Ongoing Calgarians complaining about pedestrian bridges thread

[V]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of those against the bridge won't find themselves walking along the river in the cold. They'll be in their vehicles driving under 5 different $30 mil interchanges on their way home.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by fotze

Why would someone in Tuscany be on foot in DT Calgary not on the +15 system? Is there an Olive Garden in eau Claire?

No kidding. The people who are saying they'll never use the bridge out of protest are precisely the same people who would never have a reason to use it anyway.

In other news, I refuse to use the next highway interchange built way out in the suburbs out of protest.

[Bigtime]

Barely 0 this morning, 100% humidity, and still lots of people out to check out the bridge and use it. I did have a latte before going on it, but the toddler was getting fussy so I couldn't get a shot of me with it:


Peace Bridge by BigtimeYYC, on Flickr


Peace Bridge by BigtimeYYC, on Flickr


Peace Bridge by BigtimeYYC, on Flickr

[nik-]

I just got back from it too ... god it's cold out there. Lots of people out today too, do people normally walk outside when it's this cold? You people are crazy.

I like it obviously. The width of the bridge really hits me since I used to use the LRT underpass to get into downtown and that thing was such a deathtrap. It's going to be nice on the downtown side when all the grass is finished too.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by fotze

Why would someone in Tuscany be on foot in DT Calgary not on the +15 system? Is there an Olive Garden in eau Claire?

Did I mention anything about surburbanites?

There are bridge haters in the inner city and in the burbs.

Bizarre comment.

[TorqueDog]

Eh, it's built, it's done. All we can do now is make sure that the process for future infrastructure projects like this is done PROPERLY. Bitching about it, like Rick Bell, solves really very little.

Although I think it should be given a better name. The name 'Peace Bridge' was pretty disingenuous.

[J epworth]

So is the middle lane meant for bikes only? Do they have that labelled at all or is their going to be a clusterf--- of pedestrians and bikes all over the place?

[Jojado]

Originally Posted by J epworth kendal

So is the middle lane meant for bikes only? Do they have that labelled at all or is their going to be a clusterf--- of pedestrians and bikes all over the place?

To answer your first question: yes. I think that having a dedicated bikeway was one of the main points of this bridge. Yesterday was an exception since the bridge was so crowded.

[Bunk]

My guess is in the next couple weeks they'll mark the bike lanes with paint bike symbols so that distinction is more clear.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Looks great - glad to see people really interested in the Bridge as well.

Its really funny to me that people complain incessantly about the bridge and yet don't complain equally about all the other infrastructure projects that only serve a small percentage of Calgarians.

Setting aside the issue of sole sourcing, which I think everyone agrees was a mistake on the part of council, the common complaint seems to be 'wasteful' spending.

And yet there are multiple overpass going up, each costing as much as the Peace Bridge, and yet not a peep from anyone on those projects?

The west LRT is going to cost a billion+ dollars! Same with the Ring Road. Airport tunnel is going to be 300+million...and yet no complaints?!

I honestly don't get that at all.

Personally, I'd be all for Toll roads or apportioned taxes. That way my tax dollars could stay in the downtown instead of servicing all the other infrastructure I never use.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

Setting aside the issue of sole sourcing, which I think everyone agrees was a mistake on the part of council,

I don't think sole sourcing was a mistake.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by nik-

I don't think sole sourcing was a mistake.

in terms of the optics and traditional tender process of the City, I think it is seen as a mistake. It's a political misstep that was pounced on by the media *cough*Dinger*cough*

Don't get me wrong - I work in the architecture field in Calgary, and if anyone truly thinks that a Calgary architect could have done something like this, they are gravely mistaken.

There is a reason why Calatrava is an international architect, with projects all over the world...

[You Need a Thneed]

Some people may see the sole sourcing as a mistake, but it definitely was not. The St Patricks bridge competition proved that. There were ZERO entries submitted with the same design quality (though some were quite good).

No portion of the construction was sole sourced.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Bunk

My guess is in the next couple weeks they'll mark the bike lanes with paint bike symbols so that distinction is more clear.

I've seen quite a few pictures that have a bike symbol painted on the middle lanes on either end of the bridge.

It probably should have a yellow line down the centre, and some smaller bike symbols along the length.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by fotze

The spanish welder could have done a better job, so could the Calgary based contractor. Probably nothing related with sourcing though.

The sole source comment was directed at the tabbing of Calatrava as opposed to a wider RFQ

The construction administration was clearly botched though as Graham should have kept better oversight on the weld quality/standards as there may very well have been differences between what is considered acceptable in Spain vs Calgary (additionally, the design tolerances could also have been weather related, where the welds in Calgary would undergo higher levels of expansion/contraction due to the temperature variations).

[trew]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

in terms of the optics and traditional tender process of the City, I think it is seen as a mistake. It's a political misstep that was pounced on by the media *cough*Dinger*cough*

Don't get me wrong - I work in the architecture field in Calgary, and if anyone truly thinks that a Calgary architect could have done something like this, they are gravely mistaken.

There is a reason why Calatrava is an international architect, with projects all over the world...

Yes, "pounced" is the word.

I think that the real story behind this bridge has nothing to do with the project at all, but rather the back-story about the relationship of city hall with the press.

The whole situation seems like a tempest that was in search of its' teapot.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by V

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of those against the bridge won't find themselves walking along the river in the cold. They'll be in their vehicles driving under 5 different $30 mil interchanges on their way home.

But when we build a 30 million dollar interchange that is the lowest cost that will meet the design intent of the interchange. The city then spends 1% of the budget on beautification so you get the nice buffalo, fish or mountains cast into the concrete on the underpass. Instead with the bridge you spent 15 million to build a wide functional bridge and 10 million to make it look pretty. In my opinion it wasn't that it was being built that was the problem it was that we picked the most expensive bridge designer in the world to do it.

Now that it is built though I don't understand why people would refuse to use it as some sort of silent protest. And of the money that the city wastes on things the 10 million on a fancy bridge certainly isn't the worst.

Really there should be more coverage of the copper roofed C-train stations on the West LRT's looking at that design it couldn't have been cheap compared to other recently constructed changes.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by trew

Yes, "pounced" is the word.

I think that the real story behind this bridge has nothing to do with the project at all, but rather the back-story about the relationship of city hall with the press.

The whole situation seems like a tempest that was in search of its' teapot.

It found a 25M and counting teapot that showed up about 2 years too late ... but yea, it found it's teapot.

It pretty much has to do with the project. Expensive, divisive, late projects with zero consultation tend to be stories.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by fotze

There is actually a really interesting welding story too. Probably something that will be in quality control texts for years to come (after the lawsuits are settled).

probably...typically, structural and the shop drawings for the steel go hand in hand where there are checks and balances between consultants and the trades.

for whatever reason, the welds were not up to standards - whether that is due to a difference in the standards between Canada and Spain, or a lack of quality control with the steel fabricator is the question.

usually, welds should be inspected to ensure the quality, usually a sampling...but it seems that enough problems were seen in the initial sample that they had to inspect every weld and consequently reject them. Again, either poor quality, or not meeting the canadian standards.

That's my understanding of the process anyways...

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

The west LRT is going to cost a billion+ dollars! ...and yet no complaints?!

You don't read Rick Bell, do you?

Sadly, I used to, but I agree with the above posters where he's becoming a bore by bitching about the same thing, over and over and over. I stopped even looking at his columns about six months ago.