General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Printable Version +- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com) +-- Forum: Land Development and Real Estate (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Urban Areas (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5) +--- Thread: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours (/showthread.php?tid=8) Pages:
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RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - ac3r - 01-16-2023 Anyone remember the KPL Bookmobile? I don't know if they still have that, but when I was a kid they had a truck or two (pretty sure they were old school Workhorse boxtrucks) that would drive around to different neighbourhoods to loan out books. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - neonjoe - 01-16-2023 (06-12-2015, 10:17 AM)Owen Wrote:(06-12-2015, 09:47 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: I'm afraid that even then it won't be enough, judging from other urban examples. We are going from 0 buildings to 1 (Kaufman) to 3 (Kaufman+One Victoria+City Centre) so while the increase sounds like a lot, density is still extremely low in that area as far as downtown urban districts are concerned. We will need the other City Centre tower as well as the two towers in One Hundred Victoria before we start seeing critical mass. The transit hub will help a lot as the fact that a trip to downtown will be a breeze away when the LRT is in place. Then we'll see a clear pickup. (01-16-2023, 05:43 PM)ac3r Wrote: Anyone remember the KPL Bookmobile? I don't know if they still have that, but when I was a kid they had a truck or two (pretty sure they were old school Workhorse boxtrucks) that would drive around to different neighbourhoods to loan out books. Yup I definitely remember this... definitely made it much more convenient when I grew up in Laurentian Hills. There also will be a new branch starting construction this year. https://www.kpl.org/your-library/locations-and-hours/southwest-library I'm looking forward to this one as I'll be able to walk to this one with my kids... RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Momo26 - 01-16-2023 100% would like to see some other loop LRT or how I've putt it before, 6 to 8 'tentacles' (leaning towards 8 if not more), that reach out and bring people to node stops on the line. A lot more complex than a straight 2 way line but so what, all doable. As it stands I need to take 2 busses and the LRT to get DTK proper (1h15m one way trip assuming zero delays, can shave off 15mins occassionally if one of the bus drivers is kind enough to make a particular stop on an express run - even then no guarentee). I'd love to see someone mock something up on a K-W topical map on here! RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - jeffster - 01-16-2023 (01-16-2023, 11:51 AM)ac3r Wrote: I don't think it takes a genius to tell when someone is in a bathroom using drugs versus doing something with a colostomy bag. Gimme a break. Problem is, people that want to see it will see it all the time will see it all the time -- and people that want to pretend that it mostly doesn't exist (or simply isn't that bad) just won't see it. It's somewhere in the middle. That said, I did work in DTK for a number of years, and I know for a fact that drug usage was daily at: The TeenTown washrooms at Victoria Park (by the Pavilion), the other public washrooms close to The Boathouse, City Hall washrooms (main floor) and skate pad washrooms. Duke and Ontario garage also had daily problems (several times a day) and was so bad that the city had to close those washrooms (and I think they're still closed). This isn't a dump on the homeless or the addicts - just a reality that many of them don't care about anyone else. I had a co-worker stabbed by a syringe and never did come back to work (no idea what happened to her - just that she got really sick). We have a real problem with leadership in this Region - with Redman and our 3 mayors (includes that two that are no longer mayors) being pretty ineffective at just about everything they did. However, I do reserve judgement for the mayors of Waterloo and Cambridge as they are new and just getting her their wet. RE: Mayfair Hotel - tomh009 - 01-16-2023 (06-12-2015, 09:47 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: I'm afraid that even then it won't be enough, judging from other urban examples. We are going from 0 buildings to 1 (Kaufman) to 3 (Kaufman+One Victoria+City Centre) so while the increase sounds like a lot, density is still extremely low in that area as far as downtown urban districts are concerned. We will need the other City Centre tower as well as the two towers in One Hundred Victoria before we start seeing critical mass. The transit hub will help a lot as the fact that a trip to downtown will be a breeze away when the LRT is in place. Then we'll see a clear pickup. I don't know whether this quoted by accident or intentionally, but it is from seven years ago. Coincidentally, just about the same time that we moved to DTK. That started me thinking, what has changed since then?
And also ...
And then ...
But also ...
Overall, it's a lot of changes. And mostly for the better, I think. Hopefully we can continue to build on all that's good, while addressing the issues we have this city will be a very good place to live. At least for us, personally -- everyone else's mileage will vary, of course, depending on your personal priorities. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - timc - 01-17-2023 (01-16-2023, 06:22 PM)Momo26 Wrote: 100% would like to see some other loop LRT or how I've putt it before, 6 to 8 'tentacles' (leaning towards 8 if not more), that reach out and bring people to node stops on the line. A lot more complex than a straight 2 way line but so what, all doable. As it stands I need to take 2 busses and the LRT to get DTK proper (1h15m one way trip assuming zero delays, can shave off 15mins occassionally if one of the bus drivers is kind enough to make a particular stop on an express run - even then no guarentee). Imagine if every bus route (or at least every express route) went to an LRT station and every LRT station was served by a bus route. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - ijmorlan - 01-17-2023 (01-17-2023, 01:40 PM)timc Wrote: Imagine if every bus route (or at least every express route) went to an LRT station and every LRT station was served by a bus route. I’m pretty sure that’s already true outside of Cambridge and the Wilmot and Doon Mills BusPlus routes and Route 36. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - CedarHillAlum - 01-17-2023 (01-17-2023, 02:11 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:Wasn't that one of the main reasons the bus terminal in DTK became obsolete? When the LRT became active, the bus routes in KW were reconfigured to connect to LRT stations.(01-17-2023, 01:40 PM)timc Wrote: Imagine if every bus route (or at least every express route) went to an LRT station and every LRT station was served by a bus route. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Bytor - 01-17-2023 (01-16-2023, 06:22 PM)Momo26 Wrote: 100% would like to see some other loop LRT Sure! Once other routes have the ridership to make an LRT worth while. None currently do, however. Not even pre-pandemic. That's basically the reason why we're waiting for ION stage 2. (01-16-2023, 06:22 PM)Momo26 Wrote: or how I've putt it before, 6 to 8 'tentacles' (leaning towards 8 if not more), that reach out and bring people to node stops on the line. In K-W the only routes that do not connect to an ION are 36 and 76 down in Doon/Pioneer Park. (01-16-2023, 06:22 PM)Momo26 Wrote: As it stands I need to take 2 busses and the LRT to get DTK proper (1h15m one way trip assuming zero delays, can shave off 15mins occassionally if one of the bus drivers is kind enough to make a particular stop on an express run - even then no guarentee). It sounds like you live in somewhere on the fringes, like to the south and/or east of Cambridge, as even Doon South in Kitchener, a badly connected area, is less than an hour from DTK by the bus schedules. RE: Mayfair Hotel - CedarHillAlum - 01-17-2023 (01-16-2023, 09:09 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(06-12-2015, 09:47 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: I'm afraid that even then it won't be enough, judging from other urban examples. We are going from 0 buildings to 1 (Kaufman) to 3 (Kaufman+One Victoria+City Centre) so while the increase sounds like a lot, density is still extremely low in that area as far as downtown urban districts are concerned. We will need the other City Centre tower as well as the two towers in One Hundred Victoria before we start seeing critical mass. The transit hub will help a lot as the fact that a trip to downtown will be a breeze away when the LRT is in place. Then we'll see a clear pickup. Also, from the 2021 census, the population of the Downtown census tract (bounded by Victoria, Joseph, a short stretch of Queen, Church, Cedar and Weber Streets) increased from 2,347 in 2016 to 3,075 in 2021, a 31% increase, one of the highest increases of all census tracts in the city. The adjacent census tract, where Station Park, Glove Box etc. are located, saw an even larger population increase of 38.9% from 2,335 to 3,243. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Acitta - 01-17-2023 The last two days, some workers came by and cut down all the trees on two properties on Mill St., #252 & #247 which are the third and fourth houses counting from St. Andrews Church. I was told, in the summer, that the one next to the church (#265) was sold for development, but I hadn't heard anything about any of the other properties on that section of the street. I was just walking in Charles Best Park when a bylaw vehicle drove into the park to check it out. The bylaw officer told me that there had been a complaint by someone concerned that they were cutting trees that belonged to the park. He said that they didn't. Has anyone heard anything about potential developments along there? RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 01-17-2023 265, 257 and 251 are listed as having private owners, whereas 247 is owned by 2741275 ONTARIO LTD. Of course the city's information may be out of date, too. No building permits listed, either, but that stretch is proposed for RES-6 (25m max height, eight storeys). RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Acitta - 01-17-2023 (01-17-2023, 09:06 PM)tomh009 Wrote: 265, 257 and 251 are listed as having private owners, whereas 247 is owned by 2741275 ONTARIO LTD. Of course the city's information may be out of date, too. All the properties backing onto the park have big backyards. One could build a substantial number of apartments along there if someone were able to buy several of them. Most of them are rather shabby looking houses, so no great loss if they were demolished. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - timc - 01-18-2023 (01-17-2023, 02:11 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(01-17-2023, 01:40 PM)timc Wrote: Imagine if every bus route (or at least every express route) went to an LRT station and every LRT station was served by a bus route. I guess I’m mostly still wishing for a bus connection at Waterloo Park. I forgot about mall connections at the extremities. RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 01-18-2023 Yes, Waterloo Park station is the only one with no bus connections (more's the pity; several routes on University don't visit UW station). |