Quote:
Originally Posted by franktko
I agree with you that we are still making bad decisions but not the same as you. For the Turcot interchange, we have no choice; this structure is crumbling and need to be replace. It's important to maintain the existing network and this replacement will create 0% sprawl.
The problem, imo, is extending the current network. Adding capacity to the Champlain bridge (just by separating transit from vehicles will add capacity), finishing the 30, the 25 bridge and now extending the 19, all these projects will assure that we have good sprawl going on in the next 20 years, especially the north shore....
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I agree entirely. The new highway projects will all induce sprawl (and indeed, they've already started.)
Turcot needs to be replaced. It's crumbling, it's dangerous, it's putting people's lives at risk. However, I'm not sure that rebuilding a stack interchange exactly as it was for a full $3 billion is the wisest use of that money. For instance, there was a proposal that would have created a much more modest interchange with slightly less capacity for half the price. Even the roundabout proposal would have been more sense. Sure, it would have reduced capacity and performance, but if the money we would have saved would have gone to adding another 10-15 metro stations as an alternative, it would have worked beautifully. Induced demand works in reverse, and suppressing capacity causes modal changes and different land use patterns.
Anyway.. i'm off on a tangent, but yeah. I agree with you 100%.