Calgary Civic Election: Mayoralty Poll #4 - The Heat is On

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Man, this thread sure underlines how much Calgarians focus on transportation issues....it seems like the be all and end all to all discussion during election time. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to deduce from that.

The way I look at this is that it all points back to the city allowing the sprawl. With new communities popping up further and further out on all ends of the city it takes longer and longer to get to the other side. I live in the NW and I know many people that will not travel to the south because it takes to long. They will take a special trip every few months when they want to visit something that it only in the south such as Ikea or another store that is not in the north but that it is. I am sure that people in the south are the same.

As for myself I am tired of seeing the city build a new road, then the next summer they have to redo it to widen it, then the next one they have to add in more upgrades then they have to build an overpass. Four + years to fix something that if there was a little forethought they could have built it right the first time and been done with it.

[V]

Originally Posted by yads

I was under the impression that they did when I worked there. The city of Edmonton is the only shareholder of Epcor though, so indirectly the city owns everything. There are actually two publicly traded securities under the name of Capital Power. One is the income trust which includes a portfolio of what I believe are non Alberta generation assets. The other is the trading desk business.

EPCOR owns ~72% of Capital Power, and expect to sell their portion over time to fund their new water treatment plants in Arizona, etc. As far as I know, all of the generation assets are owned by Capital Power. Generation was too risky in the corporation's opinion, and water treatment was a far more reliable avenue to go down.

ENMAX obviously isn't in the same situation. They have no water treatment capabilities, and in fact they are placing quite a bit of their priority on generation and retail, which makes them practically polar opposites from EPCOR (who isn't really interested in retail at all). I'm not sure the two companies can really be looked at as equals in any way due to those couple of significant differences.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Man, this thread sure underlines how much Calgarians focus on transportation issues....it seems like the be all and end all to all discussion during election time. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to deduce from that.

Personally, it's my number one issue for this election. Where candidates stand on it is very important to me. What happens with transportation infrastructure will affect my life more than anything else. Obviously I see the big picture, but I weigh this more over other things.

Originally Posted by 4X4

And it's one of the worst designs ever at memorial and bow. The people leaving DT on 11ave and wanting to get on to memorial cause NB Crow to back up to 17th or 26th or even 33rd on some days. I want to try whatever drug those designers were on.

The guy who designed it isn't retired yet, I think. You can still ask him! I'm pretty sure it was a case of money versus function, and money won. To make all the connections work smoothly would have doubled the cost of that interchange easily.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

The guy who designed it isn't retired yet, I think. You can still ask him! I'm pretty sure it was a case of money versus function, and money won. To make all the connections work smoothly would have doubled the cost of that interchange easily.

This is a perfect example of what happens when a cheap design wins out over function, which is all too common in infrastructure in this city. Fixing this clusterfata will probably cost us hundreds of millions.

But hey, I bet it kept taxes at the rate of inflation that year...

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by browna

As far as I'm concerned, any candidate who says a new SW ring road is not necessary, short term or long term, is out to lunch....

....any candidate who downplays this as a major city infrastructure/efficiency/quality of life issue that affects probably 100K+ people in one way or another on a regular basis, or, wants to spend more time and money researching alternatives, when the research has been done, and plans are in place to move ahead, have absolutley no right to hold the title of leading this city as mayor.

Agreed, any candidate that says we don't need a SW ring road is out to lunch. Calgary continues to expand south and the city is calling for higher community densities. A solution is needed NOW!!

Anything but the reserve deal for 250 or 500 million or whatever it was. That is done. Won't vote for someone who revisits the idea.

I looked at a 37 st/Lakeview map and the most I can see is about 100 homes that would need to be bought. Now even at a million dollars each can the residents still be so against that? To be fair I would like to hear their side.

Voting for whichever candidate has the best SW ring road solution and infrastructure plan for our city.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Voting for whichever candidate has the best SW ring road solution and infrastructure plan for our city.

That's great and all, but the province is kind of the one who runs the show of where the SW ring road will go. The mayor can come and say what he thinks best, but if the province thinks otherwise, then tough luck.

[stampsx2]

^^^True but didn't Bronconnier and Stelmach work hand in hand on the issue in the past?

[Mazrim]

According to twitter (@Chealion):

WTF. The purple building on Macleod Trail @RicMcIver signs have been put over the Nenshi signs inside the windows. Stay classy #yyc #yycvote

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

^^^True but didn't Bronconnier and Stelmach work hand in hand on the issue in the past?

The city and the province will work together on the project, but the province is the one with the ultimate ruling. So the mayor will only be able to pull of the best of what the province wants. If it can't be an 8 lane, 110 KM freeway, then I would believe that as long as the road is built as an adequate freeway which can sustain about 80km with 3 lanes of traffic both ways at the absolute minimum, the province would sign off with that. After all, it's a provincial road, not a local city funded and built road.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

According to twitter (@Chealion):
Quote:
WTF. The purple building on Macleod Trail @RicMcIver signs have been put over the Nenshi signs inside the windows. Stay classy #yyc #yycvote

Maybe Blinky thought he was already much further south at Macleod and Glenmore. Too much blinking could be a driving hazard.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

If you look at the cut and cover cost, plus the initial 4 lane road option I listed above, you're not hitting the extreme costs that are constantly quoted to scare people. I fail to see why this eludes so many candidates. If you want to win votes, why not present the most pleasant sounding option to make both sides more open to the idea? Why is it no tunnel or a "$500-700 million" tunnel?

Hawkesworth either didn't read the report he's citing, doesn't understand basic decision-making economics, or is willfully ignoring the principle of economic cost in order to mislead voters in an attempt to garner votes from the anti-tax crowd. I don't know of any other candidates talking about a $500 million tunnel though, unless it's the one we'll need if we don't cut and cover.

What bugs me even more than Hawkesworth's misleading (either intentionally or unintentionally) campaign is that the media is letting him get away with it. I read an article that said "estimates for the bridge vary between $150 million and $500 million" (paraphrased). Sure you want to be unbiased, but if you fact check that $500 million you'll find that pointing out that it's completely off-base (to put it politely) is simply being objective and responsible.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

What happens with transportation infrastructure will affect my life more than anything else.

Land use and transportation planning are inextricably linked and just as transportation infrastructure strongly affects your life, land use planning strongly affects transportation planning and the infrastructure provided. As such, it is crucial that we sort out the issues related to land use planning as these solutions will be key in solving, and preventing, issues with transportation planning and the infrastructure provided.

[Table 5]

Saw this in another forum....

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Saw this in another forum....

Gotta love a Back to the Future reference! ha ha.

[CaptainCrunch]

Thats completely awesome.

I've been trying to find the Arthur Carlson campaign poster from WKRP in Cinncinatti when he decided to throw the election, because I wanted to print out a huge copy of it and put it on my lawn.

No luck though.

[jdso]

Some interesting news through twitter (obviously take with a grain of salt).

Developers have threatened to stop advertising with The Herald and FFWD if their articles are deemed too pro-Nenshi.

Shane Homes has been accused of using paid volunteers to support an anti-Druh candidate.

[TorqueDog]

I was supporting McIver for the longest time... but...


... I'm voting for Nenshi.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by jdso

Some interesting news through twitter (obviously take with a grain of salt).

Developers have threatened to stop advertising with The Herald and FFWD if their articles are deemed too pro-Nenshi.

Shane Homes has been accused of using paid volunteers to support an anti-Druh candidate.

Out of curiosity, whose twitter?

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by jdso

Some interesting news through twitter (obviously take with a grain of salt).

Developers have threatened to stop advertising with The Herald and FFWD if their articles are deemed too pro-Nenshi.

Shane Homes has been accused of using paid volunteers to support an anti-Druh candidate.

If we start seeing articles on this...then you can be sure there will be some major backlash from it.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Saw this in another forum....

I've been meaning to take a picture and post that for all to enjoy here. I saw it a couple weeks ago and that is the only one I've seen. Hilarious though, and surprisingly hasn't been stolen or anything.