From: Kim the Traffic Reporter
Hi Marty,
I did a bit of a walk around part of the downtown area today (Labour Day holiday) to see if the paystations were active or not.
I checked Kennedy, Edmonton, Carlton, Hargrave, Donald, Smith, St. Mary, York, Vaughan, Broadway, Portage, Garry, Fort, Assiniboine, Notre Dame, Navy Way and Adelaide. I began the checks on Notre Dame and worked my way South from that point eventually ending up in the Assiniboine area.
The checks of the meters were random and scattered to get a sampling of what was going on in the area.
In total I checked 85 meters,:
49 no charge
28% - (24) illegally accepted payment (of which I have 11 receipts)
14% - (12) out of order
42% of pay stations checked FAIL
I took note that on Edmonton between Assiniboine and Broadway, all of the meters were "no charge" parking. Some of the streets such as Carlton had one paystation that accepted payment whereas the next one did not. I found the same situation on Notre Dame, Kennedy (east side between Broadway & Assiniboine), Fort, Assiniboine, Garry and Smith.
I also noted some of signage around Assiniboine, for example, one backlane next to 303 Assiniboine has a forced right turn sign that says "temporary". Directly in front of that sign is a one-way arrow sign going west towards Edmonton St., those same forced right temporary signs are also located with the one-way arrow are also located at other north/south thru lanes. We know the changes are in fact permanent.
I watched one person turn onto Hargrave, this person ended up in the wrong travel lane, had there been another vehicle there would have been a problem. Also I noticed that the temporary no-stopping signs on Hargrave have now been extended to include the area directly in front of Hargrave Place thereby allowing larger vehicles to safely make the southbound turn onto Hargrave.
On Edmonton St. people are still parking in the temporary no-stopping zone. I think the City will have no choice but to turn it into a permanent no stop as vehicles turning from both east and west bound Assiniboine fight for space.
Which brings up another safety concern, how is that intersection going to be signed? The stop signs which had been in place last week are gone, I watched numerous close calls as people tried to get onto Edmonton and nobody figured out who was supposed to go first. I don't even want to think about what is going to happen on Tuesday with no stop signs and rush hour traffic in full effect. It could be a blood bath (so to speak). I foresee many fender benders at that corner (my crystal ball does work sporadically) especially come winter when its icy out.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Assiniboine Ave. Chaos Day 3: Wrong way drivers, pedestrians can't cross streets, what if apartment dwellers are moving out?
From: Kim the Traffic reporter
Hi Marty,
On my way to Assiniboine Ave for rush hour on Wednesday I took a look at the signage on both the north and south side of Broadway to see if notice had been given about the changes on Assiniboine. I could not locate one sign that informed motorists there would be no thru traffic to Main St. on Assiniboine. No notice that drivers will be forced to return to Broadway via Edmonton. I checked both Kennedy and Carlton. I don't recall seeing any signs southbound on Hargrave either.
As I stood on Assiniboine watching traffic head up Edmonton during rush hour traffic, I saw the frustration of drivers as they realized they would be stuck in traffic only to have to go back where they'd come from, Broadway. Some drivers ended up going the wrong way down the travel lane on Assiniboine, had another vehicle come along and an accident happened, traffic coming off Carlton would have been tied up for a significant amount of time.
One driver who was last in line on Edmonton turned his vehicle around bypassed the barricade to head east up Assiniboine to go up the through alley to Broadway. Another vehicle had turned on Assiniboine, which meant the first car had to hold up traffic to get turned around heading right back up Edmonton.
I noticed the #43 bus which had turned off Carlton, had to stop, a supervisor got out of the bus and moved the barricades in order for the bus to make the turn onto Edmonton. If those barricades had not been moved the bus would scraped them right into the holes which have been dug for the bump outs.
Another problem on Edmonton is people trying to park, further delays are being caused by people parallel parking which causes the line of traffic to halt until it is safe to proceed.
I've noted a few more problem areas to add to the list.
- When construction is completed, the north side of Assiniboine from the Midtown bridge to Kennedy will have parking. The problem is, vehicles coming off the through lanes from Broadway southbound to Assiniboine will have to edge past parked cars in order to see if there is oncoming traffic which could potentially cause an accident.
- Even with traffic as heavy as it has been on Edmonton, people are still stopping in the no parking/stopping zones on the east side of the street. This is also causing traffic to back up as other vehicles are forced to go around the parked car.
- One gentleman told me he had to pick up his child and there was not only no parking available, but that because of the traffic he couldn't even get to over to the west side even if there were a parking spot.
- How are people on the south side of Assiniboine, where the bike lane is going to be located, going to move? I've seen the parking lots, if one is available to the apartment building, they are tiny lots. It would be incredibly difficult to fit a large moving truck into those tight spots.
- On the south side of Assiniboine at Hargrave there is an apartment building, prior to construction there was a long no stopping section because the area was a three way stop to allow traffic to turn onto Hargrave. Large moving vehicles always parked at that stop sign because there was nowhere else for them to go, the lot was small and difficult for the truck to access. For the building that don't have parking lots, how are those people supposed to move into or out of the building? Not to mention in order to access those lots, the vehicles are going to have to cross the bike lane which could further tie up traffic while waiting for a clear moment to cross the bike path into the lot.
- Right now it is almost impossible for pedestrians to cross Assiniboine at Edmonton not only because of the construction, but also because of all the vehicles being forced to make that turn. Carlton faces a similar problem, turning vehicles along with through west bound traffic from Main St. Crossing east and west is as difficult trying to get around the turning cars and not everyone has been willing to stop.
- As I was handing out some flyers today, one young fellow said that he didn't need it, things would be better when the construction was completed and the bike lane was in place. The problem with that thought is, people will still have to follow the same pattern they are now. Things won't get any better. There will always be congestion in that area because of the Legislature. If an event is going on, it will be worse.
- I checked the Active Transportation website, interesting to note that the site has now been restored to what it had been. Included in this restoration is a copy of the current plans for Assiniboine. Problem is, at first glance the map is confusing because of the red arrows. I didn't see any notice that the red arrows indicated the new measures being taken. So traffic coming off Navy Way will be able to turn eastbound on Assiniboine to Main.
- When I've spoken with some of the residents of the area, many thought the map was a plan of the bike path, they didn't realize those arrows were meant for vehicle traffic. I picked up and dusted off a lot of jaws from the ground.
Even after construction this area will continue to see heavy congestion not only at rush hour but also throughout the day. I fail to see how traffic has been calmed in anyway, instead it appears to have been made worse. I'm not an engineer but even I figured that one out. One woman summed it up perfectly when after seeing the traffic jam in front her by saying "oh crap (note her word was a little more organic)".
Hi Marty,
On my way to Assiniboine Ave for rush hour on Wednesday I took a look at the signage on both the north and south side of Broadway to see if notice had been given about the changes on Assiniboine. I could not locate one sign that informed motorists there would be no thru traffic to Main St. on Assiniboine. No notice that drivers will be forced to return to Broadway via Edmonton. I checked both Kennedy and Carlton. I don't recall seeing any signs southbound on Hargrave either.
As I stood on Assiniboine watching traffic head up Edmonton during rush hour traffic, I saw the frustration of drivers as they realized they would be stuck in traffic only to have to go back where they'd come from, Broadway. Some drivers ended up going the wrong way down the travel lane on Assiniboine, had another vehicle come along and an accident happened, traffic coming off Carlton would have been tied up for a significant amount of time.
One driver who was last in line on Edmonton turned his vehicle around bypassed the barricade to head east up Assiniboine to go up the through alley to Broadway. Another vehicle had turned on Assiniboine, which meant the first car had to hold up traffic to get turned around heading right back up Edmonton.
I noticed the #43 bus which had turned off Carlton, had to stop, a supervisor got out of the bus and moved the barricades in order for the bus to make the turn onto Edmonton. If those barricades had not been moved the bus would scraped them right into the holes which have been dug for the bump outs.
Another problem on Edmonton is people trying to park, further delays are being caused by people parallel parking which causes the line of traffic to halt until it is safe to proceed.
I've noted a few more problem areas to add to the list.
- When construction is completed, the north side of Assiniboine from the Midtown bridge to Kennedy will have parking. The problem is, vehicles coming off the through lanes from Broadway southbound to Assiniboine will have to edge past parked cars in order to see if there is oncoming traffic which could potentially cause an accident.
- Even with traffic as heavy as it has been on Edmonton, people are still stopping in the no parking/stopping zones on the east side of the street. This is also causing traffic to back up as other vehicles are forced to go around the parked car.
- One gentleman told me he had to pick up his child and there was not only no parking available, but that because of the traffic he couldn't even get to over to the west side even if there were a parking spot.
- How are people on the south side of Assiniboine, where the bike lane is going to be located, going to move? I've seen the parking lots, if one is available to the apartment building, they are tiny lots. It would be incredibly difficult to fit a large moving truck into those tight spots.
- On the south side of Assiniboine at Hargrave there is an apartment building, prior to construction there was a long no stopping section because the area was a three way stop to allow traffic to turn onto Hargrave. Large moving vehicles always parked at that stop sign because there was nowhere else for them to go, the lot was small and difficult for the truck to access. For the building that don't have parking lots, how are those people supposed to move into or out of the building? Not to mention in order to access those lots, the vehicles are going to have to cross the bike lane which could further tie up traffic while waiting for a clear moment to cross the bike path into the lot.
- Right now it is almost impossible for pedestrians to cross Assiniboine at Edmonton not only because of the construction, but also because of all the vehicles being forced to make that turn. Carlton faces a similar problem, turning vehicles along with through west bound traffic from Main St. Crossing east and west is as difficult trying to get around the turning cars and not everyone has been willing to stop.
- As I was handing out some flyers today, one young fellow said that he didn't need it, things would be better when the construction was completed and the bike lane was in place. The problem with that thought is, people will still have to follow the same pattern they are now. Things won't get any better. There will always be congestion in that area because of the Legislature. If an event is going on, it will be worse.
- I checked the Active Transportation website, interesting to note that the site has now been restored to what it had been. Included in this restoration is a copy of the current plans for Assiniboine. Problem is, at first glance the map is confusing because of the red arrows. I didn't see any notice that the red arrows indicated the new measures being taken. So traffic coming off Navy Way will be able to turn eastbound on Assiniboine to Main.
- When I've spoken with some of the residents of the area, many thought the map was a plan of the bike path, they didn't realize those arrows were meant for vehicle traffic. I picked up and dusted off a lot of jaws from the ground.
Even after construction this area will continue to see heavy congestion not only at rush hour but also throughout the day. I fail to see how traffic has been calmed in anyway, instead it appears to have been made worse. I'm not an engineer but even I figured that one out. One woman summed it up perfectly when after seeing the traffic jam in front her by saying "oh crap (note her word was a little more organic)".
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Gridlock, near accidents, road rage new standard for Assiniboine; city provides outdated map as "helpful information"
from: Kim the Traffic Reporter
Hi Marty,
Over the last two days of watching three rush hours, I've seen traffic back up in ways this City is certainly not used to seeing outside of special events such as Canada Day. I have seen frustration, irritation and anger not only from the residents but also from the motorists and -- believe it or not -- heads shaking from the cyclists.
I have also seen quite a few near collisions because people are becoming frustrated with the wait which is sending the more impatient people heading the wrong way up one ways or backing up to get to a back alley.
On Monday morning I noted many surprised and very upset faces as people were on their morning commute. Residents in the area did say they get quite a bit of traffic down Edmonton, however, they weren't expecting the traffic they had coming up the street, which was nothing compared to what came at them Monday afternoon.
The Monday afternoon rush hour I'm still not sure what word would most effectively describe what happened. Nightmare is too mild a word to use, cluster you- know-what doesn't even give full credit to what was seen on Assiniboine and Edmonton.
Traffic was backed up along Kennedy and at times was backed up for those coming off the Osborne bridge. What is worse there was an event taking place at the Legislature which meant lots of extra vehicles had no option but to come down Kennedy and back up Edmonton to Broadway.
On Tuesday afternoon, one person on Assiniboine between Carlton and Edmonton backed his car up so he could turn into the back lane. I also noted people head the wrong way along the travel lane between Kennedy/Edmonton, then head the wrong way up a one way back lane. Another lady attempted the same thing, on-coming traffic prevented her from doing so. One person even drove up behind the Legislature towards Osborne the wrong way.
As I was handing out flyers to the motorists, I informed one lady that this was a permanent fixture for this area, even in the winter when most cyclists put their bikes away until the spring. Her jow dropped. She asked me if this was for real, sadly I had to say that it was.
At Edmonton vehicles MUST turn which means traffic from Kennedy and Carlton are fighting to make that turn. I've seen many vehicles almost run into each other making those turns as it would seem nobody understands who gets to go first, frustration is not making the situation any better.
I watched one bike rider a little ways up Edmonton come down off the curb right in front of a car that had just turned onto Edmonton, expecting the car would stop for him. This man who was riding the bike didn't even bother to get out of the way of the vehicle, it was his right to put his bike in front of that car without caring what happened. If the vehicle had hit the cyclist, who would have been the one to pay the price? The cyclist? Not likely.
Because of traffic issues, cyclists have no choice but to use the sidewalks on Assiniboine, many of the cyclists are courteous with the pedestrians, however, there are some who think that the sidewalk is a speed zone. Some are travelling far to fast for the congestion in the area, someone is going to get hurt. I would like to hand out kudos to several cyclists who either called out or rang a bell to let pedestrians know there was a bike coming their way. Thank you to those that did, it was greatly appreciated.
Having said that, I noted two cyclists come down Assiniboine towards Edmonton from Kennedy area, these two were riding side by side chatting, they turned onto Edmonton, took over an entire lane of traffic while they chatted beside each other. Guess rules didn't apply to them.
There are many issues with the change that has happened. The temporary no stopping zones are going to HAVE to be enforced, if they are not accidents will happen as people plow into the back end of parked cars. However, the Parking Authority has not yet issued any specific directive regarding these issues and many of the enforcement staff will not enforce at these areas because they have been chastised in the past for doing so.
I am expecting an accident at Edmonton simply because two vehicles turning onto the street off Assiniboine at the same time is recipe for disaster, I've already watched numerous close calls. For now it might not be such a bad idea to get someone out directing traffic so as to ensure an accident doesn't happen.
On Sept. 11 and 12 there are events happening on Broadway, a big dance and a light show, (and of course Ciclovia, the "celebration" of cyclists) what is going to happen when people want to leave the area when it closes at 11pm? Many many people will park in the area, many will park at the Leg, the only option they will have is to come onto Assiniboine and right up Edmonton. It's going to get ugly. What's going to happen when other events are taking place? I shudder to think about the congestion and traffic jams.
I suppose we shall see what happens on Wednesday. I wonder if Kevin Nixon will ever show up to personally view his handiwork, you'd think he'd want to see this mess. But then again, maybe not. How about Bill Woroby? How about the Councillors who are directly responsible, not only Gerbasi, but the others who didn't step forward to stop it, but then again right now in this area, it might not be a wise idea to admit who they are, a lynch mob might form that is how angry the residents are at the moment. Maybe it is a better idea to stay away for a while.
I have to wonder if the Lt. Governor will get stuck in traffic as well after all his house is located on Kennedy or will he get preferential treatment?
Here's to another day of watching near misses and collisions brought to you by the bike lobby, hope they are proud of themselves.
PS: On Tuesday Aug. 31/10 at 12:46p.m. on the City website a media release was issued telling people about the changes on Assiniboine. That would be the changes which began on Aug. 29th - it took 48 hours!
Included in this release was a link to another part of the City website, the Active Transportation site. The problem being, the maps presented on the AT site are all wrong. This map shows people being able to turn both east and west off Carlton which as we all know were the plans as of January or February. So even their media releases are inaccurate.
Should anyone wish to contact their Councillors for St. Vital, St. Boniface, Assiniboine and of course the man who helped approve this project Justin Swandel, their phone numbers are as follows:
Gord Steeves - St. Vital - 986-5088
Dan Vandal - St. Boniface - 986-5206
Jenny Gerbasi - 986-5878
Justin Swandel - St. Norbert - 986-6824
Mayor Sam Katz - 986-5665
Hi Marty,
Over the last two days of watching three rush hours, I've seen traffic back up in ways this City is certainly not used to seeing outside of special events such as Canada Day. I have seen frustration, irritation and anger not only from the residents but also from the motorists and -- believe it or not -- heads shaking from the cyclists.
I have also seen quite a few near collisions because people are becoming frustrated with the wait which is sending the more impatient people heading the wrong way up one ways or backing up to get to a back alley.
On Monday morning I noted many surprised and very upset faces as people were on their morning commute. Residents in the area did say they get quite a bit of traffic down Edmonton, however, they weren't expecting the traffic they had coming up the street, which was nothing compared to what came at them Monday afternoon.
The Monday afternoon rush hour I'm still not sure what word would most effectively describe what happened. Nightmare is too mild a word to use, cluster you- know-what doesn't even give full credit to what was seen on Assiniboine and Edmonton.
Traffic was backed up along Kennedy and at times was backed up for those coming off the Osborne bridge. What is worse there was an event taking place at the Legislature which meant lots of extra vehicles had no option but to come down Kennedy and back up Edmonton to Broadway.
On Tuesday afternoon, one person on Assiniboine between Carlton and Edmonton backed his car up so he could turn into the back lane. I also noted people head the wrong way along the travel lane between Kennedy/Edmonton, then head the wrong way up a one way back lane. Another lady attempted the same thing, on-coming traffic prevented her from doing so. One person even drove up behind the Legislature towards Osborne the wrong way.
As I was handing out flyers to the motorists, I informed one lady that this was a permanent fixture for this area, even in the winter when most cyclists put their bikes away until the spring. Her jow dropped. She asked me if this was for real, sadly I had to say that it was.
At Edmonton vehicles MUST turn which means traffic from Kennedy and Carlton are fighting to make that turn. I've seen many vehicles almost run into each other making those turns as it would seem nobody understands who gets to go first, frustration is not making the situation any better.
I watched one bike rider a little ways up Edmonton come down off the curb right in front of a car that had just turned onto Edmonton, expecting the car would stop for him. This man who was riding the bike didn't even bother to get out of the way of the vehicle, it was his right to put his bike in front of that car without caring what happened. If the vehicle had hit the cyclist, who would have been the one to pay the price? The cyclist? Not likely.
Because of traffic issues, cyclists have no choice but to use the sidewalks on Assiniboine, many of the cyclists are courteous with the pedestrians, however, there are some who think that the sidewalk is a speed zone. Some are travelling far to fast for the congestion in the area, someone is going to get hurt. I would like to hand out kudos to several cyclists who either called out or rang a bell to let pedestrians know there was a bike coming their way. Thank you to those that did, it was greatly appreciated.
Having said that, I noted two cyclists come down Assiniboine towards Edmonton from Kennedy area, these two were riding side by side chatting, they turned onto Edmonton, took over an entire lane of traffic while they chatted beside each other. Guess rules didn't apply to them.
There are many issues with the change that has happened. The temporary no stopping zones are going to HAVE to be enforced, if they are not accidents will happen as people plow into the back end of parked cars. However, the Parking Authority has not yet issued any specific directive regarding these issues and many of the enforcement staff will not enforce at these areas because they have been chastised in the past for doing so.
I am expecting an accident at Edmonton simply because two vehicles turning onto the street off Assiniboine at the same time is recipe for disaster, I've already watched numerous close calls. For now it might not be such a bad idea to get someone out directing traffic so as to ensure an accident doesn't happen.
On Sept. 11 and 12 there are events happening on Broadway, a big dance and a light show, (and of course Ciclovia, the "celebration" of cyclists) what is going to happen when people want to leave the area when it closes at 11pm? Many many people will park in the area, many will park at the Leg, the only option they will have is to come onto Assiniboine and right up Edmonton. It's going to get ugly. What's going to happen when other events are taking place? I shudder to think about the congestion and traffic jams.
I suppose we shall see what happens on Wednesday. I wonder if Kevin Nixon will ever show up to personally view his handiwork, you'd think he'd want to see this mess. But then again, maybe not. How about Bill Woroby? How about the Councillors who are directly responsible, not only Gerbasi, but the others who didn't step forward to stop it, but then again right now in this area, it might not be a wise idea to admit who they are, a lynch mob might form that is how angry the residents are at the moment. Maybe it is a better idea to stay away for a while.
I have to wonder if the Lt. Governor will get stuck in traffic as well after all his house is located on Kennedy or will he get preferential treatment?
Here's to another day of watching near misses and collisions brought to you by the bike lobby, hope they are proud of themselves.
PS: On Tuesday Aug. 31/10 at 12:46p.m. on the City website a media release was issued telling people about the changes on Assiniboine. That would be the changes which began on Aug. 29th - it took 48 hours!
Included in this release was a link to another part of the City website, the Active Transportation site. The problem being, the maps presented on the AT site are all wrong. This map shows people being able to turn both east and west off Carlton which as we all know were the plans as of January or February. So even their media releases are inaccurate.
Should anyone wish to contact their Councillors for St. Vital, St. Boniface, Assiniboine and of course the man who helped approve this project Justin Swandel, their phone numbers are as follows:
Gord Steeves - St. Vital - 986-5088
Dan Vandal - St. Boniface - 986-5206
Jenny Gerbasi - 986-5878
Justin Swandel - St. Norbert - 986-6824
Mayor Sam Katz - 986-5665
Monday, August 30, 2010
As predicted, today's Assiniboine Ave. traffic jam brought to you by the bike lobby and their city hall helpers
From: Kim the Traffic Reporter
Hi Marty,
This morning commuters travelling on Assiniboine were met with a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprise was not a pleasant one. Plans for the Active Transportation bike path are now being implemented on Assiniboine which include forced right turns from Carlton onto Assiniboine, this however will require drivers to head right up Edmonton back to Broadway.
All traffic coming from Osborne, Kennedy, Carlton and Hargrave will be required to turn right onto Assiniboine where the only option will be to proceed up Edmonton to Broadway. Traffic is still being allowed west bound from Main Street along Assiniboine.
However, if drivers wish to access Main Street from Assiniboine, they must do so from either Navy Way or Garry Street. It is interesting to note that on Carlton the sign indicates the forced right turn is "temporary". Yet according the plans (not the ones on the website) indicate that turn will be permanent.
At some point on Sunday Aug. 29th, signs and barricades began to appear on Assiniboine and surrounding streets ready for Monday's Rush Hour commute, creating small traffic jams.
By 7:45am this morning traffic on Edmonton was bumper to bumper with more vehicles still waiting to head up this street. Traffic was starting to back up to Kennedy as more vehicles coming off Kennedy and Osborne were forced to make the turn onto Edmonton. As I stood and watched, I noticed several vehicles turn into the back alleys hoping to avoid the congestion. Many vehicles had to sit through at least two sets of red lights before they could proceed any further.
Commuters were lucky that today happened to be one of those light rush hour days so traffic along Broadway was moving smoothly in that area, however that traffic did become heavier as more vehicles came off Edmonton heading towards Main Street.
At around 9:15-9:25 a fire truck and ambulance came screaming up Edmonton, if this had occured an hour earlier, those emergency vehicles would not have been able to pass up Edmonton at all as there was no place for traffic to get out of the way which in the end could cost a life.
Hargrave was also not spared the new construction of these bike paths.
A two way street from Hargrave Place to Assiniboine has now been implemented. Temporary no stopping zones have been put into place along that stretch of Hargrave. However, parking has not been removed directly in front of Hargrave Place which will make it very difficult for larger vehicles to make that turn without either backing up or causing an accident.
Something happened today I never thought would. I was actually worried about crossing a street. I was on Assiniboine on the west side of Edmonton looking to cross to the east. With the constant stream of traffic, some of whom did not appear to want to allow pedestrians to cross, I for the first time ever in that area was nervous about crossing that street.
Kevin Nixon the Active Transportation Coordinator for the City told Bartley Kives of the Winnipeg Free Press today regarding all these new bike paths that "we're feeling pretty good about it". Yet the residents of this area are most certainly NOT feeling very good about it at all. Their lives are being disrupted and turned upside down all for the convenience of cyclists, the worst being for many of the residents and businesses they had no idea what was about to happen.
One business, a law firm with whom I spoke indicated they knew nothing about these plans, that they had not been informed. Other businesses in the area including a laundry mat on Edmonton, grocery stores on Hargrave, another on Garry also had no idea of the plans by the City for their neighbourhood. Concerns were expressed about where their customers/clients were going to park as Government employees who have meter passes sit all day long taking the parking spots. Other concerns expressed was how their customers would get to their businesses.
One person who lives on Assiniboine was in the process of moving. This person expressed serious concern about being to get the truck into the area to park for loading. This gentleman was told by one of the construction crew it would be alright to park the truck, however this gentleman was worried that if the area was needed for the construction crews trucks, he would be forced to find another place to put this large vehicle.
Parking in an alley is not allowed and in fact a vehicle can be towed away for doing so, the offense being obstruction. He raised the question, where am I supposed to park to move? End of the month, beginning of the month is a very busy time for movers, yet the City has not made any allowances for moving vehicles to park to load and unload. For example, 33 Hargrave has little to no capacity to handle large vehicles in the back lane, now however there will no place for anyone who is moving to put that truck.
I ran into Gareth Simons of Bike to the Future as well as the Active Transportation Advisory Committee, I asked him about the consultation, Simons believes there has been adequate consultation with mailings and open houses. Simons also indicated he doesn't believe the people of this neighbourhood will inconvenienced at all once construction is completed. I told Simons that people who had lived in the area for 10 years had no idea as to what was going on, Simons indicated that letters had been mailed out.
It will be interesting to see how the area fares with afternoon rush hour, how much will traffic be backed up? Who was the person that drafted these plans? Why weren't the residents notified of the changes which according to the City was done in May, yet no information was sent out until the end of July when many are on vacation or for those who don't cycle, it was ignored as the letter taped to apartment building doors was either not seen or blown away. Is that really consulation?
The absolute mess on Assinibione is going to create problems all through the area. On days when traffic is heavy this neighbourhood will be inundated with extra vehicles, people won't be able to find a place to park, won't be able to easily get to the places they need to go without having to travel in a serious of one way loops that make no sense whatsoever.
Makes no sense, that appears to be the mantra of the planners who don't sit down to really think about what they are doing to an area, not caring how residents and businesses will be affected. Perhaps those planners should set up shop in this area, after all, it is their mess.
Hi Marty,
This morning commuters travelling on Assiniboine were met with a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprise was not a pleasant one. Plans for the Active Transportation bike path are now being implemented on Assiniboine which include forced right turns from Carlton onto Assiniboine, this however will require drivers to head right up Edmonton back to Broadway.
All traffic coming from Osborne, Kennedy, Carlton and Hargrave will be required to turn right onto Assiniboine where the only option will be to proceed up Edmonton to Broadway. Traffic is still being allowed west bound from Main Street along Assiniboine.
However, if drivers wish to access Main Street from Assiniboine, they must do so from either Navy Way or Garry Street. It is interesting to note that on Carlton the sign indicates the forced right turn is "temporary". Yet according the plans (not the ones on the website) indicate that turn will be permanent.
At some point on Sunday Aug. 29th, signs and barricades began to appear on Assiniboine and surrounding streets ready for Monday's Rush Hour commute, creating small traffic jams.
By 7:45am this morning traffic on Edmonton was bumper to bumper with more vehicles still waiting to head up this street. Traffic was starting to back up to Kennedy as more vehicles coming off Kennedy and Osborne were forced to make the turn onto Edmonton. As I stood and watched, I noticed several vehicles turn into the back alleys hoping to avoid the congestion. Many vehicles had to sit through at least two sets of red lights before they could proceed any further.
Commuters were lucky that today happened to be one of those light rush hour days so traffic along Broadway was moving smoothly in that area, however that traffic did become heavier as more vehicles came off Edmonton heading towards Main Street.
At around 9:15-9:25 a fire truck and ambulance came screaming up Edmonton, if this had occured an hour earlier, those emergency vehicles would not have been able to pass up Edmonton at all as there was no place for traffic to get out of the way which in the end could cost a life.
Hargrave was also not spared the new construction of these bike paths.
A two way street from Hargrave Place to Assiniboine has now been implemented. Temporary no stopping zones have been put into place along that stretch of Hargrave. However, parking has not been removed directly in front of Hargrave Place which will make it very difficult for larger vehicles to make that turn without either backing up or causing an accident.
Something happened today I never thought would. I was actually worried about crossing a street. I was on Assiniboine on the west side of Edmonton looking to cross to the east. With the constant stream of traffic, some of whom did not appear to want to allow pedestrians to cross, I for the first time ever in that area was nervous about crossing that street.
Kevin Nixon the Active Transportation Coordinator for the City told Bartley Kives of the Winnipeg Free Press today regarding all these new bike paths that "we're feeling pretty good about it". Yet the residents of this area are most certainly NOT feeling very good about it at all. Their lives are being disrupted and turned upside down all for the convenience of cyclists, the worst being for many of the residents and businesses they had no idea what was about to happen.
One business, a law firm with whom I spoke indicated they knew nothing about these plans, that they had not been informed. Other businesses in the area including a laundry mat on Edmonton, grocery stores on Hargrave, another on Garry also had no idea of the plans by the City for their neighbourhood. Concerns were expressed about where their customers/clients were going to park as Government employees who have meter passes sit all day long taking the parking spots. Other concerns expressed was how their customers would get to their businesses.
One person who lives on Assiniboine was in the process of moving. This person expressed serious concern about being to get the truck into the area to park for loading. This gentleman was told by one of the construction crew it would be alright to park the truck, however this gentleman was worried that if the area was needed for the construction crews trucks, he would be forced to find another place to put this large vehicle.
Parking in an alley is not allowed and in fact a vehicle can be towed away for doing so, the offense being obstruction. He raised the question, where am I supposed to park to move? End of the month, beginning of the month is a very busy time for movers, yet the City has not made any allowances for moving vehicles to park to load and unload. For example, 33 Hargrave has little to no capacity to handle large vehicles in the back lane, now however there will no place for anyone who is moving to put that truck.
I ran into Gareth Simons of Bike to the Future as well as the Active Transportation Advisory Committee, I asked him about the consultation, Simons believes there has been adequate consultation with mailings and open houses. Simons also indicated he doesn't believe the people of this neighbourhood will inconvenienced at all once construction is completed. I told Simons that people who had lived in the area for 10 years had no idea as to what was going on, Simons indicated that letters had been mailed out.
It will be interesting to see how the area fares with afternoon rush hour, how much will traffic be backed up? Who was the person that drafted these plans? Why weren't the residents notified of the changes which according to the City was done in May, yet no information was sent out until the end of July when many are on vacation or for those who don't cycle, it was ignored as the letter taped to apartment building doors was either not seen or blown away. Is that really consulation?
The absolute mess on Assinibione is going to create problems all through the area. On days when traffic is heavy this neighbourhood will be inundated with extra vehicles, people won't be able to find a place to park, won't be able to easily get to the places they need to go without having to travel in a serious of one way loops that make no sense whatsoever.
Makes no sense, that appears to be the mantra of the planners who don't sit down to really think about what they are doing to an area, not caring how residents and businesses will be affected. Perhaps those planners should set up shop in this area, after all, it is their mess.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Support the people of Sherbrook Street against the bike lobby: Sign their online petition
YOU HAVE THE POWER - THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOUR STREET TOO - TAKE ONE MINUTE AND SEND CITY HALL A MESSAGE -- STAND UP FOR THE PEOPLE AGAINST THE BIKE LOBBY !
Marty,
I'll give you the same schtick I've given every other media type I know.
The Ellice Cafe needs your help. My friend Harry (Lehotsky) was never afraid to make noise in the face of an injustice, (or stupidity), and as such, I'm going to try to do the same.
The Cafe (as many of your listeners already know through your radio show), is potentially going to loose most of, if not all of, its on street parking to provide for a new active transportation lane to be located on the east side of Sherbrook, 24/7/365.
The bike lobby presented a petition that included 65 names. We're hoping our petition will bury that number. Please help get the word out.
The petition is located at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sherbrookbikelane/ .
Your help is appreciated!
Ralph Mueller
Friend of the Ellice Cafe
Marty,
I'll give you the same schtick I've given every other media type I know.
The Ellice Cafe needs your help. My friend Harry (Lehotsky) was never afraid to make noise in the face of an injustice, (or stupidity), and as such, I'm going to try to do the same.
The Cafe (as many of your listeners already know through your radio show), is potentially going to loose most of, if not all of, its on street parking to provide for a new active transportation lane to be located on the east side of Sherbrook, 24/7/365.
The bike lobby presented a petition that included 65 names. We're hoping our petition will bury that number. Please help get the word out.
The petition is located at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sherbrookbikelane/ .
Your help is appreciated!
Ralph Mueller
Friend of the Ellice Cafe
The Petition
Due to the immeasurable harm the current plan for complete closure of the east lane on Sherbrook, to accommodate a 24/7/365 bike lane, will have on both residents and businesses, we are in favour of revisiting the plan to include all concessions originally negotiated, including, but not limited to, the east lane being designated as a bike lane only during rush hour traffic. (7-9, 15:30-17:30) Please note your neighbourhood in the comment field.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Answers and "experts" scarce at Fort Rouge Yards open house
From: Kim the Traffic Reporter
Subject: Re: Transit Development Open House July 29
To: talk@kick.fm
Date: Monday, August 2, 2010, 5:26 PM
Hi Marty
On Thursday July 29th I attended an open house for the Transit Development in Fort Rouge for the BRT at the Lord Roberts Community Centre 725 Kylemore. This open house was put on by the developer Lexington Development Corporation which ran from 5:30-7:30p.m.
As I approached the Community Centre on Kylemore, I was stopped by a couple who lived only a few doors down from the centre. The couple were sitting out on their front steps watching all the traffic. They asked me what was going on, if it had anything to do with a potential closure of the centre. I informed them of the open house and asked if they had been informed of this event. The reply was "no, they hadn't heard about it". I was told they had not received any flyers, nobody had contacted them, nor had their neighbours heard anything about this open house, they decided to check out the open house.
I arrived at the Lord Roberts Community Centre at about 5:45pm and saw no signs advertising the open house. In fact, when I approached the community centre I didn't know which door to enter. There was not even a standard size piece of paper to indicate exactly where the open house was taking place. Many, including myself ended up in the day care until we were pointed in the right direction by the staff. I asked one consultant who was in charge of putting up signs and was told it was the Community Centre.
Number of people attending the event was likely somewhere between 50-70,
According to Lexington Development Corporation the purpose of this open house was gather input and comments from the community with regards to the preliminary plans for this area. The consultants on hand did indicate that these plans are open to change based on the input from the community. This development is set to take place between Argue and the rail yard with approximately 1150 units available.
These tentative plans include a row of three story apartment buildings followed by two fourteen story buildings and at least one twenty story building. These buildings will be multi-use, with the main levels being more commercial and will be built within an easy walk of the new BRT line. The plans for this area are designed to be pedestrian friendly, actively encouraging people to walk.
The current bike path on Argue will be moved to the front of the BRT station and according to Bill Menzies of Winnipeg Transit, the bike path will be owned by Transit. although that number is estimated as there was no sign in sheet and I could not get numbers.
On Thursday July 29th I attended an open house for the Transit Development in Fort Rouge for the BRT at the Lord Roberts Community Centre 725 Kylemore. This open house was put on by the developer Lexington Development Corporation which ran from 5:30-7:30p.m.
As I approached the Community Centre on Kylemore, I was stopped by a couple who lived only a few doors down from the centre. The couple were sitting out on their front steps watching all the traffic. They asked me what was going on, if it had anything to do with a potential closure of the centre. I informed them of the open house and asked if they had been informed of this event. The reply was "no, they hadn't heard about it". I was told they had not received any flyers, nobody had contacted them, nor had their neighbours heard anything about this open house, they decided to check out the open house.
I arrived at the Lord Roberts Community Centre at about 5:45pm and saw no signs advertising the open house. In fact, when I approached the community centre I didn't know which door to enter. There was not even a standard size piece of paper to indicate exactly where the open house was taking place. Many, including myself ended up in the day care until we were pointed in the right direction by the staff. I asked one consultant who was in charge of putting up signs and was told it was the Community Centre.
Number of people attending the event was likely somewhere between 50-70,
According to Lexington Development Corporation the purpose of this open house was gather input and comments from the community with regards to the preliminary plans for this area. The consultants on hand did indicate that these plans are open to change based on the input from the community. This development is set to take place between Argue and the rail yard with approximately 1150 units available.
These tentative plans include a row of three story apartment buildings followed by two fourteen story buildings and at least one twenty story building. These buildings will be multi-use, with the main levels being more commercial and will be built within an easy walk of the new BRT line. The plans for this area are designed to be pedestrian friendly, actively encouraging people to walk.
The current bike path on Argue will be moved to the front of the BRT station and according to Bill Menzies of Winnipeg Transit, the bike path will be owned by Transit. although that number is estimated as there was no sign in sheet and I could not get numbers.
There was no representation at this open house from the Active Transportation Advisory Committee as Kevin Nixon was on holidays.
Parking will be available both on and off-street. For the apartment buildings, there will be enough space provided for 1.5 parking spots per unit. On-street parking will be available with either paid parking or time limited unpaid parking available, however there was no representation from the Parking Authority to answer questions regarding permits, fees or time restrictions.
Parking will be available both on and off-street. For the apartment buildings, there will be enough space provided for 1.5 parking spots per unit. On-street parking will be available with either paid parking or time limited unpaid parking available, however there was no representation from the Parking Authority to answer questions regarding permits, fees or time restrictions.
According to Michelle Richard a Planner with the City of Winnipeg who indicated that a traffic impact study is to be conducted by Dillon Consulting. There were no consultants from Dillon Consulting available at this open house to answer any questions.
When asked about consulting the neighbourhood, Bryan Ward a Planner with the City said "3000 letter were sent to residents by the developer." When asked about the people a few doors down from the Community Centre, I was told that Canada Post delivers those letters and they may not have arrived.
Ruth Marr of Marr Consulting was also at the event, I asked about the bike path slated for Jubilee and if it was going to meet up with the new path planned for the BRT Line. The Jubilee path has changed, the path will now run from Cockburn to around the Argue lights where the trail ends.
When asked about consulting the neighbourhood, Bryan Ward a Planner with the City said "3000 letter were sent to residents by the developer." When asked about the people a few doors down from the Community Centre, I was told that Canada Post delivers those letters and they may not have arrived.
Ruth Marr of Marr Consulting was also at the event, I asked about the bike path slated for Jubilee and if it was going to meet up with the new path planned for the BRT Line. The Jubilee path has changed, the path will now run from Cockburn to around the Argue lights where the trail ends.
When asked about expropriation on Jubilee, I was told by Ruth Marr that "no one on Jubilee is being expropriated" and that "you've been given false information."
Some residents in the area had been asking about the capacity at the schools to handle and influx of new students. I attempted to ask David Marsh a planner with the City of Winnipeg. I was told to speak to media relations and he had no comments for me. He felt I had been unfair in my previous interview in April at the BRT open house.
I spoke with ten or fifteen of the area residents, some of the questions they are asking is "where is Gerbasi?". The residents noted Councillor Gerbasi had not put in an appearance at this open house. Other questions were being asked about how parking was going to affected, will they have restrictions put onto their streets? These questions went unanswered.
Other comments were about the 20 story apartment building being planned. Concerns about the shadows it's going to cast as well as privacy. Some residents saying "it's too much".
One resident Peter, a transit driver with 33 years of service believes that these plans are "not put together properly". He was wondering about how the community is going to be affected with a few thousand extra people brought into an already high density area, going so far as to contact Councillor Gerbasi along with two others, he is awaiting a reply. He was quite adamant about not liking these plans at all. The residents did say they liked the idea of the BRT Line in their area.
Some other comments from the residents was about their area being under pressure, that "it's an island trapped by transit and rivers". The overall expression from the residents with whom I spoke was dissatisfaction, in fact some people indicated they never usually vote, but are considering getting out for this election to cast their ballot.
I departed the open house at about 7:30, headed back up Kylemore and found the same couple a few doors from the Community Centre sitting on their front steps.
They had attended the event and were not happy with the idea of this development as it stands. Some concerns they presented had to do with issues on Kylemore and additional traffic pressures. These people would like to see speed bumps put in because of speeding traffic, I was told they'd even be happy with photo enforcement the problem is that bad.
As I stood talking with these people, a half ton truck came around the corner at a high rate of speed, the driver didn't slow down. This couple are also re-thinking their views on voting.
Many people I spoke with said they'd like to see a park or dog park, some facilities for the kids perhaps a large outdoor swimming pool, overall the residents did not welcome the idea of this development. Lexington Development Corporation was quite clear that these plans are preliminary only and are subject to change. I was told several times that they were looking for the input and comments of the community.
The next open house for this project is scheduled tentatively for sometime in late September.
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Kim's Thoughts:
The community centre was easy to find, the open house not quite as easy. There were two doors beside each other, one led to the day care, the other to the open house. There was a 50/50 chance you'd get it right, I didn't. Ended up in the day care. Not even a piece of paper on the correct door to let people know where to go. But we are told it was the community centre who was responsible to put up signs.
On Apr. 7th at the Jubilee/Hay open house I asked about the Argue bike path, asking why not use the path at Argue and connect the two (Jubilee bike path and Argue paths). I was told it was unknown if the path on Argue was going to be kept. Now it's not. I don't know how much money was spent on that path, but it's being moved to the BRT Line. Parking is now going to be allowed on Argue.
I asked if Argue is part of the development and if it would be the Winnipeg Parking Authority who enforced the area, I was told by Larry Carter of the Lexington Development Corporation that technically Argue would be their property. yet when I spoke with one of the City planners asking the same question, I was told that it is a public right of way. Contradictions.
Some residents in the area had been asking about the capacity at the schools to handle and influx of new students. I attempted to ask David Marsh a planner with the City of Winnipeg. I was told to speak to media relations and he had no comments for me. He felt I had been unfair in my previous interview in April at the BRT open house.
I spoke with ten or fifteen of the area residents, some of the questions they are asking is "where is Gerbasi?". The residents noted Councillor Gerbasi had not put in an appearance at this open house. Other questions were being asked about how parking was going to affected, will they have restrictions put onto their streets? These questions went unanswered.
Other comments were about the 20 story apartment building being planned. Concerns about the shadows it's going to cast as well as privacy. Some residents saying "it's too much".
One resident Peter, a transit driver with 33 years of service believes that these plans are "not put together properly". He was wondering about how the community is going to be affected with a few thousand extra people brought into an already high density area, going so far as to contact Councillor Gerbasi along with two others, he is awaiting a reply. He was quite adamant about not liking these plans at all. The residents did say they liked the idea of the BRT Line in their area.
Some other comments from the residents was about their area being under pressure, that "it's an island trapped by transit and rivers". The overall expression from the residents with whom I spoke was dissatisfaction, in fact some people indicated they never usually vote, but are considering getting out for this election to cast their ballot.
I departed the open house at about 7:30, headed back up Kylemore and found the same couple a few doors from the Community Centre sitting on their front steps.
They had attended the event and were not happy with the idea of this development as it stands. Some concerns they presented had to do with issues on Kylemore and additional traffic pressures. These people would like to see speed bumps put in because of speeding traffic, I was told they'd even be happy with photo enforcement the problem is that bad.
As I stood talking with these people, a half ton truck came around the corner at a high rate of speed, the driver didn't slow down. This couple are also re-thinking their views on voting.
Many people I spoke with said they'd like to see a park or dog park, some facilities for the kids perhaps a large outdoor swimming pool, overall the residents did not welcome the idea of this development. Lexington Development Corporation was quite clear that these plans are preliminary only and are subject to change. I was told several times that they were looking for the input and comments of the community.
The next open house for this project is scheduled tentatively for sometime in late September.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kim's Thoughts:
The community centre was easy to find, the open house not quite as easy. There were two doors beside each other, one led to the day care, the other to the open house. There was a 50/50 chance you'd get it right, I didn't. Ended up in the day care. Not even a piece of paper on the correct door to let people know where to go. But we are told it was the community centre who was responsible to put up signs.
On Apr. 7th at the Jubilee/Hay open house I asked about the Argue bike path, asking why not use the path at Argue and connect the two (Jubilee bike path and Argue paths). I was told it was unknown if the path on Argue was going to be kept. Now it's not. I don't know how much money was spent on that path, but it's being moved to the BRT Line. Parking is now going to be allowed on Argue.
I asked if Argue is part of the development and if it would be the Winnipeg Parking Authority who enforced the area, I was told by Larry Carter of the Lexington Development Corporation that technically Argue would be their property. yet when I spoke with one of the City planners asking the same question, I was told that it is a public right of way. Contradictions.
So now more money will be spent in order to move the bike path, it's like a bottomless pit with these pathways.
I was given wrong information about Jubilee? I checked the report I filed and it clearly talks about expropriation and that letters had been sent to the owners. So it's not a matter of being given wrong information, it's a matter of plans being changed and nobody had any idea it happened.
I saw shades of the Disraeli open houses where the talk to the City person, get passed to the consultant and back again was in play. It's called the City to consultant shuffle.
Problem was, some of the questions couldn't be answered by the consultants and City people.
I was given wrong information about Jubilee? I checked the report I filed and it clearly talks about expropriation and that letters had been sent to the owners. So it's not a matter of being given wrong information, it's a matter of plans being changed and nobody had any idea it happened.
I saw shades of the Disraeli open houses where the talk to the City person, get passed to the consultant and back again was in play. It's called the City to consultant shuffle.
Problem was, some of the questions couldn't be answered by the consultants and City people.
Traffic information wasn't available, the firm doing the study wasn't even present. Can't ask questions about parking because the parking experts weren't there. These are issues which will affect all the residents. Perhaps the next open house will have more detailed plans and the people present who can answer those questions. But then again, seems this open house wasn't even deserving of a visit from the area councillor.
I don't know if this development is a good idea or not, I don't live in the community so I'm not affected. I do know the residents didn't seem impressed.
So unimpressed were some of these people they are actually thinking about voting in the October election. I would say Jenny Gerbasi is going to have her work cut out for her with these folks.
The open house which should be happening in late September should be interesting to see if and what changes have been made to the current preliminary plans. Will the residents be happy with the changes? If not, will that spur more people to get out and vote in October and will Jenny Gerbasi have a real fight on her hands for her seat? I'm kinda looking forward to finding out.
I don't know if this development is a good idea or not, I don't live in the community so I'm not affected. I do know the residents didn't seem impressed.
So unimpressed were some of these people they are actually thinking about voting in the October election. I would say Jenny Gerbasi is going to have her work cut out for her with these folks.
The open house which should be happening in late September should be interesting to see if and what changes have been made to the current preliminary plans. Will the residents be happy with the changes? If not, will that spur more people to get out and vote in October and will Jenny Gerbasi have a real fight on her hands for her seat? I'm kinda looking forward to finding out.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Attention Mayor Katz: City changed Assiniboine traffic plans but forgot to tell the residents; bike lane = permanent gridlock downtown
From: Kim the Traffic reporter
Hi Marty
I've taken a look at the new plans for the Bike Boulevard on Assiniboine Ave., which has completely changed from the plans previously shown at open houses.
According to the maps provided, motorists will still be able to access Assiniboine Ave from Osborne, yet all that traffic is going to be funnelled up Edmonton, this doesn't make any sense. If I'm reading the maps correctly (both maps are a little vague I thought)people will be able to travel Westbound from Main St. all the way to Edmonton. The letter says
"Assiniboine Ave. from Edmonton St. to Navy Way will become one-way westbound". Actually that should read from navy way to edmonton. so all traffic heading off Main is westbound and from my reading looks as though can go right through to Edmonton. It is two-way traffic from Navy Way east to Main.
This means traffic coming off Main will be adding to the traffic coming off the side streets.
I think eventually Kennedy, Edmonton, Carlton and that section of Assiniboine will be "calmed" as people realize they can only go in circles. However, Hargrave, Navy Way, Garry and Fort will likely become busier and will bear the brunt of the traffic.
There are a few issues I find with the new plans. Beginning on Hargrave going East as I think this area is going to be hardest hit.
Hargrave:
The plans tell us that Hargrave will become a two-way street from Hargrave Place to Assiniboine. Which means all parking in that stretch will have to be removed. Even though it should be obvious that parking would be removed on Hargrave, the information letter at no point indicated that there would be any loss of parking on Hargrave.
This area is heavily used by Unicity Taxi (the office is the only building with a Hargrave Place address) and by the residents especially after hours for parking. Are the residents aware they will be losing all those parking spots? What about the meters which were put in place, only to be removed again.
Another problem I see on Hargrave is the apartment building, 33 Hargrave. People are always parking in the no parking zone. I can't begin to tell you how many tickets I've written in front of that building. Sometimes I'd get two or three vehicles at the same time. Even if a No Stopping zone is put in place, that won't stop the problem. People are going to stop in front of that building.
I fail to see the logic in having traffic come off Hargrave Place onto Assiniboine when the only place vehicles will be able to go is Edmonton. Why have the additional traffic pushed up Edmonton?
Why not have traffic come off Hargrave turning East on Assiniboine, would that not help alleviate some of the pressure from other streets?
Navy Way:
Navy Way could see an increase in the amount of traffic it receives, which could cause some traffic delays. More people coming off Assiniboine to access Smith St. means longer delays.
The Midtown Bridge is usually crowded at Rush Hour, so getting onto Smith with merging bridge traffic can be a challenge. According to the 2008 City of Winnipeg Traffic Counts the Midtown Bridge at Navy Way sees approximately 18 300 vehicles. At Broadway and Smith (Navy Way) 22 900 vehicles have been counted.
These counts were 2008, by how much has traffic risen since then? How much more pressure will these additional vehicles bring to bear on these intersections?
Garry:
Garry could potentially see the worst of the traffic problems.
If you want to avoid Portage/Main and Broadway/Main the only other way to go is via Assiniboine. With these new plans, the only way to do that is by Garry.
Navy Way turns into Smith which is a one-way Northbound. The only street allowing access to Main St. via Assiniboine is Garry, which could then see a significant increase in traffic flow.
Garry has parking on both east/west sides (the West side also has bus stops) with one travel lane. There is no mention in the information letter to indicate Garry will lose any parking, but then the letter didn't say anything about Hargrave losing parking either. If Garry sees heavier traffic will this street be able, with one lane, to handle the additional traffic as vehicles have no other way of reaching Assiniboine? Or will the City traffic engineers be forced to remove at least one lane of parking from Garry to facilitate traffic flow?
How much additional traffic will be forced down Garry? Are the residents aware of the potential traffic increase?
If a parking lane is removed, the East side is the only viable option.
Is the Hotel Fort Garry aware of these plans? Many of their patrons, both day and evening utilize the parking on Garry and Fort. During the Spring and Summer (wedding season), that area is quite heavily used on the weekends.
Fort:
Fort could see an increase in traffic flow from those who wish to avoid Westbound traffic thru to Edmonton. Fort then becomes the best option.
Kim's analysis:
I still don't understand why the existing cycling infrastructure couldn't be improved upon instead of basically shutting down an entire street. We don't have current traffic counts so we can only assume there has been an increase. What about winter and inclement weather? How many cyclists will be using Assiniboine then?
I noted in the letter we are told about "consultation".
Yet I've spoken with many people in that area, most have no idea what's going on, nor in fact did many of those people know what the changes were going to be, putting up notices on bulletin boards does not constitute consultation.
Keeping in mind that other than some consultants and Kevin Nixon, there isn't anyone who has attended as many of these open houses as I have since January, so I've seen the plans that have been shown to the public.
I can attest to the fact that Kevin Nixon did indeed tell me that traffic would be able to turn East off Carlton on Assiniboine to Main St., I specifically asked that question. I just don't remember which open house it was at.
In fact on the Active Transportation website there had been a PDF map link posted. That map was the very same map I'd seen at the open houses. This map showed vehicles allowed to turn East on Assiniboine from Carlton. This map was up on the website as of late April to mid May which was the last time I looked at that map in reference to the Friends of Upper Fort Garry plans. This map has now been removed, it has been replaced with the information letter which was sent out to area residents along with the new map of the area.
I've never seen this map before.
It is entirely different than the previous maps I've seen.
The City changed the plans but forgot to tell the residents who are expecting the plans they knew about.
There was never any mention of Hargrave becoming a two-way street. That idea was never even put forth to my knowledge. The same for Navy Way.
I even commented on the fact that those Navy Way and Hargrave Place were never mentioned, I was told that there was nothing planned for them.
The current changes to Assiniboine will cause traffic problems all throughout that area, not only Assiniboine, but the surrounding streets as well. Broadway will have to carry a heavier load, which could back up the side streets such as Kennedy, Carlton etc.. York could see delays as with St. Mary Ave. and Portage which already often sees long delays. Though I think Garry St. will see a noticeable change with a greater increase in traffic.
Assiniboine is mostly residential but it does have its commercial components as well. How will the businesses be affected by these changes as customer try to figure out how to get to them?
It's almost as if this is a test run to finally closing Assiniboine completely from Fort to Main, which is what we've already been told is what the A.T. people want as well as Friends of Upper Fort Garry.
In a couple of years these groups can ask City Council to look at closing down part of Assiniboine because there is so much traffic jammed on Garry trying to turn east to go to St Boniface and it might just work.
This is the worst plan to date which could create serious traffic problems not only on Broadway but along every other regional street. This idea is also potentially dangerous, if there is an accident, it will be difficult for emergency vehicles to arrive on scene, not to mention the traffic jam which will follow.
Then on those heavy traffic days, how much more will the area become congested?
This plan is unreasonable, whether anyone likes it or not Assiniboine is part of downtown and it's going to face the same problems and share the same load as the rest of downtown. To do otherwise is going to create a lot of traffic problems.
This plan doesn't make any sense, it seems rushed, hurried. Is this a case of time is running out and it needs to get done so let's slap something together? "USE IT OR LOSE IT"?
Or is there a secret deal between the bike lobby and their friends at city hall, with the pet project of millionaires and the Manitoba Club, the Friends of Upper Fort Garry?
Monday, August 2, 2010
West End fire and health hazard finally noticed; city was too busy giving residents a bike lane they don't want
During our week-long break, a listener from the west end went toe to toe with the City of Winnipeg over a smelly, hazardous pile of garbage and abandoned furniture that posed a genuine danger to the neighbourhood.
We have reprinted a sequence of emails in which he describes how the city and BFI eventually responded to his concerns.
It is worth noting that we took his complaint directly to the Mayor's Office (yes, while we were on holiday) and miraculously, the "within 3 days" that 311 told him it would take to look into it? The heap of garbage was hauled away within 4 business hours of our intervention.
*********************
From: (west end resident)
To: 311@winnipeg.ca
CC: hsmith@winnipeg.ca; skatz@winnipeg.ca; kateri@mts.net; info@westendbiz.ca; winnipeg@bficanada.com
Subject: What's wrong with Winnipeg.
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:17:25 -0500
311... Water and waste... and the continuing build up of garbage (see pictures attached) (never mind... seems your server doesn't allow you to enjoy the views we do as the last e-mail with attachments was sent back. maybe you'd like to drive by and see them for yourself instead?) that the the City bureaucrats seems to be unable (or unwilling) to deal with. The solutions seems simple, but there is no one willing to actually DO anything about it.
As citizens, CHOOSING to live both in Winnipeg, and in the West End, we become increasingly disheartened by the complete lack of respect shown by other members of the community, AS WELL AS the various City departments.
Perhaps when you hear the address, it gets shuffled to the "when we have time" file, or maybe you assume that the ensuing garbage bin or back lane fire might make the debris we call about disappear, or might make it a little less bulky to eventually pick up.
Two weeks ago, I called you (311) from my cell to report an abandoned couch behind the church at 794 Ellice Ave. (Kateri Tekakwitha Aboriginal Catholic Parish). I was told we'd have to wait almost a week for a pick up, and that there would be a charge to haul away the couch. I explained that it was not my couch, and I was meerly calling to tell them that one had been abandoned, and was a fire hazard and needed to be picked up. (I was unable to record my reference number)
No one came. Well, that's not entirely true. Another couch came, then a 50 gallon oil drum, then a coffee table, now a bed frame is included, along with 2 shopping carts full of tree cuttings. What bliss! Now the garbage area is so filled up, the stinking rotting mess can't be picked up by the garbage truck (BFI).
Why so upset? We've called 311 before, only to receive the same run around. Wait a week, and no one comes. While recognizing the need for a garbage bin, (since the City off loaded that service and forced organizations to get their own bins), the continuing situation is completely unacceptable.
The bin is located almost 4' into the lane forcing traffic closer to the side of our home, the debris from the bin often flows over the sides of the truck, littering our sideyard, and front yard, depending on the wind, and the stench is becoming unbearable in the summer heat... and NO ONE cares.
The bin is shared by the church and two businesses, as well as an apartment block. The residents routinely do not bag their garbage, and the businesses typically drop large boxes that they can't bother cutting up into the dumpster, causing it to be over filled very often.
The City does not come by to pick up the abandoned debris, the Church does not remove the unsightly mess, yet as citizens we are helpless to do anything (aside from throwing an incendiary device into the mess). The Church seems either unwilling, or unable to do anything about the matter, never having responded to a letter sent to them last December, and continuing to leave the debris unattended to, (or presumably, not bothering to call 311 either) There are no lids on the garbage bin, no signs warning of "no illegal dumping", or any other measures to deter the ongoing practice.
Responsibility for the illegal dumping falls SQUARELY on the back of the Water and Waste Department. People in this area are the most likely to have personal belongings that they "throw out" as they "upgrade". They are unable to haul the debris to the farthest reaches of the City (Brady Road), (or are unwilling to incur the multiple flat tires from THAT poorly managed facility), and are also unwilling to pay the pick up fee the City charges.
Can you really tell me that's the BEST you can do? Other cities have more centrally located transfer stations, open later hours than the landfill sites. Do you need me to tell you what cities? Their fees? Their hours? Their population? The maximum driving distance a citizen would have to travel?
You have recently foisted upon us a "new and improved" garbage collection system, touted as "roll out your garbage" we didn't ask for. After a week in the sun, these things reek, and the yard waste won't even come out of the container, meaning it ripens even more! Perhaps a wholesale review of the ongoing PROBLEMS that really affect the quality of life of the residents would have been in order.
Instead of spending untold millions on bicycle paths that do nothing but disrupt our lives, you could have come up with a way to deal with the ongoing problems of waste disposal in our City.
Sincerely,
(listeners name withheld)
*****************
Subject: FW:
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:56:29 -0500
From: 311@winnipeg.ca
To: (west end resident)
Good Morning.
Thank you for contacting Winnipeg 311. I apologize for the delay in pick up. We have re-submitted another request to have the items picked up, and requested that they contact you to discuss your concerns. The new reference number is 387453 and they will looked into this matter within 3 business days.
If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to contact us again.
Sincerely,
Lee
Service Representative
311 Contact Centre
311@winnipeg.ca
******************
Dear Lee,
Today, a representative from the City's Water and Waste Department, the caretaker of the church, and BFI attended the site to remove the debris. While the maggots left littering the lane are something to be desired, the clean up is appreciated, as well as the plan to remove the bin, and hopefully stop the ongoing illegal dumping.
The ROOT CAUSE of the matter is still unresolved, and Winnipeg as a whole needs to come to grips with the need to handle the solid waste in the City's core areas more diligently.
Kudo's to Councilor Smith for coming by the day he received my first e-mail, as well as Casey Jones from the City, (responsible for the roll out bins, NOT the auto bins), for his help loading the couches and other debris into the BFI bin.
Thanks to BFI for assisting in hauling the debris, as well as the Caretaker of Kateri Tekakwitha for agreeing to manage their garbage differently.
Shame on 311. Apparently, not only my request went unheeded for 2 weeks, but the Church has called twice in that time as well.
If not shame on 311, then shame on Water and Waste, and certainly shame on the organization of The City of Winnipeg for the dismal response time, and for ignoring the three calls we are AWARE of. How many other concerns just get ignored?
There remains a 50 gallon drum, 1/3 full of an unknown substance, that can not be lifted, nor disposed of in good conscience.
We have reprinted a sequence of emails in which he describes how the city and BFI eventually responded to his concerns.
It is worth noting that we took his complaint directly to the Mayor's Office (yes, while we were on holiday) and miraculously, the "within 3 days" that 311 told him it would take to look into it? The heap of garbage was hauled away within 4 business hours of our intervention.
*********************
From: (west end resident)
To: 311@winnipeg.ca
CC: hsmith@winnipeg.ca; skatz@winnipeg.ca; kateri@mts.net; info@westendbiz.ca; winnipeg@bficanada.com
Subject: What's wrong with Winnipeg.
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:17:25 -0500
311... Water and waste... and the continuing build up of garbage (see pictures attached) (never mind... seems your server doesn't allow you to enjoy the views we do as the last e-mail with attachments was sent back. maybe you'd like to drive by and see them for yourself instead?) that the the City bureaucrats seems to be unable (or unwilling) to deal with. The solutions seems simple, but there is no one willing to actually DO anything about it.
As citizens, CHOOSING to live both in Winnipeg, and in the West End, we become increasingly disheartened by the complete lack of respect shown by other members of the community, AS WELL AS the various City departments.
Perhaps when you hear the address, it gets shuffled to the "when we have time" file, or maybe you assume that the ensuing garbage bin or back lane fire might make the debris we call about disappear, or might make it a little less bulky to eventually pick up.
Two weeks ago, I called you (311) from my cell to report an abandoned couch behind the church at 794 Ellice Ave. (Kateri Tekakwitha Aboriginal Catholic Parish). I was told we'd have to wait almost a week for a pick up, and that there would be a charge to haul away the couch. I explained that it was not my couch, and I was meerly calling to tell them that one had been abandoned, and was a fire hazard and needed to be picked up. (I was unable to record my reference number)
No one came. Well, that's not entirely true. Another couch came, then a 50 gallon oil drum, then a coffee table, now a bed frame is included, along with 2 shopping carts full of tree cuttings. What bliss! Now the garbage area is so filled up, the stinking rotting mess can't be picked up by the garbage truck (BFI).
Why so upset? We've called 311 before, only to receive the same run around. Wait a week, and no one comes. While recognizing the need for a garbage bin, (since the City off loaded that service and forced organizations to get their own bins), the continuing situation is completely unacceptable.
The bin is located almost 4' into the lane forcing traffic closer to the side of our home, the debris from the bin often flows over the sides of the truck, littering our sideyard, and front yard, depending on the wind, and the stench is becoming unbearable in the summer heat... and NO ONE cares.
The bin is shared by the church and two businesses, as well as an apartment block. The residents routinely do not bag their garbage, and the businesses typically drop large boxes that they can't bother cutting up into the dumpster, causing it to be over filled very often.
The City does not come by to pick up the abandoned debris, the Church does not remove the unsightly mess, yet as citizens we are helpless to do anything (aside from throwing an incendiary device into the mess). The Church seems either unwilling, or unable to do anything about the matter, never having responded to a letter sent to them last December, and continuing to leave the debris unattended to, (or presumably, not bothering to call 311 either) There are no lids on the garbage bin, no signs warning of "no illegal dumping", or any other measures to deter the ongoing practice.
Responsibility for the illegal dumping falls SQUARELY on the back of the Water and Waste Department. People in this area are the most likely to have personal belongings that they "throw out" as they "upgrade". They are unable to haul the debris to the farthest reaches of the City (Brady Road), (or are unwilling to incur the multiple flat tires from THAT poorly managed facility), and are also unwilling to pay the pick up fee the City charges.
Can you really tell me that's the BEST you can do? Other cities have more centrally located transfer stations, open later hours than the landfill sites. Do you need me to tell you what cities? Their fees? Their hours? Their population? The maximum driving distance a citizen would have to travel?
You have recently foisted upon us a "new and improved" garbage collection system, touted as "roll out your garbage" we didn't ask for. After a week in the sun, these things reek, and the yard waste won't even come out of the container, meaning it ripens even more! Perhaps a wholesale review of the ongoing PROBLEMS that really affect the quality of life of the residents would have been in order.
Instead of spending untold millions on bicycle paths that do nothing but disrupt our lives, you could have come up with a way to deal with the ongoing problems of waste disposal in our City.
Sincerely,
(listeners name withheld)
*****************
Subject: FW:
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:56:29 -0500
From: 311@winnipeg.ca
To: (west end resident)
Good Morning.
Thank you for contacting Winnipeg 311. I apologize for the delay in pick up. We have re-submitted another request to have the items picked up, and requested that they contact you to discuss your concerns. The new reference number is 387453 and they will looked into this matter within 3 business days.
If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to contact us again.
Sincerely,
Lee
Service Representative
311 Contact Centre
311@winnipeg.ca
******************
From:(west end resident)
To: 311@winnipeg.ca
Cc: hsmith@winnipeg.ca, skatz@winnipeg.ca, info@westendbiz.ca, winnipeg@bficanada.com, kateri@mts.net
Dear Lee,
Today, a representative from the City's Water and Waste Department, the caretaker of the church, and BFI attended the site to remove the debris. While the maggots left littering the lane are something to be desired, the clean up is appreciated, as well as the plan to remove the bin, and hopefully stop the ongoing illegal dumping.
The ROOT CAUSE of the matter is still unresolved, and Winnipeg as a whole needs to come to grips with the need to handle the solid waste in the City's core areas more diligently.
Kudo's to Councilor Smith for coming by the day he received my first e-mail, as well as Casey Jones from the City, (responsible for the roll out bins, NOT the auto bins), for his help loading the couches and other debris into the BFI bin.
Thanks to BFI for assisting in hauling the debris, as well as the Caretaker of Kateri Tekakwitha for agreeing to manage their garbage differently.
Shame on 311. Apparently, not only my request went unheeded for 2 weeks, but the Church has called twice in that time as well.
If not shame on 311, then shame on Water and Waste, and certainly shame on the organization of The City of Winnipeg for the dismal response time, and for ignoring the three calls we are AWARE of. How many other concerns just get ignored?
There remains a 50 gallon drum, 1/3 full of an unknown substance, that can not be lifted, nor disposed of in good conscience.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Free Press reports on half the MPI donation story, 3 weeks late
Today the mainstream media showed another example that they are in the history business rather than reporting news.
The Winnipeg Free Press not only took 3 weeks to even pretend to cover the MPI $1 million dollar giveaway under the guise it was a wise business decision, the newspaper of record tried to spin that it was no big deal.
But it didn't take long for outraged FP online readers - and TGCTS listeners - to assail the gatekeepers' trick of not reporting the true facts in the first place, and then say no one complained about what they read.
But it didn't take long for outraged FP online readers - and TGCTS listeners - to assail the gatekeepers' trick of not reporting the true facts in the first place, and then say no one complained about what they read.
MPI gets little flak over donation of building
"A decade ago, there was a public revolt against an NDP government plan to use $20 million from Autopac's profits to fund crumbling universities. Drivers flooded call-in shows and editorial pages and then-premier Gary Doer was forced to abandon the plan.
This time, no similar outrage materialized."
Oh ya? said one listener...Let's begin by confirming that Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata is an excellent organization that does fabulous work. My complaint is not with them, but rather with the Free Press coverage, its lack of investigative journalism and the perception of conflict of interest that arises when you look closely at the facts behind the donation.
There was:
No mention of the misleading press release, quoted verbatim by the Freep, which stated that the value was less than $100K.
No mention in the Freep that one of CLOUT's member agencies was the recipient of the donation or the possible conflict of interest that this may represent.
No mention in the Freep that MPI specifically targeted Aboriginal organizations for the donation (per Brian Smiley and MPI's comments to The Great Canadian Talk Show on 92.9 KICK FM), rather than offer the building to ALL service agencies in the area.
No mention in the Freep that the hand over was overseen/attended by elected provincial NDP officials in a city ward where the NDP is fielding candidates in the upcoming municipal election.
No mention in the Freep that The Great Canadian Talk Show on 92.9 KICK FM broke the real story about the value of the building.
No wonder there has been little public outcry. When you leave out the facts of the story, there is little to be critical of.
Other FP commenters reflected what we had heard on our show when we broke this story:
"In my opinion no crown corporation - MPI, MB Hydro, etc. should be doing anything but their core business. Thata a full time job. Do it and do it well. Being a "good corporate citizen" is something I don't expect from them and I don't want my money used for."
"Its doesnt matter how noble or worthy the cause; MPI is not a charity. Premiums are supposed to insure ratepayers in the event of an injury;(something they dont do by the way, but most wont figure that out until its too late) not save inner-city kids."
"There is no doubt that the Ma Mawi is a good organization and the building will be put to good use. My problem is with the mandate of MPI, where does it state that it should be donating buildings to local causes?
This is, in effect another tax on community involvement - one that I have no say, nor can elect or choose not to elect politicians for making these decisions. Who is to say that there wasn't other community groups wanting the same building, maybe it could have been sold and the proceeds given to another charity, or towards reducing our ridiculous insurance premiums (no they aren't even closest to the lowest in North America). "
"I don't agree with MPI giving anything away. It should have been sold. But realistically, who do you complain to? If you complain nowadays you're being racist, insensitive or intolerant. MPI's response is quite typical. Not too much flak, we must be doing okay.
An excellent example of today's "oversensitivity" is posting to this website. If you have anything that can be misconstrued or judgemental to the gov't the main stream media will ensure it never sees this board."
and our favorite:
" Well MPI should try reading the comments about them in the papers."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Clearing out the emailbag for spring and summer
To:
"Marty Gold"
Marty,
As I have mentioned you before what has happened is the mayor and yes it is the mayor has hired Laubenstein, Sheegl, Ruta and Robinson and he has created a similar situation where there was the Board of Commissioners and they had all of the power at City Hall. So if there is an "elected" position to be held accountable where the full "elected" people are not able to make decisions that you have just been mentioning it is in fact the Mayor.
PF
To:
"Marty Gold"
Why aren't the traffic laws enforced for cyclists as often as they are for cars! I love the idea of more people using these healthy transportation but what is about loseing an engine that means they gain impunity from the law! A stop sign still means stop! Green means go, NOT RED! Today i saw a cyclist cross Highway 1 in headingly through a red light, in an area normally crawling with cops, so how come the city isnt useing them for a cash grab instead of cameras in construction zones (like a camera can protect workers as well as a speed bump, it cant! CASH GRAB!)
TY
TY
To:
talk@kick.fm
I meant to comment last week when I witnessed the most absurd thing on my drive in to work...
There was a woman, walking across the Maryland Bridge towards Sherbrook and the downtown, in the bike lane amidst the rush hour traffic..
I had only to glance at the sidewalk on the bridge to understand her logic.. no fewer than 4 bicycles occupying her space on the sidewalk!!
I have been following the on-air discussion with interest, but not once have I heard "Grosvenor" mentioned ..
There are great plans afoot, and like all others unfolding, little neighbourhood consultation, and a series of"traffic-calming" roundabouts planned
( and this is a fire-truck route as well).
The planned roundabout that concerns me the most is at the intersection of Brock and Grosvenor, where there is huge pedestrian traffic as families, many parents with small children, strollers and wagons cross the street to go to the neighbourhood park and wading pool/playground.
I see the addition of a roundabout as adding confusion as to who will have right-of way to cross the street, and I fear for the safety of pedestrians..
I suspect most people in the area will be caught off guard as construction begins.
DJ
There was a woman, walking across the Maryland Bridge towards Sherbrook and the downtown, in the bike lane amidst the rush hour traffic..
I had only to glance at the sidewalk on the bridge to understand her logic.. no fewer than 4 bicycles occupying her space on the sidewalk!!
I have been following the on-air discussion with interest, but not once have I heard "Grosvenor" mentioned ..
There are great plans afoot, and like all others unfolding, little neighbourhood consultation, and a series of"traffic-calming" roundabouts planned
( and this is a fire-truck route as well).
The planned roundabout that concerns me the most is at the intersection of Brock and Grosvenor, where there is huge pedestrian traffic as families, many parents with small children, strollers and wagons cross the street to go to the neighbourhood park and wading pool/playground.
I see the addition of a roundabout as adding confusion as to who will have right-of way to cross the street, and I fear for the safety of pedestrians..
I suspect most people in the area will be caught off guard as construction begins.
DJ
MPI Donation of mothballed service centre
To:
"Marty Gold"
there are, as of July 1, 2010:
1,065,758 policies and 562,000 customers.
Therefore, each policy, if MPI sold the King St property for $1.4 million, would receive $1.40. And if you held more than one policy, it is definitely more than $1 per customer. So again, MPI uses their data and slightly misleads the customers they serve.
Biased MSM
Subject: Free Building!
Marty, the longer I work for MPI, the more I hate it. This building giveaway is another thing that gets me angry. The donation is completely indefensible. If I get a call about it, I'll have to transfer them to Marilyn's secretary.
***********Biased MSM
To:
"Marty Gold"
Marty
Over the weekend Bruce Owen of the WFP wrote a piece on the recent Probe Poll. In the article it is very clear how he is biased. Here is an excerpt which typifies the WPF left-wing bias.
In the key electoral ground of Winnipeg, Probe found the NDP still enjoys the support of 45 per cent of voters, a number they need to keep to hang onto another majority government. That number is down from 49 per cent in March. The PCs have seen their support increase marginally in Winnipeg since Probe's last poll. It's now 36 per cent, up from 32 per cent in March.
In both cases there is a four point swing (NDP down from 49 to 45 and PCs up from 32 to 36) YET Owen writes that the PC supports increased "marginally" while Owen states that the NDP "still enjoys the support of 45% of voters in Winnipeg".
If his writing were not so biased toward the NDP he should have been concentrating on the upward and downward trends in support. In fact the story should have concentrated on the fact that the NDP is losing support in Winnipeg at the expense of the PCs.
Trend analysis in case Mr. Owen needs reminding is what opinion poll are all about.
Over the weekend Bruce Owen of the WFP wrote a piece on the recent Probe Poll. In the article it is very clear how he is biased. Here is an excerpt which typifies the WPF left-wing bias.
In the key electoral ground of Winnipeg, Probe found the NDP still enjoys the support of 45 per cent of voters, a number they need to keep to hang onto another majority government. That number is down from 49 per cent in March. The PCs have seen their support increase marginally in Winnipeg since Probe's last poll. It's now 36 per cent, up from 32 per cent in March.
In both cases there is a four point swing (NDP down from 49 to 45 and PCs up from 32 to 36) YET Owen writes that the PC supports increased "marginally" while Owen states that the NDP "still enjoys the support of 45% of voters in Winnipeg".
If his writing were not so biased toward the NDP he should have been concentrating on the upward and downward trends in support. In fact the story should have concentrated on the fact that the NDP is losing support in Winnipeg at the expense of the PCs.
Trend analysis in case Mr. Owen needs reminding is what opinion poll are all about.
>>>>>>>>>>>
Just another example of communism and socialism mirroring each other in actual behaviour.This is no different than the NDP giving you the cold shoulder as I have never seen you misbehave but they refuse to acknowledge you as legitimate media which is no different than this in the context of freedom of the press (it should make no difference if you disagree with there policies as long as you do not misrepresent the facts which I do not believe you do or in this instance Hussain Giusti does ).
They just refuse to acknowledge anyone who does not agree with them and instead of standing up to them mainstream media cowers to the pressure and puts the NDP up on a pedestal so they do not get cut out as well which leads to poor coverage of government and misinformed constituents
Phil
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
With great power comes great responsibility
Elected judges sounds great however it may not truly be practical. I have been in favor of this for a long time until I sadly came to the realization that the majority of people are ignorant and uninformed to begin with, thus we may not want these people to have the responsibility of electing judges. Even if you have a so-called "informed group" made up of only lawyers, many of them are also crazy and idiots too!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The logic of garbage bins?
To:
311@winnipeg.ca
Cc:
talk@kick.fm
I had a yellow tag left on our recycling bin stating that is “Not Acceptable” after looking on the 311 website I discovered these pictures of the non acceptable bins. If you could please help me understand why this bin is not acceptable? Using the square uncovered bins has left a mess on our street on windy days and the employees of the recycling company will not pick up windblown recyclables never mind anything that they drop while emptying the bins. To add to that, these bins also keep the rain and snow out making them lighter in weight that the open square bins. The blue bin below are sold at local stores for recycling, maybe you should prohibit the stores from selling them. Why can they be used for refuse yet not for recycling. We do produce a fair amount of recycled good each week and this is a better option for us. We could put six boxes out instead, that accomplishes more lifting for the driver and helper. I suppose now, once our smaller bins are full, we will have to resort to putting the rest of the recyclables out with the regular trash. Good recycling practices.
Looking forward to your explanation.
Ken
A listener replied:
Having watched our recycling guys in action on a few occasions, I know exactly why the round bin with a lid is not acceptable:
Our recycling guy comes along and scoops up the open recycling bin with one hand and using the flick of a wrist, bangs it onto the side of the truck, mostly emptying it. He doesn't use both hands, and he doesn't bother ensuring that the bin is empty before tossing it back into my yard.
That's why my bins are held together with duct tape, and my street is filled with loose paper after recycling day.
A round bin with a lid would require him to take off the lid, lift properly and use both hands to empty it into the truck. Waaaay too much work.
L.
more bins de garbage
To:
talk@kick.fm
Hey Marty,
Here's a fun piece of garbage bin information:
Last week I got home from work to my back-alley driveway, and noticed that the automated garbage truck had left the lid of my garbage bin open after depositing it back on the alley-side. I thought, "Gee, that will be a pain when it's raining or snowing." As I went to close the lid, I saw printed clearly on the inside (paraphrased from memory), "FOR YOUR SAFETY, KEEP LID CLOSED AT ALL TIMES."
Thanks for endangering my safety, City of Winnipeg!
CP.
YOU HAVE THE POWER
To:
point.powerline@yahoo.com
Hello Powerline,
School is out, and it’s a hot and sunny 26 degrees today, but the splash park at Norquay CC is closed agai, due to “electrical issues.” This is the second day in a row that this has been the case, and yet there is no City/Hydro/contractors to be seen this morning and early afternoon. Also over the weekend, I hear that they closed the splash park because of some rainclouds that didn’t materialize.
My kids are 4 and 1, and we would love to be able to take them to that great (when operating) splash park around the corner from us, but it seems that the City doesn’t seem to think of it as a priority. They spent $600,000+ to build it and hosted a big ribbon-cutting event in 2008, but they can’t be bothered to show up a couple days before its scheduled opening and see that things are working ok, or to quickly start working when problems when the arise.
As frustrating as it is for my family, we are fortunate to have a car to get out to the beach or to other neighborhood splash parks. I cannot imagine how it must be for parents and kids in N. Point Douglas who don’t have a car.
People in cities need to be kept cool. The weather turned hot this weekend, and stabbings and shootings abounded. I wonder why. In New York City in the old days, the city would crack open the fire hydrant and let kids splash around in the street. I hope that the splash park issue is something Powerline that can be brought to the appropriate authorities.
If this kind of thing continues throughout this week, I am considering writing an open letter to the Mayor, nearby councilors, candidates running against them, the Free Press, and any City Department people or people at the Province you may think it would be beneficial to contact.
Either that, or crack open the fire hydrants.
Sincerely,
a resident
P.S. Contacting 311 regarding the splash park at Norquay has, in my experience, been a crapshoot, since for some reason this splash park isn’t easy to find on the City’s website (which is obviously what 311 employees read off of) So they usually don’t even know where it is. Same goes for anything else to do with Norquay Park, such as overflowing trash bins, upmowed grass—it doesn’t show up on the City’s list of parks and open spaces, and so 311 employees tell me it isn’t a City responsibility, and that it is maintained by the Community Centre.
******************
To:
To:
talk@kick.fm
Marty,
The Norquay splash park was up and running at noon today. The Powerline has contacted the mayor’s office, and the electrical problem (caused by a storm over the weekend) has been fixed. Lots of kids out there at the splash park, even though it’s a little cooler today.
It’s been great having the Power Line in North Point Douglas; they help make up for our neighborhood having NO elected representation: the MP is running for mayor, the MLA has never been more silent and absent; the councilor is on his death-bed. Even Councilor Mike Pagtakhan, who would often work on behalf of people in North Point Douglas (not part of his ward) has been off seeking the Federal Liberal nomination.
P.S. You were bang on about why so many people are running for council and mayor, so early in the race: they’re frustrated by the issues and the way the City handles them (or doesn’t). I see the issue with the Norquay Splash Park as one microcosm of that. The disastrous bike lane plans, the parking authority, etc. are bigger examples. In the last election, no one was filing their election papers in early July. Harry Lazarenko was uncontested until early September. This year he has two people running against him—with three and a half months left before the election.
360Winnipeg.ca Line of the day
I saw a photo radar car on Logan today that was parked about 1M or less from a fire hydrant.
I would have taken a picture, but I was scared to hold up my phone while I was driving.
SA
*************
Hank Cochran
To:
"Marty"
Yr right
I was just saying to my girlfriend that
WHO ELSE ON ANY LOCAL RADIO STATION WOULD COVER THE DEATH OF THIS RATHER OBSCURE MUSICAL LEGEND???
HUH?
No one Marty. No one but TGCTS.
That is the answer.
No one.
Thank you and thank you from all the music geeks in Winnipeg.
Hank's soul will have a lil extra boost on it's way to the great Rock and Roll beyond.
Way to go, cat go.
MONk
************************
I was just saying to my girlfriend that
WHO ELSE ON ANY LOCAL RADIO STATION WOULD COVER THE DEATH OF THIS RATHER OBSCURE MUSICAL LEGEND???
HUH?
No one Marty. No one but TGCTS.
That is the answer.
No one.
Thank you and thank you from all the music geeks in Winnipeg.
Hank's soul will have a lil extra boost on it's way to the great Rock and Roll beyond.
Way to go, cat go.
MONk
************************
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Posted by: a_centrist_view
July 30, 2010 at 9:08 AM