Graham Hnatiuk, whose attempt to alert the city auditor about the planned waste of taxpayers' dollars and dangerous conditions created in South Broadway was diverted to Assiniboine bike path honcho Kevin Nixon, furthered his coverage with pictures of a tour bus coming from the legislature, that was stranded on the new extended raised curbs at Kennedy St.
Another bus got stuck last Friday; we have reported that police were never consulted about how street direction changes could affect 911 response; and seniors on Edmonton St. are trapped in their homes by the high curbs and canceled transit route.
This weekend, Cherenkov discovered that the bike path on Archibald doubled as the sidewalk for Windsor Parks' second busiest bus stop at Elizabeth going south. Not only are pedestrians being endangered by design, but so are the cyclists. The 2.4 meter path is almost bisected by a giant thick metal pole. Why, you ask?
Well, to support the red light camera that produces the fewest tickets in the fleet, as in 1 per week. Still, as revenue trumps all, cyclists will be squeezed between the pole and the fence of the St. Boniface Golf Club.
All of these examples, brought to light by the work of the alternative media, demonstrate that there are many serious implications to altering our urban terrain, including the safety of pedestrians, the disabled, seniors -- many of the 3 aforementioned are also high-rise dwellers (another endangered group), and of course now we see, of the cyclists themselves. Plus adding to air pollution, gridlock, added business costs, and the admission by Coun. Gerbasi she'd be happy to spend money next year to fix the mistakes but let's build it wrong first.
It is like the city planners, coordinators, consultants and politicians, cannot see the forest for the trees.
Speaking of trees, the residents of Berry Street have had a fire lit under them after the purple paint on their boulevard, outlining the bike paths on the Portage to Ness stretch, included a couple of trees that logically would be chopped down and paved over.
The city has issued repeated denials today from the forestry office, bike lane czar Nixon, Marr Consulting, and the project engineer, that ANY trees are going to be removed. The residents don''t buy it.
The people of Berry fought to plant trees and cared for them.
They see the paint surrounding the trees.
Grass is being paved over for a bike lane.
A bike lane that they never asked for and that has changed shape and design is being forced on them.
They do not trust the officials or Councillor Scott Fielding.
The original letter in August was vague on the fate of the trees, and showed 2 straight pathways parallel to the road.
The second letter, dated Sept. 24th, gave them 4 days notice of their street being closed and torn up for the bike lane construction, says nothing about trees being lost or not, and does not have a pretty picture of the bike lanes so clean and straight, as the revised design would have to show a curving path that goes over manholes, across car driveways and right-of-way sidewalks to the roadside, and is forced to veer a specific distance away from light standards - and at one point on the west side of Berry, curves to run right beside the sidewalk directly in front of the gate of one homeowner. No wonder no one has ever seen a rendering of the final design.
The working class and retired homeowners of Berry Street have waited in vain for sidewalks to be repaired and replaced - let alone made level.
After being embarassed after learning that the boulevard water mains would break and require the bike lane be dug up, the city hurriedly tore up the water lines, leaving behind a half-block long patchwork of mudholes and mini-swamps on both sides of the street.
The residents see busted sidewalks, mud-pitted boulevards, and trees being outlined for demolition in front of their homes --- all for an unknown number of commuter cyclists to ride through in front of their doors.
BREAKING NEWS: FP got it first: KATZ TO HALT MCDERMOT/BANNATYNE BIKEWAY DUE TO POOR CONSULTATION;
(Co-incidentally, very close to the Goldeyes ballpark. It appears his awakening was spurred by our asking the Mayor last week via email, if he knew as either Mayor or Goldeyes owner that McDermot St. was being turned into a 1-way from Rorie to Waterfront.)
