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General University Area Updates and Rumours
(09-20-2023, 11:42 AM)SF22 Wrote: Have there ever been any rumours of UW deciding to build a parking garage to free up some land for new buildings? The East Campus area at Phillip/Columbia have 5 buildings in a sea of surface parking, literally right north of the UW LRT stop. There are the two massive student lots at Seagram/University that are also right beside the Waterloo Park LRT stop, and right next to their existing student residences that they are actively growing (ie: the new indigenous-inspired res).  There is a ton of UW surface parking in the R&T Park that is for students; when you look at the parking to building ratio up there, it's kind of ridiculous.

At some point, they're going to need to scrap some surface lots, right??

There is a master plan which builds on most of the existing parking, with a parking garage built next to where E6 is. But right now they're working on M4 and the new Res building so they will get rid of the parking eventually, I know parking lot C is partly in the flood plain so it might be a parking lot for the foreseeable future.
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(09-20-2023, 11:42 AM)SF22 Wrote: Have there ever been any rumours of UW deciding to build a parking garage to free up some land for new buildings? The East Campus area at Phillip/Columbia have 5 buildings in a sea of surface parking, literally right north of the UW LRT stop. There are the two massive student lots at Seagram/University that are also right beside the Waterloo Park LRT stop, and right next to their existing student residences that they are actively growing (ie: the new indigenous-inspired res).  There is a ton of UW surface parking in the R&T Park that is for students; when you look at the parking to building ratio up there, it's kind of ridiculous.

At some point, they're going to need to scrap some surface lots, right??

Lol...UW is a major obstacle to good urban planning and design, and often oppose city projects to improve things (their influence has significantly degraded city/region plans around the IHT and the ION line).

So I find it unlikely that they are going to start making good decisions any time soon.

But they don't really shy away from paving parking lots. They seem to prefer to build on greenspace...which is pretty shitty for students, but they do occasionally build on parking lots. They also have no lack of empty land to build surface parking, and have no care about how far students (or faculty) must walk. The management level staff are insulated by parking in their garage under needless he...erm...Needles Hall.
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(09-20-2023, 11:42 AM)SF22 Wrote: Have there ever been any rumours of UW deciding to build a parking garage to free up some land for new buildings? The East Campus area at Phillip/Columbia have 5 buildings in a sea of surface parking, literally right north of the UW LRT stop. There are the two massive student lots at Seagram/University that are also right beside the Waterloo Park LRT stop, and right next to their existing student residences that they are actively growing (ie: the new indigenous-inspired res).  There is a ton of UW surface parking in the R&T Park that is for students; when you look at the parking to building ratio up there, it's kind of ridiculous.

At some point, they're going to need to scrap some surface lots, right??

Not until property taxes make it a bad decision to keep supporting, so never I suppose
local cambridge weirdo
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UW published a 'master plan' about a decade ago that included adding parking garages and converting surface parking to new buildings. Some parts of it have been implemented but the parking plan seems to be stalled.
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(09-20-2023, 02:34 PM)KevinL Wrote: UW published a 'master plan' about a decade ago that included adding parking garages and converting surface parking to new buildings. Some parts of it have been implemented but the parking plan seems to be stalled.

Oh, interesting! I will have to see if I can dig up that old plan online still. Thanks!
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(09-20-2023, 03:40 PM)SF22 Wrote:
(09-20-2023, 02:34 PM)KevinL Wrote: UW published a 'master plan' about a decade ago that included adding parking garages and converting surface parking to new buildings. Some parts of it have been implemented but the parking plan seems to be stalled.

Oh, interesting! I will have to see if I can dig up that old plan online still. Thanks!

Here's the master plan document for the main campus, it was last updated nearly 15 years ago: https://uwaterloo.ca/plant-operations/si...r_plan.pdf

Since the master plan they've built STC, QNC, M3, E6, E7, EV3, SLC expansion, Needles Hall expansion, Health Expansion, PHY expansion (small wing). Most of these buildings are where new ones were going to go on the master plan but some definitely aren't such as SLC, Needles Hall, Health Expansion, and PHY expansion.

Here's the guidelines for the northwest campus, from 11 years ago, https://uwaterloo.ca/plant-operations/si...elines.pdf
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It’s been a while since I’ve been back to UW - have they built any new parking lots in that time? If not, then that’s an impressive amount of growth with no new parking and a lot of the credit could go to the LRT most likely.
local cambridge weirdo
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(09-20-2023, 07:27 PM)bravado Wrote: It’s been a while since I’ve been back to UW - have they built any new parking lots in that time? If not, then that’s an impressive amount of growth with no new parking and a lot of the credit could go to the LRT most likely.

There hasn't been any new parking lots added since the master plan came out, here's a satellite picture of the campus in 2009 vs 2022. The resolution isn't the best on the images but it shows that E5 and QNC were under construction in 2009 when the masterplan came out. Then in 2022 E5, E6, E7, EV3, QNC, M3, STC, Needles Hall expansion, SLC expansion, and the Health expansion are all complete. Currently they're renovating the top floor of ESC. Then after that it will be the new M4 building.

2009
   

2022
   
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(09-20-2023, 05:48 PM)ZEBuilder Wrote:
(09-20-2023, 03:40 PM)SF22 Wrote: Oh, interesting! I will have to see if I can dig up that old plan online still. Thanks!

Here's the master plan document for the main campus, it was last updated nearly 15 years ago: https://uwaterloo.ca/plant-operations/si...r_plan.pdf

Since the master plan they've built STC, QNC, M3, E6, E7, EV3, SLC expansion, Needles Hall expansion, Health Expansion, PHY expansion (small wing). Most of these buildings are where new ones were going to go on the master plan but some definitely aren't such as SLC, Needles Hall, Health Expansion, and PHY expansion.

Here's the guidelines for the northwest campus, from 11 years ago, https://uwaterloo.ca/plant-operations/si...elines.pdf

You are a star!
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As a current UW student. Parking is a nightmare. Not only is it expensive, it’s far away (and any lots that are even remotely close to where you’re going are completely full)

The lack of parking garages at the university is crazy. Raze all the surface lots and put things that are actually worthwhile on them. So much surface parking in such an urban area is ridiculous
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(10-13-2023, 11:19 PM)Bjays93 Wrote: As a current UW student. Parking is a nightmare. Not only is it expensive, it’s far away (and any lots that are even remotely close to where you’re going are completely full)

The lack of parking garages at the university is crazy. Raze all the surface lots and put things that are actually worthwhile on them. So much surface parking in such an urban area is ridiculous

There is an ION station and a bus terminal right there at the University. Why do you need to drive a car to get there?
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I'm sure they have a reason. Vehicle owners don't need to justify to other people why they use a vehicle. Maybe they live far away, or they study something that benefits from it it (fine arts, architecture etc...the sort of hands on degrees where you still actually use your hands, not just a laptop) or they just like to have a vehicle. They're handy and it's pure copium to say otherwise.

Plus transit in this region is garbage as it's unreliable, slow, infrequent and extremely overcrowded. I've started taking earlier or even longer routes to get around just so I can avoid the crowds on the main routes. I'd rather wait for 15 minutes to catch a different bus than stay on the train and have to smell body odour, inhale germs and deal with morons.
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(10-14-2023, 12:50 PM)ac3r Wrote: I'm sure they have a reason. Vehicle owners don't need to justify to other people why they use a vehicle. Maybe they live far away, or they study something that benefits from it it (fine arts, architecture etc...the sort of hands on degrees where you still actually use your hands, not just a laptop) or they just like to have a vehicle. They're handy and it's pure copium to say otherwise.

Plus transit in this region is garbage as it's unreliable, slow, infrequent and extremely overcrowded. I've started taking earlier or even longer routes to get around just so I can avoid the crowds on the main routes. I'd rather wait for 15 minutes to catch a different bus than stay on the train and have to smell body odour, inhale germs and deal with morons.

Well, I would like to have a personal helicopter and land it anywhere I want, but I don't think they will let me. Too many people want to drive cars and expect to have vast parts of the city devoted to the storage of their personal property, no matter the effect on the quality of life in the city for other people. Your comment about transit users sounds misanthropic and elitist. I have never noticed excessive body odour while riding transit. I think that most transit users know how to take a shower, just like car drivers. If you are worried about germs, wear a mask. Since GRT and the ION have great ridership numbers, I cannot agree that transit in this region is garbage. When it comes to morons, perhaps you need to look in the mirror.
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(10-13-2023, 11:19 PM)Bjays93 Wrote: As a current UW student. Parking is a nightmare. Not only is it expensive, it’s far away (and any lots that are even remotely close to where you’re going are completely full)

The lack of parking garages at the university is crazy. Raze all the surface lots and put things that are actually worthwhile on them. So much surface parking in such an urban area is ridiculous

Parking at the University is severely mismanaged. On the one hand, there is a lot which is always free next to Seagram LRT station; of course, at busy times, it fills up and you can’t actually park there at all. On the other hand, parking in most of the on-campus visitor lots is a flat fee for the entire day. So you can park at 07:00, pay $6, and stay there all day and into the evening, including through the period of time when the lot is full despite the $6 fee; or you can show up at 18:00 when the lot is emptying out, and you still need to pay $6 to park for a couple of hours in an empty lot. Meanwhile, employees can pay a risibly low monthly fee to park all day every day; but if they only need a couple of days a week (maybe transit is convenient 3 days a week, but the other days they need to pick up kids from an after-school activity or something) they get no discount.

They should just implement SFPark for almost all parking and get rid of the monthly passes and special deals.

Also if the President wants to announce that Donna Strickland gets a special parking space, the President’s office should pay for it, not the Faculty of Science. But that’s just an amusing minor quibble compared to the serious issues mentioned above.
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(10-14-2023, 12:00 AM)Acitta Wrote:
(10-13-2023, 11:19 PM)Bjays93 Wrote: As a current UW student. Parking is a nightmare. Not only is it expensive, it’s far away (and any lots that are even remotely close to where you’re going are completely full)

The lack of parking garages at the university is crazy. Raze all the surface lots and put things that are actually worthwhile on them. So much surface parking in such an urban area is ridiculous

There is an ION station and a bus terminal right there at the University. Why do you need to drive a car to get there?
Well primarily because our cities are built like shit and so you still need a car to get most places in any reasonable amount of time. 

That said I would love to take a bus or the Ion, but when it’s a 15 minute drive from my parents house to the nearest bus stop or a 25 min drive to the nearest LRT stop and only a 35-40 min drive to the university, taking transit doesn’t make much sense. 

Alternatively I could pay $1000 a month to live in a shitty apartment next to the university but I’d rather be comfortable at home for free and pay the gas money instead.
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