Quote:
Originally Posted by Yahoo
I'm not sure where a cool looking roadway with nice wide sidewalks and lots of trees would fit. There are some trees along Bow and 9th, but I haven't heard any plans to try to improve on it. And man, the sidewalks downtown are downright embarrassing - with all the heaving and blobbed asphalt patches. That's a real building code issue. Perhaps something nice would work at city entrances, especially on 16th, but I don't think the foot traffic would ever be there. (maybe by the ski jumps it would)
I wish the city would get over it's sudden hatred of the one tree that does well here - the Poplar. I know there are issues with roots, but man it's a shame if we don't allow the one large fast growing tree to be used anymore. The favored Green Ashes are great trees in certain applications but they die rather easily, they're the last trees to get leaves in the spring and the first to lose them in the fall. In Scenic Acres I've watched them year after year replace dead green ashes in a futile attempt to landscape the roadway. Even the few ones that have survived and are 20 years old would best be described as scraggly. On one hill they died every year and I guess the contractor had to keep replacing them in a warranty agreement.
I also wish we'd get over the policy of no evergreens lining roads. Yes, there can be issues with blocking views and what have you, but there can still be more clumps of them planted in areas that make sense (you see a lot more in Edmonton - I know they have more naturally, but it doesn't mean we can't plant them). It would be sweet if there was a push to line Stoney with poplars, spruce, elm etc, at least on the slopes that are somewhat shaded - where they won't have a tendency to get baked in the sun and die off. I know the province doesn't landscape highways, but it would be nice if the city started - even if it was just right along the fencing. Some views of the city are quite ugly - you see nothing but siding and shingles and not a single tree. The roadway itself is the nicest view - which would please many of us who think about such things, but many people don't think of pavement and concrete as beautiful. Bad for tourism and doesn't make the city look very appealing to its residents. (I wonder why the province attempted making the Stoney-Deerfoot overpasses a bit artistic with fake mountains, yet they didn't bother anywhere else). I agree with the city using a percentage of construction project money on art. How cool was the zoo overpass when it came out! It still is cool.
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Ya, I walk that street (9th ave ) sw for a block or so and then get the hell off!! It feels like a car is going to jump the curb and hit you. I think the sidewalk is only 1.5m wide which is horrendous considering how many people take that route to get from the train to the beltline.
I am saying that they should just widen the sidewalks and put some trees in on both isdes to match what they are doing closer to the palliser hotel area.
All in good time I suppose?