Cogswell Interchange

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Avoiding downtown at all costs has been a sound strategy for many people for many years. Since HRM has put in so many measures designed to stop vehicles from entering and easily moving people in and out of the area, many no longer go near DT unless they are forced to. I know when I had to renew my passport recently I could go to the office in the old WTCC or to Bedford. I went to Bedford.

OF course all the junior planning types love what HRM is doing to DT. The previous generation's same group loved what they did back in that era too.

You have such a small town 20th century mindset, where you think you can just drive downtown pull your car up and park in front of where you are going. Its just not reality, especially as the city grows towards a million people.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

You have such a small town 20th century mindset, where you think you can just drive downtown pull your car up and park in front of where you are going. Its just not reality, especially as the city grows towards a million people.

I said nothing about parking. My point was that just getting into downtown and getting around once there has been made far more difficult. But now that you bring it up...

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I said nothing about parking. My point was that just getting into downtown and getting around once there has been made far more difficult. But now that you bring it up...

Its true, we need better transit to get into and around downtown.

[HarbingerDe]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I feel it is important for the junior planning students to realize that the real world is very different from what their sources tell them is true.

I feel it is important for you to realize that the world is different from when you bought your home for $800 in 1949.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by HarbingerDe

I feel it is important for you to realize that the world is different from when you bought your home for $800 in 1949.

And I feel it is important to point out that you are utterly clueless.

[LikesBikes]

If you hate downtown so much Keith you should be glad we have so many "neighbourhood centres" based on planning principles from a by-gone century that are filled with parking lots, wide roads and lots of angry drivers. Enjoy your Bayers Lakes and Cole Harbour Roads of the world and let people who enjoy cities try to make ours more inviting for people who are willing to get out of their car.

Is it really that hard for you to take an extra 5-minutes of your trip to find parking downtown or take the bus like almost a hundred thousand of us do every day? If this is your main gripe with the city, it really shows how sheltered and out of touch you are.

[Empire]

It would be nice to hear from the architects and designers on this forum regarding built form and what the Cogswell district might look like. How many are in favour of incorporating some heritage component of maybe 20%? Should the heights exceed the rampart restrictions, which would be approx. 27 storeys? (push to 40 storeys?)

Space for a performing arts centre, 17,000 seat arena, underground infrastructure or other major public structures is now gone. Will we be left with a string of table top apartment buildings with no particular architectural style and some awkward grassy areas with difficult access?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Is it really that hard for you to take an extra 5-minutes of your trip to find parking downtown or take the bus like almost a hundred thousand of us do every day? If this is your main gripe with the city, it really shows how sheltered and out of touch you are.

I tend to avoid going to locations where it has been made clear I am not welcome, as HRM has done with motorists and DT. As for taking Transit, that is even a more unpleasant experience though it is also so unreliable that perhaps you were saying it in jest. At least you did not suggest taking a velocipede.

[AnotherNorthender]

I live in the north end (hfx) and personally find traffic in bayers lake/other business parks typically worse/more difficult to navigate than downtown. That being said, I rarely drive downtown since I'm within walking/cycling distance and along multiple corridor bus routes. As someone who recently started using transit daily this year after about 10 years of not using it, Halifax Transit isn't as unreliable/unpleasant as some would make it out to be (imo anyway).

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by AnotherNorthender

I live in the north end (hfx) and personally find traffic in bayers lake/other business parks typically worse/more difficult to navigate than downtown. That being said, I rarely drive downtown since I'm within walking/cycling distance and along multiple corridor bus routes. As someone who recently started using transit daily this year after about 10 years of not using it, Halifax Transit isn't as unreliable/unpleasant as some would make it out to be (imo anyway).

Bayers Lake is nightmare! I avoid it if I can, especially on a Saturday.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Empire

It would be nice to hear from the architects and designers on this forum regarding built form and what the Cogswell district might look like. How many are in favour of incorporating some heritage component of maybe 20%? Should the heights exceed the rampart restrictions, which would be approx. 27 storeys? (push to 40 storeys?)

Space for a performing arts centre, 17,000 seat arena, underground infrastructure or other major public structures is now gone. Will we be left with a string of table top apartment buildings with no particular architectural style and some awkward grassy areas with difficult access?

The Rampart restrictions are so stupid! Just get rid of that nonsensical restrictive mindset. I would love to see a new area built as part of this project though! Then you could tear down the old one and build more buildings where it is!

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

Bayers Lake is nightmare! I avoid it if I can, especially on a Saturday.

Bayers Lake, and to a slightly lesser extent Dartmouth Crossing, are poorly designed. In the case of BL it is slightly more understandable as it was originally laid out to be an industrial park, but after failing to attract much business under that model, the municipality realized that retail operators were looking for a spot like that and it took off. But of course being the Halifax govt they did nothing to improve access or the internal street network, hence the traffic nightmare it became.

DC seems to have more potential to be improved relatively easily but it is saddled with numerous 4-way stops and choke points that really could be cleaned up fairly easily, but again, it seems nobody is motivated to do so.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Bayers Lake, and to a slightly lesser extent Dartmouth Crossing, are poorly designed. In the case of BL it is slightly more understandable as it was originally laid out to be an industrial park, but after failing to attract much business under that model, the municipality realized that retail operators were looking for a spot like that and it took off. But of course being the Halifax govt they did nothing to improve access or the internal street network, hence the traffic nightmare it became.

DC seems to have more potential to be improved relatively easily but it is saddled with numerous 4-way stops and choke points that really could be cleaned up fairly easily, but again, it seems nobody is motivated to do so.

All those type of commercial business parks are nightmares. People going from store to store in thier cars with crazy traffic. Its such a redicluous way to shop.

[Waverley902]

Keith has been a royal pain for years....

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Waverley902

Keith has been a royal pain for years....

That's King Keith to the likes of you.

[HarbingerDe]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Bayers Lake, and to a slightly lesser extent Dartmouth Crossing, are poorly designed. In the case of BL it is slightly more understandable as it was originally laid out to be an industrial park, but after failing to attract much business under that model, the municipality realized that retail operators were looking for a spot like that and it took off. But of course being the Halifax govt they did nothing to improve access or the internal street network, hence the traffic nightmare it became.

DC seems to have more potential to be improved relatively easily but it is saddled with numerous 4-way stops and choke points that really could be cleaned up fairly easily, but again, it seems nobody is motivated to do so.

You should be shocked to learn that they're building [GASP] HOUSING at Dartmouth Crossing.

First they took downtown from Keith. Now they're taking his precious shopping parkade. Is nothing sacred? What will Keith do?

[Nouvellecosse]

The only real problem I have with Dartmouth Crossing is that it exists. Fix that and it's perfect!

But I admit that it's preferable to Bayer's Lake which is a complete fuster cluck.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

The only real problem I have with Dartmouth Crossing is that it exists. Fix that and it's perfect!

But I admit that it's preferable to Bayer's Lake which is a complete fuster cluck.

Bayer's Lake is an absolute abomination. It should be bulldozed. Nobody would miss it.

Dartmouth Crossing however is much better thought out. I would give it a reprieve.

Besides, if you didn't have Dartmouth Crossing, then where would you put your IKEA???

IKEA is after all your biggest claim to world class status for HRM......

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

IKEA is after all your biggest claim to world class status for HRM......

Only in the minds of Monctonians, who think such comparisons are even remotely relevant and who appear to suffer from massive city-envy. Really, get over it.

[HarbingerDe]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Bayer's Lake is an absolute abomination. It should be bulldozed. Nobody would miss it.

Dartmouth Crossing however is much better thought out. I would give it a reprieve.

Besides, if you didn't have Dartmouth Crossing, then where would you put your IKEA???

IKEA is after all your biggest claim to world class status for HRM......

We could put the IKEA right on top of the Citadel and turn the rest of the Citadel green into a circumferential tiered parking lot. How else will we attract more cars and Keith-type folks downtown?