Santa's Parade of Lights - Nov 21, 2015

[Coldrsx]

Santa's Parade of Lights - Nov 21, 2015




http://www.edmontonsantaparade.com/#santaparade-section

RWE Events Introduces...
Santa's Parade of Lights
November 21st 2015
Celebrate the glow of lights, the wonder of winter and the arrival of Santa Claus, outdoors at twilight!

Bundle up and gather with family, friends and community in downtown Edmonton to kickoff the holiday season.

PARADE BEGINS AT 4:30 P.M.
JASPER AVENUE & 99 STREET

http://www.edmontonsantaparade.com/#santaparade-section

[urbanroo]

^ It was a fun event and nice to see so many families enjoying themselves downtown.

Is our city so beholden to the car that we can't even close down a street for a parade?! The situation on 101st street: hundreds of families crowded onto a narrow sidewalk while the odd car or pick-up truck sailed by on a road that remained open to traffic! Apart from anything else it seems dangerous with all the young ones out.

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by urbanroo

^ It was a fun event and nice to see so many families enjoying themselves downtown.

Is our city so beholden to the car that we can't even close down a street for a parade?! The situation on 101st street: hundreds of families crowded onto a narrow sidewalk while the odd car or pick-up truck sailed by on a road that remained open to traffic! Apart from anything else it seems dangerous with all the young ones out.

Wait...the parade route included 101 Street, yet it was not closed to traffic? That is mind boggling...

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by urbanroo

^ It was a fun event and nice to see so many families enjoying themselves downtown.

Is our city so beholden to the car that we can't even close down a street for a parade?! The situation on 101st street: hundreds of families crowded onto a narrow sidewalk while the odd car or pick-up truck sailed by on a road that remained open to traffic! Apart from anything else it seems dangerous with all the young ones out.

it was much less a "beholden to the car" than it was a much larger turnout for a first year event.

full street closures - even on a rolling closure basis - are much more complicated in terms of maintaining emergency vehicle routes and transit and parkade and construction access etc.

having said that, this was a very successful first year event and building on it for next year is likely to see a "full closure route" implemented (like the k-days parade) and not a rolling/half street closure.

we would also like to double the float count for next year (at which point we think we might at about the optimum number) so if you're thinking about entering as well as watching, don't put it off too long. even something like this is relatively inexpensive given that some of the initial costs can be amortized over several years:

[urbanroo]

Originally Posted by kcantor

it was much less a "beholden to the car" than it was a much larger turnout for a first year event.

full street closures - even on a rolling closure basis - are much more complicated in terms of maintaining emergency vehicle routes and transit and parkade and construction access etc.

having said that, this was a very successful first year event and building on it for next year is likely to see a "full closure route" implemented (like the k-days parade) and not a rolling/half street closure.

we would also like to double the float count for next year (at which point we think we might at about the optimum number) so if you're thinking about entering as well as watching, don't put it off too long. even something like this is relatively inexpensive given that some of the initial costs can be amortized over several years:

^ Thanks. All in all I thought it was a great success. Such a good idea to hold it outside and embrace our winter climate (I was sitting next to a woman from Florida on a plane the other day and she couldn't wait to experience the snow and cold!)

That said, from my arm-chair quarterback position, it did seem rather absurd to those on the west side of 101 street to have to peer over traffic to see the parade relegated to one lane of traffic on the far side. I'm glad to hear the whole street will likely be closed next year. I understand about access for emergency vehicles, but it seems to me this is something that would be facilitated rather than impeded by closing the street to regular traffic. And having over-excited 4-year-olds squished onto the sidewalk with cars rushing past unfortunately seems like the perfect formula to have to put those emergency vehicles into action. In any case, I'm grateful for the event and to those who organized it. Who, out of interest, is responsible for closing down streets for such events?