New Calgary transit fees.

[Bobblehead]

I'm not a daily transit user. I only use it when going downtown or to a Flames game. I thought that is what the city wanted. But now it is a pretty similar cost and even with the traffic it is more convenient to drive. I guess the city wants more people to drive downtown.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by The Ditch

I still think a better way to deal with this is to put up toll booths so that the people driving in from Cochrane, Airdrie, etc. foot their bill and don't penalize the people living in Calgary.

I always thought that was our answer to deadlock with the Tsu Tina over the ring road. Just Toll up every road that leads into the city from the reserve and see how long they want to waffle the Ring Road idea.

[The Ditch]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I always thought that was our answer to deadlock with the Tsu Tina over the ring road. Just Toll up every road that leads into the city from the reserve and see how long they want to waffle the Ring Road idea.

That's evil and I like it.

[tvp2003]

I'm curious as to how much press this is getting, especially given the recent backlash over the city budget. I didn't see it on calgaryherald.com this morning, and it looks like it was buried on page B04: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...ity/index.html

Seems like a pretty big thing to "slide" through like that... did this get coverage on the news last night?

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by fotze

You don't think they are going to jack up the downtown rates too?

Probably, but they will blame that on the new parking machines.

Of course, then they will raise the fines for illegal parking so they can really score for the people who can't figure out how to use the new parking machines and the people who park illegally to avoid the $3 fee around LRT stations.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

I'm curious as to how much press this is getting, especially given the recent backlash over the city budget. I didn't see it on calgaryherald.com this morning, and it looks like it was buried on page B04: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...ity/index.html

Seems like a pretty big thing to "slide" through like that... did this get coverage on the news last night?

I heard it on Fuel this morning.

[Ethaniel]

Does anyone know the exact park and rides this will factor, cause as it stands right now I will find a way to avoid all additional costs by flooding the neighborhoods and walking the extra block or 2. This is ######ed I can park downtown for $126 a month, but the fuel still makes it more expensive. This will cost $150 per month for a total of $1800 a year just to get to work(up from $900 a year). If this goes through everyone using public transportation downtown should get a $900 Net raise.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

I'm curious as to how much press this is getting, especially given the recent backlash over the city budget. I didn't see it on calgaryherald.com this morning, and it looks like it was buried on page B04: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...ity/index.html

Seems like a pretty big thing to "slide" through like that... did this get coverage on the news last night?

All I heard last night was 'city keeps 1.6 million fitness faciltity for staff' and everything went black after that...

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

Does anyone know the exact park and rides this will factor, cause as it stands right now I will find a way to avoid all additional costs by flooding the neighborhoods and walking the extra block or 2. This is ######ed I can park downtown for $126 a month, but the fuel still makes it more expensive. This will cost $150 per month for a total of $1800 a year just to get to work(up from $900 a year). If this goes through everyone using public transportation downtown should get a $900 Net raise.

Where's that? When I was last downtown it was way more for a surface lot - if you can find one.

[moncton golden flames]

i think the $3 fee for parking is a great idea.

[Ethaniel]

Well that entails on the outskirts and still taking transit into the core. Sorry I should have specified. Still why should it be so difficult for people to get to work without being out of pocket a trip to Mexico every year. I know I am going to propose to work we move out of the core! This is brutal. Does the city figure just everyone who takes transit can afford another $900 bucks a year. I personally can afford it, but I would bet 50% of the people taking transit can not.

I support the $3 parking charge if I could get parking. This is Bull%$&#. If the city would actually make a parkade at some of these train station I would be willing to pay $3 a month to ensure i get a parking spot.

[Ronald Pagan]

Fund roads and overpasses for private vehicles...

or fund public transit.

Alberta has chosen.

[Bobblehead]

I'm still blown away by how little they have managed to cut.

Reductions to the 2009 Operating Budget
- $15.1 million allocated to EMS, because the province is to take it over in the spring.
- $350,000 by delaying hiring, for six months, five people in asset management and capital works.
- $350,000 cut to the budget for consultants streamlining the land sales program.
- $106,100 cut from Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination.
- $480,000 by not hiring four people in parks.
- $500,000 from the city's advertising budget.
- $840,000 by not hiring seven people in human resources.
- $582,000 from information technology budget.
- $950,000 by not hiring nine peace officers for transit security.
- $300,000 from boulevard cutting.
Total: $19.55 million, or 2.4 per cent

So they've cut the budget by 19.55 million, but 15.1 of the million was being taken over by the province anyways!!

Holy shell game. It makes me wonder if that wasn't included in the initial budget just so they would have something substantial to cut out and look like they were doing something.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by fotze

That's funny, my wife is pretty lefty lucy was pretty incensed about that. they say its to reduce the amount of sick days. My work corrects that problem by firing you.

Ha!

I'm sure the nutritional consulting department discovered they were serving too many danishes in the subsidized cafeteria and recommended the fitness consulting group provide a fitness facility and the creation of the personal training consulting group to oversee the staffing and encourage use.

[corporatejay]

I'm too mad to post anything about this right now but I'm assuming the $3 cost will only be during "business" hours, because I'm sure on the weekend and evenings it wouldn't even pay to have the person sitting there.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

Does anyone know the exact park and rides this will factor, cause as it stands right now I will find a way to avoid all additional costs by flooding the neighborhoods and walking the extra block or 2. This is ######ed I can park downtown for $126 a month, but the fuel still makes it more expensive. This will cost $150 per month for a total of $1800 a year just to get to work(up from $900 a year). If this goes through everyone using public transportation downtown should get a $900 Net raise.

This is an good point that I didn't think of and it will happen in a big way.

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by Russic

This is an good point that I didn't think of and it will happen in a big way.

It wont just happen, but it will happen in floods. This is a battle the City of Calgary will not be able to deal with.

[The Ditch]

Originally Posted by Russic

This is an good point that I didn't think of and it will happen in a big way.

They will put in a three block radius "No Parking Between 8-6pm" signs up and give you a huge ticket, making the city even more money!

[Ethaniel]

I am more than willing to park 4 blocks away then.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

It wont just happen, but it will happen in floods. This is a battle the City of Calgary will not be able to deal with.

Not to mention all of the adjacent parking lots (i.e. at shopping malls), which will now be full of people taking transit...