Bow River Flow

[Shazam]

Generally speaking, I think Druh's running out of ideas. Perhaps she's getting bored or something.

She actually has been a pretty good alderman for the most part. Communicating to the pleebs is not her strong suit, however. The 16th Ave redo was never communicated well, and she's a major jerk when she wants to be.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Shawnski

These are your words. You were adament that a festival was planned before any lane closures were debated and wanted proof otherwise. I provided that proof by stating that there was a different goal in mind, driven by Druh via (not DUE to) the Plan It Calgary project (and so stated in her own words.) This was NOT because of Plan-It as you said I said in your post below.

Plan it has a goal to encourage more people to use alternative transportation, sort of like the point to this festival, is that what you were getting at as Druh having said.

Sorry, I think your original mention of Plan it then was worded wrong, because I saw it referenced in a way that didn't make sense in terms of what I was arguing at the time, and merely tried to correct you on what plan-it was, not anything else.

If that is what Druh said, that pretty much means that this event was being planned before the closure debate ever happened, reaffirming what I said.

Is this just semantics at this point?

[Shawnski]

Last point before I have to head out.

On the bike path front, I just found this story that I hadn't seen before...

Calgarians living in the northeast could be biking an extensive new trail system before Christmas, with the feds yesterday pledging more than $1 million for the project.

The proposed 10-km bike path will be built in a greenspace parallel to Stoney Tr., from 17 Ave. to 96 Ave. N.E., winding through several communities, including Falconridge, Martindale and Saddle Ridge.

Dubbed the East Calgary Greenway project, it was kickstarted by the city in July with a $2-million investment and yesterday received $1.12 million from the federal government.

More than 245,000 Calgarians living in the northeast will benefit from the proposed pathway system, said Calgary Northeast MP Devinder Shory. "We worked with Calgary northeast community associations to make this happen and I'm proud the expanded pathway system will benefit Calgary families for years to come," he said.

This pathway system is the first phase of the larger Calgary Perimeter Greenway project, which will consist of a 120-km route of pathways roughly following the same route as Calgary's ring road.

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alber...93706-sun.html

So all this new development of pathways coming, and no mention of it related to this "event" (I won't call it a festival anymore...) Would have been another reason to focus on pathways/bike paths instead of closing a street. Why clone what other cities have done when we have our own very unique set up here to promote? Would that not have been more Calgarian to do? Hell, I probably would have strapped on the blades again to participate.

Yes, we have urban sprawl, but likewise it has also provided us with an ability to have a MASSIVE infrastructure for cyclists, joggers, bladers etc.

Nope, let's just close a couple lanes of the busiest East/West roads in town and see what happens.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Plan it has a goal to encourage more people to use alternative transportation, sort of like the point to this festival, is that what you were getting at as Druh having said.

Sorry, I think your original mention of Plan it then was worded wrong, because I saw it referenced in a way that didn't make sense in terms of what I was arguing at the time, and merely tried to correct you on what plan-it was, not anything else.

If that is what Druh said, that pretty much means that this event was being planned before the closure debate ever happened, reaffirming what I said.

Is this just semantics at this point?

I like the spin in this thread. You're all over people who claim that there wasn't originally a bigger purpose in mind for closing the lanes of Memorial Drive despite quotes to the contrary, because in your mind there was some sort of unspoken implicit 'festival' that was always supposed to be a part of this even back when the closure first made news in April. And then you're all over Shawnski as he mentioned that this is in the spirit of the 'Plan It' supported by quotes from Druh Farrell, because closing down lanes on Memorial Drive is not specifically worded in the "Plan It" document. Wow just wow. What department with the City do you work in?

[CrusaderPi]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Or we could build a bridge over the Bow that looks like a chinese finger trap. Really, how much could that cost?

Finger cuffs ftw!

With any luck that bridge could become known as "Amy" to local Calgarians.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

And then you're all over Shawnski as he mentioned that this is in the spirit of the 'Plan It' supported by quotes from Druh Farrell, because closing down lanes on Memorial Drive is not specifically worded in the "Plan It" document. Wow just wow. What department with the City do you work in?

I think this was a misunderstanding.

[jammies]

I'm with those who want the street closure next year just for the annoyance factor. How many of you actually drive near downtown on a Sunday anyway? Buncha surburbanite NIMBYs complainin' when it ain't even YOUR backyard!

I live just across the river and use Memorial all the time, but I didn't have any troubles because I used an alternate route, which took all of .0001 seconds of my life to work out. You'd think from the complaining that some of you must have toll booths set up there and Druh is taking the clothes of your children's backs by cutting into your cashflow. I really don't care if she had a plan or not when she first thought this up - it's not like she proposed shutting down Deerfoot during rush hour for a rocket plane race (unfortunately) or turning all the plus-15s into hobo shelters. It's Memorial Drive on a lazy Sunday, fer chrissakes!

Lastly, not everything that happens in the city needs your personal stamp of approval. For example, I'd rather get sodomized by grinning midgets than go visit Mallzac, but if that gets your mojo rising, by all means go on out there and have a blast. To each his or her own, and if Druh wants to unicycle down Memorial Drive while juggling free slurpees for a lark, all power to her.

[4X4]

^^Thanked because I agree 100%, and it was hilarious.

[jammies]

You can't go wrong with midgets - midgets make everything funnier.

[Jedi Ninja]

nmsg

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by jammies

You can't go wrong with midgets - midgets make everything funnier.

I'm just amazed you are still on the "free slurpee" issue.

Would Tower happen to be a midget (of the altitude challenged variety)? Or maybe to join the Freemen-of-the-land cause they have one of those plywood cartoon characters that say, "You must be shorter than this to join this group".

THEN you get a free slurpee.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by jammies

I'm with those who want the street closure next year just for the annoyance factor. How many of you actually drive near downtown on a Sunday anyway? Buncha surburbanite NIMBYs complainin' when it ain't even YOUR backyard!

I live just across the river and use Memorial all the time, but I didn't have any troubles because I used an alternate route, which took all of .0001 seconds of my life to work out. You'd think from the complaining that some of you must have toll booths set up there and Druh is taking the clothes of your children's backs by cutting into your cashflow. I really don't care if she had a plan or not when she first thought this up - it's not like she proposed shutting down Deerfoot during rush hour for a rocket plane race (unfortunately) or turning all the plus-15s into hobo shelters. It's Memorial Drive on a lazy Sunday, fer chrissakes!

Lastly, not everything that happens in the city needs your personal stamp of approval. For example, I'd rather get sodomized by grinning midgets than go visit Mallzac, but if that gets your mojo rising, by all means go on out there and have a blast. To each his or her own, and if Druh wants to unicycle down Memorial Drive while juggling free slurpees for a lark, all power to her.

So we should only care about things that directly impact? Sorry that's not how I work.

The reason people object to this because it is yet another example of the flawed mindset and poor decision making that is continually happening at City Hall right now. There's a lot more examples and people are tired of it.

You seem to advocating apathy is how people should approach city matters.

[Bunk]

^ Don't you think though that 'issues' like a lane reduction on a sunday is being blown way out of proportion? Not only does it not directly affect most people, it doesn't have any real significance. I mean the amount of column inches this has taken up is ridiculous.

[Bigtime]

I see now that the media is all about "should the Bow Flow go ahead next year?"

What they fail to grasp yet again is that ANYONE can go down to city hall and get a road closed if the transportation department is good with it.

Honestly people, when I was down there I would hardly have described the traffic as backed up. I've seen backed up on Memorial, I see it every weekday on my commute home (I drive, so I'm not just a radical urban zealot! ), this was nowhere close to that level of congestion. So unless something completely radical occurs, I doubt the transportation department would have a problem with closing 2 lanes again.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Bunk

^ Don't you think though that 'issues' like a lane reduction on a sunday is being blown way out of proportion? Not only does it not directly affect most people, it doesn't have any real significance. I mean the amount of column inches this has taken up is ridiculous.

Then why on earth is an alderman wasting her time on something of no "real significance"?

This is the problem that some people simply choose not to get: the issue is not the closure itself. The issue is that someone we pay to run this city is wasting our time and money with poorly thought out, half baked ideas that serve no real purpose. Especially when said alderman leaves all of the real work up to someone else.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Bunk

^ Don't you think though that 'issues' like a lane reduction on a sunday is being blown way out of proportion? Not only does it not directly affect most people, it doesn't have any real significance. I mean the amount of column inches this has taken up is ridiculous.

Our elected officials should be held to a high standard. They are paid to evaluate situations and make smart decisions on our behalf. When they prove they are incapable of that they should be criticized.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Then why on earth is an alderman wasting her time on something of no "real significance"?

This is the problem that some people simply choose not to get: the issue is not the closure itself. The issue is that someone we pay to run this city is wasting our time and money with poorly thought out, half baked ideas that serve no real purpose. Especially when said alderman leaves all of the real work up to someone else.

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Our elected officials should be held to a high standard. They are paid to evaluate situations and make smart decisions on our behalf. When they prove they are incapable of that they should be criticized.

Lemme get this straight. You, a person who doesn't live in Farrel's ward, are ticked off that she did something that her ward liked?

You guys just need to get off it. You're sounding like a bunch of whiners. This experiment cost nobody any money. It cost no citizen any time. All it cost was an alderman a few hours of her time. And for $90,000 per year, I'm happy that at least one alderman is coming up with extra ideas instead of just sitting in the bushes waiting for other aldermen to request money for something and then just screaming NO!

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Lemme get this straight. You, a person who doesn't live in Farrel's ward, are ticked off that she did something that her ward liked?

Not everyone liked it.

But yeah - I care about stuff that happens in my city besides stuff in my few blocks.

Crazy I guess.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Then why on earth is an alderman wasting her time on something of no "real significance"?

The issue would not even have been at council if it weren't for grandstanding alderman like McIver that took it there. It's not a council issue.

I don't think promoting community life is ever a waste of time, especially in a city like Calgary.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Not everyone liked it.

But yeah - I care about stuff that happens in my city besides stuff in my few blocks.

Crazy I guess.

It is a bit crazy. I mean, why would I care if the residents of Mackenzie Towne wanted to do something that cost no money and didn't affect me at all, and had no permanent effects on the city?