Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
This bridge is nothing compared to the crazy amounts of money spent in order to save some suburban soccer mom 5 mintues of trafic time in Cougar Ridge or some other vapid craphole that nobody else in the city visits.
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For the amount of money that's gone in to satisfying the suburban lifestyle in this city (the majority of it being infrastructure), it's about time something significant monetarily was contributed to inner city projects. So Table, you are EXACTLY right in your post.
These pedestrian bridges will provide a fantastic service to EVERY resident of the City, and every non-resident as well. Like Table says; there's no reason for inner-city residents to go to places like Cougar Ridge; just... none. But, there is reason for outlying communities to come downtown and use these bridges - the most obvious reason is work. The other major reasons include tourist / recreation spots such as the Zoo, the Science Centre, the Calgary Tower and the Glenbow. A tertiary reason could even be Kensington and Inglewood - arguably the two most eclectic communities in the City.
Again, making these bridges a significant part of the landscape is key to encouraging healthy lifestyles, enhancing inner city beautification and promoting environmental sustainability. Why would you want to have ugly, cheap bridges that is available from every angle of the City in such a strategic location? This is a huge opportunity to really showcase the beautiful locations we have at both sites (Zoo and Prince's Island Park); entrances and exits to these parks shouldn't be any different.
If anyone is wondering where they can find a current, existing pedestrian bridge in this city that is beuatifully designed, look no further than the one over Memorial Trail just east of Crowchild. If I recall, that bridge wasn't entirely the cheapest to build, either, but man... it is a beautiful bridge. A signature architect designed that one (forgot his name).