Go Elevated or try for Underground?

  • Work with the province and go with the Elevated option

    Votes: 36 80.0%
  • Try another approach and go for Underground option

    Votes: 6 13.3%
  • Cancel it altogether

    Votes: 1 2.2%
  • Go with a BRT solution

    Votes: 2 4.4%

  • Total voters
    45
https://calgaryherald.com/news/poli...roval-funding-continue-transporation-minister

This screams 1 of 2 things to me, entering east of city hall or at grade through the center of downtown, take it or leave it, which seemed to be the consensus of what the UCP study would present, but another nail in the coffin.
I don't think this says anything at all. They were asked a question, without any news to announce, and said what they have already said.

The report will come and all will have to respond to it.
 
I don't think this says anything at all. They were asked a question, without any news to announce, and said what they have already said.

The report will come and all will have to respond to it.
I agree, this gave no details on what is on the table to be accepted or rejected. He is saying that city council's options are what is recommended in the report or nothing so you better adopt the recommendation. The City's hands are tied here... the province has laid this at their feet and council will be the one to adopt a non-underground option or kill it.

Sure, the report comes out and council could throw their hands up (like they have already done) and say this situation is on the province, they're holding a gun to our head but I don't think it would work. If you're council you really do have to just accept what they give you or kill the whole thing. And if you kill the whole thing, could be tough to wash yourself clean of being on the council that wasted that sum of money.

As a Calgarian I'm then waiting on next year's municipal election to see if they adopt the recommendation or if that council then waits for an NDP government to get the underground option back on the table.

My reading is that if the AECOM recommendation isn't adopted by council the 4th to Shepard isn't happening either. Dreeshan says they would pull their full funding. So even though they saved the 70 people's jobs and they're still working on that section, they're really just shuffling deck chairs around on the Titanic (if council kills it).
 
Last edited:
We won’t give funding based on this alignment

We won’t fund unless you accept our alignment

You will pay any cost overruns

Very Authoritarian government we have up in Edmonton

9 years after the funding was announced for many cities in Canada we are the one that hasn’t built anything

Not the can do city and province I grew up in

Absolutely abysmal management and leadership
 
I wonder if the city can say 'thank you so much for this detailed plan. We will take it under consideration for public consultation. In the meantime lets work on the section we agree on.' and leave the decision till after the next municipal election when hopefully some rail has been laid and it's too late to stop it. That how you play politics with politicians.
 
That would be incredible. Shuffle it off to committee and public consultation. Then Smith would have to either accept or end the charade and say the quiet part of her blackmail scheme out loud.
 
I wonder if the city can say 'thank you so much for this detailed plan. We will take it under consideration for public consultation. In the meantime lets work on the section we agree on.' and leave the decision till after the next municipal election when hopefully some rail has been laid and it's too late to stop it. That how you play politics with politicians.
That's a dangerous game - I think the UCP would be delighted to drag this out for another 2-3 years so the "Nenshi Nightmare" (cringe) will still be fresh for the next prov. election. And who knows what the composition of the next YYCCC will be like.
 
If you're part of this council you cannot be seen to be studying this again. It is time for a to go or no go. If you push this again and you're on council, good luck getting re-elected.

As an aside... For the whole overcrowding 7th Ave issue, I had the idea to do a Gondola. I asked co-pilot: Create an image depicting a ski Gondola going through Calgary's downtown. (I had to add ski because at first it put a gondola from venice... AI I tell you.)

Gondola.jpg


Gave me a laugh.

Also asked it to depict elevated rail downtown... This one was my favourite.
Elevated 1.jpeg
 
I could actually see something like that going down 9th Ave, or even better, 12 Ave. As long as the thing isn't surface, I'm here for it.
 

Back
Top