I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

You're the reason our property taxes creep up each year and the city still has a budget problem. Spend away. And by the way i don't drink lattes.

Not inflation or property value increasing? It was Tyler all along? Thanks a lot Tyler.

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Yeah. It's kind of interesting, because even as a family of 4 we don't generally fill up either of the blue or black bins each week. Sometimes I don't even bother to put them out every week if I am feeling lazy. Really the only time a weekly service is needed is around Christmas when disposing of Christmas present packaging and stuff.

We might be unique though, but a biweekly pick up wouldn't bother us.

Yeah, I do this all the time, too - and then, I forget to put it out when it is full, and the following week it is full to bursting, and it happens to be Good Friday that it gets picked up.

Man, was I glad it was picked up this last Friday.

[Ducay]

Anyone have any experience with the "Planting Incentive Program" program run by the city?

http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pag...e-Program.aspx

Sounds like you pay $190 and the city will come in and plant a city- owned tree in your neighbourhood. Also sounds like doesn't even need to be on your property, you can pick where you'd like it (imagine you can't pledge to put it on neighbours yards, etc).

Sounds like I pretty great idea. $190 to add some trees on streets is a small investment each house can make to increasing property values and overall awesome feeling.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Garbage collection only happens Tuesday to Friday on regular weeks. If a stat holiday occurs on a day other than Monday, that garbage that is supposed to be picked up on that day can be picked up on Monday instead.

Really? That seems weird to me. What do the trucks and people do on Mondays?

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Anyone have any experience with the "Planting Incentive Program" program run by the city?

http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pag...e-Program.aspx

Sounds like you pay $190 and the city will come in and plant a city- owned tree in your neighbourhood. Also sounds like doesn't even need to be on your property, you can pick where you'd like it (imagine you can't pledge to put it on neighbours yards, etc).

Sounds like I pretty great idea. $190 to add some trees on streets is a small investment each house can make to increasing property values and overall awesome feeling.

Cool idea, did you note the blurb below? I know our hot summers can kill young tress without a decent amount of water

All preparations, planting and initial watering will be done by The City or its designate. Ongoing maintenance including watering and tree well cleaning, but excluding pruning, will be responsibility of the residents.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Really? That seems weird to me. What do the trucks and people do on Mondays?

I believe that the crews get their required hours in, in a 4 day work week. Also, this lets them be flexible when there is a holiday in the week. If they picked up all 5 weekdays, holidays would screw up the easy to remember schedule.

[comrade]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I believe that the crews get their required hours in, in a 4 day work week. Also, this lets them be flexible when there is a holiday in the week. If they picked up all 5 weekdays, holidays would screw up the easy to remember schedule.

Well, that sounds like an eminently sensible plan. Funny how sometimes, just sometimes, the people whose job it is can come up with a better plan than some randoms on the internet.

Thanks for ruining a potential flame war by pointing it out so quickly. I was really hoping for a "the system is broken" comment or two.

[pgsieve]

How is it legal for the city to install speed bumps in a 50 zone. If I'm driving the legally posted speed limit (50) and hit a speed bump, I'd probably ruin my car. Shouldn't the speed signs be reduced? I'd be curious to know the law or hear if anyone has sued the city over this before?

[tete]

Is there a timeline for when the 8th St SW underpass is going to be redone? It's getting to be terrible on the sidewalks - tons of chipped concrete on the retaining walls, sinking paving bricks, poor lighting and not to mention the ever prevalent stench of urine and garbage that greets me pretty much every day when I walk through there.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by pgsieve

How is it legal for the city to install speed bumps in a 50 zone. If I'm driving the legally posted speed limit (50) and hit a speed bump, I'd probably ruin my car. Shouldn't the speed signs be reduced? I'd be curious to know the law or hear if anyone has sued the city over this before?

If it's properly signed and noted, there's no issues whatsoever. Hell, they could do it like in Mexico and put them on high speed roadways, and everyone is forced to slow down every couple kilometers.

[Kavvy]

Is there any push to increase bike safety on our roads by reducing the amount of roads people are allowed to bike on?

I would like to see our council make it illegal to bike on a few of the roads I feel we could get the majority of the citizens behind:

i.e.: Crowchild, Glenmore, Sarcee, 4th ave flyover & Blackfoot.

I would push for more (i.e. Macleod Trail south of 17th av, roads equivalent to an Anderson or a Heritage) as I feel there are plenty of parallel roads bikers can be on safely, but lets start with the low hanging fruit and then have an open discussion on the rest.

I could only find this on the city website, is it accurate?

Remember that all streets are cycling streets (except Deerfoot Trail and 8th Avenue S.W. from 1st Street East to 3rd Street West 6:00 am to 6:00 pm)

In general, I would like to see bikers eliminated from roads with high speeds and high congestion. A road like Stony Trail is interesting, due to the large shoulders it acts more as a highway, and as a society we generally accept bikers on highways

[Knut]

^ This morning on Glenmore EB @ Ogden there was a lady riding her bike with her dog in the right lane of EB Glenmore. Causing huge backups as all the big trucks on the route had to change lanes to get around her. Absolutely dumb.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

If it's properly signed and noted, there's no issues whatsoever. Hell, they could do it like in Mexico and put them on high speed roadways, and everyone is forced to slow down every couple kilometers.

That sounds like a terrible idea - creating traffic waves for no good reason.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Hesla

^ This morning on Glenmore EB @ Ogden there was a lady riding her bike with her dog in the right lane of EB Glenmore. Causing huge backups as all the big trucks on the route had to change lanes to get around her. Absolutely dumb.

Oh man. If I got stuck in a traffic jam because of that, I'd have driven behind her with my hand planted on the horn until she got the hell off the road. Stuff like that really annoys me, and it's not because it costs me a few extra minutes. Just being in the vicinity of such stupidity pisses me off. If she got hit and died, I wouldn't feel bad for her, I'd feel bad for the person driving that has to re-hear the thud over and over in their head.

[chemgear]

What's going on with all the this concrete driveway carpet bombing? Are these people being fined and forced by bylaw to rip up that garbage? I can't imagine that it isn't easily seen, obviously in violation and shouldn't be quickly dealt with.

If the city can't get something that blatant sorted out quickly, I'd hate to see the other crap coming from secondary suites.

[jeffporfirio]

Originally Posted by chemgear

What's going on with all the this concrete driveway carpet bombing? Are these people being fined and forced by bylaw to rip up that garbage? I can't imagine that it isn't easily seen, obviously in violation and shouldn't be quickly dealt with.

If the city can't get something that blatant sorted out quickly, I'd hate to see the other crap coming from secondary suites.

I couldn't agree more with you, and I'd be fuming if I lived in one of those neighborhoods.
Honestly though, I believe this is not a priority for the city, and it's probably all the way down on the list, if its even on a list.

Imho, I believe the city thinks it would touch too many sensibilities by enforcing this bylaw; 1st world problem.
The NE is becoming Edmonton.

Again, poor people that live in those neighborhoods and care about about their homes.

[Daorcey]

Originally Posted by chemgear

What's going on with all the this concrete driveway carpet bombing? Are these people being fined and forced by bylaw to rip up that garbage? I can't imagine that it isn't easily seen, obviously in violation and shouldn't be quickly dealt with.

Yes, The City addressing those right now. Enforcement is mostly based on complaints... and can result in people having to remove part of the driveway. That has already been done in some cases. In other cases, the homeowner is trying to get a retroactive development permit. I've not heard of much success (for the homeowners) on that front.

[Daorcey]

Originally Posted by Kavvy

Is there any push to increase bike safety on our roads by reducing the amount of roads people are allowed to bike on?

I'm not familiar with any push to restrict what roads cyclists can go on. From what I can see, provincial traffic laws allow them on most roads and that the municipalities have done little to restrict that further. Ideally, the more safe spaces you create for cyclists, the less they will endanger their lives by using unsafe spaces.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Daorcey

Yes, The City addressing those right now. Enforcement is mostly based on complaints... and can result in people having to remove part of the driveway. That has already been done in some cases. In other cases, the homeowner is trying to get a retroactive development permit. I've not heard of much success (for the homeowners) on that front.

I hope so. I'd like to see published examples of people being dealt with and the remediation.

Without that, it seems like a landslide that the city hasn't been able to control at all with more and more examples coming out across many different communities. I know the secondary suite issue is something the city wants to address but I've got very little faith in them it if they can't enforce such an obvious bylaw.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by Hesla

^ This morning on Glenmore EB @ Ogden there was a lady riding her bike with her dog in the right lane of EB Glenmore. Causing huge backups as all the big trucks on the route had to change lanes to get around her. Absolutely dumb.

Are bicycles not governed by the same traffic laws as a car?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't jump in my car and go 10km/h on Glenmore legally - so why can a bike?