Portage and Main re-opening 2016

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I also can't think of a single intersection that is so crucial to a city's overall urban quality, pedestrian connectivity and economy.

That is the other side of the coin, to be sure. But is it really impossible to get people there without having the crosswalks? There has to be a creative way to solve this.

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by Andy6

But is it really impossible to get people there without having the crosswalks? There has to be a creative way to solve this.

Pneumatic tubes. It's the only way.

[esquire]

This is not an irreversible course of action... no one is proposing that the concourse get filled in. If traffic grinds to a halt, the barriers can always go back up.

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Horseshit.

Face it, Winnipeg has the worst transportation infrastructure for a city of its size in Canada, probably North America. Choking the only central north-south artery in the city will be bad for the economy, this was the reason for hiding the first engineering study and the reason for commissioning another study specifically to gloss over this fact.

A city's economy moves on wheels, like it or not and this will not change in the near future. This is nothing more than a move to be "stylish" and to stroke our Mayor's ego and be showy to the likes of Neshi. If only Brian knew that this moron move will serve him the same fate as his hero, as we will see next week.

I do not see a convoy of 52 foot semis backed up on Portage or Main Steet ever! That's because the portion of Winnipeg's and Manitoba's economy which relies on "wheels" is north and south of the city utilizing the perimeter.


Our economy in the future is and will continue to be intellectual. Without an urban vibrant core there will be no future for us other than suburban beige.

I'm sorry, but my experiences in great urban centers around the globe are driven by the vibrancy and creativity of the young people living there. Their life and values are not determined by the car they drive if at all and the argument of an extra three minute commute. It's such a small minded, small town view of our city's future. The suburban view of Portage and Main is unfortunately not visionary but for some reason stuck in an eights view of the world. Go back to your damp basements and watch a VHS or play Pong and leave the discussion for those wishing for a better future not faster traffic or commute times.

Let's continue to work towards a busy people filled core and creat pedestrian links across Portage and Main. Get out of your cars and stop for a real cup of coffee at the Parlours of the world. Slow down, talk or argue with the person beside you about anything instead of waiting at a TH drive through listening to CJOB.

There is a big vibrant world out there ... Just get out of your car and experience it. I'm happy to have a discussion with any naysayer no matter how beige over a coffee on Main Street. I'll buy the expresso... My treat...☕️

[Urban recluse]

Great post Lab.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Labroco

The suburban view of Portage and Main is unfortunately not visionary but for some reason stuck in an eights view of the world. Go back to your damp basements and watch a VHS or play Pong and leave the discussion for those wishing for a better future not faster traffic or commute times.

Frogger, Mario, Pacman, Dragon's Lair would be more apropos to the "eights" as you call that decade.

Pong, both arcade and the home version...is from the "sevens".

Just sayin'.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Roger Strong

Pneumatic tubes. It's the only way.

Post of the Week!

[rrskylar]

POLL RESULTS
Poll Results
CTV Winnipeg Web Poll - Oct. 13, 2017
Do you think the City of Winnipeg should take money from the road repair budget to open Portage & Main?
Yes

388 (8 %)
No

4717 (92 %)
Total number of votes: 5105

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Roger Strong

Pneumatic tubes. It's the only way.

That's what I was hoping someone would say!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

POLL RESULTS
Poll Results
CTV Winnipeg Web Poll - Oct. 13, 2017
Do you think the City of Winnipeg should take money from the road repair budget to open Portage & Main?
Yes

388 (8 %)
No

4717 (92 %)
Total number of votes: 5105

If you went by CTV surveys, 100% of the civic budget would probably be allocated to pothole repair.

[drew]

Originally Posted by esquire

If you went by CTV surveys, 100% of the civic budget would probably be allocated to pothole repair.

Well, it is representative of about 0.68% of the population - so don't be so quick to discount it (Assuming of those 0.68% of people, some didn't vote more than once...tsk tsk tsk).

[bomberjet]

A CTV poll? Who watches TV news these days, especially since it's already out of date?

[robertocarlos]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

POLL RESULTS
No

4717 (92 %)
Total number of votes: 5105

And that's why democracy doesn't work. You can't count on the rabble.

[Biff]

The basis of the study:

They studied traffic movement from Portage & Memorial to Main & Higgins (they studied all areas but this is the major one of note) - The scenarios averaged out to a one minute increase for vehicular traffic through those two points.

The dollar figure for construction to just make the barricades go away and fix any necessary infrastructure (nothing fancy) is approximately $6 million. Unfortunately buses were impacted significantly (I can't remember the numbers) but there is another $6 million budgeted for buying more buses to enhance service due to disruptions the opening will cause - bringing the opening total to $12 million.

This does not include any of the talk the mayor is speaking of in repairing any of the leaking and infrastructure issues involved with Winnipeg Square. This will also be a significant $$$ not included.

Apparently The Richardson Centre is pushing the City hard because they are really anxious to redevelop their corner of the street.

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

POLL RESULTS
Poll Results
CTV Winnipeg Web Poll - Oct. 13, 2017
Do you think the City of Winnipeg should take money from the road repair budget to open Portage & Main?
Yes

388 (8 %)
No

4717 (92 %)
Total number of votes: 5105

That's the wrong question to ask for the answer we want...

Perhaps the question should be "If the federal government were to spend 100% of the cost to open Portage and Main and related infrastructure would you support its opening? I would say 92% would say yes and 8% no....

The front page of WFP could say ..

"92% OF WINNIPEGERS SUPPORT THE OPENING OF PORTAGE AND MAIN".




Now that it's clear most naysayers are really just concerned on some micro level about a municipal expenditure rather than its benefit, I suggest we direct their interest in fiscal responsibility to the cost of snow clearing or the Waverly underpass just long enough to see the barriers removed and the noise attached to the issue disappear into the embarressment of waiting so long to do it...

Free espresso on Main Street still available...

Beige, where are you? The coffee is getting cold and I see no traffic this morning outside of Parlour. Three open parking spaces right out front!

[Ando]

Looks like CTV has published a poll update:

No: rrskyler - 5,000 (86%)
other - 357 (7%)

Yes: 427 (7%)

[tree]

LOL oh god now it will hurt the economy.

Seriously the arguments from the opposition on this are some of the funniest to almost any issue I've ever seen.

[tree]

and by the way f**king lol at people using CTV surveys to mean anything at all in any debate ever.

[tree]

Originally Posted by Labroco

Now that it's clear most naysayers are really just concerned on some micro level about a municipal expenditure rather than its benefit, I suggest we direct their interest in fiscal responsibility to the cost of snow clearing or the Waverly underpass just long enough to see the barriers removed and the noise attached to the issue disappear into the embarressment of waiting so long to do it...

Exactly. Also I had no idea we had so many bleeding hearts concerned with pedestrian safety and transit efficiency until this discussion started. A good time to promote any social programs would be now - just latch it on to opposition to portage and main and you'll have a bunch of people suddenly interested (for a week at least)

[Wpg_Guy]

If you take into account the developments already planned for the area, Arits REIT $200 Million reclad & tower, Richardson R&D centre & plaza improvements, 138 Portage Ave East redevelopment that is over ¼ billion dollars of underway and near term investment in property improvements at P&M. All the stakeholders have expressed the city’s civic infrastructure upgrades including pedestrian accessibility are essential in ensuring the greatest public and private benefit for these projects. It’s No coincidence these investments coincide with the termination of the 40 year closure agreement. Just for these three projects to proceed alone seems like a pretty decent ROI for the city’s expenditure.

I remember the days when a humphry inn on Main was the most exciting development downtown.