05/16/2025
"THE PROBLEM WITH THE ROADS IN MEDICINE HAT IS THAT THEY WERE BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE VEHICLE TRAFFIC"
>>> this is a paraphrased quote from the presentation of the Municipal road plan to City Council
This is a follow up to my previous post.
Firstly, if you are unhappy with the way things are being pushed on us contact the following:
Robdum@medicinehat.ca
Cashid@medicinehat.ca
Darhir@medicinehat.ca
Allkno@medicinehat.ca
Lincla@medicinehat.ca
AndMcG@medicinehat.ca
Ramrob@medicinehat.ca
shisha@medicinehat.ca
Alivan@medicinehat.ca
I have taken the time to watch a YouTube recording of the Council meeting where the Municipal Road Plan was presented.
These are my observations and impressions. They are mine alone - contact only me to respond.
1/ The general tone was that this is a done deal and the drivers will need to suck it up. The quote above shows the attitude of the Planners
2/ Existing traffic flow must be disrupted by reducing lanes, obstructing intersections and creating bottlenecks. This should cause extensive traffic backups, long waits at multiple green lights and delays in any trip. Road rage should follow.
3/Councilor Robbins has not had any negative comments about the Division Avenue mess - she and her friends/associates are DELIGHTED with the outcome. (If you disagree, PLEASE contact her with your views) . Councilors Knodel and Van Dam seemed pleased too.
4/Alderman Dumanowski felt that narrow roads would not be a problem because we all will soon have self driving cars and we will not have to worry about it. ( I love this one - maybe the City is buying us Teslas?)
5/ Councilor Knodel has driven over one of our pretty (useless) traffic circles and will have pylons put in the middle that will prevent any large trucks, buses, motorhomes etc going over them.
6 /Darren Hirsch voiced concerns that Council had not been allowed adequate input to creating this plan and that Council was not included as a "stakeholder". This seemed to irritate the head Planner who replied in essence it is a "take it or leave it" at budget time.
7/ ****public input*** Shila Sharpe proposed a motion to allow further Public discussion about Division Avenue, Kingsway and Third Street North. This was totally trashed by Robbins, Dumanowski, Knodel and I believe Van Dam. The sheeple defeated it ***7-1***. Your responsive council at work. They do not want to hear from us and it was mentioned that the current public dissatisfaction is just noise like they got when they developed South Railway Street . Nice
8/ Further Public input was forcefully discouraged by Dumanowski, apparently on the grounds that enough is enough. The City Manager also obliquely dished it because she and her department were too busy and would need an approval for more money. Too busy and needs more money - interesting point of view from a supposed public servant.
9/ It was mentioned that local businesses were not consulted and the reply was that business concerns were represented by the Chamber of Commerce. Shila Sharpe mentioned that only 30% of local businesses belong to the Chamber. This tidbit fell flat and/or was ignored.
10/ It was mentioned that this plan was old and should be revised. Nope - full speed ahead.
11/ Councilor Hirsch mentioned that the Province has issued a new directive discouraging bike lanes, parking interference and restricting access to businesses. That there is no sense building things that will be torn out in the near future, all at public expense.
Apparently this doesn't matter and is of no concern. the vote was 7-1!!
This concept plan is being sold as safety measures. Apparently there were 4 fatal or near fatal accidents recently. Were the roads responsible or the drivers? Remember, you can't fix stupid.
The entire plan is based on a 'Zero accident" model. In my opinion the only way to do that is to bubble wrap everyone leaving home and then carry them to work. Impossible. I am all for safety but lets have some common sense.
Speaking of work, think about this: Let's choke off our wide boulevards. Let's constrict the intersections so that you cannot
make a safe turn. Let's make every vehicle - gas, electric or diesel - go in single line and bunch up at intersections. Then let's tell everyone that pays taxes that they must all go to work at the same time, summer and winter. What a cool game the City has planned for you. And you get to do it on your way home too. Winter will be great fun - lets make a safety video while we wait in line. Instead of enhanced, smooth, rapid traffic flow they are going backwards - devolving - into a problem that was solved by other cities many years ago. Medicine Hat is not downtown Calgary - this was used as a comparison in the meeting.
AND SO - what do us unwanted, annoying noise makers do to put some input and control over the City Hall rulers and staff? The tail is wagging the dog right now. The elected members have seemingly written us off. The contracted and salaried employees imply that there is no reason or consequences for ignoring the taxpaying vehicle drivers (since they are evil?). Imagine - a job with no consequences!
Well, I feel we should create some consequences. I have been contacted by an organization whose mandate is transparency and accountability for City Hall. MHURA needs help and I for one will be joining them. That stands for Medicine Hat Ratepayers Association
(403-580-8210). They have a page that explains their goal. I know some of the members and they are good people - I would recommend that you support them. ***they are planning a public form to discuss how to address the issue of messed up roads and other issues.
Here is our chance to make some noise to the councilors that actually attend. I will post the date when it is available. I hope to see you there.
Greg Bueckert,
not a politician, not a public speaker, not too loud - just a concerned citizen on a mission for the good of the public !!
This will be my last post on this page. I will soon be retired from owner and manager and will fade off into oblivion - lol
Thanks for reading my final rant!
