Springs and Glen Crescents

After being away at the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association annual conference in Edmonton, I was back pounding the pavement on Monday evening.  Here's what I heard at the doors:

What do people in last night's group like?  A few households like the look and feel of the new Banff Avenue, and they like what they've seen of the new wayfinding plan.

Individual households also mentioned being happy about:

• the town's emphasis on reaching out to regional tourists
• the success that town staff are having in accessing grants and funding from other levels of government
• the trail system
• the library
• the extra housing now available at the YWCA
• having more special events -- especially liked the Bike Fest
• the lighted crosswalk at Fox
• the new town buses

Individual households had the following concerns, ideas and issues:

• a request to not go to a full pedestrian mall on Banff Avenue
• a hope that we will look at alternatives to sand and gravel for winter roads, coupled with a concern that continued use of sand and gravel will abrade the new textured concrete surfaces on Banff Avenue
• a concern about the effects on individual businesses of blocking patches of sidewalk, e.g. the effect of closing the east sidewalk on the bridge to do the repairs at one end.
• a hope to see more happening on the new Rec Centre
• a concern about the speed of taxis on Kootenay between Lougheed and Springs
• a request to revisit the timing of traffic lights on Banff Avenue, especially at the admin end of the bridge
• a concern about the intersection of Glen Avenue with the road down to Bow Falls:  lost drivers, U-turns, etc, and a suggestion that we put a planter in the intersection during the summer that could support stop sign/directional signage
• a concern about speeding motorists on Glen Avenue
• a suggestion that we bring back taxi stands on Banff Avenue
• a request for an update on what's happening with the pedestrian bridge
• a request for more parking downtown
• a concern about Banff Live, coupled with a request to aim special events at the fall and spring
• a request to be financially prudent, and pay as we go.