Portage and Main re-opening 2016 - Page 28

bryanscott · #**541** Posted **May 24, 2017, 9:31 PM**

Winnipeg is so weird when it comes to attractive, continuous walkable stretches.

Throw a dart at a map of the US, and you'll more than likely land on one of thousands of towns that nobody has ever heard of. Lots of those towns have amazing (upon quick glance, anyways) downtown stretches. Sure, it might only be one or two blocks on Main Street... but there's just something missing from Winnipeg that so many other places possess.

Paterson, NJ
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.91619...2!8i6656?hl=en

Youngstown, Ohio
https://www.google.ca/maps/@41.10060...2!8i6656?hl=en

Wooster, Ohio
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.79835...2!8i6656?hl=en

Burlington, Iowa
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.80964...2!8i6656?hl=en

Devil's Lake, ND
https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.11177...2!8i6656?hl=en

Urban recluse · #**542** Posted **May 24, 2017, 9:55 PM**

So true, and Winnipeg had this:

One of the best stretches the city had was Main Street from, say, City Hall, to Graham (with the Clements Block, etc)

Smaller cities were able to retain this much easier than larger cities where progress and growth meant replacing all of that.

oftheMoon · #**543** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryanscott

Winnipeg is so weird when it comes to attractive, continuous walkable stretches.

Throw a dart at a map of the US, and you'll more than likely land on one of thousands of towns that nobody has ever heard of. Lots of those towns have amazing (upon quick glance, anyways) downtown stretches. Sure, it might only be one or two blocks on Main Street... but there's just something missing from Winnipeg that so many other places possess.

Paterson, NJ
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.91619...2!8i6656?hl=en

Youngstown, Ohio
https://www.google.ca/maps/@41.10060...2!8i6656?hl=en

Wooster, Ohio
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.79835...2!8i6656?hl=en

Burlington, Iowa
https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.80964...2!8i6656?hl=en

Devil's Lake, ND
https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.11177...2!8i6656?hl=en

Angle parking...

And painting thick lines at ped crossings is a simple way to feel more pedestrian focused. I've never understood why the city can't do something as simple as that.

Urban recluse · #**544** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:32 AM**

Agreed.

jmt18325 · #**545** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:34 AM**

Sorry, it angle parking is small town.

oftheMoon · #**546** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:35 AM**

^^can you imagine how cool P&M would feel opened to pedestrians with bold white markings at ped crossings?! Instant change to the intersection. Simple.

oftheMoon · #**547** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Sorry, it angle parking is small town.

Would totally work in the Exchange along King or Princess. Parking on one side only. Traffic calming, pedestrian friendly. Or save it for Albert or Arthur or hek close those down for pedestrians only for that matter.

Urban recluse · #**548** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Would totally work in the Exchange along King or Princess. Parking on one side only. Traffic calming, pedestrian friendly. Or save it for Albert or Arthur or hek close those down for pedestrians only for that matter.

Exactly!

Urban recluse · #**549** Posted **May 25, 2017, 4:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

^^can you imagine how cool P&M would feel opened to pedestrians with bold white markings at ped crossings?! Instant change to the intersection. Simple.

Oh, you must mean like what is done in so many other cities. I also want to see infrastructure maintained, no more war-torn crumbling streets, sidewalks and curbs.

buzzg · #**550** Posted **May 25, 2017, 2:22 PM**

The city definitely needs to change it's standards for ped crossings. A majority of them, the "stop line" for cars is like a foot behind the pedestrian line, it's ridiculous - and people rarely actually stop behind them, unless it's in the 2 months May-June where the shitty paint we use is still visible.

The city should also be leaving 5 foot gaps, painted green, between stop lines and ped crossings on any street with a bike lane, as is done in many cities. This allows bikes to safely cross over the street to make left turns, or queue up in front of traffic to be highly visible.

While it's great the city has been and is installing lots of bike lanes, they've almost completely forgot to figure out how to hand intersections. On Sherbrook or Maryland for example, how are you supposed to make a left turn?

biguc · #**551** Posted **May 25, 2017, 10:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Would totally work in the Exchange along King or Princess. Parking on one side only. Traffic calming, pedestrian friendly. Or save it for Albert or Arthur or hek close those down for pedestrians only for that matter.

I agree with jmt that angle parking is too small town, but Berlin has perpendicular parking on many of its side streets, which works pretty much the same, but is better for 2 way traffic and doesn't look like it's so you can pull your daddy's truck up to the door of Chicken Chef.

I agree that this treatment would suit Albert and Arthur, as well as Market and James. As for closing more lanes to traffic: Yes. Every time there's road construction, take note of how much road capacity we actually use--that's how much we should have. Right now, Lily is closed, and does anyone on earth miss it? That's a good indication that it's surplus.

TimeFadesAway · #**552** Posted **May 26, 2017, 1:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by biguc

I agree with jmt that angle parking is too small town, but Berlin has perpendicular parking on many of its side streets, which works pretty much the same, but is better for 2 way traffic and doesn't look like it's so you can pull your daddy's truck up to the door of Chicken Chef.

I agree that this treatment would suit Albert and Arthur, as well as Market and James. As for closing more lanes to traffic: Yes. Every time there's road construction, take note of how much road capacity we actually use--that's how much we should have. Right now, Lily is closed, and does anyone on earth miss it? That's a good indication that it's surplus.

I'm not quite sure why they didn't go the angle parking route with the redevelopment of Lily. It would provide more free parking, which the suburban cheapskates are desperate for, and slow down traffic on a too-wide street that coal rollers fly down.

EndoftheBeginning · #**553** Posted **May 26, 2017, 2:08 PM**

There is a study going on right now looking at whether to bring angled parking to the Exchange. I'll try and find the link.

Edit: It was noted in the May 2 minutes for Public Works committee: http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/View...onId=&InitUrl=

The report due date was extended to end of June. Looking at angled parking at "strategic locations" in the Exchange.

Urban recluse · #**554** Posted **May 26, 2017, 3:28 PM**

It would totally work in the Exchange.

DowntownBooster · #**555** Posted **May 26, 2017, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

So true, and Winnipeg had this:

I'm always amazed at how vibrant our downtown looked back in the day. People appeared to have a purpose and it seemed like Winnipeg was actually a bigger city than it is now. It would be great to have that kind of foot traffic down Portage Avenue today but I know those days are long gone unfortunately.

WildCake · #**556** Posted **Jul 1, 2017, 6:23 PM**

Cool, portage and main completely shut down to traffic for the maple leaf thing and the city hasn't descended into complete chaos! What a surprise...

opening it up to regular pedestrian traffic will not lead to hours of gridlock as everyone seems to be saying

Riverman · #**557** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 12:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildCake

Cool, portage and main completely shut down to traffic for the maple leaf thing and the city hasn't descended into complete chaos! What a surprise...

opening it up to regular pedestrian traffic will not lead to hours of gridlock as everyone seems to be saying

Almost everybody is not working today.

The City has a report that says there will be traffic chaos but they won't let anyone see it. Transit has studied it and has stated publicly that it will have a significant effect on transit.

rrskylar · #**558** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 4:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildCake

Cool, portage and main completely shut down to traffic for the maple leaf thing and the city hasn't descended into complete chaos! What a surprise...

opening it up to regular pedestrian traffic will not lead to hours of gridlock as everyone seems to be saying

Brilliant Einstein, holiday Saturday with everything closed and next to no traffic...nice try though!

trueviking · #**559** Posted **Jul 2, 2017, 7:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverman

The City has a report that says there will be traffic chaos but they won't let anyone see it.

That's not what is says at all actually.

Transit's ridiculous statement was not a result of them seeing the report. It was baseless grandstanding to further their single focused agenda.

Pedestrians have concluded it will save them about three minutes crossing every time. Why does that not matter? Why does only your car matter?

Urban recluse · #**560** Posted **Jul 3, 2017, 12:27 AM**

Vehicles cannot come first anymore.