HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Alberta & British Columbia > Calgary > Transportation & Infrastructure


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #821  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 12:36 AM
Full Mountain's Avatar
Full Mountain Full Mountain is offline
YIMBY
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,938
Quote:
Originally Posted by freeweed View Post
Most if not all people have an actual parking spot. It makes visiting friends a bit tricky during the winter but the City only declares an all-out parking ban a handful of nights a year, so you manage.

I always wonder how people manage to own a vehicle without having a dedicated parking spot for it, whether it's on their driveway/garage, a surface lot, or underground. I can't even conceive of buying a car without a place to park it. You can tell where I grew up I guess.
I'm not sure how you figure that everyone has a dedicated parking stall....the majority of the city that was built before the last bust has at most capacity for 2 cars, the parts that were built prior to that (1940's and prior) are lucky to have a garage more likely a back drive (capacity 1 vehicle)....I currently live in a house that was built around 1925 and while there is a garage (a later addition) but, I am not allowed to use it as my landlord has rented it out, so neither I nor the folks upstairs who have 2 vehicles have dedicated spots, it makes it a challenge sometimes but not a challenge that I would trade for a 200-300 dollar increase in my rent
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #822  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 1:14 AM
freeweed's Avatar
freeweed freeweed is offline
Home of Hyperchange
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dynamic City, Alberta
Posts: 17,566
Quote:
Originally Posted by Full Mountain View Post
I'm not sure how you figure that everyone has a dedicated parking stall....the majority of the city that was built before the last bust has at most capacity for 2 cars, the parts that were built prior to that (1940's and prior) are lucky to have a garage more likely a back drive (capacity 1 vehicle)....I currently live in a house that was built around 1925 and while there is a garage (a later addition) but, I am not allowed to use it as my landlord has rented it out, so neither I nor the folks upstairs who have 2 vehicles have dedicated spots, it makes it a challenge sometimes but not a challenge that I would trade for a 200-300 dollar increase in my rent
I figure it because the city has an overnight parking ban several times per year, that covers all roads, and for the past several decades (as long as I've been alive I've seen parking bans) the city hasn't towed everyone's car.

From what I recall about vehicle ownership numbers, there are fewer cars than residences in Winnipeg, and much of the city has room for 2, 3, even 4 cars if you include a garage. It's only a select handful that have 3 cars in a house with zero parking spots. Hell, most people in houses with only one spot in the back can't afford multiple cars (that's why they're in tiny older houses in the first place).

You're an outlier, but you're certainly not the typical average case - again, cars aren't being towed by the thousands when the parking ban comes into effect. I know a few friends who park "illegally" in commercial lots (shopping malls, etc) but I never saw those getting full during a parking ban.

If you want to be cheap on parking/rent, that's your prerogative (like mersar above) but then you have to deal with the lack of on-street parking during the parking bans. Everyone I know in the city who owns a car has to contend with this - either live in a place with parking, pay for parking, or do the mad car shuffle a few times during the winter.

And of course, every winter I got the panic call from a buddy who didn't realize reality, asking if he could park on my driveway that night.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #823  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 1:45 AM
Full Mountain's Avatar
Full Mountain Full Mountain is offline
YIMBY
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,938
Quote:
Originally Posted by freeweed View Post
I figure it because the city has an overnight parking ban several times per year, that covers all roads, and for the past several decades (as long as I've been alive I've seen parking bans) the city hasn't towed everyone's car.

From what I recall about vehicle ownership numbers, there are fewer cars than residences in Winnipeg, and much of the city has room for 2, 3, even 4 cars if you include a garage. It's only a select handful that have 3 cars in a house with zero parking spots. Hell, most people in houses with only one spot in the back can't afford multiple cars (that's why they're in tiny older houses in the first place).

You're an outlier, but you're certainly not the typical average case - again, cars aren't being towed by the thousands when the parking ban comes into effect. I know a few friends who park "illegally" in commercial lots (shopping malls, etc) but I never saw those getting full during a parking ban.

If you want to be cheap on parking/rent, that's your prerogative (like mersar above) but then you have to deal with the lack of on-street parking during the parking bans. Everyone I know in the city who owns a car has to contend with this - either live in a place with parking, pay for parking, or do the mad car shuffle a few times during the winter.

And of course, every winter I got the panic call from a buddy who didn't realize reality, asking if he could park on my driveway that night.
I see that you were referring to Winnipeg and I to Calgary...given that I cannot speak to the housing conditions in Winnipeg

But given the choice between unplowed streets and having to constantly move my car to avoid parking restrictions I'll take the unplowed streets (BTW I have yet to push a vehicle because it got stuck relating to me or someone that I know) this includes years (18+) in a cul-de-sac that isn't plowed and my father had a rear wheel drive truck
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #824  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 5:49 AM
freeweed's Avatar
freeweed freeweed is offline
Home of Hyperchange
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dynamic City, Alberta
Posts: 17,566
Quote:
Originally Posted by Full Mountain View Post
I see that you were referring to Winnipeg and I to Calgary...given that I cannot speak to the housing conditions in Winnipeg

But given the choice between unplowed streets and having to constantly move my car to avoid parking restrictions I'll take the unplowed streets (BTW I have yet to push a vehicle because it got stuck relating to me or someone that I know) this includes years (18+) in a cul-de-sac that isn't plowed and my father had a rear wheel drive truck
I wondered (Winnipeg never has "busts"). There are some in Winnipeg who go it without a parking spot, but it's a real hassle. You get used to it, it's the price of being able to go anywhere. Take what Calgary had last week, double it, and double it some more. That's the first big snowfall in the 'peg. And it almost never melts until March.

Heh. I do hear ya. I've had to push a couple of times here but that's just because up in the deep NW, we're almost in the foothills so we get MUCH more snow than average sometimes. Most people in Calgary don't routinely have to push cars, tho.

A RWD truck is much better in deep snow than your average car, incidentally. It's all about clearance when it comes to deep snow. FWD helps get you going straight but I'll take that truck over a low car any day in the snow.

I dunno though, I must admit I'm a little surprised. On a forum where people typically bemoan the government subsidizing other people's lifestyle/transportation choices, I'm a bit shocked at how many expect the taxpayer to provide y'all with a free parking space.

Last edited by freeweed; Jan 12, 2010 at 6:10 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #825  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 4:09 PM
freeweed's Avatar
freeweed freeweed is offline
Home of Hyperchange
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dynamic City, Alberta
Posts: 17,566
Random question:

If I'm not allowed to hire someone to clear a road in front of my house as it's city property and whomever I hire would have no contract with the city... how does that relate to sidewalks?

I've always just done my own but as I get older I can see the day when I want someone to do it for me. Is this also banned? It's city property so I don't see why the rules would be any different. And I'd think anyone offering this sort of service would want to use powered machinery (a snowblower at the very least) which could easily cause damage.

Anyone ever look into this?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #826  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 4:40 PM
Mazrim's Avatar
Mazrim Mazrim is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 1,403
Quote:
Originally Posted by freeweed View Post
I wondered (Winnipeg never has "busts"). There are some in Winnipeg who go it without a parking spot, but it's a real hassle. You get used to it, it's the price of being able to go anywhere. Take what Calgary had last week, double it, and double it some more. That's the first big snowfall in the 'peg. And it almost never melts until March.
The instance I was referring to earlier in Winnipeg was the night of a 50cm dump of snow around New Years 2006 I believe. It was chaos and I was extremely impressed with the snow clearing efforts there. Sure, the bus stops were completely buried on most roads, but at least you could drive almost anywhere 12 hours after the storm. I did get stuck twice the day after on small side streets though.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #827  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 5:13 PM
greg_a greg_a is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 446
When does work start on the "all-turns" intersection at 14th and 10th? I think that's supposed to happen as part of the west line c-train project.

http://www.westlrt.ca/files/Sunalta%...%20June-09.pdf
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #828  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 7:31 PM
MichaelS's Avatar
MichaelS MichaelS is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,402
Quote:
Originally Posted by freeweed View Post
Random question:

If I'm not allowed to hire someone to clear a road in front of my house as it's city property and whomever I hire would have no contract with the city... how does that relate to sidewalks?

I've always just done my own but as I get older I can see the day when I want someone to do it for me. Is this also banned? It's city property so I don't see why the rules would be any different. And I'd think anyone offering this sort of service would want to use powered machinery (a snowblower at the very least) which could easily cause damage.

Anyone ever look into this?
See this bylaw, #67 in it specifically (page 26)
http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/...erks/20m88.pdf
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #829  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 7:42 PM
frinkprof's Avatar
frinkprof frinkprof is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: The Gary
Posts: 4,869
Nevermind.

Last edited by frinkprof; May 23, 2010 at 4:29 AM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #830  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 8:48 PM
freeweed's Avatar
freeweed freeweed is offline
Home of Hyperchange
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dynamic City, Alberta
Posts: 17,566
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelS View Post
See this bylaw, #67 in it specifically (page 26)
http://www.calgary.ca/DocGallery/BU/...erks/20m88.pdf
Awesome, thanks! Nice to have the direct page # and everything!

So here's how we solve the dilemma: take this bylaw, replace "sidewalk" with "your residential street". Wow, problem solved.

(For those too lazy to click):

Quote:
A person may, in such a way as not to cause injury or unduly interfere with any person lawfully using the Sidewalk or Pathway, use a power driven device that is sufficiently light and of such construction that it will not damage the surface of the Sidewalk or Pathway to move ice, snow, or other materials from any portion of a Sidewalk or Pathway.
I do find the adjoining grass section disturbing, however (next point in the PDF). It claims that I'm responsible for the weeds that have grown up in the grass next to my sidewalk. However, there is literally no way to get rid of them other than to re-sod the section. The developer did a piss-poor job there and weed-and-feed is now illegal here, so all I can do is mow it and hope for the best. Clover is virtually impossible to eradicate once it gets a hold in this climate. Ah well, no one's reported me to Big Brother yet.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #831  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 9:25 PM
lubicon's Avatar
lubicon lubicon is offline
Suburban dweller
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Calgary - our road planners are as bad as yours Edmonton
Posts: 5,047
Quote:
Originally Posted by freeweed View Post
Awesome, thanks! Nice to have the direct page # and everything!

So here's how we solve the dilemma: take this bylaw, replace "sidewalk" with "your residential street". Wow, problem solved.

(For those too lazy to click):



I do find the adjoining grass section disturbing, however (next point in the PDF). It claims that I'm responsible for the weeds that have grown up in the grass next to my sidewalk. However, there is literally no way to get rid of them other than to re-sod the section. The developer did a piss-poor job there and weed-and-feed is now illegal here, so all I can do is mow it and hope for the best. Clover is virtually impossible to eradicate once it gets a hold in this climate. Ah well, no one's reported me to Big Brother yet.
Really?? I thought they were still debating that bylaw. And even at that I thought it was only going to be on the sale of herbicides? Either way it doesn't matter to me. I will continue to use them on my weeds and buy from out of town suppliers if I have to.
__________________
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

Albert Einstein
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #832  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 9:35 PM
mersar's Avatar
mersar mersar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 10,083
Quote:
Originally Posted by lubicon View Post
Really?? I thought they were still debating that bylaw. And even at that I thought it was only going to be on the sale of herbicides? Either way it doesn't matter to me. I will continue to use them on my weeds and buy from out of town suppliers if I have to.
Out of province suppliers actually. The ban on the one chemical in weed and feed is a provincial ban. The city scrapped the cosmetic pesticide bylaw though which is what you were thinking of.
__________________

Live or work in the Beltline? Check out the Official Beltline web site here
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #833  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 9:37 PM
freeweed's Avatar
freeweed freeweed is offline
Home of Hyperchange
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dynamic City, Alberta
Posts: 17,566
Good to see the city and province doing such an excellent job communicating that everyone understands what's legal. I don't really know what's changed but I've never been a lawn chemicals fan myself anyway. I just parrot what I think I've heard - and had a nice gift of double concentration roundup sent to me "just in case", even though I don't think I've ever bothered with the stuff.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #834  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 9:41 PM
kw5150's Avatar
kw5150 kw5150 is offline
Here and There
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Calgary
Posts: 5,807
Quote:
Originally Posted by lubicon View Post
Really?? I thought they were still debating that bylaw. And even at that I thought it was only going to be on the sale of herbicides? Either way it doesn't matter to me. I will continue to use them on my weeds and buy from out of town suppliers if I have to.
Good for you champ...... I despise pesticides and herbicides.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #835  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 9:53 PM
kw5150's Avatar
kw5150 kw5150 is offline
Here and There
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Calgary
Posts: 5,807
Pathetic practices....

How can the city possibly force people to clear their sidewalks when the plow ice and snow all over the sidewalks along 10th street nw (and others)? It doesn't make sense.

The city also plows snow right in front of wheelchair ramps which is really disgusting. Is that how lazy and "finger pointy" and extra-costs-obsessed we have all become?

Also, how come the city is allowed to plow huge banks of snow around peoples' cars? They do not post any warning signs and then you wake up and your car is literally trapped with a wall of hard packed snow around it. This has personally never happened to me but it happens on 20th ave nw all the time. I will take a picture of the Nissan "cube" in question and post it.

In Winnipeg they warn people before they plow (went there for uni). If your car is not moved the tow it (at no expense) to the next street over.

Im sure calgary could come up with an urgent snow removal plan if they needed to. The could have enought money set aside every year to clear 2 major snow events. If it doesn't snow, tough luck for the plows!

Another disgusting fact: Some cities actually pay the plow companies for the amount of salt they put on the roads. Then the plow companies dump as much salt as possible on the roads to meet their quotas. Say goodbye to that nice paint job on your older cars!!

RANT COMPLETE.......
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #836  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 10:04 PM
mooky mooky is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 482
Quote:
Originally Posted by kw5150 View Post
Another disgusting fact: Some cities actually pay the plow companies for the amount of salt they put on the roads. Then the plow companies dump as much salt as possible on the roads to meet their quotas. Say goodbye to that nice paint job on your older cars!!

RANT COMPLETE.......
Cost plus x% .. its how the US does a lot of contracts in Iraq too; its come under scrutiny for being an easy way for contractors to pad contracts, which without oversight sure as heck can be. These types of contracts are moronic from the get-go.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #837  
Old Posted Jan 12, 2010, 10:09 PM
kw5150's Avatar
kw5150 kw5150 is offline
Here and There
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Calgary
Posts: 5,807
Quote:
Originally Posted by mooky View Post
Cost plus x% .. its how the US does a lot of contracts in Iraq too; its come under scrutiny for being an easy way for contractors to pad contracts, which without oversight sure as heck can be. These types of contracts are moronic from the get-go.
Yes, we dont want to end up with that as a contract for sure. All I know is that we seem to "get by" with have next to no plowing so 1 or 2 good street clearings would probably be just perfect.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #838  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2010, 12:21 AM
greg_a greg_a is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 446
Quote:
Originally Posted by frinkprof View Post
I'm not sure of the timeline, or even if there is a definitive one. However, it should be mentioned that this interesection and most of the improvements outlined in the document you posted are not being done as part of the West LRT project. The Sunalta ARP (and amendments) is only a project that is related to the West LRT work. That is, it is an external undertaking.
Thanks for the info.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #839  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2010, 4:40 AM
kap384's Avatar
kap384 kap384 is offline
Littering and............
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 512
WOW! 9:41 pm and there is a sanding truck on my street / cul-de-sac right now in Royal Oak! Surprising!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #840  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2010, 5:25 AM
freeweed's Avatar
freeweed freeweed is offline
Home of Hyperchange
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dynamic City, Alberta
Posts: 17,566
Quote:
Originally Posted by kap384 View Post
WOW! 9:41 pm and there is a sanding truck on my street / cul-de-sac right now in Royal Oak! Surprising!
More like perplexing. Why now of all times (middle of a chinook, no forecast snow for over a week)?
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Alberta & British Columbia > Calgary > Transportation & Infrastructure
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 2:49 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.