There are few things in Calgary that are as hotly contested as the allocation of taxpayer dollars; the city’s plan to build an ‘iconic’ footbridge over the Bow River at an estimated cost of $25 million is no exception. Lately it has been nearly impossible to go an entire day without reading an inflamed letter to an editor or hearing project misreported by some radio host.
While there is no way of knowing whether or not the bridge will be embraced by the majority of Calgary’s population until it is actually in place, I think it is worth reviewing many of the arguments on both sides so, at the very least, you can decide for yourself whether you support the bridge.
Here is a look at some of the contentious points that I have come across regarding this project with some researched responses. Please leave a comment if you have something to add to the discussion:
“The money should be used to help the homeless or other social needs”
The money was given to the Transportation Department of the City of Calgary from the Province’s Municipal Sustainability Initiative. The Transportation department had to make its decision based on the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Plan (TIIP) which defines the priority and timing of major infrastructure projects. This means that while social support is easy to ask for during a recession; the money was allocated only for infrastructure spending so it would be impossible to directly help the homeless with those funds.