Calgary Transit
At the core of every well run, growing and prosperous city is a transit system that is efficient and reliable for all its citizens.
Calgary is one of Canada’s fastest growing cities, so it is essential we enhance transit to all areas of the city, but especially to those south Calgary communities that have been under-served by transit for quite some time.
I am in favour of the Green Line LRT project as is currently being revised between the City of Calgary and the province. I believe the revised alignment enhances the overall network, ensuring that far more residents can access public transit easily, quickly and more affordably.
Because transit has high operating and capital investment costs, and a fare cost structure which makes it accessible to everyone, it almost always operates at a loss. The Green Line project (and all transit in general) is a costly investment, but a necessary one to ensure we decrease traffic congestion and grow our economy by moving people to jobs, students to schools, tourists to attractions, and shoppers to retail businesses.
If elected, I would support the current Primary Transit Network – Route Ahead plan. Getting transit closer to more Calgarians with more frequency will make it work better for all and also help reduce road traffic.
Specific to Ward 6, I will advocate for a pedestrian overpass over 17 Ave at the Sirocco Station and for future expansion of the Blue Line to 85 St. and beyond.
Roads
Roads are the arteries of Calgary and they are congested and in poor shape. Maintaining roads and ensuring the efficient flow of traffic are core services and must be looked after before spending on nice to haves.
Specifically, we need to invest in ways to move traffic more effectively. Too much time is spent idling at traffic lights and I would support initiatives to synchronize traffic lights, add sensors at intersections and shorten delays at C-Train crossings. The 17 Ave / Sarcee Tr intersections would be a great place to start.
Bike Paths
Calgary has a very good bike path system but we need to acknowledge that we have a fierce winter that reduces use of that system down to a small but dedicated core of cyclists. Snow removal for bike lines should be done only after our priority roadways have been cleared. As well, I do not support the expansion of bike lanes at the expense of road lanes or parking.
Parking
Parking is a relatively new issue for Ward 6 residents. Transit stations and associated higher density buildings has led to parking restrictions in some neighborhoods (such as Glendale, Westgate, Christie, Signal Hill, Strathcona, Aspen). Blanket rezoning will extend parking issues further into these communities and to all others. In this regard, I will work with community associations to address the need for parking restrictions and/or residential permits in support of residents. I do not, however, support charging residents or their visitors for permits.
Taxis/Uber
City Council is discussing putting restrictions on the number of Uber drivers allowed in the City. This would be similar to how they restrict the number of taxis via licences. I do not support such restrictions. I am a believer in free enterprise. The best services will prosper and the number of drivers will be in line with the demand for services.
Other Transportation Issues
The above is an outline of my positions on various transportation issues. If there is an aspect of transportation that is important to you and that I have not addressed, please submit your comment or question via my website.