The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by bingun

The new bike lane on King's Square by RBC has been particularly amusing, not just because the buses keep crashing into it. I assume it's best practice to clear bike lanes in winter, but that clearly isn't the plan here, as that new bike lane was unusable until a few weeks ago.

I also find the city's plan to build bike lanes connecting to the new South End school perplexing. We want to encourage elementary school children to bike to school uptown?

I've never seen a bike in it. The green paint didn't last six months. Traffic is slow enough uptown that having a bike lane is idiotic. Put a a multi use path along Crown from Union to Broad, or something, if they must. But yeah apparently elementary school students are going to bike from, uh, Union Street, to class.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I've never seen a bike in it. The green paint didn't last six months. Traffic is slow enough uptown that having a bike lane is idiotic.

Tell that to the cyclists that have been killed riding bikes in Saint John, including Uptown.

I agree we need more multi use paths, and the city’s focus on bike lanes aren’t enough to make cyclists feel safe in Saint John, but prioritizing cyclists safety isn’t idiotic. You seem to have a very poor understanding of a traffic safety if you think Saint John traffic is “slow” enough to promote more people to ride bicycles as a form of transportation. A lot of cyclists feel unsafe riding bikes on the streets of Saint John.

What Saint John needs more, is a change in attitude about cyclists. Way too many people here feel like cyclists don’t belong on the road.

[sailor734]

I'm not sure they do belong "on the road".

The difference in mass between even the smallest passenger car and a human being on a bike is enormous. Put enough vehicles on the road and collisions are inevitable. The bike will lose every. single. time.

I think the only safe way to put bikes on the road is to have them beside the road in a dedicated and protected lane.......but I'm still not convinced that usage would ever come close to justifying the public expense and the inconvenience/increased traffic congestion to the 99% of non cycling road users.

[bingun]

Holt name-drops Simms Corner in her 'Letter of Priorities' to Carney.

https://tj.news/new-brunswick/holt-sends...rney-with-nation-building-project-at-top

Holt begins the list with “nation-building projects” at the top of it.

“Trade and resource corridors are urgently needed to move goods and resources across the country,” the premier writes.

“As Canada’s most trade-oriented province, New Brunswick needs unimpeded access to markets across Canada, and the rest of Canada needs full access to New Brunswick’s seaports.

“The ports of Saint John and Belledune can play a key role in expanding international trade, but transportation bottlenecks and infrastructure needs must be addressed to enable these ports to realize their full potential, including commitments to the redevelopment of Simms Corner in Saint John.”

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by bingun

Holt name-drops Simms Corner in her 'Letter of Priorities' to Carney.

https://tj.news/new-brunswick/holt-sends...rney-with-nation-building-project-at-top

This is really encouraging. Carney seems heavily focused on sea and rail connections to bolster the economy which leads to Saint John potentially more than anywhere else in the country right now.

The province needs to support the economic growth happening at the Port of Saint John. Will be exciting to see this growth continue.

[sailor734]

^ Agree. I'm told the province already has a plan for Simms Corner .....roundabout on top of the RR tracks .......streets climb up to the roundabout, RR grade stays the same.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Brunswick Square has been chosen as the location for a "Friendly Design Competition" on the main Canada sub-forum. Should any of the SJ and NB posters from this forum like to submit their designs by the end of the month. Thread creator, Toronto Drew, further stipulates the rules in this post.

Hopefully some the posters here take part and submit some ideas

Thanks again to @Helladog for keeping copies of the renders for the 36 storey potential of Brunswick Square.

[dhottawa729]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Brunswick Square has been chosen as the location for a "Friendly Design Competition" on the main Canada sub-forum. Should any of the SJ and NB posters from this forum like to submit their designs by the end of the month. Thread creator, Toronto Drew, further stipulates the rules in this post.

Hopefully some the posters here take part and submit some ideas

Thanks again to @Helladog for keeping copies of the renders for the 36 storey potential of Brunswick Square.

I photoshopped these fake skylines from the old Brunswick Square plans many years ago. Reposting for any newcomers to the forum:

[ivegotaname]

I think we should be paying less for parking our vehicles uptown and ive been to a few cities in usa and one of those being Providence Rhode Island where its 2$ for 7 hours at the mall and around city is same We are being cheated . The province of new brunswick i heard collect 90% of the money we pay to the city

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I'm not sure they do belong "on the road".

The difference in mass between even the smallest passenger car and a human being on a bike is enormous. Put enough vehicles on the road and collisions are inevitable. The bike will lose every. single. time.

I think the only safe way to put bikes on the road is to have them beside the road in a dedicated and protected lane.......but I'm still not convinced that usage would ever come close to justifying the public expense and the inconvenience/increased traffic congestion to the 99% of non cycling road users.

This is some next level cars above people polarization. Pedestrians, bikes, etc. all belong on the roads. Full stop.

It’s hard enough for me to bike or walk to work in Saint John given how crappy the infrastructure is, and I’m only going a few kilometres. Intersections are nightmarish for pedestrians around here, especially near any DTI controlled corridors, and it’s bad for biking in those areas too because of a lot of reasons like dangerous curb designs, disconnected bike lanes, and more. I agree protected lanes would be great, but you cannot put them everywhere and eventually bikes and cars have to mix on the smaller streets and those that connect to final destinations, so we need to have drivers pay better attention and be courteous to those on other modes.

The framing of the cost of these active transportation improvements is also problematic in this thread, for example the changes to Charlotte got lambasted on social media due to the perceived high cost of the bike lanes, when in reality the road needed a full infrastructure rebuild, including to support the tower at the top of King, and the difference between a bike lane being added or not was a tiny fraction of the total infrastructure cost and allows the city to qualify for additional federal funding on some of these projects.

Streets are for people to move around, to play, to live. They are better off when they are safer for all users, not prioritizing one above the others.

[adamuptownsj]

The Charlotte bike lane opposition is not cost-related; it's because the bike lane is stupid.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

The Charlotte bike lane opposition is not cost-related; it's because the bike lane is stupid.

It annoys me that they seem to be doing it because it's "in" and trendy, not because it is practical and will see significant use. A sort of virtue signaling.

[DyAm00394]

New CTV article on Simms Corner: https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/new-brun...-province-in-simms-corner-redevelopment/

"Simms Corner is a significant priority for the province because it serves so many different interests,” New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt told reporters Thursday.

“We have a growing port in the Port of Saint John, which means the kind of container traffic that we’re seeing that we love and we’re really excited about is moving through Simms Corner at a more and more frequent rate.”

The request for Ottawa to chip in for the intersections redevelopment was part of a letter sent by the premier to newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney. It was one of the first points noted in the letter as part of her desire to see nation-building projects occur within her province.

“It’s something that the federal government needs to be a partner at the table with,” says Holt.

“That is a prime example of a trade corridor and the infrastructure that supports the movement of goods into other countries and into other provinces.”

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

New CTV article on Simms Corner: https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/new-brun...-province-in-simms-corner-redevelopment/

Carney wants to build, and Saint John is a great place to build. I hope we see a really ambitious solution for Simms Corner... possibly involving a tunnel.

Not only is Saint John one of the oldest cities in Canada, and in dire need of increased investment, Saint John is the 5th largest coastal CMA in the country, and the 4th largest port by total tonnage, with a huge opportunity to increase the container traffic in and out of the Port of Saint John.

Saint John could be a top 3 container port in Canada after Vancouver and Montreal, or even second after Vancouver if the government got extremely ambitious with port expansion projects in Saint John. The Port of Saint John is located in a far more strategic location compared to the Port of Halifax, and the Port of Montreal is limited as a non ocean port. Saint John is well situated for some of the biggest federal investments we've ever seen, and all because of the strategic location of the port.


Beyond fixing Simms Corner, and further expanding the port, Saint John should be connected to the Trans Canada Highway network. The Port of Saint John is undeniably one of the most important and strategically located ports in Canada, and that alone is reason enough for Saint John to be connected with the Trans Canada Highway.

[bingun]

Does anyone know any more details about what is going on at this building? It has been a while since I took a closer look, but I want to say there has been work going on, and I could see what looked like materials/tools inside.

Also, some construction is going on a little further down on the cliff edge; I'm not sure if this is related to the trail extension or not.

Lastly, it seemed like the reversing falls restaurant was open. I thought it had closed again, but apparently not.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by bingun

Does anyone know any more details about what is going on at this building? It has been a while since I took a closer look, but I want to say there has been work going on, and I could see what looked like materials/tools inside.

Also, some construction is going on a little further down on the cliff edge; I'm not sure if this is related to the trail extension or not.

Lastly, it seemed like the reversing falls restaurant was open. I thought it had closed again, but apparently not.

That's a good question.


Google has a government of NB tourism website listed for the location:

https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/reversing-falls-rapids



I don't think the province owned or bought the former cafe building, though maybe they have now? It guess it could make sense as a tourism bureau location, but I think most people would much rather it be a bar and or restaurant again.

I'm generally a big fan of Barry Ogden, but I wasn't really a fan of his plan to shut down Fallsview Drive/Riverview Avenue West.

I don't remember hearing anything definitive on this idea to shut down the road in the middle, but it seemed like a huge overreaction to shut down a nice little shortcut road that avoid Simms Corner when returning to the, based on some hearsay reports of people driving fast.

I'd say the future of this location is inextricably linked to whatever happens to Simms Corner, and the future of Wolastoq Park. Here's hoping it's something positive, as it's a very nice spot on the river with great views of the skyline and surrounding river valley.

[cdnguys]

June 2nd public hearing for 2 mid rise apartment buildings for 421 Woodward Ave

[bingun]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

June 2nd public hearing for 2 mid rise apartment buildings for 421 Woodward Ave

Also, 228 Germain is now proposed to be residential, I believe they were attempting commercial previously. I don't blame them, Germain Street is prime real estate.

Attempting to demolish 49-51 Adelaide as well. Good riddance.

[Helladog]

I noticed a tender at https://saintjohn.ca/en/city-hall/tenders-and-proposals for volleyball courts to be constructed at the Rez, as opposed to uptown where they were before. The job is supposed to completed by July 15.

I can understand a skating ring is more inclusive to more people than volleyball courts, but I'd rather watch ppl play volleyball in summer than skate around in circles in winter, but that's just me.

[dhottawa729]

Originally Posted by Helladog

I noticed a tender at https://saintjohn.ca/en/city-hall/tenders-and-proposals for volleyball courts to be constructed at the Rez, as opposed to uptown where they were before. The job is supposed to completed by July 15.

I can understand a skating ring is more inclusive to more people than volleyball courts, but I'd rather watch ppl play volleyball in summer than skate around in circles in winter, but that's just me.

Agree 100%. Even as a kid I loved the vibe of people playing beach volleyball on a hot summer day.