Winnipeg | Portage and Main - Page 10

buzzg · #**181** Posted **Sep 10, 2018, 11:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Notwithstanding, it will always be challenging to determine if any "delay" is a direct result of pedestrian light cycles or because of traffic backed up southbound on the PM commute at St. Anne's/Bishop, St. Mary's/Fermor, St. Anne's/St. Mary's junction, St. Mary's/Marion etc etc - domino effect...

No doubt the blame will always be pedestrians at P&M no matter what, but the cause could be a whole number of other things...I can just see it now though - "why is traffic so bad today?!?!"..."must be because of pedestrians at P&M"...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ando

It's all a red herring anyway. People will quickly adapt and not even notice the difference.

Both bang on. Before the intersection opens, the city should ensure that any road/sidewalk repairs that need to happen on Main between Marion and the northern tracks is done in advance, along with Portage through downtown. Can already see the intersection opening and 2 weeks later new construction pops up on Main near St. Mary (seems to happen 3x a year) and everyone freaks out and blames congestion on P&M.

South Main desperately needs new streetscaping, so hopefully it’s all planned together, I’d like to see the North Main design carried through south to QEW.

Jets4Life · #**182** Posted **Sep 11, 2018, 1:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

My challenge to the "open" side is hold a demonstration on how pedestrian traffic crossing P&M during the evening rush hour will have not noticeable impact. Time it to occur after Oct 1 and before the election day so that people can make fully informed choices and support your side.

That would backfire.

trueviking · #**183** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 2:59 AM**

CBC poll in the morning. Not good.

cheswick · #**184** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 11:00 AM**

Latest poll 67% opposed.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4818959

esquire · #**185** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 12:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

Latest poll 67% opposed.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4818959

The paranoia in this city is hilarious.

But that said, I would consider it a silver lining if this debate leads to some much-needed improvements to the P&M concourse itself. The nearby P&M landlords have done a lot to improve their parts of the concourse... meanwhile the city's part still looks like 1979 and the piss bunker entrances/crumbling barricades remain an embarrassment to Winnipeg.

How about we compromise by improving the existing concourse and hope that future generations are smarter than us and eventually re-open the intersection?

wardlow · #**186** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 1:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

CBC poll in the morning. Not good.

Winnipeggers are temperamentally conservative and usually don't support new things, only cling to old things. This is not new, or surprising.

In the 1950s, voters in a binding plebiscite rejected spending money on building the Disraeli Bridge. Twice. Within a year of it being built, I'm sure there were few Winnipeggers who felt it was a mistake.

Once Portage and Main is opened, and it will be, everyone will forget what their foggy inert opposition to it was for.

It takes real leadership to run a city. A lot of brains and a lot of courage. That little of either can be found at city hall right now is more discouraging than these poll numbers.

Ando · #**187** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 1:33 PM**

The irony is that it was the owners on the four corners who were always cited as being the roadblock to opening it up. Then agreement was achieved with all of them to open, Bowman dithered and here we are. The man has no balls.

wardlow · #**188** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 2:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ando

The irony is that it was the owners on the four corners who were always cited as being the roadblock to opening it up. Then agreement was achieved with all of them to open, Bowman dithered and here we are. The man has no balls.

Another good one is that one of the councillors who supported the motion to make this a question on the ballot fancies herself a big active transportation advocate who enjoys the (apparently) blind support of Winnipeg Trails Association, etc. Cool!

Brokenhead · #**189** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 3:10 PM**

Quote:

The survey also found 66 per cent of Winnipeggers agreed with the statement "smooth traffic through the downtown is more important than pedestrian access," while 65 per cent agreed with the statement "those who want to reopen Portage and Main are out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Winnipeggers."

Excerpt from the article (https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4818959)

Add pedestrians to that list

rrskylar · #**190** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 3:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

Latest poll 67% opposed.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4818959

And the 33% who want it open couldn't care less because none of them travel through that intersection on a daily basis like those living in NE and NW Winnipeg!

It's easy to want something if it doesn't negatively effect you!

TimeFadesAway · #**191** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 3:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

And the 33% who want it open couldn't care less because none of them travel through that intersection on a daily basis like those living in NE and NW Winnipeg!

It's easy to want something if it doesn't negatively effect you!

I drive through the intersection daily at both rush hours and want it open.

And it's 'affect'.

esquire · #**192** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 3:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

And the 33% who want it open couldn't care less because none of them travel through that intersection on a daily basis like those living in NE and NW Winnipeg!

It's easy to want something if it doesn't negatively effect you!

What makes you think that only people in NE and NW Winnipeg pass through Portage and Main?

rrskylar · #**193** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 4:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

I drive through the intersection daily at both rush hours and want it open.

And it's 'affect'.

You sure?

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/affect-vs-effect/

rrskylar · #**194** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

What makes you think that only people in NE and NW Winnipeg pass through Portage and Main?

I think it's quite easy to say that the majority of those passing through Portage and Main reside in either NE or NW Winnipeg!

windypeg · #**195** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 4:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

You sure?

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/affect-vs-effect/

..... according to that article, yes, it is clearly "affect".

Affect - verb
ex. This will definitely affect(verb) me.

Effect - noun
ex. - What sort of effect(noun) will this have(verb) on you?

Grade school grammar is hard.

optimusREIM · #**196** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

What makes you think that only people in NE and NW Winnipeg pass through Portage and Main?

Not only that but that statement sounds a lot like he thinks P&M is the only thoroughfare through downtown. I guess people don't look at maps before they sound off. We should be implementing traffic calming measures on this part of Main to keep the street from being a pseudo-freeway through the downtown area, segregating a whole area and preventing it from reaching its potential.

Why is Winnipeg so incapable of a little foresight! Every goddamned issue is the same. And a few years go by and everyone loves the decisions that were made. This is why this plebiscite business is such a farce. If Winnipegers voted on every single issue we would probably have no exchange district, a sea of parking lots south of portage (oh wait...) and be stuck perpetually in a late 90s funk that still seems to permeate the very fabric of the existence of most of our residents anyways. I respect people's right to self determination, but I feel as though there are those who would be perfectly happy with the 'car-up-on-blocks-oil-drum-fire' aesthetic for the entire city who are purposefully playing on the worst fears of the people here in order to stay trapped in some weird dystopia.

Despite the obvious progress the city continues to make year over year, I can't help but be bothered by the refusal of some people to let go of our mediocre past to step into what could be a very bright future.

Edit: And in case it hasn't been articulated clearly enough already, no, opening Portage and Main or not is not going to make or break the city. The reason it is so important is that the issue is emblematic of the ethos of the city, and in my opinion represents the struggle to exorcise demons that should not have been present to begin with.

TimeFadesAway · #**197** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 5:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

You sure?

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/affect-vs-effect/

Yes. 'Affect' is a verb. The noun in your sentence is P&M (you use 'it') which performs an action, the verb being 'affect'. From your source: "A is for action. Verbs are about action".

Effect is a noun, as in 'the effect of opening the intersection would be to allow better pedestrian flow'.

headhorse · #**198** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 5:10 PM**

it's dissapointing that there isn't more of a public education campaign around this. the "team open" thing is fine but what is wrong with the city actually listening to the experts it hires and educating the public on their message?

cheswick · #**199** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 5:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

And the 33% who want it open couldn't care less because none of them travel through that intersection on a daily basis like those living in NE and NW Winnipeg!

It's easy to want something if it doesn't negatively effect you!

I travel through there daily and want it open. The extra less than 2 minutes it would add to my daily commute is nothing compared to increasing the vibrancy of Winnipeg's most iconic corner, connectivity of downtown and the quite frankly increasing the accessibility for those with disabilities, keeping it closed is borderline discriminatory.

oftheMoon · #**200** Posted **Sep 12, 2018, 5:51 PM**

I don't understand the bitching about an extra 2 minutes on a commute that involves going through P&M when these same folks are stuck for minutes upon minutes upon minutes at every single intersection between P&M and Bridgewater.

It's a commute - it's a chose made and will take time to get to and from. Keeping P&M closed is not a magic pod that will transport one to the far reaches of the city.