MF YYC Politics - there, I mega did it

[woob]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Some interesting ideas, but I find it hard to see any of them significantly increasing revenue compared what is currently raised through taxation (direct and indirect).


Here's a fairly simple idea that would raise some cash while driving a bunch of other desirable outcomes, and reduce certain expenses: Congestion Pricing

Calgary is pretty well set up to implement this in the core, with 4 bridges crossing the river, and 6 underpasses, and 1-2 western access points (though really only one as the 5 Ave connector reversal would become unnecessary and be converted to a 'wheeling highway' and letting the current very busy MUP become walking only, but I digress)

- direct cash raised from this

- increased transit usage = increased revenue (also leading to generally improved transit service)

- it should be noted that there would be reduced parking revenue for CPA, but it's also worth noting its incredibly dumb how current policy encourages private parking lots in DT, but reducing parking demand can turn some of these private and publicly owned parking facilities into more productive assets, including housing (DT will become even more desirable to live in)

- reduced road expenditure across the board (all of the cars heading into DT use other roads to get there, so we could slow down road expansions that are already unnecessary, but I digress)

- health benefits from reduced pollution and making alternate modes more attractive

DBA would #### bricks, but I'm not sure that would be totally founded - some trips may redistribute around the city (fine from a broader civic standpoint), while alternate mode access should improve significantly. And between Map Town and A&B Sound closing, there's really no reason to go downtown for anything other than employment, anyways (do we have a text colour for half-serious?)

A major unintended consequence would be shifting a lot of vehicle traffic to the beltline, but there would be ways to mitigate that

Can you imagine the UCP backlash if Calgary put in congestion pricing on roads into downtown?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by woob

Can you imagine the UCP backlash if Calgary put in congestion pricing on roads into downtown?

They'd lose their #### so hard they'd smell like Donald Trump.

[puffnstuff]

It would probably make them ban bikes altogether

[Torture]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Yes, Calgary already has the best dedicated bike infrastructure in North America. It’s 17km by bike from my house to my office downtown. I can do 14k of that on dedicated cycling/pedestrian pathways. That’s pretty incredible - there are very few cities in the world this size where cyclists can get from far-flung suburbs to the edge of the urban core largely on dedicated paths.

It’s the final few km that are tricky. The roads in the inner core are necessarily congested (for a city its population, Calgary has a very dense core), and each commuter has a different destination among the hundreds of buildings in that core. It’s similar to the final km problem in shipping fulfillment.

We have great recreational infrastructure. Commuting and getting from A to B has work to be done if you're not going straight downtown. But you're right that there is great pathway infrastructure overall despite many missing links.
Montreal would probably debate the title for best bike infrastructure in North America too.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by woob

Can you imagine the UCP backlash if Calgary put in congestion pricing on roads into downtown?

I would dine on their rage with fava beans and a nice Chiani. Charge based on size too. Driving a truck to a downtown office job should ####ing cost you.

You know how many times I had to call CPA on a Silverado before he got the hint and quit illegally parking in an alley? Five.

There was a TRX that used the loading dock of a building I go to every day. He was never hauling anything. He's a lawyer. He was just too cheap to pay to park his $140,000 compensator.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

It would probably make them ban bikes altogether

Or make them register and get insured! Get license plates on them and then cyclists have to wear a yellow arm-band at all times!

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I'd have to think given immigration and inequality it wouldn't logically be electoral suicide. But it might be hard to sell in the same way people end up supporting tax cuts for the insanely wealthy, worried one day it might affect them, as they stare at the mould spot in their double wide.

You think that millennials who are going to inherit that money will vote in favour of it getting taxed before they get it? I have a hard time believing that.

[peter12]

Things like congestion pricing, taxing home sales, and estate taxes are good policy but incredibly bad politics. The electorate gets in its own way pretty much all the time. If City of Calgary put congestion pricing into place, they would deal with their own furious voters before the province. I mean, I guess if you just taxed Airdrie?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by peter12

Things like congestion pricing, taxing home sales, and estate taxes are good policy but incredibly bad politics. The electorate gets in its own way pretty much all the time. If City of Calgary put congestion pricing into place, they would deal with their own furious voters before the province. I mean, I guess if you just taxed Airdrie?

Congestion pricing in Calgary would just hollow out the downtown core further.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by peter12

Things like congestion pricing, taxing home sales, and estate taxes are good policy but incredibly bad politics. The electorate gets in its own way pretty much all the time. If City of Calgary put congestion pricing into place, they would deal with their own furious voters before the province. I mean, I guess if you just taxed Airdrie?

Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Strathmore, High River, anyone who has recently 'dined' at a Boston Pizza or Mr. Mikes, etc.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Locke

Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Strathmore, High River, anyone who has recently 'dined' at a Boston Pizza or Mr. Mikes, etc.

How practical is that though? Serious question. Also, are there Mr. Mikes in AB!?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by peter12

How practical is that though? Serious question. Also, are there Mr. Mikes in AB!?

Its 'Haute Airdronian Cuisine' when the Boston Pizza is full.

How practical? Thats tougher to answer, but the division of funding is broken when parasites live elsewhere, earn their money in Calgary and then take it back to where they came from without contributing to the infrastructure and costs that produces their bounty.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Locke

Its 'Haute Airdronian Cuisine' when the Boston Pizza is full.

How practical? Thats tougher to answer, but the division of funding is broken when parasites live elsewhere, earn their money in Calgary and then take it back to where they came from without contributing to the infrastructure and costs that produces their bounty.

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of tolling roads and bridges. I just think there are so many egress points to Calgary, you would have to employ a pretty significant infrastructure to effectively toll people.

It's also insanely controversial. For all the "UCP would kill it" folks, keep in mind, that the BC NDP killed tolling on Port Man and Golden Ears bridge in 2017.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by peter12

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of tolling roads and bridges. I just think there are so many egress points to Calgary, you would have to employ a pretty significant infrastructure to effectively toll people.

It's also insanely controversial. For all the "UCP would kill it" folks, keep in mind, that the BC NDP killed tolling on Port Man and Golden Ears bridge in 2017.

Oh it would be a logistical and political nightmare. You're literally talking about taking the cake away from people who deliberately moved so they could have it and eat it too.

This is 'torches and pitchforks' territory. How to make it work? I'd say, and I'm making this up, that Calgary should garnishee a percentage of these places' property tax remittances.

You pay your Airdrie or Okotoks Property Taxes? Calgary takes 15%. Just the tip.