Ring road folly

Re: “All leadership candidates back ring road completion,” July 8.

I have heard the mantra “it needs to be completed” in reference to this ring road insanity by notables such as PC leadership candidate Jim Prentice so many times that I am now convinced people say it because somehow it gains validity with repetition. Since the opening of the eastern portion of the ring road, I have not noticed any reductions in congestion on the Deerfoot, a road that for me at least provides a general metric as to road usage in Calgary. I have seen no references to any independent studies documenting the benefits of these kinds of road projects. Mostly, it seems that the more politicians enable automobile use, the more automobiles are on the road.

On the cost side, everyone knows that you take the initial estimate and multiply it by two if you are an optimist and by four otherwise — $5 billion can become $10 billion or $20 billion in the blink of an eye. Politicians who get on this crazy horse deserve the bruises they will acquire on their backsides.

Mark Botkin, Calgary