Calgary Traffic - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

I wanna be like Miikka · 06-19-2006, 04:13 PM

Ok, I searched for this topic but found about a million threads in it so I decided to post anyway, sorry if it is a fata. Anyway, for those of you who also live in the west as I do, you will understand what I am talking about.

The traffic in Calgary has gotten ridiculous and it is all because of the insane amounts of construction. They have been working on bow trail for a year now, no significant changes by Bow trail and sarcee yet. Today they had it cut down to one lane so it took me 30 minutes to get to the bottom of the freakin hill I live on.

16th ave also has a lot of construction by the hospital (an overpass which will be good) and around centre street. Glenmore and Elbow is another big one which slows traffic a lot right now but will help out tons later.

Calgary has gone insane with the road construction, and on bow trail east headin up past Sarcee Trail, the have a max 50 sign when construction is onthe other side of the road, it is clearly safe to go at least 80Km/h up that hill but for some reason they love marking the speed down soooo much and then giving tickets. Now I didnt get any tickets but the fact that every major road in the west of the city is getting kind of annoying.

JiriHrdina · 06-19-2006, 04:14 PM

Short term pain for long-term gain. The traffic will only get worse unless these projects are taken care of.

V · 06-19-2006, 04:18 PM

Geez, can you imagine what the roads would look like right now if the last 5 years of improvements didn't happen?? Traffic would be a gong show.

I wanna be like Miikka · 06-19-2006, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Short term pain for long-term gain. The traffic will only get worse unless these projects are taken care of.

Yeah that pretty much sums it up, it is just frustrating having it so close to home and making me late for everything. I guess I am too used to my university city where the longest drive is 5 minutes.

ken0042 · 06-19-2006, 04:23 PM

I recall shortly after moving here in 1992 something called "Calgary 2020" which was a look at what needed to be done by the year 2020 when we were due to hit 1 million people.

Turns out we are at ~1 million now. Add that to Duer not being much of a "doer" and getting these things going in the 90's, and now it's catchup time.

Bill Bumface · 06-19-2006, 04:24 PM

No kidding, we could avoid the construction delays and sit back and end up like Vancouver. No thanks...

J pold · 06-19-2006, 04:28 PM

I know traffic projects need to be done I know, but when I am sitting in a traffic jam it really doesn’t console me to think that in 5 years this will all be better, perhaps this is because I have a serious problem with Road Rage and have be told more than once to get it checked out

Rhettzky · 06-19-2006, 04:33 PM

The best way to avoid all these construction delays for the next few years is by trying to juggle your work schedule if at all possible. I know some people don't have the flexibility at work to do this but if you can if will honestly save you tons of time and frustration. For instance if you can avoid an 8-5pm work day it would help. I find the best hours to work are either 6:30am-3:30pm or reverse it and work a 9am - 6pm day.

If that can't work for you than invest in satellite radio. Opie and Anthony tend to make a commute fly-by.

firebug · 06-19-2006, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

For instance if you can avoid an 8-5pm work day it would help. I find the best hours to work are either 6:30am-3:30pm or reverse it and work a 9am - 6pm day.

Or, work 6:30AM to 6PM like some of us get to. Traffic is rarely a problem then!

Cube Inmate · 06-19-2006, 05:14 PM

I'm gonna gripe for fun too.....

Why does the Glenmore causeway take 4 years to complete (summers of 2005-2008)? That seems like an insanely long time for that kind of project.

Did nobody think of staggering these projects slightly, so that it would at least be possible to detour around construction? I'm sure each and every one of the current major projects is "urgent" and past-due, but I'd much prefer to have at least a tiny chance of avoiding construction rather than being forced to navigate it at every corner of the city.

Here's one...I personally think that leaving reduced speed limits in effect 24/7, even when there's no construction personnel in the area, is detrimental to the safety of workers. If drivers start to see speed limits as "arbitrary" and no longer related to safety due to these 24/7 cases, they're less likely to obey them when it truly is important. That's my psychology BS'ing for the day.

Why can't the freaking city get those traffic cameras operational at 14th/Glenmore? They've been up for months now, and are still offline. Throw me a freakin' bone here! On a related note, has anybody noticed how utterly useless the "Traffic 1" and "Chopper 66" reports are? The city's so big that it takes them 40 minutes to do a circuit of all 4 quadrants, and they constantly report on incidents that have long since cleared up.

I'm done....that was good therapy.

TheyCallMeBruce · 06-19-2006, 05:27 PM

Try living in Douglas Dale, it IS already a gong show there, and supposedly, all the contruction is suppose to be done!

It's a living hell driving to work every morning.

pepper24 · 06-19-2006, 05:40 PM

Try living downtown. It sucks having everything you need within a 10 minute walk.

AC · 06-19-2006, 05:45 PM

I live in Elbow Valley, but am finishing school at EP Scarlett in Canyon Meadows. On a good day, its a half an hour drive now thanks to the one-laned highway 8, and all the construction on Glenmore.

It took me an hour and 20 minutes one day last week... the day I had a diploma of course.

Resolute 14 · 06-19-2006, 05:46 PM

Hmm. I like being able to walk to work, and to be able to get anywhere I need to be within 20 minutes.

Kingsland FTW!

DementedReality · 06-19-2006, 06:13 PM

traffic?

you guys dont know traffic, i am currently in Hong Kong and just left Guangzhao. When I get home. I will never complain about traffic again!

You basically take your life into your hands when you get in a car here.

Table 5 · 06-19-2006, 06:32 PM

the traffic in the west sure could be appeased if that western leg of the LRT could was built.....

Bobblehead · 06-19-2006, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

FTW? Fata the world?

For The Win

Mr.Coffee · 06-19-2006, 11:59 PM

dont get me started on the ctrain their table5... i could go all damn day.

I-Hate-Hulse · 06-20-2006, 12:08 AM

C'mon, we all know Calgary seasons for motorists consist of 2: Winter and Construction. With our wacky weather, a very big backlog of projects needs to get in a very short period of time. Which means it's orange cone time.

I don't blame Duerr for the traffic mess, it's like blaming the School Board for the crappy dilapidated state of the schools. Bottom line - Uncle Ralphie decided not to fund the roads or the schools, and that's lead to the current situation. Can't build what you don't have the money for.

But hey, every moment I spend in traffic, I say, "Hey, Alberta is debt free because of all this!" and all the rage goes away....

Mango · 06-20-2006, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

the traffic in the west sure could be appeased if that western leg of the LRT could was built.....

Off hand, was there a reason for the LRT not going west? I was pretty young when the LRT came to be, so I have no idea. Living in the west myself, it would've been outstanding to have access to the LRT.