Shift: London's Rapid Transit Initiative

[jammer139]

They have now got some heavy equipment on the Thames River bridge on Wellington working with pilings being sunken on the east side of the current bridge abutments. The plan is to widen the bridge to accommodate additional lanes for the BRT.

[jammer139]

They have now got some of the concrete curbing poured on the east side northbound part of Highbury Ave from Oxford St south to around the Canada Post driveway. Still alot of digging on the stretch from there south to the overpass. Still no signs of any work happening on widening of the overpass bridge. Would expect heavy equipment would have already started to install the pilings for concrete forming of new overpass abutments in order to build the widened lanes for the overpass.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by jammer139

They have now got some of the concrete curbing poured on the east side northbound part of Highbury Ave from Oxford St south to around the Canada Post driveway. Still alot of digging on the stretch from there south to the overpass. Still no signs of any work happening on widening of the overpass bridge. Would expect heavy equipment would have already started to install the pilings for concrete forming of new overpass abutments in order to build the widened lanes for the overpass.

Pretty sure Shawn Lewis post recently that starts next year, although I can't find the post now lol.

[Djeffery]

Looking north from the overpass today. Can really see how much wider they are making this roadway.

[CanadianTalk]

Funny that we were just having a conversation on the Highbury bridge the other day.... here is a new report where staff is recommending that city council approve the contract to widen the Highbury bridge north of Dundas.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.c...umentId=110484

Construction on the west side of the bridge is scheduled to take place in late 2024 and 2025. Construction on the east side is scheduled to start in early 2026.

[GreatTallNorth2]

After just getting back from a week in Calgary, it baffles me how unambitious the city of London is with regards to both public transit and even road projects. Calgary was building LRT when they were smaller than London and they have a full ring road around the city. What is it that makes London so pathetic in transportation planning or rather - actually building what we need?

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

After just getting back from a week in Calgary, it baffles me how unambitious the city of London is with regards to both public transit and even road projects. Calgary was building LRT when they were smaller than London and they have a full ring road around the city. What is it that makes London so pathetic in transportation planning or rather - actually building what we need?

The refusal to believe London will ever be more than the sleepy little city isolated out in the great southwest.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The refusal to believe London will ever be more than the sleepy little city isolated out in the great southwest.

Yeah but the thing is that it isn't that "little city" anymore and will continue to grow. I really wish the province took over transportation plans in the city. I totally understand how it is very unpopular to undertake major transportation projects in the city, but how on earth do other cities do it? And why does London only listen to nimbies with regards to this issue??

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

Yeah but the thing is that it isn't that "little city" anymore and will continue to grow. I really wish the province took over transportation plans in the city. I totally understand how it is very unpopular to undertake major transportation projects in the city, but how on earth do other cities do it? And why does London only listen to nimbies with regards to this issue??

Calgary had had ambitions to host the Winter Olympics as far back as 1964, so I would speculate the push for light rail there was at least partially based on trying to make themselves competitive for an Olympic bid.

As for how things get done in other cities, at least in BC public transit is centrally managed by the provincial government. New bus route, BRT, or SkyTrain extension and the municipality doesn't want it? Too bad, the province decides. TransLink or BC Transit (depending on the part of the province) makes the decisions, not the municipalities. This came up in Burnaby several years ago where some local residents petitioned to get a bus route removed from their Quiet Street™ and the province basically told them to pound sand. London would be more than happy to cater to such a request, and I remember them accommodating such a request 30+ years ago with the routing of one of the bus routes in Byron.

[Nintentario]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

I totally understand how it is very unpopular to undertake major transportation projects in the city, but how on earth do other cities do it? And why does London only listen to nimbies with regards to this issue??

There's a need for a loud and vocal minority of passionate urbanists in London. The student populations are too transient to really effect local issues. There's at least one group on the radar that's trying to steer London in the right direction:

https://www.instagram.com/strongtown...NlZDc0MzIxNw==

If groups like that can build cultural momentum in the city, we should see some change. The craziest thing I notice is that absolute numbness most people are to the constant killings of Londoners via private vehicles... From my perspective, all the pieces needed to start changing London are there, it just needs a critical mass of advocates.


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