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+--- Thread: The Inclusive on Courtland | 38, 34, 30 & 29 fl | Proposed (/showthread.php?tid=736)
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - Acitta - 12-17-2020
These days, it is becoming popular to use an E-bike as an alternative to a car. You can't do 100 km/h on the highway, but 32 km/h is quite fast for getting around town. I bought one in July and have put more than 1500 km on it. I think that a lot of car trips could be replaced by an E-bike. If you need to carry a lot of stuff, there are cargo bike versions.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - jeffster - 12-17-2020
(12-17-2020, 06:27 PM)Acitta Wrote: These days, it is becoming popular to use an E-bike as an alternative to a car. You can't do 100 km/h on the highway, but 32 km/h is quite fast for getting around town. I bought one in July and have put more than 1500 km on it. I think that a lot of car trips could be replaced by an E-bike. If you need to carry a lot of stuff, there are cargo bike versions.
An e-bike can be a great solution during the none-snowy months for some people, assuming they don’t need to take a lot of stuff with them. But again, not a solution for everything. As I said, everyone situation is different.
But I do agree that e-bikes could take a lot of cars off the road. Perhaps not making car owners give up cars, but rather car owners using and sharing the e-bike for simply trips.
Any tips on anti-theft devices?
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - KevinL - 12-17-2020
E-Bikes work well in the snowy months too! Just be sure to have the right gear and tires, and be aware of upcoming conditions.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - danbrotherston - 12-17-2020
(12-17-2020, 12:57 PM)Belmonster Wrote:Quote:I dunno, in my mind a transit oriented community must be an equally walkable neighbourhood to succeed, and this just doesn't do it for me. If it does for other people, then I hope they enjoy living there, it just confuses me.
Seems like a bootstrapping problem. Although this development is designed to be walkable and transit oriented, the neighborhood around it isn't. Somebody has to go first, though. I'm hopeful that the surrounding car lots and vacant land will eventually be replaced with other walkable, transit-oriented developments -- at the very least this seems like a good push in that direction.
In the meantime, easy access to transit counts for a lot, and as far as I know this is as easy as access to the ION gets.
While it is true, they don't *have* to wait for other developments. I'm not certain what the zoning is here, but in theory, this could be a mixed use development providing some of the needed walkable ammenities within the development itself.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - danbrotherston - 12-17-2020
(12-17-2020, 08:23 PM)KevinL Wrote: E-Bikes work well in the snowy months too! Just be sure to have the right gear and tires, and be aware of upcoming conditions.
They can, although I've had one that caught fire as a result of salt spray from the road. This is totally on the manufacturer though, I suspect most newer bikes are better weather proofed.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - danbrotherston - 12-17-2020
(12-17-2020, 03:42 PM)jeffster Wrote:(12-17-2020, 10:01 AM)Acitta Wrote: I have lived here 19 years and have never felt the need to own a car. Bicycling and public transit have always been sufficient. There are a lot of people with families who don't own cars. I see them on the buses and on bicycles.
I think it really depends on a persons or families situation. For some, walking/biking/transit will work fine. For others, it just won't.
If I were to look at my situation:
Regarding my work: I work shifts, 7 times I have to start by 6am another 7 times I finish at 12:00am -- no bus service. Walking not an option, biking not a real option either (I have bad asthma, which activates during very warm weather and anything below 12ºC). That leaves me using a cab (about $40 per trip) for at least 16x out of 4 weeks (13 periods).
...snip for brevity...
As for other drawbacks of not having a car and just using transit/cabs/bikes/walking for day to day things like work, appointments, grocery shopping, etc, is the amount of time all that it takes is pretty significant.
But having a car for this family works out to 1/3 the cost of the alternative.
Certainly replacing a daily commute with a taxi because there is no other possible alternative makes no sense whatsoever--not financially, and not in terms of transport policy (taxi's generate MORE VMT than owned vehicles...even if they generate less parking). When I lived in New Hamburg, I drove my car every day, it was my only reasonable option.
But most people are not in that situation. I no longer am. I live downtown, and have very good access to transit. I am also setup for and comfortable riding for many of my errands. And I have car share and car rentals for occasional trips outside the city.
But in some cases I still feel limited by my lack of a car. There are many parts of the city which are difficult or dangerous for me to get too. And don't even get me started about winter. I can totally see why a car may seem like a necessity even in a TOD. I choose not to have a car, but ultimately, that's a choice I make that has real costs.
I do think that if more people made the cost analysis of owning a car, especially, if they are not using it for a daily commute, they might rethink whether it is worth the money, but I totally understand that in our city, the way it is right now, giving up a vehicle is not without cost. But detaching parking from the cost of renting can go a long way to making the cost of owning a vehicle more visible, I wish they would do so here, but given the suburban nature, I doubt it.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - panamaniac - 12-17-2020
(12-17-2020, 08:24 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:(12-17-2020, 12:57 PM)Belmonster Wrote: Seems like a bootstrapping problem. Although this development is designed to be walkable and transit oriented, the neighborhood around it isn't. Somebody has to go first, though. I'm hopeful that the surrounding car lots and vacant land will eventually be replaced with other walkable, transit-oriented developments -- at the very least this seems like a good push in that direction.
In the meantime, easy access to transit counts for a lot, and as far as I know this is as easy as access to the ION gets.
While it is true, they don't *have* to wait for other developments. I'm not certain what the zoning is here, but in theory, this could be a mixed use development providing some of the needed walkable ammenities within the development itself.
True (is there any commercial space in the proposal?). The project might also spur upgrades/expansion of the stripmall across the street (or across the street and down a block).
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - KevinL - 12-17-2020
I had an impression of ground-level retail, at least in the area of the Ion station, but I can't say it was definitively stated anywhere.
That plaza could well see a revamp - the Talize thrift store unit was once a grocery, and could be again.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - panamaniac - 12-17-2020
(12-17-2020, 09:12 PM)KevinL Wrote: I had an impression of ground-level retail, at least in the area of the Ion station, but I can't say it was definitively stated anywhere.Yes, the Talize was originally a Zehrs.
That plaza could well see a revamp - the Talize thrift store unit was once a grocery, and could be again.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - neonjoe - 12-18-2020
(12-17-2020, 09:46 PM)panamaniac Wrote:I remember it as Knecthel then it was a Staples.(12-17-2020, 09:12 PM)KevinL Wrote: I had an impression of ground-level retail, at least in the area of the Ion station, but I can't say it was definitively stated anywhere.Yes, the Talize was originally a Zehrs.
That plaza could well see a revamp - the Talize thrift store unit was once a grocery, and could be again.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - Acitta - 12-18-2020
(12-17-2020, 07:48 PM)jeffster Wrote:My bike came with mounts for an Abus wheel lock for which there is an accessory chain. It works great for quick trips into the grocery store. I also carry an extra heavy duty chain and lock. However, I generally don't leave my bike unattended for long and keep it in my ground floor apartment when I am not using it.(12-17-2020, 06:27 PM)Acitta Wrote: These days, it is becoming popular to use an E-bike as an alternative to a car. You can't do 100 km/h on the highway, but 32 km/h is quite fast for getting around town. I bought one in July and have put more than 1500 km on it. I think that a lot of car trips could be replaced by an E-bike. If you need to carry a lot of stuff, there are cargo bike versions.
An e-bike can be a great solution during the none-snowy months for some people, assuming they don’t need to take a lot of stuff with them. But again, not a solution for everything. As I said, everyone situation is different.
But I do agree that e-bikes could take a lot of cars off the road. Perhaps not making car owners give up cars, but rather car owners using and sharing the e-bike for simply trips.
Any tips on anti-theft devices?
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - Acitta - 12-18-2021
Large Kitchener development on hold, while another moves along
Courtland Avenue and Block Line Road project stalled by CNR appeal, while former Schneiders factory development moving ahead
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - neonjoe - 12-19-2021
^ and this is probably the same reason the LRT runs beside courtland rather than the more direct route.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - ijmorlan - 12-19-2021
(12-19-2021, 09:08 AM)neonjoe Wrote: ^ and this is probably the same reason the LRT runs beside courtland rather than the more direct route.
Objections from CN? I doubt it. The LRT runs immediately next to the CN track just a little closer to Mill Station.
RE: Virerra Village | 38, 34, 30 & 29fl | Proposed - KevinL - 12-19-2021
It's weird that CN is bringing the appeal; that yard is a mix of CN and CP track, but it's CP's side that is closest to this property.