If you build it, they will come — and they came to the Heritage Festival in record numbers.
How they came to what may be the world’s largest celebration of cultural diversity was something else again.
Many did as the city asked and took the bus, but some buses were delayed more than an hour in long lines of vehicles stopping to let people off at the park entrance.
I thought I might enter by driving to the Valley Zoo area and parking and walking across the footbridge. When I got there it was no field of dreams, but rather a field of cars across from the already full zoo parking lot.
Others were arriving by foot with children in tow and there were lots of bicycles.
I saw no transit buses, but the new traffic circle at the zoo parking entrance may have been difficult for them anyway.
So, what will be the plan for next year — a bus lane on roads heading for the park?
Would they dare ban or divert other forms of transportation?
How do you accommodate a flood of fans?
It’s a problem any event would love to have.
Wouldn’t you like to be at the city’s next transportation brain-storming session?
Tell me your Heritage Festival transportation solution.
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations and a commentator for Global News.
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