Quote:
Originally Posted by halifaxboyns
I'd note that in the proposed changes to the Regional Plan (From the RP+5 update) the population projection for HRM by 2031 has been revised upwards from 425,000 to 490,000. I suspect when RP+10 and RP+15 happens, those numbers will be revised upward again.
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It will be interesting to see if this changes the sense of urgency when it comes to new infrastructure projects, and transportation in particular.
It often felt to me like a lot of councillors had an almost nonchalant attitude towards growth and the need for new infrastructure, as if it was a kind of nice-to-have but that everything would sort itself out anyway. I am not sure how much of this is due to the "not my district" effect (no road project is ever going to be in all districts) and how much of it is due to a perception that there isn't much growth happening.
Irving is starting up their shipyard improvements and one piece is a 500 car parking garage. The choices the city makes now will lay the groundwork for where the 1500 new shipyard workers decide to live and how they will get to work in the future. If there is no new transit, most of those people will end up driving over already congested streets and bridges, and they will move out to greenfield areas and demand all new services (schools, sewage, you name it). The net costs will be much higher than the cost of transit or the cost of up-zoning more of the North End, which is actually negative.