General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[Bytor]

Kitchener to create a second pedestrian street near the Kitchener Market

Yes, I'd replied to the poll: https://www.engagewr.ca/pedestrianfirstmarket

I feel it should be Cedar rather than Eby, as Cedar is right by the LRT station.

[danbrotherston]

Yes, I'd replied to the poll: https://www.engagewr.ca/pedestrianfirstmarket

I feel it should be Cedar rather than Eby, as Cedar is right by the LRT station.

There are some things good about Cedar, as you say it connects to the LRT directly. But it would require a big reconfiguration of the Market, in the summer the Market is oriented ONTO (and this summer, INTO) Eby St. I also prefer Eby because of it's connection to Market Ln. which could and should be used to extend the market.

It would also be much more politically difficult. Cedar is a through road for cars (and bikes at that), so closing it to traffic is much harder. Further, it is the parking garage access for the Market, something that city council was utterly terrified of impeding (despite the problematic traffic it generates).

[tomh009]

I feel it should be Cedar rather than Eby, as Cedar is right by the LRT station.

There are some things good about Cedar, as you say it connects to the LRT directly. But it would require a big reconfiguration of the Market, in the summer the Market is oriented ONTO (and this summer, INTO) Eby St.  I also prefer Eby because of it's connection to Market Ln. which could and should be used to extend the market.

It would also be much more politically difficult. Cedar is a through road for cars (and bikes at that), so closing it to traffic is much harder. Further, it is the parking garage access for the Market, something that city council was utterly terrified of impeding (despite the problematic traffic it generates).

Eby is also a natural choice for conversion to a pedestrian street as there is minimal car (or bicycle) traffic there, given that it's only three blocks long (and the last block is across the LRT and inaccessible to bicycles and cars). Cedar/Krug is a very different animal.

[plam]

I feel it should be Cedar rather than Eby, as Cedar is right by the LRT station.

There are some things good about Cedar, as you say it connects to the LRT directly. But it would require a big reconfiguration of the Market, in the summer the Market is oriented ONTO (and this summer, INTO) Eby St.  I also prefer Eby because of it's connection to Market Ln. which could and should be used to extend the market.

It would also be much more politically difficult. Cedar is a through road for cars (and bikes at that), so closing it to traffic is much harder. Further, it is the parking garage access for the Market, something that city council was utterly terrified of impeding (despite the problematic traffic it generates).

I mentioned in my comments that the situation on Cedar is currently terrible (and indeed I forgot to mention that King/Cedar is a pretty dangerous intersection). But yes, city staff are not keen to fight automobile supremacy.

[Acitta]

There are some things good about Cedar, as you say it connects to the LRT directly. But it would require a big reconfiguration of the Market, in the summer the Market is oriented ONTO (and this summer, INTO) Eby St.  I also prefer Eby because of it's connection to Market Ln. which could and should be used to extend the market.

It would also be much more politically difficult. Cedar is a through road for cars (and bikes at that), so closing it to traffic is much harder. Further, it is the parking garage access for the Market, something that city council was utterly terrified of impeding (despite the problematic traffic it generates).

I mentioned in my comments that the situation on Cedar is currently terrible (and indeed I forgot to mention that King/Cedar is a pretty dangerous intersection). But yes, city staff are not keen to fight automobile supremacy.

I have never found King and Cedar to be particularly dangerous when cycling there. It is a bit busy on market day, but the traffic is not going fast. Have there been any significant collisions there?

[plam]

I mentioned in my comments that the situation on Cedar is currently terrible (and indeed I forgot to mention that King/Cedar is a pretty dangerous intersection). But yes, city staff are not keen to fight automobile supremacy.

I have never found King and Cedar to be particularly dangerous when cycling there. It is a bit busy on market day, but the traffic is not going fast. Have there been any significant collisions there?

It's been on some lists eg 2016:

https://spokeonline.com/2018/11/the-most...oo-region/

I know someone on a bicycle who got hit by a person driving a car there.

[danbrotherston]

I have never found King and Cedar to be particularly dangerous when cycling there. It is a bit busy on market day, but the traffic is not going fast. Have there been any significant collisions there?

It's been on some lists eg 2016:

https://spokeonline.com/2018/11/the-most...oo-region/

I know someone on a bicycle who got hit by a person driving a car there.

Yes, it's been a high collision intersection for a while, to be honest, I'm not totally sure why. But regardless, it will have a protected bike lane in the next year so I am hoping it improves a lot.

[nms]

Province limits affordable housing to region’s ‘urban spine’

I applaud Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge for wanting affordable housing everywhere inside their boundaries. I can see where the Province is going with only advocating for affordable housing with 800m of transit stations (eg affordable housing shouldn't be transit deserts).

I wonder if there is a way that the three Cities could counter propose "inclusionary zoning" within 200m (or some other number) of a bus route. But then you wouldn't want residents advocating against transit altogether as a means to prevent affordable housing.

[rangersfan]

Those Oktoberfest castle renders look pretty good.

[tomh009]

A few renders of the Oktoberfest Castle renos can be seen here: https://whitneyre.com/property/17-benton...tchener-2/

Here is one render for convenience ...

   

[DK519]

The church at 206 Duke is mostly gone now as well as one of the homes on Madison. 

Anyone have any inside info on what's going in here? 

   

[BruceAshe]

The church at 206 Duke is mostly gone now as well as one of the homes on Madison. 

Anyone have any inside info on what's going in here? 

I emailed the city at the end of July to see if I could get more info and they said that no site plan had been submitted. 

Watching the demo process for the church today was interesting. They knocked out the walls and let the roof basically crash to the ground. It was very loud and very dusty. Glad I can avoid having my windows open right now.

   

This is the house on Madison from yesterday.

   

[Lebronj23]

Cool article

https://www.empirecommunities.com/blog/i...hour-city/

[plam]

Cool article

https://www.empirecommunities.com/blog/i...hour-city/

Sure. I'm not sure I would say that access to GTA is actually easy though.

[danbrotherston]

Cool article

https://www.empirecommunities.com/blog/i...hour-city/

Sure. I'm not sure I would say that access to GTA is actually easy though.

Lol..indeed.

"Travelling to the GTA is not the nightmare one might imagine because of major infrastructure like the short distance to Hwy 401, GO Train and VIA Rail service, too."

So it's pretty clear these folks have never traveled to Toronto on a weekend.