7993 replies to this topic

[Hotel Mike]

I have no info as to any plans for the public spaces. I just assume, naively perhaps, that there will be further public amenity plans. 

[Nparker]

Don't get me wrong, the chairs are kinda cool, but they're not likely going to entice many to spend much time in this area from November through February.

[Linear Thinker]

June 27 COTW was the last update. Schedule of items from the report below.

"The project team in currently in the process of selecting a consultant partner, to complete the detailed design and construction drawings for this park."

"Detailed design work is expected to be finished in Q4 2019. Following procurement of a contractor, construction is anticipated to start in mid-2020."

 

 

I have no info as to any plans for the public spaces. I just assume, naively perhaps, that there will be further public amenity plans. 

[DustMagnet]

Don't get me wrong, the chairs are kinda cool, but they're not likely going to entice many to spend much time in this area from November through February.

What if they put a portable skating rink in there for the winter?

[Mike K.]

A comedy of errors, or a stunt?

 

Pedestrians Urged to Follow Bridge Signals After Dangerous Situation

 

Victoria BC – People who use the Johnson Street bridge are urged to follow the warning signals after a man was located hanging onto the bridge as it was being raised.

 

On Friday, July 19th, shortly before 8:00 p.m., Patrol officers were called to the Johnson Street bridge after a man was seen on the bridge as it was being lifted for a passing barge. By the time officers attended, the bridge was fully up and the man was seen hanging onto a railing bracing himself with his legs. The bridge was lowered and police were able to take the man into custody. The man, who was intoxicated, was taken home by officers. He was not injured.

 

It was determined that the man bypassed the bridge safety systems and went onto the bridge after the lift sequence began. Officers are urging people to follow the warnings/signage at the bridge and not to attempt to cross the bridge after any yellow warning light is present.

 

Officers will not be forwarding charges in relation to this incident.

[Mike K.]

One has to wonder, how could something like this happen? Does the bridge operator not have camera feeds showing the platforms? 8PM is still light enough to easily see someone where they shouldn't be.

[Victoria Watcher]

Impaired man hangs onto Johnson Street Bridge as it's raised: police

 

https://vancouverisl...olice-1.4520051

 

 

i don't know maybe the operator should stop the bridge lift when someone goes onto it?  isn't that why there are cameras etc.?

[Cassidy]

The fact that this happened is (IMO) 100% on the guy who disobeyed all the assorted warning signs, flashing lights, and audio warnings ... and is most definitely not on the COV bridge operator.

 

BUT ... having said that, it would seem that the operation manual for the bridge should include some sort of accommodation for complete idiots who may risk their lives by entering onto the bridge after the assorted warnings have begun.

 

It would seem that the current operation makes the assumption that in a specific time period after the warnings have begun, the bridge will be devoid of traffic and pedestrians, and the bridge operator is no longer "looking out" for miscreants who may choose to disobey what any normal person would choose to obey.

[Nparker]

...it would seem that the operation manual for the bridge should include some sort of accommodation for complete idiots who may risk their lives by entering onto the bridge after the assorted warnings have begun...

I say leave it up to Darwin.

[spanky123]

More damning details from Focus. The lies keep piling up.

 

https://www.focusonv...eatest-hits-r7/

Edited by spanky123, 07 September 2019 - 08:39 AM.

[Mike K.]

At least we have fendering on the southeast side.

[spanky123]

You would think that with $105M already spent, lawsuits with each of the major participants, and millions in outstanding bills (ie fenders) our elected officlas and senior staff might be asking tough questions. The only email record produced by the Mayor (unless I missed something) is one thanking Fraser Work for his update - one which describes "a premature breakdown of the filter housing and o‐rings seals" resulting in a failure of the hydraulic system and which Focus speculates has still not been fully resolved. You might think that she would say "that sounds bad, what are we doing about this?" instead of "thanks for the update". Has Helps so fully washed her hands of the bridge mess that she wants nothing to do with it anymore?

 

0-rings, seals and filter housings just down break down and disintegrate into pieces after 15 months of operation at an average of less than 1 lift a day. As Focus rightly asks, is there a significant design flaw that is going to result in this being a recurring instance and/or will one day will we all wake up and just find that the bridge doesn't lift anymore? 

Edited by spanky123, 08 September 2019 - 02:04 PM.

[Mike K.]

Yes, you would think the mayor would be more inquisitive.

 

Or maybe the mayor understands that the operation of the bridge is now well beyond the scope of a politician and staff are better suited to assessing the situation and delivering updates to council as necessary? It's hard to say what's going on, but suffice it to say this project has been tremendously trying.

[spanky123]

^Valid point Mike. I don’t expect a Mayor to track every project after it is completed, staff can do that. What I am suggesting is that given all of the grief with the bridge and the fact that staff don’t seem to able to manage the project (ie lawsuits, warranty issues, etc) and properly communicate with council, this might be the exception where oversight is needed.

[Mike K.]

I don’t think it’s coincidental that not a single politician is associating him or herself with the project by asking questions or raising issues.

Instead we have Isitt proclaiming he’s protecting the taxpayer by trying to get Veterans Affairs to pay for a few grand of expenses to host Remembrance Day, while potentially millions are at stake down on the harbour.

[LJ]

Yes, you would think the mayor would be more inquisitive.

 

Or maybe the mayor understands that the operation of the bridge is now well beyond the scope of a politician and staff are better suited to assessing the situation and delivering updates to council as necessary? It's hard to say what's going on, but suffice it to say this project has been tremendously trying.

If she understood that she would have never gone to China to inspect the steel.

[todd]

You would think that with $105M already spent, lawsuits with each of the major participants, and millions in outstanding bills (ie fenders) our elected officlas and senior staff might be asking tough questions. The only email record produced by the Mayor (unless I missed something) is one thanking Fraser Work for his update - one which describes "a premature breakdown of the filter housing and o‐rings seals" resulting in a failure of the hydraulic system and which Focus speculates has still not been fully resolved. You might think that she would say "that sounds bad, what are we doing about this?" instead of "thanks for the update". Has Helps so fully washed her hands of the bridge mess that she wants nothing to do with it anymore?
 
0-rings, seals and filter housings just down break down and disintegrate into pieces after 15 months of operation at an average of less than 1 lift a day. As Focus rightly asks, is there a significant design flaw that is going to result in this being a recurring instance and/or will one day will we all wake up and just find that the bridge doesn't lift anymore?

They have the same problem with the london bridge:

[Mike K.]

If she understood that she would have never gone to China to inspect the steel.

Even a hotelier went to inspect the steel.

[rmpeers]

I don’t think it’s coincidental that not a single politician is associating him or herself with the project by asking questions or raising issues.

Instead we have Isitt proclaiming he’s protecting the taxpayer by trying to get Veterans Affairs to pay for a few grand of expenses to host Remembrance Day, while potentially millions are at stake down on the harbour.

I'm surprised they aren't blaming Dean Fortin for it still.

[Mike K.]

Just like with the David Foster walkway, the mayor labels the issues stemming from it as borne by past administrations. She was highly critical of the walkway plan when it became a debate issue earlier this year, and pinned the troubles on the former mayor who did not see the complexity of what he was proposing.

And she’s right, it wasn’t her plan, so defending someone else’s is not necessarily the best way forward. Instead she says the process is complicated and that the City is working on it.

The bridge, while she did not explicitly vote for it, handed her her victory by the thinnest of margins (fewer than 50 votes) back in 2014, so there is an expectation (or was) that she would carve out a different path than Fortin had been. But as we saw the issues that plagued Fortin carried over with no “ownership” from a mayor who was immediately focused on her bike lanes (building her own legacy) and not cleaning up the bridge fiasco (fixing Fortin’s legacy) which she was indirectly voted in to do.