Flames to announce plans to announce arena plans in the... future...

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Table 5

In the meantime, can we get rid of the airport Taxi monopoly at least? Time to get some Car 2 Go's there.

I came back from NYC in December, arrived at 4:00 PM, and there was a lineup outside and all the way inside into the escalators for a taxi.

There was one taxi arriving every 5 minutes. It was ass-cold outside, too. ONE. TAXI.

There were many, many business people in line with me. I was so embarrassed for the airport with all these arriving visitors, I just wanted to crawl up and die.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by strombad

Maybe it's the backpacker in me, but I've always found transit from the airport incredibly useful. I think it definitely caters to people who are travelling light (backpackers, business trips, weekend trips, etc) and personally, I think it's a necessary addition.

That said, it really should be the airport building the station.

I completely agree with this. The target audience isn't the "Me and my 4 kids are going to an all inclusive for a week with 26 suitcases" its the "I'm in town for a business trip for 2 nights" and the "I'm heading with my wife directly from work downtown for a long weekend out of town"

I mentally sort places between those that do and don't have train transport to the airport, and I would definitely use that as cut-off for "world class city." Much more so than "my arena is newer/shinier."

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I completely agree with this. The target audience isn't the "Me and my 4 kids are going to an all inclusive for a week with 26 suitcases" its the "I'm in town for a business trip for 2 nights" and the "I'm heading with my wife directly from work downtown for a long weekend out of town"

Which is exactly why it would benefit a city like Calgary moreso than most other cities. I don't think a lot of people come to Calgary for the tourist attractions. I would assume most non-business travellers coming to Calgary are either here for family, or maybe here for the Stampede. The ones here for family usually get picked up, and the train would be perfect for people here for the Stampede.

[Enoch Root]

What's with people giving Muta a hard time? When he can't give details, he usually still nudges the conversation in the right direction. Please continue, Muta - I appreciate your posts in this thread.

As for a train line to the airport, I agree that it is a must. For business travelers, it is a pretty strong dividing line between big city and not.

And yes, the airport should participate in the cost - they certainly benefit from it

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Muta

I came back from NYC in December, arrived at 4:00 PM, and there was a lineup outside and all the way inside into the escalators for a taxi.

Yeah, the taxi situation there is pretty weak. Perhaps someone (Bunk?) can enlighten us, but I have no idea why the taxi industry requires so much over-regulation...that's one industry were I think we should just let them all loose (Taxis of all companies, Car2Go's, Uber, etc), and let supply/demand figure it out.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by zuluking

I'm lost. What the heck is this thread about again?!?

Yeah c'mon guys, let's get back to Cammalleri for Toffoli proposals.

[metroneck]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

To each their own, but I disagree strongly. I traveled to Vancouver on business last week and found it incredibly useful to take the train directly from the airport to downtown (and vice versa on the return trip). I even wished we had similar service in Calgary.

+1 for this... Over a 7 year period I had an average of 150 air travel days per year on business. While I love the flexibility of having a rental, if a City has a direct subway/ train from the airport to my desination, I'll typically choose that first.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Yeah, the taxi situation there is pretty weak. Perhaps someone (Bunk?) can enlighten us, but I have no idea why the taxi industry requires so much over-regulation...that's one industry were I think we should just let them all loose (Taxis of all companies, Car2Go's, Uber, etc), and let supply/demand figure it out.

It's politic's, A lot of the taxi plates are owned by investors that sell right now for well over a 100k, last thing they want is another 100 or 200 plates issued even know the city clearly needs them.

Would be interesting to see how many politicians or "ahem" their spouses own these plates.

[AltaGuy]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The Glenbow is a piece of crap, and just needs to be razed and replaced entirely. The place feels like a converted office building, not a museum.

We need a new museum space, and a new contemporary-art museum (the NMC will be a very nice addition to the city, but it doesn't really address these two needs). Every self-respecting city has those two things, and we have a half-assed version of one, and nothing even close to the other. Never mind world-class, we're barely even steerage class.

As a tax-payer, I'd much rather pay towards a new Glenbow than for a hockey arena.

Maybe it's just me, but the one building in Calgary that I stare at and think it should be a rad museum, whether a replacement for the glenbow or a contemporary art museum, is the old brewery in Inglewood. Beautiful grounds, historic, and as far as I know just sitting there as a storage place or something.

[Flash Walken]

Vancouver has it's own traffic and transit issues, some of which are similar to what frinkprof was mentioning. As nice as the airport sky train is, and it is nice and used frequently by me, it probably should have been a second priority to a route running along or adjacent to Broadway, I believe the single busiest transit corridor in North America.

LRT in Calgary to the airport should only be considered if the airport is going to pick up the tab. Hopefully the city uses it's ability to control and influence development to pressure the airport into doing so.

If calgarians are serious about resisting densification, the only way the city will be liveable is if you can move mass amounts of people around the city in means other than vehicles.

I was shocked by the traffic the last time I was there.

Edit: in relation to the arena, something the plan will hopefully incorporate is a massive train station with room for expansion as a transit hub for the city.

As someone vehemently opposed to public money for private stadiums, I would be on board with public money being used to insure the use of the facility is of maximum benefit to the city. Vancouverr stadium proximity to mass transit is awesome. the only drawback is that it is not large enough.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by zuluking

I'm lost. What the heck is this thread about again?!?

Snippets and tidbits; oh and blue balls.

[Dan02]

In the meantime, can we get rid of the airport Taxi monopoly at least? Time to get some Car 2 Go's there.

In case you missed the news, car2go does go to the airport, you park it at one of the park and fly places, we used it a couple Saturdays ago and it was quite convenient, there is a extra $10 charge to use that service though. I think it's only on the parking end of the trip. There were 14 car2gos in the lot all parked at the very front.

[Dan02]

There is 5 there right now.

[Table 5]

That is awesome news. Time to get my Car2Go membership.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by AltaGuy

Maybe it's just me, but the one building in Calgary that I stare at and think it should be a rad museum, whether a replacement for the glenbow or a contemporary art museum, is the old brewery in Inglewood. Beautiful grounds, historic, and as far as I know just sitting there as a storage place or something.

In honor of longsuffering's annoyance by me, here's my new style of 'tidbit' posting on this project:

There may, or may not, have been a master plan for the brewery already completed. There could be a plan to turn it into something like the Distillery District in east downtown Toronto. I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't say anything. Or I should. Who knows.

[nik-]

That would be cool, but I originally misread that as a brewery district and thought we'd be getting an influx of brew pubs. Now I'm disappointed.

[Tinordi]

Ah so Inglewood it is

[Joborule]

We like little tidbits from people with information. Thanks for your posts Muta.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Joborule

We like little tidbits from people with information. Thanks for your posts Muta.

Unless the information contradicts our own opinion or isn't what we want to hear, then we demand full disclosure of source and irrefrutable proof lest we become angry.

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Unless the information contradicts our own opinion or isn't what we want to hear, then we demand full disclosure of source and irrefrutable proof lest we become angry.