NE to be cut off from the Airport

[Bobblehead]

Last fall when Jim Stevenson was elected Alderman of Ward 3, he discovered the plan for a tunnel under the planned runway expansion had been scrapped.

http://bettercalgary.blogspot.com/20...ald-op-ed.html

I would think all those hotels and restaurants in the area will take a severe hit. If I was the owner of the new Sandman hotel at Barlow/McKnight, I wouldn't be happy, not to mention Sheraton Cavalier, Greenwood, Royal Inn, Port-o-Call, etc.

[corporatejay]

I thought they planned on extending the train to the airport. has this also been scrapped?

[habernac]

For a variety of reasons – maybe the shocking incompetence of the previous alderman, Helene Larocque....


There's a shocker...

[FFR]

Is there a link to a proper news source that states this? Or more importantly, one that states that they will be closing Barlow Trail north of Mcknight? Why would they do that considering Airport Trail connects to Barlow north of Mcknight. There are also countless numbers of businesses being built there.

Or are they just closing the section between the airport and Mcknight? I"m quite confused as I have never heard of this development before and I take Barlow everyday.

Edit; I did some quick research and the only thing I can find is a media release from the airport authority 5 years ago that says they would like to close it but that they will be shifting Barlow east instead (more towards 36th street).

[Bobblehead]

I looked for a "more reputable" on line source, but am not having much luck. I found out about this from the community magazine that comes out every few months. The first one that Jim Stevenson has had an article in, and he posted a letter from the Airport management he had received about the issue, and how he was trying to get a group together before it was too late.

YouNeedAThneed posted an article on the SkyScraper Page forum http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1835

Here is also a bit more info from the Ward 3 website:
http://www.ward3calgary.ca/airport_trail_tunnel.asp

And habby, isn't it nice to have an alderman who does more than cut ribbons?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I looked for a "more reputable" on line source, but am not having much luck. I found out about this from the community magazine that comes out every few months. The first one that Jim Stevenson has had an article in, and he posted a letter from the Airport management he had received about the issue, and how he was trying to get a group together before it was too late.

YouNeedAThneed posted an article on the SkyScraper Page forum http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...postcount=1835

Here is also a bit more info from the Ward 3 website:
http://www.ward3calgary.ca/airport_trail_tunnel.asp

And habby, isn't it nice to have an alderman who does more than cut ribbons?

yeah,it sure is. I would have been happy with either of the other candidates. Thankfully, the constituents that voted paid attention and voted her useless ass out.

[calculoso]

She cut ribbons? How nice that she actually did something!

What a mistake that would be. Barlow trail is used pretty heavily during rush hour with people going from Country Hills Blvd to McKnight and bypassing the airport altogether. Cutting this off makes no sense and will only serve to enrage people in the areas.

But.. what a shock that the City of Calgary does something illogical... from this, to city council approving the west leg of the LRT and then deciding to re-design it, to whining and moaning about everything... sheesh.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by habernac

yeah,it sure is. I would have been happy with either of the other candidates. Thankfully, the constituents that voted paid attention and voted her useless ass out.

Considering Jim Stevenson was elected in October and got on this in early November (meeting with federal, provincial, and Airport officials), I'm fairly impressed.

[psicodude]

If this is actually true, wouldn't the Calgary media be all over it? And if the Alderman for that area is so worried, why isn't he making a bigger deal out of it?

Just seems sketchy to me.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by calculoso

She cut ribbons? How nice that she actually did something!

What a mistake that would be. Barlow trail is used pretty heavily during rush hour with people going from Country Hills Blvd to McKnight and bypassing the airport altogether. Cutting this off makes no sense and will only serve to enrage people in the areas.

But.. what a shock that the City of Calgary does something illogical... from this, to city council approving the west leg of the LRT and then deciding to re-design it, to whining and moaning about everything... sheesh.

the only viable option is that cowtrail they call 36th st that leads to Country Hills Blvd. Brutal planning indeed, if it is true.

[Bobblehead]

I find it interesting that most of the media reports I do find that even mention this issue (it is usually buried at the end of an article about the $3 Billion airport expansion) only mention John Schmal who was the long time Alderman before Laroque.

http://www.citytv.com/calgary/yourcity_56054.aspx
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...6/5305841.html
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...ac12ad0b04&p=2

I wonder if Stevenson is being ignored because he is a rookie on council representing the far NE?

[GrrlGoalie33]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I wonder if Stevenson is being ignored because he is a rookie on council representing the far NE?

That seems like the answer to me, and yes it is nice having an alderman who actually seems to be doing something.

I had to laugh in this election...4 years ago she was out on McKnight with fire trucks and city busses waving at the passing traffic...she couldn't seem to get those votes this time around though...

[Claeren]

Slow down, people are getting waaay ahead of themselves.


LONG TERM the plan has always been leaning towards having that access route up Barlow close to outside traffic. There was a period of time where they seriously considered a tunnel under a NEW runway but between costs of construction and security (like bombs? It was just after 9/11) it was seen as not viable.

But that is not to say it is completely dead. It is saying that right now it is so outside what is fiscally feasible, with the province and federal government not offering any help, that it is unlikely.

The key here is that it is a long ways off, so as much as people want to huff and puff now the airport needs to have the expansion ready to go ahead, the province has to refuse funding for a tunnel and all other options woul dneed to be exhausted. No one WANTS to close access, but when they need that land for the new runway/taxi area there are only so many ways to get traffic through and all of them are expensive.

But it will be at that time, when airport runways are being constructed, that the decision will truly be made - regardless of posturing now.




As for the Airport LRT extension, there is NOT an extension planned from the NE line (spur line or direct line).

There IS a rough long term plan (or intention?) to have a spur line to the airport from the future North-Central line, where it would go up Deerfoot from downtown and enter the airport grounds similar to how Airport Trail does - just before the North Central line continued up Beddington Trail.

Something like this guy has mapped out:
http://members.shaw.ca/lrtincalgary/FutureMap.html




Claeren.

[Bobblehead]

Well, no one has argued that the closing of Barlow is a new idea, although the plan laid out (here, see Oct 27, 2003) showed Barlow being swung wide and a tunnel being built.

That plan was, at some point, changed, and I don't think this was very well publicized (if at all).

And from the Calgary Herald article on the Skyscraper page:

While the airport has proceeded with its plans on the basis there will be no tunnel, Atkinson said it could be accommodated if financing was in place by this summer. The runway, which will be eight metres higher than the terminal, is in the design phase.

That doesn't leave a whole lot of time.

It may be posturing, but isn't it smarter ( and less expensive) to plan for the tunnel now instead of attempting to retrofit it in the future?

[Cube Inmate]

I pulled up the Google map of the airport area and something seemed familiar.... the way Calgary is being built around the airport is substantially similar to the way it was built up around Glenmore reservoir: tuck people into a pleasant little corner of town, and ignore the fact that the traffic congestion is bound to become overwhelming.

The difference is that at least you can still navigate around the airport on all sides, unlike the reservoir which is bounded on the West side by the impenetrable native reservation...well, impenetrable unless you want to spend your gambling dollars.

[/bitter]

[ZDogg]

I was always under the impression there would be a bridge for the airplanes to taxi over Barlow. I mean they need to drive from the terminal anyway... or is there going to be a second terminal closer to the new runway? A single bridge to accomodate airplanes would save that entire segment of Barlow Trail.

As for the tunnel they could then build that when it becomes 'feasible'.

[Resolute 14]

They will most certainly leave an access to the airport for the NE. The question is whether Barlow remains that access. There is simply too much planned up there not to have access from the residential neighborhoods to the developing industrial base

[toonmaster]

Originally Posted by Claeren

As for the Airport LRT extension, there is NOT an extension planned from the NE line (spur line or direct line).

There IS a rough long term plan (or intention?) to have a spur line to the airport from the future North-Central line, where it would go up Deerfoot from downtown and enter the airport grounds similar to how Airport Trail does - just before the North Central line continued up Beddington Trail.

Something like this guy has mapped out:
http://members.shaw.ca/lrtincalgary/FutureMap.html

From presentations I have sat in on, the option closest to actual development is a stop on the high speed line between calgary and edmonton, on the west side of deerfoot right at airport trail. You would still have to cab/shuttle bus from there to the terminal

[StoneCole]

...the blogger doesn't know what he/she's talking about.

The runway is actually proposed to the east of Barlow and I believe ZDogg is right about the bridge for the airplanes. The blogger is confused...Barlow is being closed north of McKnight...way north. It is being realigned north of Country Hills Blvd and it actually forms a big loop (Barlow Cr) that starts heading south and connects back with 36 St at 128 Ave. The reason for this is the ring road (144 Ave) and not the airport.

The issue of the tunnel doesn't have nearly the impact on existing businesses as this guy has you believe it is more a matter of accomodating future development (there is a lot of crap going on up there). Basically none of the airport, the city, or the developers up there want to fund the tunnel (it is a huge cost), but realistically they all need it.

Like I said there is tons of development going in up there, including some pretty significant retail stuff (thing the big box stuff we all love). There's an added politcal aspect too because the City wants to allow this retail within City limits to get it established before the big mega-mall and horse race complex planned for Balzac.

...the info Claeren gave about the LRT is pretty accurate as far as I can tell...the north line is some 20+ years away, and I believe the high-speed train and the LRT are supposed to share the right-of-way in the north-central.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by ZDogg

I was always under the impression there would be a bridge for the airplanes to taxi over Barlow. I mean they need to drive from the terminal anyway... or is there going to be a second terminal closer to the new runway? A single bridge to accomodate airplanes would save that entire segment of Barlow Trail.

As for the tunnel they could then build that when it becomes 'feasible'.

yeah, O'Hare in Chicago uses bridges/overpasses, etc. Makes sense.