The North segment doesn't have reliable costing yet, but you can look on DMap and see the potential difficulties south of Beddington Trail. It is pretty rare for Centre Street to have fewer than 2 water pipes. Somewhat typical to have three. Some stretches, 4. When had access to the gas pipeline...

The home run north LRT requires the expensive part of the SE LRT. I think that is what is missed in the discussion. It isn't the SE LRT that is expensive.

Yeah, not realizing the scope creep was mostly in service of not disrupting auto traffic which I am sure they would have also complained about. Not that the city has been good at communicating that.

Some of it is obvious errors in project controls (scope control), some of it is contracting differences (a preference for fixed cost contracts and very large contracts), some of it is we hire workers who can speak english and are easily certifiable in the USA, some of it is we count different...

It would be a multi-month process, like when the SW Ring Road was repaired/replaced in Edmonton.

We don't know the price for Eau Claire to Sheppard. We shall see. With corridor secured for decades in the deep SE, the expansion cost shouldn't have sticker shock. Perhaps can even redesign to get rid of the tunnel in the last approved plans. Even straight-line, we have 31% inflation since...

No. The quality is highly dependent on winter weather, both very cold cycles and freeze thaws. A couple bad winters, and patching only takes the quality back up so far, and it will just continue to be poor until a full resurface. Last two winters have done a number.

Agreed. it isn't a zero sum game. Alberta has the money for, and the growth prospects to support "yes, and" / "why not both" infrastructure.

Yeah. Vancouver had lots of streetcar suburb style development. Here is a reasonable map: https://maps.nicholsonroad.com/bcer/

If the province wants to Metrolinx the rail system I guess why not. but yeah, plenty of blame to go around.

Yes. Because, well, financing doesn't work like that. I'm sure in 1990 it felt like the sprint to finish lines and expansions for the 88 Olympics left the city in a similar situation, yet Canyon Meadows opened in 2001.

Deerfoot volumes: between Southland and Anderson between Anderson and 24th St between McKenzie Lake/Towne Blvd and Stoney 2012 151,000 127,000 84,000 2014 153,000 146,000 91,000 2015 153,000 150,000 94,000 2017 147,000 147,000 86,000 2019 158,000 146,000 93,000 2022 54,000...

Speaking of: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/hundreds-evacuated-from-rocky-ridge-ymca-due-to-possible-ammonia-leak-1.6950414

That misunderstands the nature of the greenline risk, which is concentrated in the tunnel. The red line tunnel is meant to pass through the same geology at 8th and 2nd.

Further study showed the travel time savings for a SE BRT busway was pretty small for the cost and wouldn't drive ridership, while much larger benefits came from much more rapid access downtown via exclusive ROW, which necessitated expensive grade separation whether LRT or BRT (option not explored).

Having been involved in creating an earlier version of that document, the government which is the audience for the document, is very interested in ghg/energy performance. So yes. As for scope: If you're going to dig up the entire slab, it is a good idea to do everything identified to host...

The document somewhat underplays that the do nothing option involves higher likelihood of season ending equipment failures each year, and possible total failure, where the facility can't support ice at all.

Some old math did for a client based on 2021 cost estimates including operating costs and projected ridership to see which projects were/are efficient: Projects I recommended beyond the greenline as presented in 2021

and even that has its troubles. it is an energy suck and requires a $65 million + renovation. https://oval.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/1/Admin/2021_UC%20Infrastructure_Govt%20Request_Oval.pdf

Yup, as Winsport decided it was more important to be sustainable (while not fulfilling what many would see as their mandate) over the very long term than fulfilling their mandate over the medium term (the next 25 years) and worrying about sustainability over time.