A bridge...err tunnel to nowhere

If you've lived in Calgary for any length of time, you've probably seen public infrastructure that makes you shake your head.   Take the Deerfoot Trail, Calgary's major highway.  Drive the Deerfoot & you can't help but notice how it goes from 3 lanes down to 2 lanes then back to 3 lanes for no reason.   Or how about the C - Train?  The C Train, while crowded, is a efficient light rail transit until it reaches downtown Calgary.  Once in downtown, it runs along a road which has pedestrians & intersections where it comes in close proximity with vehicles.  The result?  There are frequent delays on the system due to switch failures, accidents, people getting hit, etc, etc, etc.  My own personal estimation is that a delay happens at LEAST several times a week (if @calgarytransit is correct). 

You are probably asking who was the genius that designed things this way?  The answer is former governments who did things on the cheap.  Those planning the Deerfoot, C Train, stop lights, etc, etc never expected Calgary to become what it is.

After Mayor Nenshi came into power, one of the first things he approved was an airport tunnel.  The tunnel was to replace a road which had existed for decades, but had to be removed to make way for a large runway.  The cost of the airport tunnel IS very high at around $300 million dollars.

The reaction to the decision was immediate & loud. And predictable.  The pocketbook citizens of Calgary IMMEDIATELY freaked out.  It was a huge waste of money. Yet, many of these same people who commented on the tunnel would then comment on the stupid planning of the Deerfoot or the C Train downtown.

The airport tunnel is NOT about right now.  The airport tunnel is about 20 years from now.  It's a decision that recognizes that Calgary will, in all likelihood, continue to grow. YYC, the airport, will continue to attract more air traffic.  That alone will necessitate TWO ways to get in and out of the airport.  The airport tunnel was a decision that was made for the future, not for today.  If you ask me, that's a first in this city.

For those of you that dislike the decision, I remind you of this.  The same pocketbook citizens wanted the Deerfoot built on the cheap.  And they didn't want to spend the $$ to bury the C Train downtown (or elevate it).  Those decisions were made at the time for "now", not for the future.  The result is clear.  They were bad decisions & the fix for both of them is going to be incredibly expensive (as in billions).  

It's about time Calgary starts planning for the future.