YXD (Edmonton Muni Poll)

[feepa]

Discuss the options at will...

[MalcolmTucker]

Close it, the only problem with that is the city gets the revenue from closing it so the funds would not be plowed into YEG development.

Even a plan to close it in lets say ten years would be good. Allow time for planning and such.

I am not sure how much environmental contamination would need to be cleaned up, and how much land the market could absorb. Depends really if you decide to do just a dense human scale neighborhood (like Garrisson Woods in Calgary or possibly The Bridges) or a towering TOD like Century Park.

You could even build a couple Grand Boulevards and other road features as to accommodate the Grand Prix if one really wanted.

[Xelebes]

lol bias

[Edmonchuck]

Ka Blewie

[Kevin_foster]

Send these results into CHED please. thanks

[itom 987]

CHED poll results so far:

81% Yes - take the pressure off the highways.
4% No-maintain the status quo.
16% Let's scrap it and develop the area.

http://www.630ched.com/station/corus_qod_poll.cfm

Go there and vote!

[Edmonchuck]

I've had over 100 people post on CHED, and the 16% doesn't budge. Either 10,000 people voted yes or...

[CMD UW]

The whole debate is BS. The airport means nothing to me and the majority of my colleagues agree.

[freeweed]

As a non-Edmontonian my opinion means nothing, but YXD was a very handy transfer point for small domestic carriers (specifically, Peace Air a few years ago). Once they got booted out and forced to go through YEG, the stupid security requirements made a very pleasant, easy flight into a logistical nightmare.

I guess my complaint has more to do with YEG's stupid security policies (I can elaborate if anyone cares) than anything else, but I miss the muni Thankfully I don't fly up to the Peace much anymore.

[Edmonchuck]

"stupid" security policies? There is something there different than the rest of canada?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Edmonchuck

"stupid" security policies? There is something there different than the rest of canada?

I figured I'd have to elaborate. Don't take this as attack necessarily on YEG as I obviously don't know everything, but this was what happened when a flight was changed from YXD to YEG:

When you used to take a Peace Air flight from Calgary to Peace River, you'd get on at the Esso Avitat at YYC. No security screening to speak of, just show up 15 mins before your flight, board, fly. Land at YXD while they added/deplaned some passengers, maybe time for a smoke or a coffee, get back on plane. Land at Peace River. The way back was the same, in reverse.

When it got routed through YEG, NOTHING CHANGED AT YYC OR PEACE RIVER. But when you landed at YEG, you had to deplane. Leaving your luggage on the plane, which remember had never been screened, you were required to run the entire length of YEG (a good 5-10 mins depending on how fast you walked), exit the secured area, go back through security (and often as not, be forced to stand in line), and then run the gauntlet AGAIN back to the SAME BLOODY PLANE YOU JUST STEPPED OFF OF.

Did I mention that this adds 30-45 mins *minimum* to a 3 hour flight? And does absolutely nothing for security whatsoever, no matter how paranoid you can possibly be about this stuff?

What's awesome is that with YXD you were pretty restricted in where you could go. With the change to YEG, you could easily have a bomb/gun with you when you get on the plane, AND THEN WALK RIGHT THROUGH THE SECURED AREA OF YEG (before having to leave it and go through the security checkpoint again, keep in mind).

If there's any sense in any of that, it's lost on me. It made airline travel much LESS secure, if anything.

[itom 987]

I agree that security at YEG is over the top and I have complained about it to the Edmonton Airport Authority.

[Edmonchuck]

CASTA...did anyone talk to CASTA?

[ZiZiPop]

Originally Posted by itom 987

CHED poll results so far:

81% Yes - take the pressure off the highways.
4% No-maintain the status quo.
16% Let's scrap it and develop the area.

http://www.630ched.com/station/corus_qod_poll.cfm

Go there and vote!

The poll is flawed in the wording. IMO people voting "yes" arn't nessesarily voting to reopen the muni, they are voting to take pressure off the highways. Two different issues that are trying to be tied together.

[Policy Wonk]

the extremely high costs of decommissioning an airport have to be part of any discussion. Especially a facility that was active for so long in much less environmentally sensitive times.

You name it, it has been dumped or burried there.

[jawagord]

Originally Posted by feepa

Discuss the options at will...

As I am one of the likely few on this board to actual have flown into the Muni from Calgary, I can say it was a great business connection to have and it was a loss to both Calgary and Edmonton business to have it taken away. One of the "reasons" given at the time for restricting flights into the Muni was to enhance Edmonton's appeal to corporate business by gaining more direct flights to Edmonton via the International airport. And while the International has gained more direct flights, corporate Edmonton has mostly lost and not gained national or international businesses in the 10 years that the Muni has been restricted. I will vote for enhancing service to the Muni as the most important city business connection for Edmonton is with Calgary and vice versa.

[IKAN104]

Wow. That's some small town thinking.

[fortroad]

I say drop it like it's hot. It would make a nice "Edmonton Common" like The Halifax common.

[basilbrush]

I voted to keep it as is ...for the time being. I'm all for closing it eventually, but right now there seem to be enough areas that Edmonton is trying to redevelope(Jasper East, Fort Road, Greisbach, Century Park...). I'm not convinced there is enough appetite in the development community at this time to tackle something as big as this airport. I'd hate to have a big empty field in the middle of the north side sitting waiting to be developed. NAIT still has several development sites available to them on the main campus, plus they could still intensify development on some of their existing buildings.

Perhaps someone should do a quick breakdown on what the limitations are on passenger service under the current agreement. I thought flights to Calgary were still allowed for 19 seaters, no? but not other southern cities, right? and nothing out of province, right?

[lubicon]

Keep it as is. It still serves a purpose for corporate traffic, private traffic, and especially medivac flights from the north. The last issue in particular makes it very important. But DO NOT ever open it up to scheduled flights again. I grew up in Peace River, one of the towns that always seems to be complaining about the closing of YXD to scheduled flights and I honestly don't see the fuss. It's a 5 hour drive to Edmonton so really it makes little difference whether you fly into YXD or YEG. YEG only adds another 15-20 minutes to your overall trip so that is no big deal, and that is only if you are doing business in the core. Plus you don't have connections to other cities by using YXD.