[Johnson Street Bridge REPLACEMENT] General, technical, design and naming discussion
#5781
Posted 13 January 2018 - 09:50 AM
- VicHockeyFan, Bingo, Greg and 4 others like this
#5782
Posted 13 January 2018 - 10:33 AM
I really don't think advertising is influencing the TC's bridge coverage.
Veteran reporter Bill Cleverley is the paper's main bridge reporter and based on a brief conversation with him many years ago is in general a bridge supporter and simply isn't terribly interested in the problems Broadland obsesses over.
Perhaps Cleverley does think there's a story there but feels Broadland has already covered that ground extensively, I don't know. Regardless, the TC, as paper of record, is missing an important opportunity to objectively investigate this issue further.
To give Bill and the TC credit on this bellweather issue, I've written about it all of 3 times in the last year. I'm pretty sure Bill has beaten that record by a long shot.
One type of reaction to my stories that I have never really understood is the idea that it has been too much coverage (obsessive, Rob says). Following the story year after year has given Victoria electors a glimpse on how their civic government works, especially their performance regarding the level of transparency and accountability that they think is acceptable (F-).
I've noticed that the one part of the community that has reacted the most negatively to my following the story over the years is the cycling community, who for some reason see this project as absolutely essential to their interests and so any criticism of the City's lack of transparency and accountability has been regarded as an attack on cyclists. See Coreyburger.
Most other people in the community---other than City staff and some elected officials---have been highly supportive. But providing deeply-researched reporting is very expensive and we wouldn't have done it if we had actually had to pay someone to put in the time. The TC is expected to cover a lot of issues and has done as good a job as you could really expect them to.
Also, if the City was paying Focus $78,000 per year we would be looking really hard at Nanaimo City Hall for all of our lessons in transparency and accountability, not Victoria. Get real; publishers don't bite the hand that feeds them. That said, we won't accept any money from the City of Victoria or the CRD.
David Broadland
- Nparker, jonny and A Girl is No one like this
#5783
Posted 13 January 2018 - 10:48 AM
We’ve seen what happens at the TC when advertisers complain. Which is understandable, but we also shouldn’t be holding up the TC as a righteous purveyor of news. It’s impossible to be such a thing unless you’re 100% self-financed and don’t mind burning bridges.
- A Girl is No one likes this
Know it all.
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#5784
Posted 13 January 2018 - 11:24 AM
I've noticed that the one part of the community that has reacted the most negatively to my following the story over the years is the cycling community, who for some reason see this project as absolutely essential to their interests and so any criticism of the City's lack of transparency and accountability has been regarded as an attack on cyclists. See Coreyburger.
Given you called me out directly, I'll respond. I don't know enough about bridge engineering to comment on it. I can comment on the bridge being "absolutely essential to their (cyclists) interests)". It is, full stop. The current JSB is a terrible bridge for biking on and a major barrier to connected the regional trail network to downtown. Not only do you have to share the lane if heading into town, the deck itself is not at all pleasant to ride on.
The new bridge will be significantly better for those biking. The nearly all-ages and abilities trail connection on the north side combined with the downtown AAA bike network is a game changer in terms of bike mobility.
- shoeflack and 57WestHills like this
#5785
Posted 13 January 2018 - 11:32 AM
One type of reaction to my stories that I have never really understood is the idea that it has been too much coverage (obsessive, Rob says).
Ha, I mean obsessive in a good way. I mean, I wouldn't expect Gregor Craigie or Skye Ryan to count the number of bolts in that repair plate.
That said, we won't accept any money from the City of Victoria or the CRD.
David Broadland
Do you not trust that Focus could maintain and defend a firewall between the editorial and advertising departments?
#5786
Posted 13 January 2018 - 11:36 AM
It’s a zombie paper regurgitating press releases from the city and VREB.... Now more than ever there needs to be some actual journalism to stay alive in this space otherwise cat GIFs will win.... This Bridge is a huge story. We as Victorians voted (kinda) to spend about half of the $120,000,000 (so far) to go it all by ourselves and build this important bridge for the entire CRD. It’s been railroaded, bait and switched, delayed, redesigned, is massively over budget and now is showing signs of being repaired (in a half hazard fashion) even before its erected! What is more news worthy than this???? Oh ya, house prices went up again....
This post should be pinned. Well done.
#5787
Posted 13 January 2018 - 12:04 PM
One of the reasons I supported a new bridge vs refurbish was that it absolutely sucked to bike across. It also wasn’t so nice to walk across either. It also visually cut off VW from the rest of the city. All good reasons to build a new bridge. BUT.... we did not need to invent a new type of bascule bridge! It’s also no excuse now that we embarked on the best bridge ever project to not deliver. Harsh scrutiny should be expected. Even more now that our bridge that WE are paying for is showing signs of failure already. The patch is a fitting juxtaposition to the precision exposed gear mechanism machined to iPhone tolerances....Given you called me out directly, I'll respond. I don't know enough about bridge engineering to comment on it. I can comment on the bridge being "absolutely essential to their (cyclists) interests)". It is, full stop. The current JSB is a terrible bridge for biking on and a major barrier to connected the regional trail network to downtown. Not only do you have to share the lane if heading into town, the deck itself is not at all pleasant to ride on.
The new bridge will be significantly better for those biking. The nearly all-ages and abilities trail connection on the north side combined with the downtown AAA bike network is a game changer in terms of bike mobility.
- Mike K. and Daveyboy like this
#5788
Posted 13 January 2018 - 12:30 PM
...It’s also no excuse now that we embarked on the best bridge ever project to not deliver. Harsh scrutiny should be expected. Even more now that our bridge that WE are paying for is showing signs of failure already....
This.
#5789
Posted 13 January 2018 - 05:03 PM
Ha, I mean obsessive in a good way. I mean, I wouldn't expect Gregor Craigie or Skye Ryan to count the number of bolts in that repair plate.
Do you not trust that Focus could maintain and defend a firewall between the editorial and advertising departments?
Got it. Truth is, though, it's much easier to state things exactly as they are (178 bolts). It's far harder to be totally wrong on the facts but hit popular sentiment dead centre. Some people are really good at that, though. The best line I've seen about the bolt-on plates issue was the Facebook post by Joshua Burke. He posted it after the Huggett-Helps- Jenkins statement that the plates weren't there because of a design flaw, but because of a "fabrication challenge."
Burke wrote: "Not a fabrication issue... It’s a commemoration plaque in Chinese Braille that reads: “Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha”
Re advertsing/editorial firewall: it's imaginary.
Edit: David Broadland
Edited by sam, 13 January 2018 - 05:10 PM.
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#5790
Posted 13 January 2018 - 06:17 PM
#5791
Posted 13 January 2018 - 07:05 PM
This post should be pinned. Well done.
Except for the half hazard which should be haphazard.
- shoeflack likes this
#5792
Posted 14 January 2018 - 10:08 AM
Nah, that’s a hybrid of half baked and haphazard....Except for the half hazard which should be haphazard.
- Nparker and nerka like this
#5793
Posted 15 January 2018 - 01:25 PM
Repairs to a bridge in northwestern Ontario will take nearly three years and delays have pushed the total cost well over the initial $8 million to $12 million estimate, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press.
But the Ontario government is refusing to say just how much over, and whether taxpayers will have to foot the bill for fixes to the Nipigon Bridge.
"Since the malfunction in January 2016 our top priority has been to ensure the public is aware of the status of the project and the cause of the malfunction," Celso Pereira, the transportation minister's spokesman, said in a statement.
"With that said, negotiations with the contractor regarding these costs are currently underway. As such, the ministry is not able to release them as it could jeopardize the status of these negotiations."
http://www.cbc.ca/ne...tario-1.4486955
Edited by VicHockeyFan, 15 January 2018 - 01:25 PM.
#5794
Posted 15 January 2018 - 02:14 PM
"With that said, negotiations with the contractor regarding these costs are currently underway. As such, the ministry is not able to release them as it could jeopardize the status of these negotiations."
How convenient! Our excuse is it could jeopardize the status of the fall election.
#5795
Posted 18 January 2018 - 08:43 AM
Hello...Hello...anybody over at City Hall have anything to report after two weeks of no news about the bridge.
- A Girl is No one likes this
#5797
Posted 18 January 2018 - 10:23 AM
^ Deck span for new Johnson Street Bridge will be installed Jan. 27 & 28, the City of Victoria says. Installation will close existing bridge for hours.
#5798
Posted 18 January 2018 - 10:41 AM
And if you think about it, unless they rotate the rings and attach the deck span in the vertical position, the new bridge is going to have to work and be raised from the horizontal position from the get-go - if for no other reason than to allow the Dynamic Beast to leave, depending on its location. Now it's possible the DB will be positioned to the south so it can make a quick get-away without the bridge actually working, but I'd say they won't let it leave until they've test raised and lowered the bridge a few times. Fingers crossed, and ya, I'll be taking pictures.
Edited by Gary H, 18 January 2018 - 10:47 AM.
- Mike K., Bingo and Hotel Mike like this
#5799
Posted 18 January 2018 - 04:29 PM
City announcement: http://www.victoria....uary-27-28.html
Friday, January 26: Dynamic Beast arrives and moves girders that will become part of the road deck
Saturday, January 27: old JSB raised and Dynamic Beast positioned in marine channel
Sunday, January 28: Dynamic Beast lifts new span into place (and sails away when done)
January 29-February 4: crews attach new span to rings, and conduct first test lift of the new bridge
No traffic across the old bridge on the weekend of January 27-28. Schedule may change if there is too much wind.
Edited by Jacques Cadé, 18 January 2018 - 04:31 PM.
#5800
Posted 18 January 2018 - 05:51 PM
Ah-ha !
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