I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[VladtheImpaler]

I went a few pages back and did not see a mention of this. The SW BRT is going ahead with construction starting this year. I am wondering what lunatics thought it would be a good idea to feed more lanes into the already congested 14th Street/Glenmore interchange? What is the purpose of the BRT - whom does it serve that is not already served by the existing transit system? Who is the primary political force behind this (i.e. to whose opponent in the next election should I be making donations)?
Thanks.

[Northendzone]

Is the mayor aware that most car washes in this city are closed when it is -20 or so?

Does he have any plans for the city to either build some all weather car washes or enact some bylaws to force these crucial businesses to remain open regardless of the ambient air temperature.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I went a few pages back and did not see a mention of this. The SW BRT is going ahead with construction starting this year. I am wondering what lunatics thought it would be a good idea to feed more lanes into the already congested 14th Street/Glenmore interchange? What is the purpose of the BRT - whom does it serve that is not already served by the existing transit system? Who is the primary political force behind this (i.e. to whose opponent in the next election should I be making donations)?
Thanks.

I'm not sure there was any political force behind this, I believe it came out of the route ahead plan and is part of long term transit plans. It serves people who would like to use transit to get them places efficiently and quickly, in leu of building an LRT.

I'm not sure what there is to oppose, though I haven't looked into this specific project, it seams to me the more people you get on buses, the fewer are in cars to clog up the roads. The best way to do that is by making transit quick and convenient, hence the BRT.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

What is the purpose of the BRT - whom does it serve that is not already served by the existing transit system? Who is the primary political force behind this (i.e. to whose opponent in the next election should I be making donations)?

It's so people going to Mount Royal U from the Southwest can take a bus rather than bus > train > bus. The route follows several popular sites (Heritage Park, Rockyview Hospital, MRU), connects communities with aging populations to the Rockyview, and will serve as a direct SW to NW transit corridor.

If it goes through. It's facing predictably furious and well-financed opposition from the usual neighbourhoods - the ones that are unrivalled in the city for naked NIMBYISM. There's a pretty good chance it gets kiboshed because rich people tend to get their way over these things. And it's not as though any of them would be caught dead doing something as squalid as take public transit.

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I'm not sure what there is to oppose, though I haven't looked into this specific project, it seams to me the more people you get on buses, the fewer are in cars to clog up the roads. The best way to do that is by making transit quick and convenient, hence the BRT.

Yeah, you'd think that would be obvious. More people taking the bus to MRU and Heritage Park means fewer driving.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Is the mayor aware that most car washes in this city are closed when it is -20 or so?

Does he have any plans for the city to either build some all weather car washes or enact some bylaws to force these crucial businesses to remain open regardless of the ambient air temperature.

Not sure if serious...

[temple5]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I went a few pages back and did not see a mention of this. The SW BRT is going ahead with construction starting this year. I am wondering what lunatics thought it would be a good idea to feed more lanes into the already congested 14th Street/Glenmore interchange? What is the purpose of the BRT - whom does it serve that is not already served by the existing transit system? Who is the primary political force behind this (i.e. to whose opponent in the next election should I be making donations)?
Thanks.

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...ransitway.aspx

My guess is that its meant as a relief line and possible future CTRAIN test line if its widely adpoted. It doesnt remove any lanes of traffic on 14th street so I dont know what the opposition to it would be. It will likely make some routes redundant so the overall addition to traffic is likely null.

It also provides a viable transit alternative to people not going to Macleod or downtown.

Further north it will connect the massive new development north of Mount Royal with direct access to downtown in an attempt to minimize additional traffic on Crowchild.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Not sure if serious...

i never joke about having a clean vehicle......

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

i never joke about having a clean vehicle......

If there were enough people that took it as seriously as you, surely there would be a market for this service and an entrepreneur would react accordingly. It's not as if having a sparkling car at twenty below is some sort of Public Good.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Is the mayor aware that most car washes in this city are closed when it is -20 or so?

Does he have any plans for the city to either build some all weather car washes or enact some bylaws to force these crucial businesses to remain open regardless of the ambient air temperature.

A mayor doesn't have the power you think he does.

[Coach]

Washing your car in Canadian winter is like making your bed. You just have to ask yourself one question: Why?

[Fuzz]

You should wash the salt off occasionally, even if the car gets dirty again. Waaaay off topic here..

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It's so people going to Mount Royal U from the Southwest can take a bus rather than bus > train > bus. The route follows several popular sites (Heritage Park, Rockyview Hospital, MRU), connects communities with aging populations to the Rockyview, and will serve as a direct SW to NW transit corridor.

If it goes through. It's facing predictably furious and well-financed opposition from the usual neighbourhoods - the ones that are unrivalled in the city for naked NIMBYISM. There's a pretty good chance it gets kiboshed because rich people tend to get their way over these things. And it's not as though any of them would be caught dead doing something as squalid as take public transit.



Yeah, you'd think that would be obvious. More people taking the bus to MRU and Heritage Park means fewer driving.

It's very naive to think that people will actually pack their 2 kids onto a bus to go to HP - just never happening. But that's irrelevant - I think the main concern is the Glenmore/14 Street interchange, which will be even more of a PITA with 2 extra lanes feeding into it and buses that will have the right of way.
Go rich people! Why should I put up with 5 years of inconvenience so some MRU student can take one bus to school instead of two?

[Looch City]

Will large pot holes be fixed even in January? There are giant potholes forming on northbound 14st just after Anderson in the right lane.

I submitted a claim through the 311 app but the address came up wrong unfortunately. Hoping they still get to it since I detailed the location.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

It's very naive to think that people will actually pack their 2 kids onto a bus to go to HP - just never happening. But that's irrelevant - I think the main concern is the Glenmore/14 Street interchange, which will be even more of a PITA with 2 extra lanes feeding into it and buses that will have the right of way.
Go rich people! Why should I put up with 5 years of inconvenience so some MRU student can take one bus to school instead of two?

I don't understand the issue..

• The existing traffic lanes on 14 Street S.W. between Southland Drive and 75 Avenue S.W., will be shifted to the east.
• Two new bus lanes will be constructed on the west side of 14 Street S.W. to allow buses to travel apart from regular traffic.
• 14 Street S.W. will continue to operate with the same number of traffic lanes as it does today.

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...ransitway.aspx

It appears they aren't getting rid of traffic lanes, and will be adding bus only lanes. Wouldn't this lead to an improvement, by taking buses currently in normal traffic, removing them to their own lane?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I don't understand the issue..

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...ransitway.aspx

It appears they aren't getting rid of traffic lanes, and will be adding bus only lanes. Wouldn't this lead to an improvement, by taking buses currently in normal traffic, removing them to their own lane?

Yes, yes - that is fine in theory, but it all feeds into the existing and not expanding 14th Street/Glenmore off-ramp which becomes even more of a cluster**** than it already is.
And strictly from my selfish POV, getting out of my neighbourhood and going anywhere is going to be miserable for years, unless I take a major detour. So, **** the MRU students.

[Hack&Lube]

With the news stories about the corrosion of water pipes in Flint, Michigan, I was curious about the quality of pipes in downtown Calgary.

https://www.launchgood.com/project/c...flint_michigan

Surely, a lot of the pipes and infrastructure here are the oldest in the city and maybe even decades old. What is it made of? Does it contain lead solder?

A lot of us live and work downtown. I'm sure there are water quality tests but I have boiled pots of water and found huge crusts of mineral deposits left behind. I put all my drinking water through a brita filter but am constantly fighting iron (red stains) and calcium deposits in the bathtub, sink, etc.

I'm not worried about safety because I can filter the water and I know we have top-notch water treatment facilities but I'm curious about the pipes in downtown Calgary because they pick up deposits after the water has been treated.

*edit*
Spoke too soon, I looked up some water filter tests and Brita consistently ranks last in ability to filter out heavy metals. Time to go buy something else.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

It's very naive to think that people will actually pack their 2 kids onto a bus to go to HP - just never happening. But that's irrelevant

Talk about naive. People that have kids and can't afford cars also like to do recreational activities with their children.

I think the main concern is the Glenmore/14 Street interchange, which will be even more of a PITA with 2 extra lanes feeding into it and buses that will have the right of way.
Go rich people! Why should I put up with 5 years of inconvenience so some MRU student can take one bus to school instead of two?

Why should MRU students be forced to need a car to get to school so you don't have to endure a few years of some extra commute time? Why should your slight inconvenience have any bearing at all on getting up-to-date transit options for a city of 1.5 million people? F the buses, they should be putting a train line through there. There should be a train going straight from U of C to MRU, and MRU should be connected to both the SW and West LRT lines.

The public transit system in this city is a joke. Anything that improves it is nothing but a bonus.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Talk about naive. People that have kids and can't afford cars also like to do recreational activities with their children.



Why should MRU students be forced to need a car to get to school so you don't have to endure a few years of some extra commute time? Why should your slight inconvenience have any bearing at all on getting up-to-date transit options for a city of 1.5 million people? F the buses, they should be putting a train line through there. There should be a train going straight from U of C to MRU, and MRU should be connected to both the SW and West LRT lines.

The public transit system in this city is a joke. Anything that improves it is nothing but a bonus.

Everybody has a Dodge Caravan - don't be silly.
I am all for UC-MRU c-train.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Everybody has a Dodge Caravan - don't be silly.
I am all for UC-MRU c-train.

What if it increases your commute by 10 minutes for the next 5 years?

[Fuzz]

I'm not sure where "5 years" comes from either. Construction starts July 2016 and finishes Sept 2018. Surly not all of that period will cause delays.