Opposition brews to high-span bridges over parks

Some park supporters are opposed to the city's plans to eventually build bridges over Edworthy and Sandy Beach parks.

The city's long-term growth blueprint, calledPlan It Calgary,suggests corridors for transit, emergency services, walking and cycling to route traffic over the Bow River at Shaganappi Trail and the Elbow River at 50 Avenue S.W.

Dave Colquhoun, a lead transportation planner with the city, said no specific locations or designs have been chosen, but they would likely be high-span bridges over the parks.

"Analysis has demonstrated that they will be needed sometime in the next 30 to 60 years and we feel that we should be right up front in saying that to people because bridge crossings have sparked controversy in the past."

'It ruins the park'

The idea isn't popular with Fred Fenwick, the president of the Edworthy Park Heritage Society.

"It ruins the park. Transportation is an important issue for Calgary but there comes a day when the City of Calgary has to say we're not going to sacrifice any more parks," he said.

Jennifer De Cocq, who lives near Edworthy Park, said even though these bridges won't allow cars, it is a slippery slope.

"You buy a bigger purse, you put more things in it. We're going to put more structures, more roadways, we're going to have more cars. We need to look at alternatives," she said.

"They may restrict it right now but who is to say in five years, say, they don't say, well, this is working so well for transit and emergency vehicles and it's the only shortcut we can manage right now so let's open it up to the public."

De Cocq said she and other opponents to the idea will be at the public meeting on Plan It Calgaryon June 23 to make sure park bridges are erased from the plan.

Calgary is predicted to grow by 1.3 million people over the next six decades and almost all of that growth is expected to happen at the edge of the city. The Plan It Calgary proposal would see about half of that growth move to existing inner-city communities, curbing urban sprawl and the number of cars on the road.