04-22-2018, 07:57 PM
(04-21-2018, 11:09 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: Disconnect? What do you mean? Of the nearby crossings that existed before the last several years, we have:
King - now a grade separation;
Waterloo - currently closed, will be a pedestrian link although if they foolishly go with the bridge rather than the tunnel it will be somewhat roundabout and quite inconvenient for those needing elevators;
Duke - currently level crossing; given proximity to station could be kept even with HSR, although crossing would activate more often
Weber - now a grade separation;
Ahrens - currently closed, but could be re-opened once train station moves;
Margaret - has been a grade separation for decades;
Everything else you say makes sense, but I just don’t see how anybody could think the tracks will form a significant barrier, especially for nonmotorized traffic.
High Speed rail requires grade separation, that includes Duke. Ahrens will not re-open as far as I know. Weber and King are grade separated but neither are particularly pleasant. Removing Duke, St. Leger and than grade separating Lancaster all will make it harder to get across the tracks. Not that I am complaining... it's just a reality to me.
From what I have seen people in this end of the hood tend to head in towards Waterloo rather than Kitchener for these reasons. High Speed Rail will continue that trend. Which is actually fine if we have the right amenities in the neighbourhood, which is why I am pro this build with retail. We need those amenities.
As for the Food Desert comment I mean that we are experiencing it. It's not a desert completely. You are right there is Central Fresh, but I wouldn't call it cheap and with no alternative there isn't much in the way of options. As someone else mentioned that also includes other eating options that don't rely on cooking it yourself. Such as fast food options that are healthy or restaurants to sit in and enjoy that offer good quality healthy food.