On Feb 24, in the Calgary Herald there was an article on potential river crossings at 50 Ave SW over the Elbow River and Edworthy/Shaganappi over the Bow River.  The URL is:  http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/Calgary+plans+bridges+cars/1319474/story.html.

The suggested river crossings are part of the City of Calgary’s new municipal plan combining land use and transportation planning, called Plan it Calgary.  Three scenarios have been considered with regard to the future growth of the City:

1. Compact Scenario:  The City grows within current boundaries including recently annexed lands through densification within current City boundaries.
2. Hybrid Scenario:  The City expands outside current boundaries but a reduced rate of growth than previously experienced through densification within and outside current boundaries.
3. Dispersed Scenario:  The City continues to expand outward with no or very little densification within current boundaries.

It is important to note that Calgary’s growth is already planned for the next 10-12 years.  Plan it Calgary kicks in for the planning beyond the next 10-12 years.  I think there are 32+ communities in the works right now (but the # needs to be confirmed).

River crossings are part of the Compact and Hybrid Scenario to link, in a circular pattern, the LRT lines that act like spokes from a hub radiating out of downtown.

The 50 Ave and Edworthy/Shaganappi bridges are meant to carry only transit.  In theory this may be a good idea as it is difficult to travel east and west efficiently by transit in the City without going downtown.

There are several questions to ask, however, with respect to the potential 50 Ave SW bridge.

• How does one make sure the theory is actually implemented as intended?
• Do the economics make sense to build a 1 or 2 lane bridge spanning 1km over the Elbow River?
• Will a transit bridge be the thin edge of the wedge resulting in a 4 lane or wider bridge over the Elbow in the future that will eventually accommodate transit + cars + trucks? The trucking industry has always been in favour of a 50 Ave bridge enabling a route to Deerfoot because it gets the trucks off Glenmore Trail and the causeway.  Toxic spills are less of a problem if they occur after the Glenmore Dam i.e. after Calgary has taken out its drinking water.  Some residents in Elbow Park and Mount Royal feel that a 50 Ave bridge will solve their community’s traffic problems and shortcutting.  I mention this to illustrate that there is pressure for the  50 Ave bridge to be more than a transit bridge.
• Has the triple bottom line been calculated in all scenarios being considered by the City?  The triple bottom line is evaluating the social, environmental and economic aspects of a certain choice of action.  
• It is my understanding that in-depth modelling has only been done on 1 of the 3 scenarios, so what kind of benchmarking is being used to consider the other options?

 

Please be clear that I personally and certainly support reduced urban sprawl and more effective land use/transportation planning within the current boundaries of the City.  However questions need to be asked and answered to ensure that the best decisions are being made for the benefit of the common good.  What is very clear is that the City is not magically making any more green space within the inner city. There is the potential for increased pressure on existing green spaces because they are easier and cheaper economically to develop than expropriating houses.  Please see the attached article from Landscape Architecture, Feb, 2009.

Therefore I encourage you to find out more about Plan it Calgary at any of the following open houses that are occurring in March.  See more dates within these pages.