Bike lanes are back in the news again with provincial government Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Kevi Dreeshen’s comments on Calgary’s love affair with bicycles at the expense of road capacity for motor vehicles. Right on.
But City Hall shows its dislike for four-wheeled transportation in other ways than taking space for bicycles. For some reason, planners have a hate-on for Marda Loop. A community that has suffered greatly from road closures due to ‘improvements’ that, all coming at the same time, have closed parts of 33rd Avenue, 34th Avenue and Garrison Gate SW at the same time.
For a time, the detour signs took you through the Safeway parking lot, but at least that section is now open again. Although some might say the intersection looks pretty, it is another slow down for traffic.
With two lanes, a right turn had no effect on cars driving straight through, reduced to one then everyone is held up while a turner onto 34th Avenue waits for pedestrians to cross.
Impatient drivers do not make good drivers.
Marda Loop is a mess, but I also note that 20th Avenue NW is a constant rip-up.
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It was back in the 17th century that St. Francis de Sales said, “What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love and an ocean of patience.”
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Anyone willing to be so bold as to run for councillor in the upcoming election must have more guts than Dick Tracy. They may mean well, but who would want to join a board that has been the cause of so much trouble and in the throes of being sued. Marda Loop has filed a $75 million class action lawsuit, Stephen Avenue merchants are threatening legal action, and Richmond Knob Hill is preparing action if the development of the former Viscount Bennett School goes ahead as planned.
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Sure, we need more housing but it worries me that as bungalows are flattened and two- and three-floor homes are filling in the space so quickly, how well are they being built? There are horror stories coming out of B.C. about residences built in a hurry that are now in need of very expensive renovations.
And owners of the tall, skinny ones should look to the future when they may not be able to climb three flights of stairs.
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Growing up in England I ate a lot of liver and other offal (internal organs). Quite liked it – there was little else at the time – but now have to admit my distaste to the point where the smell of cooked liver has an aroma of a combination of stale beer and wet dog.
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We had lots of visitors over the summer and most were very complimentary, particularly about the genuine kindness of Calgarians. I had the pleasure of attending the WCD Tournament at Spruce Meadows and besides being an incredibly well managed operation, the staff and volunteers all seem so happy to be there and over the top in wanting to help. Especially those wonderful volunteer drivers.
We can be very proud of what the Southern family has given us.
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Final words: “A man can fall many times; but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” John Burroughs
