Street sweeping cutbacks?

[Drummer]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...296/story.html

I wonder if the city will change their mind on not towing cars out of the streets they are sweeping... And only sweep streets one time? I didn't know residential areas got done more than once a year.

I wonder how bikers and cyclists will feel about this?

[Bigtime]

This is gold right here:

But Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot — a fiscal hawk who pushed hard to trim the budget — said he never intended for city staff to take the scissors to the street-cleaning program.

Councillor votes for tax cuts, is shocked when services provided by the city decrease.

Councillor Hard Poo Man with some even headed thoughts:

But Pootmans said reducing the service this year may be a good way of gauging how much Calgarians are willing to give up to avoid tax increases.

“Frankly, I would prefer if we did do the job as well as we have in the past,” Pootmans said. “But maybe this is an example of economy and sensitivity to taxpayers’ dollars — and we’ll see what their limits are.”

The bike community/advocacy group chimes in:

Not everyone agrees, however, that street sweeping is a luxury. Already, word has spread through Calgary’s cycling community that there may be more gravel and grit on the roadways this summer.

“Certain cyclists have even been asking if it’s a liability, if the city leaves the roads in poor condition,” said Sean Carter, cyclist and owner of Calgary store BikeBike. “From all my experience riding, gravel is actually more dangerous than ice or snow. Sometimes you can’t see it, sometimes you can’t see how loose it is ... it can be pretty deadly stuff to encounter if you’re not ready for it.”

[AndyL]

So why don't they just keep towing them - and actually ticket the mofos?

Never made sense to me when I worked at city wide... I could drag 20-30 cars around the corner - and for street cleaning they never tagged them beyond the street cleaning tow order for me...dump a 50$ ticket on it and call it revenue neutral

[GGG]

The towing should be treated as snow routes are. Give 72 hrs notice for signage and ticket violators. Revenue problem solved.

As a person who bikes to work I dont think its a big deal. If I cant maintain control on gravel I shouldnt be on the road or I am going to fast. My windsield cares more than I do as a cyclist

[AndyL]

Originally Posted by fotze

I have never understood that as well. You would think they could actually make money at it.

Mind you the signage has been brutal lately a 1.5 hour notice Tuesday at 9:30 am to move your car.

City make money? ROFL - that's not allowed - I figure they'll blow more than 25$/ticket administrating thus revenue neutral

I miss street cleaning tows - those were more fun than the auction moves... I used to make a good living on those - and it was fast paced fun - complete with lots of arguing

[habernac]

did they ever tow for this? They've been plowing around cars on my street for years.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by AndyL

City make money? ROFL - that's not allowed - I figure they'll blow more than 25$/ticket administrating thus revenue neutral

I miss street cleaning tows - those were more fun than the auction moves... I used to make a good living on those - and it was fast paced fun - complete with lots of arguing

So here's a question.

Say you're about to tow my car, and I jump in and lock the doors, and refuse to get out. Would you:

a) drop the car and leave, not wanting to waste time
b) call the cops

I always wondered what would happen.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by fotze

I have never understood that as well. You would think they could actually make money at it.

Mind you the signage has been brutal lately a 1.5 hour notice Tuesday at 9:30 am to move your car.

Last year was brutal as they didn't put the signs in until the day they did it which is ridiculous and then they wonder why after cleaning half the roads in the neighborhood had to be redone wasting more time and money. That said there are some people that just don't care. The same people every year in my circle never move their cars. As has been said it would be pretty easy to have parking authorities scheduled to be in areas where sweeping is taking place and just walking around putting tickets on cars. It's not like the city of Calgary to not take advantage of easy money off drivers so to me this should be a no-brainer.

I just saw a 7 year old girl in front of my house wipe out big time on her bike on the gravel and have to be helped home I personally find this cutback unacceptable. IMO the city puts far too much sand and gravel on city streets in the first place as I understand in big storms having the sanding trucks out but we see even after a few mm of snow overnight fresh gravel on streets for snow that will be melted nearly immediately.

Lets be honest this is the time of year where Calgary looks like a total dump with all the gravel and crap on the streets. It's gross seeing all the grey/white stuff, gravel, sand, etc. all over roads, sidewalks, etc. What ever happened to being a nice clean city? Where's the pride?

So tired of Silly Hall.

[AndyL]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

So here's a question.

Say you're about to tow my car, and I jump in and lock the doors, and refuse to get out. Would you:

a) drop the car and leave, not wanting to waste time
b) call the cops

I always wondered what would happen.

Well ya can't tow an occupied car but if its hooked and ready to roll - your probably going to have an unfortunate encounter with CPS, if you don't want to pay the freight anyway... But if its on the ground - fair game (yes its totally a game) there's a tow of the week thread over on beyond - where I posted some of the fun

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by fotze

I have never understood that as well. You would think they could actually make money at it.

Mind you the signage has been brutal lately a 1.5 hour notice Tuesday at 9:30 am to move your car.

I got up one morning last year to go out to my truck to find it wasn't there anymore last year, look and it was moved a block away with a ticket for i think $36. thing was there was never a sign on the street for street sweeping, I called the city about it and they said they didn't have enough signs to put on all the streets they were cleaning, so I had no idea despite driving down the street every day that they were cleaning it.

[Bigtime]

Might as well make the best of the situation, organize a street sweep with your neighbours. Have some fun and get to know them better.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Might as well make the best of the situation, organize a street sweep with your neighbours. Have some fun and get to know them better.

heh have you ever actually tried to sweep a street? I worked with a company a few years ago that did some sweeping of parking lots and the like, unless you've got a power brush don't waste your time.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Dan02

heh have you ever actually tried to sweep a street? I worked with a company a few years ago that did some sweeping of parking lots and the like, unless you've got a power brush don't waste your time.

Yes I have, post flood last year. I brought some good tough bristle brooms from work and we got to it. Wasn't perfect but better than getting more flat tires. We also made passes over the street and back alley with those magnet bars to get metal debris.

[burn_this_city]

Our area gets one half assed pass a year, if the idiots don't move their cars there is no rework or towing. I agree with others that they should fine people who don't move their cars and make the entire thing revenue neutral. It's a safety hazard for motorcycles and cyclists.

[puckluck2]

I've broken one bone in my entire body in my life. I was 14 and on a bike. Lost control because of loose gravel and broke my collarbone.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

I've broken one bone in my entire body in my life. I was 14 and on a bike. Lost control because of loose gravel and broke my collarbone.

My two young boys (5 & 7 years old) after being cooped up all winter are all balls to the wall to get on their bikes and as much as you try to tell them to go slow on the gravel you know kids will be kids and it sucks to see the city have this attitude towards kids and cyclists that they will have to tough it out because they have better things to waste our money on.

[Zarley]

Not surprising considering how much money they must have spent on snow removal. I still think that some of that was a little excessive - like the hauling and moving around of snowbanks. Just last week some city crews hauled away a snowbank on my parents' street, is that really necessary when it's going to melt this week?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

This is gold right here:

Councillor votes for tax cuts, is shocked when services provided by the city decrease.

Councillor Hard Poo Man with some even headed thoughts:

The bike community/advocacy group chimes in:

Silly Hall, eh Rick Bell?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Silly Hall, eh Rick Bell?

I know this place is generally anti-Calgary Sun and Rick Bell but he's right a lot of the time about the morons in city hall.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Silly Hall, eh Rick Bell?

I use that name for Pootmans out of respect, heck those kids messing up his signs helped get him known in the 2010 election.