[Saint John, NB] West Side Developments

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by bingun

A user named EH Wright posted drone photos of Fallsview Drive. It looks like they installed a map with the work they completed last year, which includes a 'future trail' down to the water and an alternative to the current steps. Between the parking lot improvements here and the ones underway at Fallsview Avenue, it will be a noticeable improvement for tourists.

The timing of these images is really useful to see the current state of the 'Cove' trail before the foliage grows in. Construction on that section of Harbour Passage should begin shortly, I believe.

I have mixed feelings on this priority project. It’s great that the West Side is getting significant investment for recreation/ active transportation, but this is a path that already exists, and is one of the few examples of a Saint John Cycling trail project that provided a useful transportation link for urban cyclists, instead of their usual double diamond mountain bike trails in Rockwood Park… and at not expense to taxpayers.

I’m not sure the city is getting great value out of this investment, as again, this trail already exists, they just want to pave it and “beautify” it. I’d much rather see the city invest in an active transportation overpass at Molson Ave connecting The Veil with Fairville Plaza, or some investments in bike sharing systems for the Harbour passage, since that would actually encourage people to ride a bike between Uptown and the West Side.

I can already ride my bike between the West Side and Uptown using the Harbour Passage, I just don’t do it that often, because unless I’m going somewhere with a patio, I’m too worried about my bike getting stolen… learned the hard way a few years ago.

Though, Sailor’s idea for express busses between the Lower West and Uptown could be quite a good solution if there were say 5-6 stops on the Harbour Passage between the Uptown and West Side… and if the last bus between Uptown and the West Side left at 1 or 2 am.