190 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

The problem is, nobody has asked the "public." If we put this to a referendum Luton wouldn't be so smug.

Good grief.

[sebberry]

The problem is, nobody has asked the "public." If we put this to a referendum Luton wouldn't be so smug.

Good grief.

 

Don't forget the fact that the primary reason we have the transportation network we do is for the movement of goods, not to pack the minivan for a camping trip. 

 

I wonder if Luton would allow commercial bike couriers on his bike paths?

[VicHockeyFan]

The problem is, nobody has asked the "public." If we put this to a referendum Luton wouldn't be so smug.

Good grief.

Yup, this would never pass a referendum. Anyway, luckily it'll never come to pass due to the complexities we've discussed.

Bruce Carter on CFAX today had a similar viewpoint.

[aastra]

From the editorial in the TC:

 

 

This isn’t a merely matter of adding a touch of colour to drab old Douglas, it’s a major makeover. It involves rerouting or reducing huge volumes of traffic.

 

Odd wording. Obviously it would severely injure downtown if huge volumes of traffic are reduced. So we assume that they're talking about reducing motor vehicle traffic specifically, while (hopefully) dramatically increasing all other traffic.

 

 

Making the downtown more attractive will bring in more people.

 

It will bring in "huge volumes of traffic"? That has to be the goal, right?

 

Here's the thing: if Douglas is so drab and old, why not encourage some new high-quality buildings? In other words, forget about "adding a touch of colour to drab old Douglas" and just eliminate the drabness altogether. Look at what a new building like the Falls did for the south end. Look at what the Juliet did for Johnson at Blanshard. It just blows my mind that the city hasn't taken any measures to actively encourage redevelopment of the corner store or the old motel at Douglas and Caledonia. I have no doubt that a building like the Juliet or the Mondrian on those corners would have a major impact not just on perceptions but also on reality.

 

Edited by aastra, 01 May 2015 - 05:35 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

And really, the stretch from Herald to Hillside, where suddenly are all the new pedestrians going to come from.  ie. where are they literally coming from, where do they live?

 

aastra is right, find a way to add some nicer frontage to buildings, and plant extra greenery on the sidewalks.

[Nparker]

...Here's the thing: if Douglas is so drab and old, why not encourage some new high-quality buildings? ...

 

I wish Photoshop could make things a reality.

[Coreyburger]

Yup, this would never pass a referendum. Anyway, luckily it'll never come to pass due to the complexities we've discussed.

 

I definitely wouldn't assume that without polling. My gut says that such a vote (which would be dumb) would actually pass. Look at the JSB.

[Mike K.]

I suppose it would all depend on the wording. If the question was:

Are you in favour of reducing vehicle capacity on our roads, thereby increasing congestion, increasing travel times for buses, trucks and cars, and expending $X to build cycling lanes on said roads? Yes/No -- we'd see a resounding no.

But if the question was:

Are you in favour of reducing vehicle capacity on our roads in exchange for cycling infrastructure? Yes/No -- we'd see a fairly even split, perhaps even a 60/40 if not 70/30.

No different with sewage treatment. If we posed the sewage treatment question to a renter and explained to him/her that their rent will increase by $1,900 per year, or $160 per month, if they stand behind the kind of treatment the CRD wants, we'd start to see some serious questions posed by the people who are currently supporting treatment under the guise that it'll be someone else's cost (of course landlords are not able to increase the monthly rent by that much on an average apartment, but any new rentals would suddenly jump in cost).

With the JSB the City of Victoria simply threw unrealistic numbers at voters and won support by pretending the project would be fiscally managed and have no cost overruns. Nearly $40 million in excess later...

[jonny]

In socialist Victoria, the only solution to sprucing up Douglas St is the expenditure of public funds. Forget about private investment that actually spruces up the neighborhood.

[VicHockeyFan]

 (of course landlords are not able to increase the monthly rent by that much on an average apartment, but any new rentals would suddenly jump in cost).

 

The landlord can apply for an additional increase if he can show a spike in his costs.  Indeed if you run a whole building you can make a blanket application.

 

 

http://www2.gov.bc.c...C5F9C2DD45EB2C5

[amor de cosmos]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox2WJwDbuIo

found here
http://brandondonnel...ect-high-street

[Nparker]

CarFree YYJ ( to have been a success based on the crowds I saw down there earlier. It was actually a lot of fun. 

[sdwright.vic]

Yet if they did this every week it might not be such a success. Actually I saw instances of almost anger and aggression from the traffic issue just once created.

[VicHockeyFan]

Ya, it's very busy.

[Nparker]

Yet if they did this every week it might not be such a success...

Of course not. It was however, a great event that I think could be repeated at least annually and perhaps maybe more than once in the summer. I think it proved the world won't end if a few blocks of a main downtown street are closed to vehicle traffic for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. I hope the vendors who took part see at least some benefit from this event. Clearly a lot of hard work went into the organization and planning. Well done to everyone who made this happen.

[sdwright.vic]

I think it should of been Government St. though, instead of our main hiway. But agree on everything else.

Oh, and I would be able to agree to Government St. more often.

Edited by sdwright.vic, 21 June 2015 - 02:57 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

I think it should of been Government St. though, instead of our main hiway. But agree on everything else.

Oh, and I would be able to agree to Government St. more often.

 

Ya, no real extra benefit of doing it on Douglas.

[VicHockeyFan]

 

[Nparker]

Ya, no real extra benefit of doing it on Douglas.

Except of course more space than Government Street and the novelty of a normally auto-centric roadway being transformed into a festival space. The temporary grass park seemed to be a big hit. Visiting the site today changed my mind from what I had imagined it would be like when the concept was first announced and I think multiple thousands of others would agree.

[VicHockeyFan]

Now it's time to move the paint-in downtown.  Or just start another similar one.