it happen.


Exactly my thoughts too, they would have to add a lane each way.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[Bigtime]

Incoming Rant...

So today was the annual Mother's Day Run & Walk, the following roads were closed at certain points:

-9th avenue
-10th avenue
-11 avenue
-12 avenue
-4 street SW

It was damn near impossible to get from our end of the beltline over to the west end and points onward.

So if that isn't a big deal what is the big deal about closing only 2 of 4 lanes of Memorial for one Sunday in August?

Fucking stupidity! :hell:

end rant.

[Jimby]

I was a prisoner in my cul de sac for the duration of the race. Good thing I didn't have to go anywhere by vehicle.

[freeweed]

I'm not a fan of those stupid races, because it seems like one is on literally every weekend. And usually Sundays, the one day a week when I occasionally drive into the office early in the morning. Seems like there's always something blocking Memorial or Bow Trail (whatever it's called as you exit downtown from 4th Ave).

I remember one time a few summers back, I was so irritated at it. When driving back into downtown (don't ask) several hours later, there looked to be just a few walkers left but the roads were re-opened. I looked over at my passenger and said "thank GOD they finally cured it".

A city with hundreds of kms of paths, and yet we need to close half the roads in the core every Sunday just to deal with the latest fad.

[h0twired]

A city with hundreds of kms of paths, and yet we need to close half the roads in the core every Sunday just to deal with the latest fad.

Latest fad?

You do realize that there were 15,000 people out for the race/walk on Sunday and raised close to $600,000 for the Calgary hospitals right?

[Bigtime]

Latest fad?

You do realize that there were 15,000 people out for the race/walk on Sunday and raised close to $600,000 for the Calgary hospitals right?

That is why I want my rant to be very clear, I had NO problem at all with the Mother's Day Run & Walk. I simply used it as an example of an event that causes much more traffic chaos than 2 lanes of Memorial being closed for one Sunday in August.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[freeweed]

Latest fad?

You do realize that there were 15,000 people out for the race/walk on Sunday and raised close to $600,000 for the Calgary hospitals right?

I'm not sure if you're implying that a fad would be something that ISN'T popular...

It's a fad because 10 years ago, you might see one or two of these events a year. These days, we have the Walk for the Cure, Mother's Day Walk, Ride for the Cure, and that's just the ones I can remember being mentioned directly to me over the past couple of days. I swear last summer we must have had 30. I don't even know what 90% of them are for anymore as there are so many to keep track of.

They're fads because it's the current "cool" thing to do in terms of charity fundraising, and only recently so for the most part. The end result is certainly noble but just like the ribbon campaigns of the 1990s, they're clearly fads. And just like the ribbons, they'll likely fade away in another few years to be replaced by the next charity/awareness craze.

That's all I was saying. Those of us that don't need to publicly display our charity are always a bit perplexed at the big to-do made about all of this. :shrug:

The 80s version of this was running/wheeling/riding/whatever across the country. Still a few people doing it but nothing like back in those days where it was a national media event everytime someone started.

[KrisYYC]

Let's do a road closure awareness drive.

[dmuzika]

As long as our HOV lane use is done with some thinking, I'm all for it.

1. There's zero need to designate lanes as HOV at 3am. Have times on the damned things, likely corresponding to the morning and afternoon rushes. It's unbelievable how many cities have HOV lanes sitting empty most of the day.

2. JL as HOV? Surely they're joking. Maybe if a 3rd lane was added. Expanding on that, anyone who takes a 2 lane road and designates 1 as HOV is clinically insane and a sociopathic asshole. Nothing like turning your expressways into single lane residential roads. Hmm, reading deeper that seems to be the plan. All I can say is, don't screw this up, Calgary. I've seen it happen.

3. Goes without saying that major bus routes should be looked at early on, too. Let transit users fly by everyone else stuck in a lineup and you'll see transit use skyrocket.

I agree. When HOV lanes were added to the Trans Canada Highway in Coquitlam & Burnaby (Greater Vancouver), a 3rd lane was added in each direction. However it seems the HOV lanes are under utilized during non-peak times and it may be benficial to have them as HOV only during peak times (similar to Centre St N). John Laurie/McKnight would definitly benifit from being 6 lanes between Shaganappi Trail and Barlow Trail with time restricted HOV lanes.

[freeweed]

Let's do a road closure awareness drive.

:haha: :tup:

[Bigtime]

The Memorial drive closure motion is up at council right now.

[mersar]

Do you know if they have already dealt with the Rocky Ridge closure motion? Or that stil later today?

Edit: looks like it was item #1 today, from my reading of the bylaw the closure is effective June 1.

[freeweed]

Do you know if they have already dealt with the Rocky Ridge closure motion? Or that stil later today?

Edit: looks like it was item #1 today, from my reading of the bylaw the closure is effective June 1.

They better get cracking then. The neighbourhood improvements in both RR and RO are far from complete. At the pace they've been going it'll be tough to have that done for June 1.

Plus, the 148 uses that intersection. Anyone know how CT plans on re-routing a bus for 2 weeks?

I think I'm gonna leave town for the month of June, it's gonna be fuuuuuuuun.

[Bigtime]

The Memorial drive motion did not pass (meaning it is still going forward).

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[lubicon]

They better get cracking then. The neighbourhood improvements in both RR and RO are far from complete. At the pace they've been going it'll be tough to have that done for June 1.

Plus, the 148 uses that intersection. Anyone know how CT plans on re-routing a bus for 2 weeks?
I think I'm gonna leave town for the month of June, it's gonna be fuuuuuuuun.

Probably by giving everyone notice on May 31 :)

[mersar]

I still haven't seen anything to confirm the Rocky Ridge Road closure actually passed, its also possible that it may have also been amended before being passed. I'm sure the Rocky Ridge comm. association will probably have something up on their site tonight, none of the news sites have mentioned anything yet.

[You Need A Thneed]

The tender is out to build the feedermains along what will be 60th Street NE, from where it currently ends in Saddleridge, up to the north all the way to Stoney Trail. I imagine some of the roadway will follow.

[Bigtime]

Here is Alderman Hawksworth's Poem about the Memorial closure, which he read in council during the debate:

The Ballad of Memorial Turmoil
Or
A City Just Wants to Have Fun

by Ald. Bob Hawkesworth


There once was a leader named Druh,
Who said, “Stroll, don’t speed along through,
Though cars are territorial,
Let’s celebrate most Memorial,
It’ll be enjoyable and beneficial for you”.

Spurred into reaction was Ric,
An “auto” cat with many a quip,
He said, “Druh’s suggestion,
Will cause great congestion,
The kind that cannot be fixed with more Vick’s”.

The media seized on the melee,
With unabashed pleasure and glee,
They saw, with some luck,
They could make a good buck,
By selling more papers, you see.

The commandments we have are just 10,
One more is needed others chimed in,
“Thou shalt not abide,
To walk instead drive,
To do so, we declare it a sin”.

The residents of Hillhurst, hurt,
That the response to their idea was curt,
They said without contrition,
“The road to perdition,
Is paved with 4 lanes and not dirt”.

Declared Druh and her crew,
“We say nonsense to you,
It’s not dire as you claim,
It’s only 2 lanes,
And will only affect just a few”.

This scenario generated conflict,
Which City Council was asked to direct,
Said they to the two,
“Settle the row between you,
Or we shall determine our pick.

Council considered the cost,
Of Mother’s Day run that was lost,
Or supports for the cure,
Memorial’s closure was sure,
And Council said “Summer parties are boss”.

[craner]

I have no problem with HOV lanes as long as they are added as expansions to existing routes and don't apply from 8pm-6am (or so).
But as Freeweed mentioned - in this town I'm worried they will turn a 2 lane carriageway into one lane HOV and one lane all. (please no).

[SubwayRev]

Well, I just drove down Memorial at 11:00 and at 12:45, and both times there was one lane in each direction closed to traffic between 3rd St. and 6th St. Despite these closures though, there didn't seem to be any back-up in traffic. I'm confused, because I thought closing two lanes on a Sunday in August would basically grind the whole city to a halt, but doing the same thing on a Tuesday in May does nothing.

I don't know what to think now!

[Beltliner]

^^^ Just read The Fishwrap, tovarishch. "We report. We decide." :P

[Bigtime]

If you want to get involved with the Riverfront Parkway Festival they are having a meeting tonight:

Hi All,


The next community hosted meeting on the Riverfront Parkway Festival
planning will be held tomorrow (May 12th) at 7 pm at the
Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association located at 1320 5 Avenue NW.
All are welcome!

[h0twired]

I'm not sure if you're implying that a fad would be something that ISN'T popular...

It's a fad because 10 years ago, you might see one or two of these events a year. These days, we have the Walk for the Cure, Mother's Day Walk, Ride for the Cure, and that's just the ones I can remember being mentioned directly to me over the past couple of days. I swear last summer we must have had 30. I don't even know what 90% of them are for anymore as there are so many to keep track of.

They're fads because it's the current "cool" thing to do in terms of charity fundraising, and only recently so for the most part. The end result is certainly noble but just like the ribbon campaigns of the 1990s, they're clearly fads. And just like the ribbons, they'll likely fade away in another few years to be replaced by the next charity/awareness craze.

That's all I was saying. Those of us that don't need to publicly display our charity are always a bit perplexed at the big to-do made about all of this. :shrug:

The 80s version of this was running/wheeling/riding/whatever across the country. Still a few people doing it but nothing like back in those days where it was a national media event everytime someone started.

Of the events that go through downtown and close city streets...

- The Mother's Day Walk and Run has been going on for the past 32 years.
- The Police Half Marathon has been for 29 years.
- The CIBC Run For The Cure has been going for 15 years.

I guess ten years ago you would at least see 3 events every year. I personally can't think of many more that have been added inside the past 10 years.

So where are the other 27 run/walk events you are complaining about?

[freeweed]

There were certainly more than 3 charity walks/runs/rides last year in Calgary, surely you're aware that there's a Father's Day walk coming up at the very least. There's an AIDS walk every year, or at least used to be. The city is littered with signs on overhead bridges every spring and summer advertising one or another charity walk. No, I did not write down every one of them. I've managed to get stuck with parts of Bow Trail closed at least half a dozen times every summer since moving here, so unless the city specifically has scheduled these exactly on the Sundays I happen to drive into downtown, I assume there are more.

Here's why I use the word "fad", by the way. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_health_related_charity_fundraisers) This misses a ton of these events that happen in Canada, and you'll notice something - most of them have only existed since 2000.

Exactly like how one ribbon campaign ballooned into thousands seemingly overnight, what used to be a handful of these walks (Terry Fox goes back even further) has now mushroomed into dozens every year. Shit, I've been asked to donate on pledge forms for at least 3 more this spring that I can hardly remember what they're for, but they're not in your list and they're not in the Wikipedia entry. You can't seriously be suggesting you only know of 3.

[automan]

Well, I just drove down Memorial at 11:00 and at 12:45, and both times there was one lane in each direction closed to traffic between 3rd St. and 6th St. Despite these closures though, there didn't seem to be any back-up in traffic. I'm confused, because I thought closing two lanes on a Sunday in August would basically grind the whole city to a halt, but doing the same thing on a Tuesday in May does nothing.

I don't know what to think now!

Whenever I drive through the area, I find it's the 10th st. intersection that is the problem not the few blocks before or after. I'll bet if they closed 2 lanes through the 10th st. intersection traffic would have been backed up. Restricting that intersection is one of the problems with Druh's proposal.

[Bigtime]

The 10th street and memorial intersection always sucks, so I usually avoid it in any of my commutes.

I would assume most people would choose to do the same, and especially on a day where it will only be two lanes.

[Full Mountain]

Whenever I drive through the area, I find it's the 10th st. intersection that is the problem not the few blocks before or after. I'll bet if they closed 2 lanes through the 10th st. intersection traffic would have been backed up. Restricting that intersection is one of the problems with Druh's proposal.

AFAIK the proposal only asks for closing 2 lanes east of tenth to the prince's island area

[automan]

AFAIK the proposal only asks for closing 2 lanes east of tenth to the prince's island area

The Calgary Sun is claiming that Druh proposes "to close the south lanes of Memorial Dr. on Sundays in August between 3 St. and 10 St. S.W." I wasn't at the city hall meeting so I don't have first hand knowledge. Hopefully the closure does start at 6 or 7st. and end well before it impacts the Center st. intersection.

[Full Mountain]

I would imagine that it will start at the turn for the prince's island parking lot (the first point where traffic can cross over to the other side) and end roughly where the lane reversal starts or at some point prior to tenth but after the end of the median

[freeweed]

I'll just be happy if this can just become standardized somehow. It's trivial to plan around if you know that road X is closed/congested during Sundays in August.

It's non-trivial to have to sit and look for details of road closures on the City's website, assume they're accurate, and plan based on that. Or worse (which is how it normally works), drive somewhere only to find it's closed today for something or other, so you backtrack/detour to a different road, only it turns out that road is backed up because 3/4 lanes are closed for construction work (hello 9th Ave!!!), so eventually you waste an hour idling and polluting.

I've lived in a city with regular, expected road closures/restrictions. It's a non-issue if they're regular - you just drive around them. Hell, if Memorial is closed at 10th and you're heading east, just turn right on 10th, left on 5th Ave, and bam, you're done. Take the flyover and head down 4th Ave for the reverse. And the core is never busy on Sundays (barring major construction work).

[SubwayRev]

My understanding is that the closure will begin where the lane reversal does, just east of 10th St., and east of the C-Train overpass. It will end at 3rd St., where the Calgary Curling Club is. If two lanes can be closed on a weekday without any problems, there won't be any problems on a Sunday.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff75/therevbw/Calgary%20Construction/MemorialDrive.jpg

[Jimby]

There's a new Beltline sinkhole. Global TV said a vehicle fell in the hole and had to be lifted out by a crane. I can't find anything on Global's website about it.

[mersar]

From what they said its across the road from the one beside Centuria.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[mwalker_mw]

We have HOV lanes? Seriously? I mean, there's the few short bits for bus only turns and priority signals... and that bit on crowchild coming up to bow trail... but, where is there actually a real HOV lane as seen in other cities?

Chabot is right - before you start fining people, educate them.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[Smevo]

The HOV lane on Centre Street N is counter-productive being the far right lane. Instead of being faster, you end up getting stuck behind a city bus making stop after stop. I usually use the reversed lane even when I have the extra passenger(s).

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[mersar]

Yep. Both the city's page (http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_104_0_0_35/http%3B/content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Roads/Lane+Reversals+and+HOV+Lanes/Centre+Street+High+Occupancy+Vehicle+%28HOV%29+Lane.htm), its Calgary Transit's page (http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/hov_lane.html) show the lane which runs from 3rd Ave South to 20th Ave North. Mostly intended for transit, with the route also setup with signal priority for CT to use.

[Bigtime]

Check out this piece of shit editorial from Naomi Lakritz in today's paper:

All a-Twitter about Druh's street party

By Naomi Lakritz, Calgary HeraldMay 15, 2009

"Twitter," says Twitter's website, "is a service for friends, family and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?"

What am I doing? Well, stay tuned, Herald readers, because I'm down here on Memorial Drive on a hot Sunday morning in August, waiting for Ald. Druh Farrell's block party to start, and I am so excited about the prospect of partying on this patch of previously boring and unremarkable pavement that I got up at 5 a. m., just so I wouldn't be late.

This is the block party to end all block parties--and it's right in the middle of a major metropolitan crosstown street.

If it's a smashing success, other cities will be sooooo envious. I bet next year the entire Trans-Canada Highway will be closed for four hours on a Sunday so the whole country can party from coast to coast! There'll be a rip-roaring time in Rogers Pass, that's for sure! Oh, better log on to my Twitter account; looks like we're getting underway here.

8:50. City workers have blocked off the street. Traffic is grudgingly funnelling itself into one lane each way.

9:01. Can't wait to start partying hearty. It's a chance to meet other Calgarians. May even make lifelong friends in the next 20 minutes!

9:10. Druh Farrell says this party will "get people active." They better get here soon. In three hours and 50 minutes, they have to go back to being passive.

9:30. Pavement's hot. That's good. The snow and ice from last December's mother of all storms are gone. See? City officials knew it would melt and they were right. Who needs plows?

9:50. People are milling around aimlessly. This party is supposed to lend Calgary vibrancy. Nobody's vibrating. Everybody's wilting.

10:05. The sun is higher now. According to KOMOnews.com,Seattle, "the pavement does a great job of absorbing the energy from the sun." Too true. Pavement scorching soles of shoes. 10:10. City transportation general manager John Hubbell says 850 cars travel one way at peak times Sundays. Zero cars now travelling either way.

10:12. Traffic gridlocked. Fumes filling the air. Emissions going into the atmosphere. Global warming intensifying. David Suzuki fuming. Ice caps melting.

10:15. Tired of milling around aimlessly near the curling club. Never was a curling fan, anyway. Time to head to 10th Street and mill around aimlessly there.

10:25. Good news. Toronto Star says Dutch firm is siphoning heat from roads to heat homes and offices. Help yourselves to Memo-rial Drive asphalt, Dutch firm. Send tulips in trade.

10:45. Am milling around aimlessly at 10th Street. Crowds doing likewise. No lifelong friendships forged yet.

11:00. Star article says: "If you've ever blistered your bare feet on a hot road, you know how asphalt absorbs the sun's rays." Yes!!!!

10:40. Rap music blaring from gridlocked car. Where's Ric McIver? Shall we dance to the rap rhythm, Ric?

10:55. Sick of dancing. Nobody's making lifelong friendships. Everyone's talking to the people they came with, who they already know. What's the point of that?

11:10. The Dutch firm took solar energy from a stretch of road to help heat an apartment block. Lots of hot air on Calgary city council. Could we siphon that?

11:30.Wow! Look at the traffic backed up! They paved paradise all right --and then Druh put up this parking lot!

11:45. Need a bottle of water. Forgot. Mustn't drink bottled water. Do not want to look politically incorrect at Druh's trendy party. What to do?

12:00. Dehydration setting in. Step onto someone's lawn and run through their sprinkler open-mouthed instead.

12:05. Are we having fun yet?

12:06. No.

12:07. Not yet.

12:25. Ald. Joe Connelly said supporters of Druh's party are "out to make a political statement, that cars are bad." Partygoers drove here in cars to help them make this statement.

12:30. Joggers on river path under trees appear to be having more fun than pavement party-types. Nice cool river breezes don't reach over here. Never mind. Party on.

12:32. Can we go home now?

12:35. Druh said after angry debate in council over Memorial Drive closure: "No matter how fiery the debate is, council usually gets it right." They do?

12:55. City workers show up to remove barriers. Never so happy to see anyone in all my life! They look happy, too. Contemplating overtime on their pay-cheques.

1:00. Lovely party, Druh. Thank you for inviting me. We must do this again real soon. When? How about the third Sunday in August 2084? Can't wait. I'm all atwitter.

nlakritz@theherald. canweSt.coM
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Link (http://www.calgaryherald.com/Life/Twitter+about+Druh+street+party/1599791/story.html)
_________________________________________________________________

Where do I start, how about a bunch of rolleyes? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

So apparently the Herald editorial board can criticize the Plan It document for attempting to see the future but they can predict it themselves!

[Beltliner]

Hold it! Wait! This divination just in from Carnac (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnac_the_Magnificent):

"Lindsay Lohan's underwear...a Stephen Harper smile that doesn't look like a deformed rictus his handlers are making him wear...a story The Fishwrap doesn't torque..."

[opens envelope]

"Ah--three things you'll never see in public."

[reflexzero]

Well, scorching pavement is pretty unpleasant to be around on foot.

I think the idea is to recreate the Red Mile from a few years back, in sort of a Fisher Price - Gucci Greenpeace way, and I imagine there will be arts vendors and pretend eco-heads hawking their crap for ridiculous prices.

While on the topic of roads and the environment, the world's most briliant TV presenter had this to say, enjoy:

I don’t understand why people buy Toyota Prius, it’s a typical scam, Toyota is using our concern about environment to sell us rubbish and make loads of money. To make that Prius as “economical” as possible, Toyota goes to the ends of the earth, literally. The nickel they need to make the battery comes from a mine in Canada, to separate the nickel from the mine, it will produce a lot of acid rain, ok, doesn’t matter, then they load the nickel to an enormous cargo ship and send it to Europe to refine it and then send the nickel to China and turn it into a sort of foam, then send it to Japan to put into the battery in a Prius car. Think about those, how much environmental damage have they already done in the process of produce a Prius?!!! Ok, if that sounds fine to you environmentalists, and you finally spent a lot of money and bought one, the life of the battery is short and the maintenance cost is higher than normal car. Ok, if that still sounds fine to you environmentalists, and you finally finish with the car and throw it away, the battery in the car will continue to poison the planet, the poison will go to the water, the soil, the fish, the food, many people will be poisoned and dead. A recent study shows that in the long term, a Prius does more environmental damage than a Land Rover Discovery. In conclusion, the planet is killed, and the people are killed, just so you environmentalists can buy a Toyota Prius and pretend that you are nice people and concerned about the environment.



It's Friday!

[mwalker_mw]

re: Centre Street HOV.

Thanks Frink.

Sadly, I've driven up there a few times and not even noticed (never at rush hour though). I imagine it is signed, but does it have regular Diamonds on the pavement or anything along those lines. I'm used to the freeway style ones where there is a distinct entry and exit and complete separation of the lane. With the sheer number of streetsigns I generally put the ones that aren't critical (Stop, Yield, etc.) or that don't directly affect me (i.e. looking for street parking) on ignore. I really suspect that the number of people ignoring the lanes HOV status are more due to ignorance than a deliberate decision to thwart the system.

[MonctonGoldenFlames]

All a-Twitter about Druh's street party

ha! love the article! i really hope druh's self-serving goals come back to bite her on this one. it actually makes me quite jealous, maybe i should run for council so i can arrange summer parties directly in my neighbourhood while closing the major street that runs thru it. 2 birds, 1 stone really....close major road to half it's capacity and as a result, less traffic thru my backyard, plus i get a wicked awesome party a large berm away from the river!

[MalcolmTucker]

^ The thing is, most of the time a neighborbood association or BRZ just applies to close the road, pays the fees and it is done. It doesn't go to council at all. Council passed a policy back in the day to govern all this stuff.

The people trying to stop it were trying to make the statement. The only reason this became an issue is the next mayoral race will likely be McIver vs Druh vs third party.