Concil Mulling Over $100m Makeover of MacLeod

[Northendzone]

I read this and I was not overly excited as I can not wrap my head around how making a nice boulevard down the center of MacLeod is going to really do much of anything for this street.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...775/story.html

I think this should be about #73 on the piority list.....anyone else want to weigh in.

[You Need a Thneed]

This isn't a project, it's a framework to guide future projects along the corridor.

A big difference actually.

[calgarygeologist]

Basically they want to apply the 16th Ave North re-development plan to MacLeod Trail.

[saillias]

Can someone summarize? I used up my 10 article limit on Flames related stories.

[RedMileDJ]

Snow is coming...just saying.

Would be nice if we had some money to CLEAR and REMOVE snow this year. Yes, I'm aware that last year we did...eventually and only due to extreme circumstances.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by saillias

Can someone summarize? I used up my 10 article limit on Flames related stories.

You can read unlimited articles if you use an "incognito" mode in your browser.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by saillias

Can someone summarize? I used up my 10 article limit on Flames related stories.

In short, the cost of adding a grass median and a cycle-track playground between 25th Ave and Anderson road would be $100 million - not including the cost of acquiring land since the intention (surprisingly) is not to further cripple traffic by taking lanes away. Odds are that this is project for 50-100 years from now.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Basically they want to apply the 16th Ave North re-development plan to MacLeod Trail.

Essentially they are planning today, to try and create a right of way over the years to allow to do that in the future.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I read this and I was not overly excited as I can not wrap my head around how making a nice boulevard down the center of MacLeod is going to really do much of anything for this street.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ca...775/story.html

I think this should be about #73 on the piority list.....anyone else want to weigh in.

I would have said the same thing about 16th avenue. However, it's so much better and nicer looking now than the piece of #### it was.

Plus ... don't most taxpayers have massive erections for spending money on roads?

[polak]

Originally Posted by nik-

I would have said the same thing about 16th avenue. However, it's so much better and nicer looking now than the piece of #### it was.

Plus ... don't most taxpayers have massive erections for spending money on roads?

Roads rule, Cycles drool.

[calgaryrocks]

[QUOTE=nik-;4939114]I would have said the same thing about 16th avenue. However, it's so much better and nicer looking now than the piece of #### it was.

Plus ... don't most taxpayers have massive erections for spending money on roads?[/QUOTE]
yes, but only when money is being spent on something other than roads (like transit). When it is actually for roads (or related infrastructure like tunnels) then people get upset.

[edslunch]

MacLeod Trail is gross. Upgrading it would have intangible benefits to all who go there (or currently avoid doing so)

[SebC]

So here's the thing... I find that wider right-of-ways, as a pedestrian are actually unattractive. You have further to go if you want to cross the street, and it becomes more of a barrier.

Is this sort of thing counter-productive?

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by SebC

So here's the thing... I find that wider right-of-ways, as a pedestrian are actually unattractive. You have further to go if you want to cross the street, and it becomes more of a barrier.

Is this sort of thing counter-productive?

What you are saying makes sense... when you are actually able to cross the street, unlike most of Macleod Trail, or if you aren't miles away from the services on the side of the street you are walking along - like along most of Macleod Trail.

The street is really uncomfortable for most pedestrians already. In fact, that street is the perfect example of a street where the city planners did not think anyone would actually want to walk along it. Did you know there is almost no pedestrian crossings along fish creek park? Try walking from Midnapore to the cheap theatres along Bonaventure and Canyon Meadows drive. It is either a 45 minute hike through fish creek to find a bridge that hasn't been washed out, much less an entry and exit point, or a terrifying 5 minute ordeal along the shoulder of Macleod Trail and the off ramp. The city planners must have thought to themselves, Why would anyone walk?? Why would anyone do anything but drive? Because all citizens of the city, they all must have licenses, and cars, or the city just won't plan for them.

Money spent to make it better is a really good thing.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Knalus

What you are saying makes sense... when you are actually able to cross the street, unlike most of Macleod Trail, or if you aren't miles away from the services on the side of the street you are walking along - like along most of Macleod Trail.

The street is really uncomfortable for most pedestrians already. In fact, that street is the perfect example of a street where the city planners did not think anyone would actually want to walk along it. Did you know there is almost no pedestrian crossings along fish creek park? Try walking from Midnapore to the cheap theatres along Bonaventure and Canyon Meadows drive. It is either a 45 minute hike through fish creek to find a bridge that hasn't been washed out, much less an entry and exit point, or a terrifying 5 minute ordeal along the shoulder of Macleod Trail and the off ramp. The city planners must have thought to themselves, Why would anyone walk?? Why would anyone do anything but drive? Because all citizens of the city, they all must have licenses, and cars, or the city just won't plan for them.

Money spent to make it better is a really good thing.

Yeah, I can't believe that bridge in Fish Creek is still washed out between Bonavista and Midnapore. It's such a critical bridge and when you're in the park you have to go like 3 km each way to the next bridge.

[Resolute 14]

In terms of a dedicated bike corridor, Elbow Drive makes far more sense. Lower traffic volumes, more greenery, and between Glenmore and Anderson at least, zero need to acquire land. Accessing MacLeod is easy given the number of side streets that intersect both roads.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

In terms of a dedicated bike corridor, Elbow Drive makes far more sense. Lower traffic volumes, more greenery, and between Glenmore and Anderson at least, zero need to acquire land. Accessing MacLeod is easy given the number of side streets that intersect both roads.

Agree 100%. I think the city really missed an opportunity to implement bus lanes / bike lanes when they rebuilt Elbow in the last few years. The number three bus funnels a ton of near-SW people DT (most frequent route in town) and a bus lane would make it damn near BRT. Combine bikes into the same lane and I think a lot of people would make use of it.

I already use Elbow to commute DT on my bike, but it's not for everyone. And even after 30 years of biking in all sorts of Calgary traffic, I wouldn't even consider riding on Macleod. It's downright hostile.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

In terms of a dedicated bike corridor, Elbow Drive makes far more sense. Lower traffic volumes, more greenery, and between Glenmore and Anderson at least, zero need to acquire land. Accessing MacLeod is easy given the number of side streets that intersect both roads.

this is what i thought as well.......i guess it would be nice to clean up maclead from the foot of cemetary hill to glenmore - but I am not sure how you force exsisting property owners to clean up their storefronts.....

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

In terms of a dedicated bike corridor, Elbow Drive makes far more sense. Lower traffic volumes, more greenery, and between Glenmore and Anderson at least, zero need to acquire land. Accessing MacLeod is easy given the number of side streets that intersect both roads.

While I'm tempted to agree, the fact is you can ride your bike on the side roads that parallel Elbow almost all the way from Fish Creek (Canyon Meadows) to Mission (or close). I love the idea of dedicated bike lanes, and am in favour of things like cycle-track. But if people are serious about biking to/from work there are other solutions other than needing to use the main roads. I'm not too sure why the dedicated corridor is necessary in cases like that, but I could be wrong.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Slava

While I'm tempted to agree, the fact is you can ride your bike on the side roads that parallel Elbow almost all the way from Fish Creek (Canyon Meadows) to Mission (or close). I love the idea of dedicated bike lanes, and am in favour of things like cycle-track. But if people are serious about biking to/from work there are other solutions other than needing to use the main roads. I'm not too sure why the dedicated corridor is necessary in cases like that, but I could be wrong.

No you can't.