Shift: London's Rapid Transit Initiative

[goldandnavy]

Local news outlets reporting this morning a group called Shift Happens who publicly support BRT.

http://london.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1071384

https://twitter.com/ShiftHappensLDN

[haljackey]

Wow, that's a terrible name.


Makes me think of

[Dupcheck]

Let's be positive and move forward. We should learn from the mistakes of the cities similar to our size and do it better than them. If you build it properly they will come.

[kaiserLDN]

They also need a facebook page. I don't have twitter and lots of others don't either.

[Underground100]

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

They also need a facebook page. I don't have twitter and lots of others don't either.

I read on Twitter that they're trying to do that. Shawn Adamsson tweeted that he's trying to get some pro-LRT Facebook page he has renamed (yeah you have to ask FB to rename it) into Shift Happens.

[Underground100]

The next meeting of the RT Implementation Working Group is Thursday at 4:30 pm at City Hall.

Some notes from CTV News at 11:

• Phil Squire (who chairs the RT working group) says #1 concern people come to him with is "can we change the corridors?"
• CTV London got the first copy of the agenda for Thursday's meeting
• In the agenda, brief clips of corridors and why staff picked them over others, as well as public feedback (one example was Western students are young and can walk, why put RT there, another example was why not Western/Wharncliffe)

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Underground100

The next meeting of the RT Implementation Working Group is Thursday at 4:30 pm at City Hall.

Some notes from CTV News at 11:

• Phil Squire (who chairs the RT working group) says #1 concern people come to him with is "can we change the corridors?"
• CTV London got the first copy of the agenda for Thursday's meeting
• In the agenda, brief clips of corridors and why staff picked them over others, as well as public feedback (one example was Western students are young and can walk, why put RT there, another example was why not Western/Wharncliffe)

Because Western students living off campus are going to walk all the way to campus every day.

[Underground100]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Because Western students living off campus are going to walk all the way to campus every day.

Haha, exactly.

The agenda and its reports are online here.

1. The minutes of the last meeting
2. summary of the last public information centre (February 23)
3. downtown core routing options and why they picked King for SQ and Clarence/King for NE
4. northern corridor options (Richmond vs Western/Wharncliffe vs Richmond to Western via campus) and why they picked the campus one

[jammer139]

Here's an option for an alternate route. How about using Wellington street straight thru. Build a true tunnel underneath both the condo tower at Pall Mall and under the CP tracks surfacing north of Oxford. The tunnel would need to be deep below the tower foundation or offset and below the house foundations on the west side of Wellington. Victoria park land is already available. Wellington and York already have lots of open parking on the south side of York between the CN tracks and road. The East-West route can use York St which is wider than King St.

[kaiserLDN]

Positive information about Kitchener LRT which causes more disruption then our proposed BRT. Things down shift won't say.

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/03/09/waterl...ts-for-opponents-of-londons-transit-plan

[tyeman200]

Originally Posted by kaiserLDN

Positive information about Kitchener LRT which causes more disruption then our proposed BRT. Things down shift won't say.

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/03/09/waterl...ts-for-opponents-of-londons-transit-plan

I do still wish London went with a LRT instead of the proposed BRT. It just seems like a waste of money to build this for $500 million, and then have to upgrade it to LRT which will cost more money.. Like how they are repaving the Veterans memorial parkway when they could just start turning it into a freeway. And people wonder why our province and country are in debt..

But, nonetheless, its good we're getting anything at all (knock on wood, hopefully council isn't persuaded by those NIMBYs), & Hopefully said NIMBYs will read that article and learn a thing or two.

Originally Posted by Dupcheck

Let's be positive and move forward. We should learn from the mistakes of the cities similar to our size and do it better than them. If you build it properly they will come.

It's funny, because I feel like cities are learning from our mistakes, not the other way around

[Dupcheck]

The mentality of some forces in our city have always been planting seeds of doubt over certain areas that interests them the most, in order of influencing the masses into certain decision making streams.

We have to see thru these type of games and decide on what is important for our city and its future long term.

[Underground100]

Notes from tonight's CTV News at 6:

• Tonight's RT subject is how RT will Wellington Road
• According to conceptual drawings, expropriations will have to be made on Wellington between the proposed Bond and Base Line stations
• Daryl Newcombe (reporter) went door knocking on households that may be affected by the south RT corridor, affected residents say that it's the first time they know about RT on Wellington through him
• One homeowner was interviewed, who bought his house in 1982/83 and his house (if all goes as planned) will be gone. He says that while he doesn't want to stand in the way of growth, he wishes he had heard of this sooner.
• Josh Morgan (Ward 7 councillor) says that the City could do better on consultation, while Steve Turner (Ward 11 councillor - west side of Wellington Road) says there will be time for ample consultations.
• Kelly Scherr (city engineer) says that there hasn't been much consultation yet because she believes that the conceptual drawings are just conceptual and not final. She also says that the lanes could be constructed differently.

[database]

Daryl Newcombe is turning into London's newest sh*t disturber. His report from last night about the Wharncliffe/Western Rd alternative route was the most amazing exercise in fudging numbers I've ever seen.

[Underground100]

Originally Posted by database

Daryl Newcombe is turning into London's newest sh*t disturber. His report from last night about the Wharncliffe/Western Rd alternative route was the most amazing exercise in fudging numbers I've ever seen.

Oh my god I just saw that.

If they actually move it off of Richmond, I'll be criminally angry. We all know why they're considering Wharncliffe/Western.

[Pimpmasterdac]

I said 2 years ago this would be an issue. There are going to be dozens of properties that will need to be expropriated. Council needs to implement BRT and not buckle to the NIMBYs that are always bound to come up. Wellington is the logical southern leg, and keeping existing 4 general traffic lanes in a pre-requisite for BRT to be palatable. Properties will need to be taken for the good of the city.

As has been mentioned the northern leg along Richmond will likely be the bigger NIMBY brawl. The old north will make an epic stink, especially if they keep the existing 4 general lanes + 2 BRT lanes, which IMO need to be maintained.

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

While the cost will be a big issue, IMO the level of expropriation required for it will be the real battle. Having to sell the required taxes to fund it, plus telling x amount of people they're going to lose their property and thus won't benefit from it. Council will have to have a pair of ball, not buckle to the pressure and ram it though.

[Underground100]

Notes from tonight's CTV News at 11:

• The downtown/Down Shift London petition has "somewhat" been made public (they showed clips of the list of businesses against it, showed clips of Joe Kool's and Accents on Richmond Row)
• EDIT: A clip sample shows Quesada, Hilton Doubletree, City Centre Office Tower, David E White, Moxies, JB Simpson Jewellers, Donohue Funeral Home, Bertoldis, Ryce Fashion Design, Fellini Koolini's, Zipp Lash, Eyes on Richmond, The Ceeps/Barneys, Marky's Crepe Café, Daisy Flowers, Stobie's Pizza, Starbucks Coffee, Winks, Toboggan Brewing, Framing and Art, Church Key Bistro, Nicholson Smith Law Firm, Loveleigh Boutique, Old North Optometry, Goose Realty, McGill Law Firm, Tim Horton's (4 Locations), Accents, Behr Law Firm, Hangar 9, Goligers Travels, Roman Leather, Black Trumpet, Cilantro, Kiss the Cook, Michael Gibson Gallery, Abruzzi, Jill's Table, Volour by Shubert, Bloomers, Urban Outfitters, Chris' Country Cuts, Jack Astors, International Bakery, Wich is Wich, The Works, and Cycle Path on the petition
• interview with Mike Smith (he owns Toboggan, Joe Kool's, Fellini Koolini's, and the Runt Club) saying that people need answers and that he's not against transit and wants the plan to be revamped and not to be done at the expense of businesses, taxpayers, and the automobile
• they then repeated the Wellington Road RT story

As you may know, Smith has been one of the louder voices against the project. At this point, I wonder which downtown businesses are *for* it?

[database]

Originally Posted by Underground100

Notes from tonight's CTV News at 11:

• EDIT: A clip sample shows Quesada, Hilton Doubletree, City Centre Office Tower, David E White, Moxies, JB Simpson Jewellers, Donohue Funeral Home, Bertoldis, Ryce Fashion Design, Fellini Koolini's, Zipp Lash, Eyes on Richmond, The Ceeps/Barneys, Marky's Crepe Café, Daisy Flowers, Stobie's Pizza, Starbucks Coffee, Winks, Toboggan Brewing, Framing and Art, Church Key Bistro, Nicholson Smith Law Firm, Loveleigh Boutique, Old North Optometry, Goose Realty, McGill Law Firm, Tim Horton's (4 Locations), Accents, Behr Law Firm, Hangar 9, Goligers Travels, Roman Leather, Black Trumpet, Cilantro, Kiss the Cook, Michael Gibson Gallery, Abruzzi, Jill's Table, Volour by Shubert, Bloomers, Urban Outfitters, Chris' Country Cuts, Jack Astors, International Bakery, Wich is Wich, The Works, and Cycle Path on the petition

As you may know, Smith has been one of the louder voices against the project. At this point, I wonder which downtown businesses are *for* it?

With the exception of the City Centre and the four law firms, these are all retail/service-based businesses that rely on patrons. The petition doesn't include any tech companies, London Life, OLP, Talbot Centre, RBC tower, St. Joseph's Hospital, CitiPlaza, etc... also, oddly, I don't see Covent Garden or Bud Gardens on there...

I think it's safe to say these anchors employ the most people downtown. Shouldn't moving the most people efficiently as possible be paramount?

Shift Happens should compile a list of businesses who support it. I'd be curious to see the difference.

Also - was Talbot running up to Oxford ever explored? Or is it too narrow?

[Underground100]

Originally Posted by database

With the exception of the City Centre and the four law firms, these are all retail/service-based businesses that rely on patrons. The petition doesn't include any tech companies, London Life, OLP, Talbot Centre, RBC tower, St. Joseph's Hospital, CitiPlaza, etc... also, oddly, I don't see Covent Garden or Bud Gardens on there...

I think it's safe to say these anchors employ the most people downtown. Shouldn't moving the most people efficiently as possible be paramount?

Shift Happens should compile a list of businesses who support it. I'd be curious to see the difference.

Also - was Talbot running up to Oxford ever explored? Or is it too narrow?

Chris' Country Cuts, Bloomers, and International Bakery are in the Market. Bob Usher is not a fan of King RT, and IIRC Original Kids is against it too. Tourism London's head says that Ridout/King RT will get in the way of the Bud's expansion plans and ruin their competitiveness.

In one of the reports of the March RT working group meeting, it says Talbot was explored, it came close to being an alternative, but Richmond of course is more direct. Horizontal clearance and opposing traffic were issues, so the underpass would have to be reconstructed.

[Underground100]

Notes from tonight's CTV News at 6:

• All about city consultation here. Daryl Newcombe brings up CTV News uncovering stuff on Western/Wellington RT corridors.
• Newcombe interviews Matt Brown; the latter takes personal responsibility for the breakdown in consultation, also committed to the original corridors, believing they are the logical ones, plans to meet with Kelly Scherr regarding consultation.
• Phil Squire wants to use much of the spring season to conduct further consultation.