Ongoing Calgarians complaining about pedestrian bridges thread

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The bridge where it is is perfect. It is highly used. The problem is they didn't make it long enough.

Any bridge that crosses the entire length of a water body is a successful bridge, imo.

[getbak]

Speaking of pedestrian bridges: Yesterday, the city unveiled plans for the new bridge over Macleod Trail at 61st Ave that will connect pedestrians to Chinook Centre: http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...open-next-year



Construction begins in September, with completion expected late next year. It has a total budget of $13 million, with the City and Cadillac Fairview each paying half.

This will be situated on the south side of 61st Ave, so pedestrians going from Chinook Station to the mall won't have to cross 61st, like they do now.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Any bridge that crosses the entire length of a water body is a successful bridge, imo.

Well, yes, that part. It should have had a landing on the north side, then another section over Memorial. I mean, they could still do it, the landing is high enough, but this new "plan" indicates they don't want to.

[SebC]

Kind of funny that we "upgraded" the station to low-profile and now we're building a high-profile pedestrain bridge to the mall.

If people are going up stairs/escalators anyways maybe it should take them right to the platform, and be heated.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by getbak

Speaking of pedestrian bridges: Yesterday, the city unveiled plans for the new bridge over Macleod Trail at 61st Ave that will connect pedestrians to Chinook Centre: http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...open-next-year



Construction begins in September, with completion expected late next year. It has a total budget of $13 million, with the City and Cadillac Fairview each paying half.

This will be situated on the south side of 61st Ave, so pedestrians going from Chinook Station to the mall won't have to cross 61st, like they do now.

This has been needed for a while. Looks fairly decent as well.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

They' d better put a few machine gun nests in that bridge to deal with the sketchies that will inhabit that bridge semi-permanently.

With land to expand limited, I wonder if Chinook will try and eventually acquire the Home Depot / Staples lands and expand the mall over Macleod.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

They' d better put a few machine gun nests in that bridge to deal with the sketchies that will inhabit that bridge semi-permanently.

I like the design, and a traffic-free pedestrian link from Chinook Mall to Chinook station is a great idea. But looking at the picture I can already get a waft of the stale urine smell that will saturate those stairwells.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

They' d better put a few machine gun nests in that bridge to deal with the sketchies that will inhabit that bridge semi-permanently.

With land to expand limited, I wonder if Chinook will try and eventually acquire the Home Depot / Staples lands and expand the mall over Macleod.

It would really fix the mess that is traffic there if they even just built a tunnel to the underground parking from the east side Home Depot staples land to the mall.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I like the design, and a traffic-free pedestrian link from Chinook Mall to Chinook station is a great idea. But looking at the picture I can already get a waft of the stale urine smell that will saturate those stairwells.

Have to think they'll have active security in here.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

WTF? 9th??? So this won't solve the J-walking problem at 8th, where the bridge is, where the crossing should have been moved in the first place. Or, better yet, where a bridge could have completed the connection. So now there will be 2 crossings, 3 blocks from each other, neither serving where people actually want to cross. I'm sure drivers will love this, too. Good jerb. Sigh.

Actually as a driver in sunnyside, I think 9th is actually preferable to 8th. It's hard to get out of Sunnyside during busy hours (especially east-bound), and the best bet right now is to head to 8th and turn left (using the gaps created by the 7th street crosswalk). But put a pedestrian crossing there, and it potentially becomes harder to turn left there, and turning left from 9th is already difficult because traffic is already backed up there from the 10th street intersection.

I do think you're right that it won't do much to help jaywalking, but I have a hard time understanding who is actually wanting to go to eighth street rather than 7th or 9th. Us east-sunnysiders are totally adequately-served by 7th, as is anyone going to the school. Anyone going Kensington would be adequately-served by a 9th street crossing. Other than people who live within a block of 8th, or tourists who have parked in that area, who really needs an 8th street crossing?

[Fuzz]

Well, if your destination is the Peace Bridge, it doesn't really matter if you are coming from 9th or 7th, 8th would serve both and you would only need one crossing, instead of 2.

As for "better for drivers" I was not considering Sunnyside residents, I was just thinking of Memorial. Another stop exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists is just going to piss them off more. Not that I personally care, I only drive that road maybe 5 times a year.

From one of the news stories it sounds like this might be a full set of lights, not just a pedestrian crossing. Is that true?

[Bigtime]

I really hope it is a full set of lights, as Octothorp has indicated it can be very difficult for residents to get eastbound on Memorial out of Sunnyside. I know it is shocking to hear we drive cars too, and not just Penny Farthings.

If I had my way I'd block every Memorial entrance into Sunnyside except for two (east side and west) that would have traffic lights. If timed correctly it could also help with the congestion at 10th street by spacing traffic out a little better during rush hour.

[Bill Bumface]

We are great at getting bridges across the water and clueless after that. The Peace Bridge drops you on the side of a major boulevard a few blocks from the nearest crossing.

St. Patrick's Island does the same, but even better as Memorial is to freeway spec. No big deal, just spend another 10 minutes walking back to the train station, up and over the road, and back down across some more streets to get to the other side of memorial where you were just standing.

[Bigtime]

Confirmed that the 9th street crossing is a full set of traffic lights. Transportation will make changes to best conduct the war on cars manage traffic flow.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

BUMP!

Related to the Peace bridge, the city is starting work on putting in a controlled crossing (traffic signal) at 9th Street and Memorial drive NW. Planned completion is fall 2016.

Can we assume they will remove the crossing and set of lights at 7 Street that are now no longer necessary? Wishful thinking I am sure.

[Bigtime]

Why would the 7th street crossing be no longer necessary?

Are you thinking in car speeds versus pedestrian/cyclist speeds? Because although the crossing may appear close to each other as you go by at 50km/h, on foot it is a different story. The equivalent of telling a motorist on 10th street to go over to Centre street to cross the river instead of using the 10th street bridge.

Plus the lights at 7th only trigger if a pedestrian hits the button (vehicle access is cut off from Memorial to 7th). Whereas 9th will be a regular traffic light.

[Fuzz]

They better not close it, that's the one I use!

[chemgear]

With so many people jaywalking, I am disappointed they are spending money to remove such a fine source of revenue via tickets.

[Fuzz]

I don't think I ever saw a cop ticketing J-walkers there.

[Locke]

I tried this pedestrian bridge nonsense the other day and did you know....I had to cross this bastard with my own two legs! Like a chump!

There I was with cyclists, the elderly and infirm whizzing by me and here I was just walking across like I hadnt a care in the world! I have cares! A great many cares!

Its like my cares and concerns are trivialized by society.

I feel that this pedestrian bridge has marginalized me not only as a Calgarian, but as a human being and I'm petitioning the NDP to have this travesty removed so that no one else need be subjected to its dehumanizing evil ways!