I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[Chill Cosby]

Oh I have a question! Which I could probably just look up but that's fine, I'll just ask here.

What's the process in requesting an intersection to be turned into a 4-way stop? We have a pretty dangerous one in our community that has caused two accidents in the last 6 months (that I've witnessed) the last one being pretty major.

[FireFly]

I live up near Saddletowne which might possibly be the worst designed traffic kidney in the history of ever. There are a number of crosswalks on the kidney but that doesn't stop people from crossing wherever the hell they feel like it. And it doesn't stop people from stopping in the middle of the traffic kidney in the worst possible location to let the pedestrians cross, which then makes it next to impossible to get over three lanes because you need to take the next inside turn and you're on the outside and instead of have 300 feet to accelerate and change lanes, you now have 100.

Part of the problem is a lack of lines and signage indicating where the crosswalks are. Is this something that needs to be requested or how does one go about getting new crosswalk pavement markings done?

[Bill Bumface]

^I think you are the first person to ever use the term "Traffic Kidney". Even google has no clue on this one. What are you referring too?

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

^I think you are the first person to ever use the term "Traffic Kidney". Even google has no clue on this one. What are you referring too?

An intersection where you buy and sell kidneys

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Hey Bunk are allowed to fire people?
Reason I ask is I have a candidate. Whoever redesigned the intersection at 24th St and 114th Ave SE should be removed from design and put in charge of counting dandelions or something similar. And the company thats doing it...they can go too.

Originally Posted by Bunk

No. What's the issue, specifically?

I'm not sure, about puffnstuff, but my main beef is with the intersection is that turning from NB 24th St to WB 114th Ave (turning into DouglasGlen) has a light that is too short and gets backed up during the day.

Is the long-term intention to open it up to be a dual lane turn? The 2nd turn lane has been there for years, but is barricaded off.

Wouldn't it be pretty simple to move the barricades and put up a new sign showing two lanes turning in?

I can't get a great angle of it on google maps, but here you can see the barricade and the turn lane.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.95276...fbx0mcTVtQ!2e0

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

^I think you are the first person to ever use the term "Traffic Kidney". Even google has no clue on this one. What are you referring too?

It's a kidney shaped wanna be traffic circle. Try it sometime, it's fun.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

Oh I have a question! Which I could probably just look up but that's fine, I'll just ask here.

What's the process in requesting an intersection to be turned into a 4-way stop? We have a pretty dangerous one in our community that has caused two accidents in the last 6 months (that I've witnessed) the last one being pretty major.

Request a traffic control warrant study

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...ic-signal.aspx

[Bigtime]

Fotze, L-O-L.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

I'm not sure, about puffnstuff, but my main beef is with the intersection is that turning from NB 24th St to WB 114th Ave (turning into DouglasGlen) has a light that is too short and gets backed up during the day.

Is the long-term intention to open it up to be a dual lane turn? The 2nd turn lane has been there for years, but is barricaded off.

Wouldn't it be pretty simple to move the barricades and put up a new sign showing two lanes turning in?

I can't get a great angle of it on google maps, but here you can see the barricade and the turn lane.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.95276...fbx0mcTVtQ!2e0

Looks like a classic traffic kidney situation, right?

Looks like you're right - future dual left turn lane. Let me check with Roads (might take some time, lots of people on holiday).

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by FireFly

I live up near Saddletowne which might possibly be the worst designed traffic kidney in the history of ever. There are a number of crosswalks on the kidney but that doesn't stop people from crossing wherever the hell they feel like it. And it doesn't stop people from stopping in the middle of the traffic kidney in the worst possible location to let the pedestrians cross, which then makes it next to impossible to get over three lanes because you need to take the next inside turn and you're on the outside and instead of have 300 feet to accelerate and change lanes, you now have 100.

Part of the problem is a lack of lines and signage indicating where the crosswalks are. Is this something that needs to be requested or how does one go about getting new crosswalk pavement markings done?

Just a terribly designed area. But, you can request a warrant study through 311 for additional crosswalks or pedestrian corridors. Or a 311 service request could also request better signage and markings.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

I'm not sure, about puffnstuff, but my main beef is with the intersection is that turning from NB 24th St to WB 114th Ave (turning into DouglasGlen) has a light that is too short and gets backed up during the day.

Is the long-term intention to open it up to be a dual lane turn? The 2nd turn lane has been there for years, but is barricaded off.

Wouldn't it be pretty simple to move the barricades and put up a new sign showing two lanes turning in?

I can't get a great angle of it on google maps, but here you can see the barricade and the turn lane.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.95276...fbx0mcTVtQ!2e0

This is what I gather:

This intersection is currently being rebuilt by the area developer so the traffic signal is being modified based on the roadway changes. At this time there is no plans to install dual northbound to westbound left turns. Dual northbound and southbound left turns cannot physically operate at the same without the turning paths overlapping so it was decided that only southbound to eastbound would be constructed as a dual turn. Once the construction is complete the traffic patterns will be observed and the traffic signal timings will be adjusted to optimize the traffic flow through this intersection.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

^I think you are the first person to ever use the term "Traffic Kidney". Even google has no clue on this one. What are you referring too?

[calgarygeologist]

Thanks for providing that map Rathji. I have never been up to that area but it is one of the most awkward road designs I have ever seen. It boggles my mind why city planners and engineers would put together such a plan.

I also find it interesting that there are so many homes that back directly onto the c-train tracks. It must suck to live in those homes.

[bizaro86]

Is the mayor in favour of opening up the taxi market to free market competition?

[You Need a Thneed]

I knew what was being talked about as soon as I read "traffic kidney." Awesome.

It's going to get more interesting now that the additional parking lot at the Genesis Centre has a driveway that aligns with the south intersection of the kidney, and the construction of the condos in the remaining vacant lot inside the kidney, and the construction of the new high school just SW - bringing a bunch more pedestrian traffic into the area.

I suspect that crosswalk lights will be required at Martindale Drive, and at Taravista Drive, and I believe that the new driveway at the south end will cause there to be a traffic light there.

I do agree about the traffic lights bunching traffic up, making it difficult to lane change across traffic to get into the driveways you need. In some cases, if you miss the driveway you want to get into, you have to drive all the way around the circle again, which is over a KM.

I do petition that "Saddletowne Circle" be renamed "Saddletowne Kidney" though. Its definitely not circle shaped.

[BigNumbers]

What is the Mayor's position on allowing Uber to operate in Calgary?

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I used to live in the area, I didn't mind the design of the traffic circle for using the strip mall. I lived ~ 2 blocks the Circle and it actually made the grocery stores / BPs vary walkable for me.

My one pet-peeve was always people cutting through the Safeway parking lot, with the speed bumps and traffic it is probably faster just to stay on the road and go around.

When I first moved there the speed limit on the circle was actually 60KPH. it was a little crazy. They reduced it to 50 when they built the stores.

The one thing I would agree on is that they should have pedestrian lights at 4 or 5 crossing spots. That alone would probably help with the Jwalking. the other thing they could do is move the cross walks closer to the bus stops, and put no-crossing barriers up at near-by corners.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by #-3

My one pet-peeve was always people cutting through the Safeway parking lot, with the speed bumps and traffic it is probably faster just to stay on the road and go around.

It certainly is faster to go around, either way, Safeway should redesign their parking lot to prevent people from cutting through.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Is the mayor in favour of opening up the taxi market to free market competition?

Broadly speaking - more competition, would like to see more players, and a system regulated based on much better data:

http://blog.calgarymayor.ca/2012/05/...ment-from.html

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by BigNumbers

What is the Mayor's position on allowing Uber to operate in Calgary?

Some of the Mayor's thoughts on Uber:

"Calgary ‘going in the wrong direction’ with limo bylaw that snubs Uber: Nenshi"

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/110...s-uber-nenshi/