Calgary Bike Lanes and Bike Paths

[trtcttc]

We’re not putting bike lanes on Stoney or Deerfoot. If the province thinks inner city roads are part of provincial corridors, please kindly pay for their maintenance.

It’s really quite sad we used the be the conservative voice of Canada, and now we’re trying to fake outrage because Doug Ford in Ontario did it. I can kind of see the arguments for Bloor in Toronto. They should remove bike lanes, or parking lanes, or restrict more left turns. But having all of that together in a major cross town route so there’s only a single vehicle lane is problematic. In AB, all this political theatre and I haven’t heard one actual road where they’re saying bike lanes are the problem, because it’s a fake problem.

 

[Unknown User]

We’re not putting bike lanes on Stoney or Deerfoot. If the province thinks inner city roads are part of provincial corridors, please kindly pay for their maintenance.

This is my thought as well, if the provinical government wants any input into the management of a roadway, they can buy and fully fund its ongoing maintainence, but since the portions of Deerfoot that aren't under construction are currently crumbling I wouldn't have any hope for that anyways. We already know who this guy is.

 

[CBBarnett]

When you continually push broadly unpopular policies - particularly unpopular in the cities - you need culture war/wedge issues in the cities to distract.

Here's Dreeshen's letter:

The funniest/saddest part to me is how the minister can't even reference a specific project or corridor - there aren't any. At least in Ontario they pointed to actual bike lanes that exist!

There are no controversial projects in the media being discussed right now. I actually can't recall the last time road capacity was materially impacted by the installation of a bike lane in Calgary.

It's one of the better examples of a government where the message is the entire point - it's not rooted in any real issue, a current event or controversy, there's no underlying policy objective. Just 100% culture war stuff to rile the base up. They obviously do a lot of that across all portfolios, but usually they try a bit harder to link to something more topical or real so they can justify their positions (however incoherent they end up being).

 

[CalgaryTiger]

The best part is, this fall in the municipal election, a progressive mayor and a majority progressive council will be elected. It is what the people want. Bell and all the others won't believe it but the infighting amongst their like-minded colleagues will likely put them right back into the same place they are now. I'm not shocked the UCP is trying out the latest conservative trend after the weird library book thing and many other conservative passion projects but they're out their depth here. No one, outside of the hyper-engaged conservative voter think about bike lanes.

 

[kora]

I can kind of see the arguments for Bloor in Toronto. They should remove bike lanes, or parking lanes, or restrict more left turns.

Victoria has taken the approach of putting bike lanes on many arterial streets, rather than side streets. A combination of parking lanes and vehicle traffic lanes have been removed, depending on the circumstance. In the last 5 years the city's streets have been transformed beyond recognition to the point that Victoria doesn't feel like a Canadian/American car-dominated city anymore, and the transformation is ongoing.

 

[Roaring Flames]

The best part is, this fall in the municipal election, a progressive mayor and a majority progressive council will be elected. It is what the people want. Bell and all the others won't believe it but the infighting amongst their like-minded colleagues will likely put them right back into the same place they are now. I'm not shocked the UCP is trying out the latest conservative trend after the weird library book thing and many other conservative passion projects but they're out their depth here. No one, outside of the hyper-engaged conservative voter think about bike lanes.

My whole understanding as to why the UCP wants parties in municipal elections is they think that folks around here only vote in liberal council members because it isn't plastered on the sign that they're left leaning liberals. They think that if constituents are openly conservative in branding while running for council then they're more likely to get votes. And I'm worried they may be right.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

And I'm worried they may be right

Name the two conservative parties out of the following?

The Calgary Party
A Better Calgary
Communities First

Now, which party do you think people would say are pro bike lanes? 99% of people will not be able to accurately answer those questions.

 

[lemongrab]

Name the two conservative parties out of the follow?

The Calgary Party
A Better Calgary
Communities First

Now, which party do you think people would say are pro bike lanes? 99% of people will not be able to accurately answer those questions.

I just hope all three use blue signs.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Here comes the UCP and their Council stooges, right on cue....

Bell: Danielle Smith government takes on Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek over bike lanes

Bike lanes. Danielle Smith government wants to talk to Calgary Mayor Gondek about bike lanes. Bike lanes spread, Smith's crew is concerned.

calgaryherald.com

I mentioned this in another thread, but this is one of the downsides of being a large unicity. Normally a good chunk of Calgary's suburbs would be separate municipalities and not part of Calgary's decision making. Bike lanes would be an easier sell, but they aren't an easy sell to people in the far flung burbs.