General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours

[MidTowner]

I don't think Toronto and Waterloo have a lot in common, and I don't think Toronto's traffic is because it lacks a few needlessly wide one-way streets cutting through its downtown so much that it is a huge city. Most very big cities have intense traffic- Manhattan does, too, and it also has plenty of one-way streets.

The volume of traffic on Erb and Bridgeport could be carried by a pair of normal two-way streets. Those streets would still carry traffic, and there would be no "traffic chaos," but the traffic would be at much more human speeds and the streets could do all of the other things that streets should besides just "letting traffic move."

[Viewfromthe42]

The reconfiguration of Bridgeport/Caroline from King to Erb requires there to be two westbound lanes on Bridgeport. You also have a fun design to set up at Moore/Bridgeport/Laurel.

[zanate]

Potential development coming to Erb st West near Uptown... https://www.realtor.ca/Commercial/Vacant...rio-N2L1V1

Interesting spot. Who does that, though? Completes plans to build something on the property then offers the property (and presumably the plans) for sale?

If a developer were interested in that property, wouldn't they want to have their own plan?

Honest question. Not sure if this sort of thing is common or not, just feels odd.

[chutten]

My concerns about two way Erb / Bridgeport are parking related. Right now there's hazards (parked cars) allowed on both sides of that street. This is generally manageable at present because traffic can usually flow around a solitary car but using the other two lanes.

Residents will obviously not give up their "right" to have on street parking, so how will things flow when the single lane is mostly blocked?

Are there comparable streets elsewhere in the Region we can look at for comparison?

[MidTowner]

Queen Street South carries about as much traffic as either of Erb or Bridgeport, and does it with one lane each way and alternating between a centre boulevard and centre turn lanes.

Edit: Sorry, that example doesn't address your concerns about potential outcries about loss of street parking. I'm not sure of a Regional road with comparable volume that accommodates on-street parking as well.

How much street parking is on Erb and Bridgeport exactly? It's restricted at many times, I think.

Another edit: We've strayed off of the purpose of this thread (and it's my fault). Maybe the last few posts related to this could be moved to the Erb/Bridgeport/Caroline reconfiguration thread, or General Roads Discussion, or whatever is most appropriate?

[plam]

Queen Street South carries about as much traffic as either of Erb or Bridgeport, and does it with one lane each way and alternating between a centre boulevard and centre turn lanes.

Edit: Sorry, that example doesn't address your concerns about potential outcries about loss of street parking. I'm not sure of a Regional road with comparable volume that accommodates on-street parking as well.

How much street parking is on Erb and Bridgeport exactly? It's restricted at many times, I think.

Yes, not allowed during rush hours and not heavily used at other times. Also long driveways. Not sure people actually care as much about on-street parking there as elsewhere.

[mpd618]

Interesting spot. Who does that, though? Completes plans to build something on the property then offers the property (and presumably the plans) for sale?

I feel like I've seen that quite often. A real estate company assembles a property and does a mock-up for what's possible on the site as part of marketing. Or I assume developers might have too much on the go already and not enough ability to invest in a particular project, so they're willing to part with it.

[Markster]

Happens in Toronto often enough.

Do the legwork to get the zoning change, and then resell at a higher value thanks to the higher density zoning.

[Pheidippides]

Noticed in the City of Waterloo meeting agenda is a pending approval to add full size LAV III to the cenotaph between Paul Puncher and City Hall:
http://calendar.waterloo.ca/Module/Calen...84f5b85502

[Lens]

Yikes.

[GtwoK]

But why?

[panamaniac]

But why?

They are being offered up to cities across the country as military monuments.  I think there is another one planned for Kitchener in front of the armoury on East Ave.

[panamaniac]

Here's the website with more information:

http://lavmonument.ca/en/index.html

[mpd618]

Noticed in the City of Waterloo meeting agenda is a pending approval to add full size LAV III to the cenotaph between Paul Puncher and City Hall:
http://calendar.waterloo.ca/Module/Calen...84f5b85502

How... tasteless.

[Pheidippides]

It is surprising to me that the prime minister statute project seemed more controversial than this.