Winnipeg | Portage and Main

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by neutroniks

BRT stop will be right in front of the Richardson building

Thanks!

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by neutroniks

BRT stop will be right in front of the Richardson building

That won't happen until there's funding for Union Station and its associated roadways.

[pspeid]

Looks like some significant work beginning:

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/portage-avenue-east-to-close-for-a-week-1.7103310

From the article: The closure will facilitate underground work to help in the demolition of concrete barriers.

What might they be doing here? Are they reinforcing something underground before demolition?

[bomberjet]

"According to the City of Winnipeg, the closure is due to pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main. Access to the Fairmont Hotel and surrounding surface lots will be maintained through Lombard Street.

The closure will facilitate underground work to help in the demolition of concrete barriers."

Underground work as in utilities. In this case, traffic signals. They probably need to re-route cables so they can complete the work. Maybe they're in a vault of some sort, as it seems odd to close the road for a week to do this work. But being P&M, space is limited.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

"According to the City of Winnipeg, the closure is due to pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main. Access to the Fairmont Hotel and surrounding surface lots will be maintained through Lombard Street.

The closure will facilitate underground work to help in the demolition of concrete barriers."

Underground work as in utilities. In this case, traffic signals. They probably need to re-route cables so they can complete the work. Maybe they're in a vault of some sort, as it seems odd to close the road for a week to do this work. But being P&M, space is limited.

Portage and Main is a complex underground structure due to its legacy.

There are numerous copper and fiber cables going thru it to the BellMTS switching complex on Portage East.

There were active telegraph and other cables going into Zayo (old CNCP building) at 201 Portage before Zayo moved. Also other copper and fiber cables to the smaller communication companies in the area around Lombard
Av. and south towards Westley St.

Add in the sewer, water, gas and abandoned steam lines and its an area that one wants to dig very carefully around. And I think at one time city signals did share manholes with Winnipeg Hydro downtown. That is now probably a WHS issue and they need their own ducts and hand holes.

[cheswick]

Short video from CBC on the opening to pedestrians.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/ho...d=36ec8b8472c343f484d60db9b256f21b&ei=20

[Atrial78]

Nice video. I just moved to Winnipeg 1.5 years ago and the first time I ran into those concrete barriers on P&M I thought there must just be some construction going on. I'm very glad to see that it will be reopened to pedestrians. I don't think Winnipeg folk realize how strange it is for people from other places to see such car-centric measures like this.

[FactaNV]

Originally Posted by Atrial78

Nice video. I just moved to Winnipeg 1.5 years ago and the first time I ran into those concrete barriers on P&M I thought there must just be some construction going on. I'm very glad to see that it will be reopened to pedestrians. I don't think Winnipeg folk realize how strange it is for people from other places to see such car-centric measures like this.

Welcome! What brought you to town?

[bon_vivant]

Originally Posted by Atrial78

I don't think Winnipeg folk realize how strange it is for people from other places to see such car-centric measures like this.

It's true. We're a little out of touch with what other cities are doing, probably because we're so geographically isolated. It's part of what makes us unique, in good ways and bad. When motorists heard that the barriers were coming down, they were convinced the world was coming to an end. Pedestrians are going to DIE!!! Luckily, we finally seem to have some leaders who are trying to drag our city into the 21st century.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by Atrial78

Nice video. I just moved to Winnipeg 1.5 years ago and the first time I ran into those concrete barriers on P&M I thought there must just be some construction going on. I'm very glad to see that it will be reopened to pedestrians. I don't think Winnipeg folk realize how strange it is for people from other places to see such car-centric measures like this.

It was eye-opening when I learned about this years ago on why there are permanent concrete barriers at an intersection in a city in North America, maybe even the world.

After at least a couple generations of Winnipeggers bought in and lived through that whole scam, it's nice to see leadership in this city who has half a backbone for once to get rid of them.

The suburbanites from the last plebiscite who voted no can go pound sand!

[bomberjet]

Car bros say it will be carnage with the re-opening. A large percentage of the population has lived their entire lives with the barricades. So it's normal here.

[pspeid]

IMO the people who liked to scream "disaster!" at opening P & M are quiet now because this forum has been taken away from them . I don't think to was ever about opening P & M, they just wanted something to be outraged about and this was handy. Looking back there were similar outrages over the Eaton's building, The Forks, the Esplanade Riel, practically anything that was proposed as an improvement to the city was greeted with howl of indignation. That's why arguments in favour of opening P &M, and against their "carmageddon" prediction, never seemed to make in impact. it was all about the outrage. What will be the next outrage? Who can say?

[bomberjet]

It'll be the HAF as-of-right changes when people start proposing all kinds of stuff on their properties.

I think with P&M, the plebiscite was obviously a huge blunder by the former mayor. Never do that kind of thing, that's why we elect people and have a bureaucracy to make decisions.

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

It'll be the HAF as-of-right changes when people start proposing all kinds of stuff on their properties.

I think with P&M, the plebiscite was obviously a huge blunder by the former mayor. Never do that kind of thing, that's why we elect people and have a bureaucracy to make decisions.

Pretty sure Bowman had information to suggest he'd lose the election to Jenny Motkaluk if he made good on the pledge to open P&M, so he sent it to plebiscite.

I get the outrage and sentiment about ignoring good decision making in favor of good politics, but in this timeline, yeah I'd probably go with P&M remaining closed for a few more years and 4 more years of Bowman versus Motkaluk winning (and likely still having P&M closed).

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by pspeid

IMO the people who liked to scream "disaster!" at opening P & M are quiet now because this forum has been taken away from them . I don't think to was ever about opening P & M, they just wanted something to be outraged about and this was handy. Looking back there were similar outrages over the Eaton's building, The Forks, the Esplanade Riel, practically anything that was proposed as an improvement to the city was greeted with howl of indignation. That's why arguments in favour of opening P &M, and against their "carmageddon" prediction, never seemed to make in impact. it was all about the outrage. What will be the next outrage? Who can say?

They'll scream even louder when they get around to adding the bus lanes on Portage and on Main. The dedicated bus lanes are expected to add several minutes to EB commutes down Portage.

[michelleb]

Oh boo-hoo, poor babies, a little longer drive. Try sitting in a bus stuck in traffic because of SUV and truck drivers with one occupant.

There's definitely a generational shift of car driving boomers and Gen Xers vs everyone else, and I love seeing them lose relevance.

Our office is currently running their United Way campaign, and one of the fundraisers was a "free 2 weeks paid parking" raffle which ruffled some feathers with the many employees who bus/walk. The boomer management came waltzing through trying to sell tickets and I was happy to inform them that no one in our corner owns a car. They're so fucking out of touch.

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by michelleb

Oh boo-hoo, poor babies, a little longer drive. Try sitting in a bus stuck in traffic because of SUV and truck drivers with one occupant.

There's definitely a generational shift of car driving boomers and Gen Xers vs everyone else, and I love seeing them lose relevance.

Our office is currently running their United Way campaign, and one of the fundraisers was a "free 2 weeks paid parking" raffle which ruffled some feathers with the many employees who bus/walk. The boomer management came waltzing through trying to sell tickets and I was happy to inform them that no one in our corner owns a car. They're so fucking out of touch.

lol boo hoo. A fundraiser prize pissed you off. Ha ha ha get a life.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Car bros say it will be carnage with the re-opening. A large percentage of the population has lived their entire lives with the barricades. So it's normal here.

Apparently, we are "woke" now, as someone within my circle of friends thinks people who want the barriers down are "woke ass libs" and it's a whole conspiracy for green energy and blah blah blah.

I swear, these people are so desperate to play victim. The same victim mentality in everything else these days.

[bon_vivant]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

Apparently, we are "woke" now, as someone within my circle of friends thinks people who want the barriers down are "woke ass libs" and it's a whole conspiracy for green energy and blah blah blah.

I swear, these people are so desperate to play victim. The same victim mentality in everything else these days.

They are victims... of disinformation and willful ignorance. Calling people "woke" as a way to assuage their prejudices and insecurities. So tiring.

[WinCitySparky]

Anyone who uses woke unironically is un-empathetic trash