http://www.4shared.com/file/252198133/957266ae/Martin_Landy_-_Friday_March_19.html
the Winnipeg Free Press finally decided it was a story.
Well, not exactly.
The story is really about the refusal of city officials to address the questions about property losses, until pressured by the alternative media after stonewalling the affected residents for months.
On Friday March 19th we heard about how mainstream media outlets including the Free Press and CBC, had ignored the complaints of potentially displaced and threatened residents, who had asked for proper consultations and straight information from city hall.
As North Point Douglas resident Martin Landy explained, for all the coverage about the Omand's Creek bike bridge where no houses were threatened by a $1 million Active Transportation structure, standing up for poor neighborhoods that stood to lose up to 14 homes to a $53 Million bridge with a $15 million AT structure, didn't register as a concern with the MSM gatekeepers. The people were ignored.
Instead of a balanced story with the residents views included, it appears the Freep fell for the oldest trick in the bureaucrats handbook - a Friday afternoon release full of spin and damage control.
Or, it was inconvenient for Bartley Kives to do any real work so close to the weekend.
Curiously, although the FP story is based on an email sent to city councillors by CAO Glen Laubenstein, an entry with the exact same quotes was posted on the city Disraeli blog under the signature of project head Henry Hunter.
http://winnipegdisraeli.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/disraeli-bridges-project-update/
Disraeli Bridges Project – Update
By Henry Hunter - Project LeadThe City conducted a program of extensive public engagement prior to developing the design of the new Disraeli Bridges. A key element of the public consultation process entailed the creation of a Stakeholder Advisory Committee consisting of local residents, business people and neighbourhood/community groups and involved several open houses.
These public consultations made it clear that Winnipeggers wanted the Disraeli Bridges Project to accommodate motorists as well as pedestrians and cyclists, and they wanted the bridges kept open to vehicular traffic throughout construction.
The Provincial and Federal Government funding received for the project was critical in enabling Plenary Roads Winnipeg, the group the City chose to design, build and maintain the new bridges, to meet these expressed wishes of the public while keeping within budgetary constraints.
Here are some of the key aspects of the design and construction plan developed by Plenary:
• A minimum of four lanes will remain open throughout construction during all peak travel times (Monday to Friday 6 am to 6 pm.
• The bridges crossing the Red River and the CP Rail mainline will be replaced with entirely new structures.
• A separate, new Active Transportation bridge will be built utilizing the existing river bridge piers, proving cyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorized users with an easily accessible, functional and attractive cross of the Red River.
• Pedestrians and cyclists will also be able to cross the Red River on the vehicular bridge, which will feature a sidewalk and bike sharrows.
• The bridge and overpass are designed to accommodate future expansion to six lanes, should that option be pursued.
• Improved lighting, landscaping and aesthetic elements such as an under-bridge art gallery and gateway features will create a more attractive and residential feel for the adjoining neighbourhoods.
Some land needs to be acquired for the project. The details of the land acquisition plan are being finalized, and every effort is being made to minimize property disruption. In all, nine residential and 10 commercial/nonresidential properties may be affected, with most involving the acquisition of narrow strips, or slivers, of land. No more than two homes, and possibly none at all depending on final design details, will need to be acquired. The owners of all the affected properties have already been notified, and in accordance with established policy, the City is endeavouring to negotiate the purchase of any required land with the owners.
Representatives from the City and Plenary have recently met and will hold future meetings with neighbourhood groups to keep them up to date on project developments. In addition public information open houses are being scheduled for mid-April.
That same question about censorship now must also be asked by city councillors and the Mayor.
To our surprise, when our entries were finally published, critical comments left by concerned residents in the weeks before ours miraculously appeared on the city blog.
Such as:
Joanne Vanderhorst Says:
February 1, 2010 at 12:10 am |
Please provide me with a list of properties that will have to be acquired (expropriated) in order for the bridge reconstruction to occur.
P Iveniuk Says:
February 4, 2010 at 11:45 pm |
Dear Sir:
Three days have passed since I asked a couple of questions about this Disraeli project.
Let’s try again shall we?
1.Will these two new spans each have a separate bicycle lane or has the redesign eliminated them?
2. Will there be any public open house to show the final design?
3. It would boost the profile of this blog if there was a link to it on the other Disraeli Bridge Project page; that being the link in your post above.
That’s all for now.
Lori Steinthorson Says:
March 13, 2010 at 8:04 pm |
What is going to happen to the homes located on Midwinter, Talbot, and Riverton closest to the existing bridge? will they have to be demolished?
Following up on our interview with Landy, and under the impression the official Disraeli blog had not been utilized as a means of holding civic officials accountable, we sent our own questions.
marty gold Says:
March 22, 2010 at 4:29 am |
Mr. Hunter;
There is no mention in your post or in any of the city press releases about how this revised project will affect homeowners in the area.
What explanation can you provide for the fact that no open houses were conducted, which would have allowed for public input regarding these new bridge designs ?
Please post a blog detailing the form/dates of other consultations which have been conducted with residents of Elmwood and the Points regarding possible expropriations and construction-related damage to their homes (foundation and walls cracking etc.) .
Please do not include on that list the open-houses that took place prior to Premier Gary Doer offering additional funding, as his offer completely changed the timetable and designs and were rendered moot.
This example of a city infrastructure process shutting out the public is now an urgent concern — as we were told by Martin Landy (Friday March 19th) that up to 14 property owners may lose their homes now.
Can you confirm or deny that up to 14 houses may be bulldozed to make way for the new bridge on-ramps/approaches etc.?
How much money has been allocated in the budget for potential buy-outs? Any? None?
Our audience was very disturbed to learn of this lack of a proper consultation process, on the heels of seeing the Omand’s Creek Bike Bridge almost being rammed down the throats of residents of Wolseley.
Landy said that the city officials and consultants refused to discuss ANY aspect of this construction project with them, yet work is proceeding. Is that true?
Marty Gold
The Great Canadian Talk Show
92.9 Kick-FM
The Free Press story provides the first clue to the true backroom clout of the bike lobby in Winnipeg.
When the revised, provincially funded Disraeli plan was unveiled, never-answered questions were raised about why the new bridge included bike allowances and sidewalks, when a separate $15 million Active Transportation bridge, approved without a single public meeting or open house, was slated as part of the project.
Now we know why.
"The vehicle bridge will include a sidewalk and extra-wide curb lanes so pedestrians and cyclists will not have to wait for the active-transportation bridge to be completed".
In other words, let's waste some tax money because god forbid the cyclists should be inconvenienced for a year.
The FP story also stated that open houses will take place on April 13 and 14th, at Bronx Park CC and Norquay CC respectively, and that "about 17,000 information packages will be sent to homes in Elmwood and Point Douglas".
However, dissatisfaction has expressed by city councillors like Harvey Smith and Jeff Browaty in TGCTS interviews about slanted and inferior "information" and open houses relating to other projects like the Assiniboine Avenue bike boulevard/traffic diversion and Omand's Creek. The Wolseley outcry led to Coun. John Orlikow personally sending out 15,000 postcards about proposed bike paths in his ward.
The recent failures of city staff responsible for communicating with voters will bring these latest information packages under unprecedented scrutiny. If Disraeli-affected residents feel they are being bulldozed, the backlash will be felt all the way to the October civic election.
**************************
On Monday at 4.30PM, a longtime resident of Berry Street will explain the dangerous, anti-neighbourhood bike lanes being rammed thru in St. James. Coun. Scott Fielding is unavailable next week.
Also on Monday,
- Scott Taylor on the politics of the new football stadium. Premier Selinger has thrown a Hail Mary pass to David Asper;
- More on Disraeli and MSM reporting;
- a follow-up on the Hydro whistleblower and the failure of the Ombudsman's office to enforce the Act that is supposed to protect her confidentiality;
- a father tossing out a party crasher dies;
- and Frank the Italian Barber and Spirited Kenny recap Wrestlemania 26 and GSP's great victory at UFC 111.
