Ring Road To Nowhere

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by Drummer

Is anyone else thinking the SWRR will be shelved due to the "unforeseen drop in oil"? It's got me wondering.

After decades and decades of negotiations? Not a chance.

[Resolute 14]

Exactly. The government - provincial and federal - are on the clock. If they back out now, they back out forever. It ain't happening.

[Old Yeller]

Not saying we're plunging into a recession, but infrastructure projects of this size would be better off being constructed in one anyway. Plus with a mandated deadline of 2020 I don't see how it could be shelved without major resistance.

I'm not sure even scaling it back would be received well.

[polak]

Isn't this Economics 101?

You build as many infrastructure projects that you can during a recession? Low material and labor costs while also creating jobs. Increase tax when times are good to make up for it...

If our government doesn't know that then we have bigger problems.

[Acey]

There's a 'hurry the hell up' clause in the deal.

Alberta will transfer administration and control
of the Land to Canada at no cost, for the purpose of Canada setting apart
the Land as reserve within the meaning of the Indian Act for the use and
benefit of the Nation, in the event that:

i. Alberta does not build and commence operation of the Opening
Day Plan within seven years from the Transfer Date, subject to
any delay caused directly or indirectly by conditions beyond the
reasonable control of Alberta including but not limited to acts of
God, fires, floods, wind storms, explosions, unexploded ordnance,
riots, natural disasters, wars, invasions, armed conflict, acts of 11
foreign enemies, revolution, terrorist act, interference by military
authorities, nuclear explosion, contamination by ionizing radiation,
epidemics, quarantine restrictions, sabotage, civil disturbance,
blockage, embargo, strikes, inability to obtain power or material,
court injunction or order, federal environmental approvals, federal
restrictions, Nation restrictions, disturbance of burial sites and
delays arising from steps taken in accordance with the Burial Site
Protocol in Schedule 10, provided that written notice of the delay
(including the anticipated duration of the delay) is provided by
Alberta to the Nation within 60 days of such delay, in which case
the seven year period will be extended by the actual duration of any
such delay

Renegotiating a deal with TTN is not something we want to do.

[kevman]

Bring on the ring road tolls!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/12/10...ds-a-good-idea

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by kevman

Bring on the ring road tolls!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/12/10...ds-a-good-idea

More Calgary Sun comment gold down below...

[V]

I'm all for paying for major infrastructure with tolls, but how does this work if the government is already in a P3 agreement on these sections of the road?

[Resolute 14]

The only thing putting a toll on Stoney would accomplish is to drive me back onto Deerfoot. But I can get away with that without huge inconvenience. Would suck for the people who require this road. But F them, eh?

[Resolute 14]

Oh, and Drysdale is flat out lying when he says most Albertans support tolls. Most Albertans would support tolls they will never have to pay. Put a toll on a road they use, and that tune would change instantly.

[Joborule]

Toll on the SW ring road would be political suicide, because people would rightfully be pissed about it. The ring road wasn't designed with a toll in mind, and it shouldn't be, considering how important the section is for the western/southwestern portion of the city now and in the future.

[Burninator]

If the speed limit on Stoney was 160kph I would warm up to the idea of a toll road.

[V]

They do it in BC all the time and it doesn't stop people from using the roads. It pays for the capital costs and maintenance, and the people who use it pay for it. Finally something to shut Seb up too.

[calgarygeologist]

I would be okay with a toll on the SW section of the ring road. I would also be okay with a toll on the NW section.

[polak]

I'd support a toll on all access points to Stoney from Tsuu Tsina...

[MacDaddy77]

how exactly would you toll a ring road? Isnt the entire point of the ring road to alleviate congestion? having a toll will cause people to stop and back up traffic on the toll roads wouldn't it?

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

how exactly would you toll a ring road? Isnt the entire point of the ring road to alleviate congestion? having a toll will cause people to stop and back up traffic on the toll roads wouldn't it?

Especially since the road is part of the CANAMEX highway system designed to freely move goods from Mexico to Alaska.

RFID and license plate scanners works for locals, but if you intend to catch tourists, truckers and other out of towners, you need to build toll plazas.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

how exactly would you toll a ring road? Isnt the entire point of the ring road to alleviate congestion? having a toll will cause people to stop and back up traffic on the toll roads wouldn't it?

Toll roads do not need to have booths and pay stations. For regular users an electronic transponder system can bill them monthly. The 407 in Toronto also has a system in place which records non registered (transponder) users and bills them directly. They access registry information for billing purposes and apparently they can bill all plates (Ontario, rest of Canada and American.)

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by V

They do it in BC all the time and it doesn't stop people from using the roads.

Not really. Many people do their best to avoid tolls in the Lower Mainland.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/met...210/story.html

The Golden Ears Bridge is expected to continue losing up to $45 million a year because fewer people than projected are driving the tolled span. And Surrey and New Westminster transportation planners have argued that more drivers have diverted to the aging Pattullo Bridge since half-price tolls were slapped on the Port Mann in December 2012 and increased to $3 per crossing this month.

They even went to the trouble to create a calculator in that article to help you figure out if you're doing yourself any favours by avoiding the tolls.

[ExiledFlamesFan]

The people we should be targeting are the parasite communities. The people that use the city of Calgary's infrastructure daily yet do pay for this use. There should be tolls on all entry roads into Calgary from 5-10AM. Commercial vehicles exempt.

I understand that this is a provincial budget issue but the city of Calgary is also hurting for cash and we could use the toll revenue to help build the NCSE lrt.