Calgary Roads

[ImmortalHawk]

Originally Posted by Acey

BBT/Anderson together, at Deerfoot, are double the traffic of Barlow/Peigan together at Deerfoot. If you're sending the city into chaos to rebuild that megaplex, you sure as hell aren't making it worse by putting a horrific intersection (that currently fails at Barlow/Peigan) to handle double the traffic and replace what is currently a freeflow complex.

The only thing really wrong with the megaplex is that mainline Deerfoot reduces to 2 lanes, and turning radii.

Yes, then again, you may be right. So how would you propose the changes to be made?

[CTrainDude]

I'm certainly no expert - are those extensions what they're using on the Bow Trail/Crowchild interchange Acey?

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I have no idea where he was getting that I was advocating raising taxes. If we can speed up a project and get others to help pay for it then we should definitely think about shifting money around.

Okay, so you are not advocating raising taxes but instead "shifting money around". What areas are you going to cut so that Calgary can fund improvements to a provincial road?

LOL!!!

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Okay, so you are not advocating raising taxes but instead "shifting money around". What areas are you going to cut so that Calgary can fund improvements to a provincial role?

LOL!!!

It took you five hours to come up with that insult? Read what's being said and respond to that not to what you make up so you can insult me. The money was already allocated to roads so no cutting is needed. They're actually saving money. Pay attention FFS.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by CTrainDude

I'm certainly no expert - are those extensions what they're using on the Bow Trail/Crowchild interchange Acey?

As far as I remember from looking underneath in the summer, the principle is the same as the Edmonton example but Crowchild is fully concrete in appearance rather than exposed metal.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Acey

BBT/Anderson together, at Deerfoot, are double the traffic of Barlow/Peigan together at Deerfoot. If you're sending the city into chaos to rebuild that megaplex, you sure as hell aren't making it worse by putting a horrific intersection (that currently fails at Barlow/Peigan) to handle double the traffic and replace what is currently a freeflow complex.

The only thing really wrong with the megaplex is that mainline Deerfoot reduces to 2 lanes, and turning radii.

What's your definition of failure? Barlow Peigan works fine with the current levels of traffic, if that is your bar of failure then every intersection in the city is a failure at rush hour.

While if I were to design the BBT interchange from scratch it wouldn't be the abomination they made, I agree there is no real need to change it up completely now. The primary consideration is making Deerfoot consistent and smoother, everything else is a a distant secondary objective. So widen the bridge and add basketweaves, as you say.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by ImmortalHawk

Yes, then again, you may be right. So how would you propose the changes to be made?

The one "easy" fix for NB Deerfoot at Anderson, BBT, Southland- have the traffic for Southland exit prior to Anderson, going through the old gravel quarry. That would only involve the following:
- dirt ramp and road from Deerfoot to Southland.
- Basketweave bridge for traffic from 18th street onto NB Deerfoot. (As it would move the choke point back otherwise.)

It would eliminate the at grade weaving that has to happen currently just before Southland.

[MalcolmTucker]

Given the flows, I wonder what is really realistic over and above making sure Deerfoot has 3 through lanes.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Acey

3 through lanes doesn't fix anything unless there's basketweaves both ways.

If too many people are entering onto Deerfoot, much easier just to meter the ramps?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Acey

Easier, and also many orders of magnitude less effective than building a basketweave.

Most of the other interchanges on Deerfoot are effectively metered in some way by traffic lights. What makes these ones special?

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Most of the other interchanges on Deerfoot are effectively metered in some way by traffic lights. What makes these ones special?

Way too many movements happening at the same time within a short amount of space. Some of them need to be separated for safety reasons and to help keep traffic moving.

[DoubleK]

As much as my uneducated brain thinks that metering would be helpful, I shudder at the thought of how icy they'd get in winter.

[Corndogger]

Fixing and expanding Deerfoot might be a PITA but look at what they're planning to do in Houston. A complete Deerfoot redesign and expansion would be a piece of cake. We can do this folks!

• Video Link

[suburbia]

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[milomilo]

Good thing he wasn't suggesting that then.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

Fixing and expanding Deerfoot might be a PITA but look at what they're planning to do in Houston. A complete Deerfoot redesign and expansion would be a piece of cake. We can do this folks!

Houston is the absolute worst touchstone for what we'd want Calgary to become. There is zero ability to walk around that place. Horrible urban planning and design. The only good thing going on there is the Bayou project.

Look at this screen cap from the video you posted. They are making their downtown an absolute concrete disaster, with 10 miles of toll roads!

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Acey

so at this stage there's no real point in saying "don't look at Houston". We already did and will continue to do so, among others.

Thanks. Was just responding to Corndogger's post about "look at Houston - we can do it too!" - perhaps he was just referring to the road use taxes they will be employing, which appear similar to what Jason wants to levy.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Thanks. Was just responding to Corndogger's post about "look at Houston - we can do it too!" - perhaps he was just referring to the road use taxes they will be employing, which appear similar to what Jason wants to levy.

My point was we need to start work on the project. Some people make it sound like the city would grind to a halt if we did a major overhaul and expansion of Deerfoot but I don't think that would be the case.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Thanks. Was just responding to Corndogger's post about "look at Houston - we can do it too!" - perhaps he was just referring to the road use taxes they will be employing, which appear similar to what Jason wants to levy.

Why do you deliberately misread people's posts? I'm sure he just meant that building large projects is possible, and fixing Deerfoot will be a large project, even if it does not end up making Calgary into Houston.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Why do you deliberately misread people's posts? I'm sure he just meant that building large projects is possible, and fixing Deerfoot will be a large project, even if it does not end up making Calgary into Houston.

This^.