General Suburban Updates and Rumours

[the_conestoga_guy]

That is the River Road extension.

Is it actually going to go under highway 8 and connect to River Road?

Unless the design has changed, I think the plan is to go over highway 8.

https://icreate7.esolutionsgroup.ca/1111...tEast2.pdf

[KevinL]

Is it actually going to go under highway 8 and connect to River Road?

Unless the design has changed, I think the plan is to go over highway 8.

https://icreate7.esolutionsgroup.ca/1111...tEast2.pdf

There have been some minor tweaks to also allow Ion Phase 2 through the area, but the plan remains the same as this as far as I know.

[bravado]

A massive property on the Speed River next to downtown Preston and right on the proposed ION Phase 2 route is for sale, possibly another Gaslight district if the right buyer steps up.





https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...am-6674427

Current owners:
https://forgeandfoster.ca/project/woollen-mills/

Interesting to see intensification begin before the LRT shovels are even in the ground.

[ac3r]

I guess the original plan for that location fell through, then. There were some ideas floating around at some point though I don't recall any suggestions for a tower at the time. I can't find a thread for it, so I guess it's buried somewhere in this general thread on an earlier page.

[bravado]

I guess the original plan for that location fell through, then. There were some ideas floating around at some point though I don't recall any suggestions for a tower at the time. I can't find a thread for it, so I guess it's buried somewhere in this general thread on an earlier page.

It seems like the current owner's portfolio only includes small to medium size projects, I can see why they might need to unload this massive property to somebody with more resources.

Also, how is it possible that previous generations used the rear of this site as a city dump next to a river? Madness...

[ac3r]

At 525 Erinbrook Drive a developer is proposing a 72 unit townhouse project. It is to contain 3 buildings and 99 parking spaces.

Currently the site is a grass lot which also contains the Hope and Unity Community Garden. It'd be a huge loss if this was destroyed for housing, so I hope the gardeners can find a new location if this project is approved. Urban gardening is a great thing in its sustainability and community building so I'd hate to see it removed.

[sluismcfc]

At 525 Erinbrook Drive a developer is proposing a 72 unit townhouse project. It is to contain 3 buildings and 99 parking spaces.

Currently the site is a grass lot which also contains the Hope and Unity Community Garden. It'd be a huge loss if this was destroyed for housing, so I hope the gardeners can find a new location if this project is approved. Urban gardening is a great thing in its sustainability and community building so I'd hate to see it removed.

Activa picked up this parcel when it was sold by the Salvation Army Church last year

[neonjoe]

At 525 Erinbrook Drive a developer is proposing a 72 unit townhouse project. It is to contain 3 buildings and 99 parking spaces.

Currently the site is a grass lot which also contains the Hope and Unity Community Garden. It'd be a huge loss if this was destroyed for housing, so I hope the gardeners can find a new location if this project is approved. Urban gardening is a great thing in its sustainability and community building so I'd hate to see it removed.

Activa picked up this parcel when it was sold by the Salvation Army Church last year

Its unfortunate that a parcel of land that currently has 4 different transit routes passing near by it (201, 12, 22, 33) has so much parking. The Williamsburg area is one of the most well connected suburban nodes in Kitchener.

[ac3r]

I suppose the issue is that nobody living out there would seriously wish to rely on public transit unless they had no other option. It's a 40 minute trip just to get downtown, for example. Compare that with a 15 minute car ride. Heck Google Maps estimates it's faster to bike than bus...though one would need to be a suicidal masochist to regularly ride their bike down Westmount or Block Line.

The issue with transit in this city is that it takes so long to get anywhere, so nobody really wants to use it unless they are forced to. Time is amongst the most valuable resources people have, so they're not going to want to waste it on the bus or LRT, both of which are often quite unreliable as well...the LRT always seems to be having problems and buses can be annoying if you have to transfer and you miss it because, say, someone is paying their fare in nickels or there are a lot of people with mobility issues getting on/off.

[plam]

I suppose the issue is that nobody living out there would seriously wish to rely on public transit unless they had no other option. It's a 40 minute trip just to get downtown, for example. Compare that with a 15 minute car ride. Heck Google Maps estimates it's faster to bike than bus...though one would need to be a suicidal masochist to regularly ride their bike down Westmount or Block Line.

The issue with transit in this city is that it takes so long to get anywhere, so nobody really wants to use it unless they are forced to. Time is amongst the most valuable resources people have, so they're not going to want to waste it on the bus or LRT, both of which are often quite unreliable as well...the LRT always seems to be having problems and buses can be annoying if you have to transfer and you miss it because, say, someone is paying their fare in nickels or there are a lot of people with mobility issues getting on/off.

I'll be the first to say that there should be better bicycle infrastructure. I am, however, again going to challenge you on transit speeds. In any reasonable city, bicycles are actually going to be the fastest means of transport and usually faster than the bus or subway. In the best cities, bicycles are faster than cars. But bicycles are faster than transit in places like Montreal and European cities. It's just hard to beat their speed.

[Acitta]

I suppose the issue is that nobody living out there would seriously wish to rely on public transit unless they had no other option. It's a 40 minute trip just to get downtown, for example. Compare that with a 15 minute car ride. Heck Google Maps estimates it's faster to bike than bus...though one would need to be a suicidal masochist to regularly ride their bike down Westmount or Block Line.

The issue with transit in this city is that it takes so long to get anywhere, so nobody really wants to use it unless they are forced to. Time is amongst the most valuable resources people have, so they're not going to want to waste it on the bus or LRT, both of which are often quite unreliable as well...the LRT always seems to be having problems and buses can be annoying if you have to transfer and you miss it because, say, someone is paying their fare in nickels or there are a lot of people with mobility issues getting on/off.

Block line has bicycle lanes on each side. Fischer-Hallman has MUTs on both sides. The Region has been actively putting MUTs and bike lanes on arterial roads so the suburbs are continually getting better. There are also trails through the parks and the hydro right-of-ways. I have cycled in that area and have not found it to be too bad.

[ZEBuilder]

I suppose the issue is that nobody living out there would seriously wish to rely on public transit unless they had no other option. It's a 40 minute trip just to get downtown, for example. Compare that with a 15 minute car ride. Heck Google Maps estimates it's faster to bike than bus...though one would need to be a suicidal masochist to regularly ride their bike down Westmount or Block Line.

The issue with transit in this city is that it takes so long to get anywhere, so nobody really wants to use it unless they are forced to. Time is amongst the most valuable resources people have, so they're not going to want to waste it on the bus or LRT, both of which are often quite unreliable as well...the LRT always seems to be having problems and buses can be annoying if you have to transfer and you miss it because, say, someone is paying their fare in nickels or there are a lot of people with mobility issues getting on/off.

Block line has bicycle lanes on each side. Fischer-Hallman has MUTs on both sides. The Region has been actively putting MUTs and bike lanes on arterial roads so the suburbs are continually getting better. There are also trails through the parks and the hydro right-of-ways. I have cycled in that area and have not found it to be too bad.

Block Line has MUTs on the section between Strasburg and Homerwatson and bike lanes everywhere else, Bleams is supposed to be getting MUTs when they widen it, Homerwatson also has a MUT, Ottawa is slowly getting a MUT, then Strasburg will have a MUT from Ottawa to the new bridge. So it is definitely not a bad area to bike in compared to other neighborhoods, the only road that doesn't have decent cycling infrastructure in the neighborhood is Westmount, it did have the covid bike lanes though and numerous people were using them so they might put bike lanes or a MUT in eventually. 

If you were someone living in the townhouses that Activa is planning biking downtown wouldn't be all that difficult, you'd bike up to block line, cut through McLennan park, take the Ottawa MUT to Strasburg then the new bridge, then down Stirling and from their your at the east end of downtown. So it's anything but a desert when it comes to cycling infrastructure and as neonjoe already mentioned it's far from a transit desert.

[plam]

Block line has bicycle lanes on each side. Fischer-Hallman has MUTs on both sides. The Region has been actively putting MUTs and bike lanes on arterial roads so the suburbs are continually getting better. There are also trails through the parks and the hydro right-of-ways. I have cycled in that area and have not found it to be too bad.

Block Line has MUTs on the section between Strasburg and Homerwatson and bike lanes everywhere else, Bleams is supposed to be getting MUTs when they widen it, Homerwatson also has a MUT, Ottawa is slowly getting a MUT, then Strasburg will have a MUT from Ottawa to the new bridge. So it is definitely not a bad area to bike in compared to other neighborhoods, the only road that doesn't have decent cycling infrastructure in the neighborhood is Westmount, it did have the covid bike lanes though and numerous people were using them so they might put bike lanes or a MUT in eventually. 

If you were someone living in the townhouses that Activa is planning biking downtown wouldn't be all that difficult, you'd bike up to block line, cut through McLennan park, take the Ottawa MUT to Strasburg then the new bridge, then down Stirling and from their your at the east end of downtown. So it's anything but a desert when it comes to cycling infrastructure and as neonjoe already mentioned it's far from a transit desert.

I haven't been down there for a while and had checked Google Maps and only seen paint on the road, though I am aware of MUTs. It's definitely getting better.

Also the planned number of parking spots is less than 1.5 per unit. At some level I'd prefer 0, but we also live in the world. At least it's less than 2.

[ac3r]

Zero parking spaces...heh. Maybe if Waterloo Region was on another continent, like Europe or the island of Japan. We simply don't live in the type of area where you can realistically do that. Even if you live downtown, you are likely going to rely on a car for things. There isn't even a grocery store.

[cherrypark]

Block line has bicycle lanes on each side. Fischer-Hallman has MUTs on both sides. The Region has been actively putting MUTs and bike lanes on arterial roads so the suburbs are continually getting better. There are also trails through the parks and the hydro right-of-ways. I have cycled in that area and have not found it to be too bad.

Block Line has MUTs on the section between Strasburg and Homerwatson and bike lanes everywhere else, Bleams is supposed to be getting MUTs when they widen it, Homerwatson also has a MUT, Ottawa is slowly getting a MUT, then Strasburg will have a MUT from Ottawa to the new bridge. So it is definitely not a bad area to bike in compared to other neighborhoods, the only road that doesn't have decent cycling infrastructure in the neighborhood is Westmount, it did have the covid bike lanes though and numerous people were using them so they might put bike lanes or a MUT in eventually. 

If you were someone living in the townhouses that Activa is planning biking downtown wouldn't be all that difficult, you'd bike up to block line, cut through McLennan park, take the Ottawa MUT to Strasburg then the new bridge, then down Stirling and from their your at the east end of downtown. So it's anything but a desert when it comes to cycling infrastructure and as neonjoe already mentioned it's far from a transit desert.

Here's hoping that the Bleams ones do a better job of the intersection treatments. Block Line MUTs are nice until they aren't at Strasburg, especially trying to make a left turn.