Ring Road To Nowhere

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I still call it that. The people who I talk to know what I mean. If some newcomer or 20-something doesn’t… <shrug>.

I never got onboard with calling it the Talisman Centre. Or Repsol. And I won’t get onboard with it’s new name 5 or 6 years from now. Or the name after that. The practice of corporate sponsors changing the names of our public facilities and landmarks every 8-10 years can #### off.

"Newcomer"... I moved here in 2006, I've always known it to be the Talisman Centre until Repsol bought it.

[Manhattanboy]

My friends who visit still don’t get all these “Trails”.

It is weird. Do other major cities name their freeways Trails?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I still call it that. The people who I talk to know what I mean. If some newcomer or 20-something doesn’t… <shrug>.

I never got onboard with calling it the Talisman Centre. Or Repsol. And I won’t get onboard with it’s new name 5 or 6 years from now. Or the name after that. The practice of corporate sponsors changing the names of our public facilities and landmarks every 8-10 years can #### off.

I started going there in 1986. So yeah I know what you mean. I called it Talisman when it changed, and I called it Repsol when it changed.

Just for reference, it was renamed 19 years ago!

I mean I'm sure there's still people that call Ha Ling Peak Chinaman's Peak.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

It is weird. Do other major cities name their freeways Trails?

Edmonton does, to a lesser extent.

This article says: "The word “trail” is used across our city and pays homage to the the old oxcart trail that existed between Calgary and Fort Benton in Montana."

Why Henday and Whitemud in Edmonton, 2 of the busiest urban freeways in the country are named "Drive" seems to have no explanation either. Alberta is just built different.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

My friends who visit still don’t get all these “Trails”.

It is weird. Do other major cities name their freeways Trails?

I agree - all roads should be known as turnpikes.

[Traditional_Ale]

The practice of corporate sponsors changing the names of our public facilities and landmarks every 8-10 years can #### off.

Sorry to be off topic, but are you seriously begrudging a name change of a building over taking the sponsor's money and improving the facility?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Sorry to be off topic, but are you seriously begrudging a name change of a building over taking the sponsor's money and improving the facility?

What’s the total city revenue from building sponsorship? I’d pay $5 per year to not ever have name changes.

[Acey]

A little more on road signage - in the US they use control cities and/or actual information.

So on northbound Deerfoot up until Memorial, the signs would just say "City Centre". Beyond Memorial, they would say Edmonton... or maybe "YYC Airport" until Airport Trail then Edmonton beyond that. Southbound signs after Memorial would say Lethbridge. No sign would say "Deerfoot Trail", as that is useless information. This method of signage also applies to ring roads, like in Cincinnati where their ring road carries an official name but nobody calls it that and no overhead signage says it. If we signed Stoney like that, no sign would say "Stoney Trail" but rather some combination of Banff, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat depending on quadrant and direction.

In theory, with no signs saying "Deerfoot", it's unlikely it'd have become the colloquial name. But then again, the story of how Deerfoot got its name is pretty cool. So maybe it's good we needlessly flex it on every road sign instead of providing information to drivers.

[Bill Bumface]

To Acey’s point, signing the concurrencies or the destinations would be extremely helpful, especially there.

My understanding is highway 8 officially terminates at Deerfoot in the east and 22 on the west. I still don’t think I have it straight, but my understanding is to get to Bragg Creek from Deerfoot you need to follow signs for Glenmore -> Stoney -> Highway 8. If you don’t know what you’re doing, this would be challenging. Signing it all as highway 8 as well would make this much easier.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by curves2000

There may be a sign indicating this but look how poorly the sign is indicating what to do? A little "Transcanada Highway" sign and use "Bypass Route" It's also on the side of the road, not a significant sign for the whole purpose of the road. Sure truck drivers and people who frequent this forum may know, but does the common driver?

I don't think these Bypass signs are hard to see. There's one for each side of the road, they're not in a visually distracting place, the blue of the bypass portion stands out, and the Keep Left stands out with the yellow backing.

As for the 2A/Macleod Trail signs, I'm willing to bet the people who designed it chose that because way more people need that exit to head North on Macleod than South to Lethbridge. If they put all the destinations on there (Okotoks, High River, Fort Macleod would all be listed before Lethbridge, really) then it would be too cluttered.

[Acey]

God I hate those signs, what convoluted version of English has a hyphen in the middle of the word bypass?

Also... should we have maybe put a garbage bag over those signs for about 3 years till the west leg is done? Cause... you can't get to highway 1 yet.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Acey

God I hate those signs, what convoluted version of English has a hyphen in the middle of the word bypass?

Also... should we have maybe put a garbage bag over those signs for about 3 years till the west leg is done? Cause... you can't get to highway 1 yet.

Technically you can by keeping left and heading west until the traffic circle at highway 22 / Cowboy Trail and proceeding north.

[Acey]

Well yeah but those are signs are there in anticipation of the ring being done, which it isn't. Aside from the absolute worst time of the day when Sarcee/Bow poops the bed, you're better off going straight ahead onto Sarcee.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by GGG

What’s the total city revenue from building sponsorship? I’d pay $5 per year to not ever have name changes.

The CoC received $10 million for the naming rights according to the always correct and complete Wikipedia.

I wonder if Tim Hortons would pay anything for the ring road. The Calgary Honey Cruller road.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Shazam

The CoC received $10 million for the naming rights according to the always correct and complete Wikipedia.

I wonder if Tim Hortons would pay anything for the ring road. The Calgary Honey Cruller road.

Timbits Trail?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Sorry to be off topic, but are you seriously begrudging a name change of a building over taking the sponsor's money and improving the facility?

Yes.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Acey

Well yeah but those are signs are there in anticipation of the ring being done, which it isn't. Aside from the absolute worst time of the day when Sarcee/Bow poops the bed, you're better off going straight ahead onto Sarcee.

At this moment (10am on a Tuesday) google maps shows the times as a tie (say Oakridge to Banff, via either HWY8->22 or Sarcee-> 16th)

In reality getting on HWY1 sooner probably saves a min or two since you can more easily exceed the speed limit, but it seems they are pretty close (especially with 16th construction)

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Yes.

Well the sponsorship is almost over and there's another expansion planned for it. Get ready for the Intact Insurance Sports Centre!

[Brendone]

Week later than I expected, but multiple lanes closed westbound at the 22x / 201 bridges ‘cause ditch dirt work

[Madman]

Northbound Macleod's brand new pavement being ripped up and redone at Stoney, 2 lanes closed - such a racket they have going on.