City council, in a split decision, decided to postpone a decision about the Molly Banister Drive extension for 12 weeks.
I sense the extension will be built, but probably in about 30 years. This issue has been around for at least 25 years, maybe 30 years.
If the need for it in planning for a livable city, when the population will be substantially higher, wasn’t there, this issue would have disappeared years ago.
But the need is there. Some at city hall would have us keep throwing money at it until a magic solution reveals itself.
32nd Street is about six lanes wide now at 40th Avenue, but the street is only metres away from housing and apartments. Will a traffic circle at 19th Street solve that?
We all know someone who thinks your issues are nothing compared to the old days or real cities. If I wanted to live in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto or Vancouver, I would.
Why not look after the residents along 32nd Street? We don’t have a giant berm between us and 32nd Street only metres away.
The city wants denser housing of 17 residential units per hectare, and with 60 hectares, that means more than 1,000 new homes. And with 2.3 residents per unit, that means 2,300 residents.
The only entry and exit will be 40th Avenue.
Westbound traffic would then use 32nd or 19th Street, like all the other current and planned neighbourhoods along 22nd Street.
Twelve weeks will go by, and city council will finally realize that the city planners were right and keep the Molly Banister extension right-of-way secure.
In 30 years, we may not need it. You never know. At least if we do, we can build it.
Garfield Marks, Red Deer