[St. John's] Transport development (Highways, Airport, and Public Transit) - Page 24

SignalHillHiker · #**461** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 8:48 PM**

I'm not sure they'd approve that.

My parents live on Mount Carson and that street is already backed up for much of the day. If you're coming down into Mount Pearl, you have to wait for the VERY LONG light on Topsail Road to change 2-5 times before you can actually cross and head down Commonwealth Avenue. My parents often take Kenmount around to Topsail to get into Mount Pearl from Mount Carson, rather than waiting to go down the hill and across. And this isn't just during rush hour. It's much of the day.

All of the residents of the areas are hoping/praying that commuter traffic stops using Mount Carson once the TGH extension is completed. They're excited about it, counting the days, etc.

It'd definitely turn into one of those, "WTF is St. John's trying to do to us!" fiascos.

Marty_Mcfly · #**462** Posted **Jul 19, 2013, 9:13 PM**

I think Mt. Carson was never intended for it's current use, much like Kenmount was never meant to be the huge road which is currently is. Mt. Carson during regular hours is actually pretty good, it's during peak traffic hours that everything goes to shit. I remember sitting in traffic trying to get down Carson through Commonwealth on a Friday evening a few years back, it took about 40 minutes to get to my destination once reaching the backlog of cars on Mt. Carson

I really hope that TGH does relieve some of the traffic, but I'm still skeptical about it all.

mrjanejacobs · #**463** Posted **Jul 21, 2013, 11:40 PM**

Improving transit is usually a better solution to alleviating traffic strains than building new roads.

New roads will just re-saturate increasing the demand for even more roads in the future. If construction of new roads is delayed, then the traffic strains will get worse, making public transportation an increasingly more viable alternative.

Of course something needs to be done to alleviate traffic in Paradise. I'm not convinced large new, isolating roads are the best solution. With that said, Paradise has a major infrastructure deficiency concerning basic roads which also needs to be addressed.

ed0797 · #**464** Posted **Jul 21, 2013, 11:54 PM**

Working at the Railway Museum I hear so much stuff that coincides with this; "I would rather take a train than drive to Paradise" and "it would've been so much easier to get across the island". Theres people there to support an improved transit system, I can't fathom how thats not one of the cities top priorities.

mrjanejacobs · #**465** Posted **Jul 22, 2013, 2:46 AM**

Most suburbanites like their cars. Political opportunism blurs the vision of good decision making.

mrjanejacobs · #**466** Posted **Jul 22, 2013, 2:53 AM**

Before transit is tackled in a really feasible way, we'll need some regional council if not amalgamation into 1-2 municipalities. Otherwise, the coordination of so many different political agendas will never be possible. Plans will just break down over and over. Projects will be stalled for years and nothing will materialize.

goodgrowth · #**467** Posted **Jul 22, 2013, 2:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrjanejacobs

Most suburbanites like their cars. Political opportunism blurs the vision of good decision making.

Exactly.

The Metro region is poorly designed in terms of road layout and lacks sufficient main arterial roads. What do we have that could be considered a 4 lane "main" road? Topsail Road, Kenmount Road, Torbay Road and I guess you could also consider Commonwealth/Mount Carson. And these "main roads" have very few intersection points with each other and when you drive on Kenmount or Topsail road it's like a amusement park ride and your stuck on the road until you get to the end.

mrjanejacobs · #**468** Posted **Jul 22, 2013, 7:12 PM**

I think we have a sufficient supply of regional arterials - Kenmount, Topsail, Torbay, Columbus/Parkway, Commonwealth, Brookfield, Thorburn, Portugal Cove, etc.

I wouldn't want to see any more 'main' roads than that, particularly in light of the TGH en route.

'Poor road design' would be a product of urban sprawl/suburbanization. Low densities invite fewer cross-roads/junctions/intersections. Intersections occur when you have compact city-design and street layouts. We are too sprawled. Our growth nodes are too far apart. I would say that's the culprit here, not necessarily poor road design.

wrwalsh · #**469** Posted **Jul 23, 2013, 12:13 PM**

I guess I'm not like most suburbanites. Working in the city center, I'd love for a dedicated shuttle across the ORR from Paradise to Cofed building, MUN, Health Sciences. Possibly 3 of the largest employers in St. John's all within the same area.

Road updates in Paradise:
Topsail road west past McNamara to St. Thomas Line is being turned into 5 lanes in the near future with construction starting this summer I believe. Not sure how far down they plan on going, right into Manuels eventually I would imagine. Paradise Road between Topsail Road and St. Thomas Line is in the process of being widened to 3 lanes as is St. Thomas Line from Topsail Road to Paradise Road.
Karwood drive is also being widened to allow better flow into and out of Paradise Elementary. Hopefully this will also elevate some traffic off topsail to the ORR. Also, the lights at the intersection of Karwood and Kenmount Road extension are going to be replaced with a large round-about. That should be interesting.

I remember speaking with mayor Wiseman a while back. He mentioned a plan 7-10 years down the road to extend Trails End in paradise to the ORR. Can't imagine the residents living on Trails End and Milton Road would be allow that to happen though.

I'm just adding some updates here as there might be people from outside of St. John's who read the forum. Last time I posted, the topic turned into how bad of a place the suburbs are to live in and commute from. Can we keep it a little more constructive this time? lol

BigRedSpecial · #**470** Posted **Jul 23, 2013, 5:12 PM**

I still feel the same way about paradise but that will go a long way towards treating the symptoms

BigRedSpecial · #**471** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 12:51 PM**

Just read this on a forum; From the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX:

Quote:

Musk calls the Hyperloop a "fifth mode" of transportation (after planes, trains, cars and boats) that is, in the right application, better than all the others. That specific case is between major cities that are less than 900 miles apart. The system relies on tubes built between the cities that would be traversed by pods that have an "electric compressor fan [mounted] on the nose of the pod that actively transfers high pressure air from the front to the rear of the vessel. This is like having a pump in the head of the syringe actively relieving pressure," Musk wrote, and will help the Hyperloop overcome the Kantrowitz Limit (the top-speed law for a given tube-to-pod area ratio).

http://green.autoblog.com/2013/08/12/elon-musk-details-hyperloop-alpha-concept/

Running from St. John's to Port Aux Basques maybe???

EDIT: Here's the article from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/08/12/technology-hyperloop-travel-elon-musk.html

statbass · #**472** Posted **Aug 13, 2013, 2:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedSpecial

Just read this on a forum; From the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX:

http://green.autoblog.com/2013/08/12/elon-musk-details-hyperloop-alpha-concept/

Running from St. John's to Port Aux Basques maybe???

EDIT: Here's the article from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/08/12/technology-hyperloop-travel-elon-musk.html

Maybe someday... hopefully.... but probably not...

.

A little off topic but I own shares in Tesla; I've done very well with them! Elon Musk is a revolutionary leader and don't be surprised to see this technology come to life soon.

cam477 · #**473** Posted **Aug 20, 2013, 11:29 PM**

• Video Link

This is a really interesting TED talk on the shift to automobile culture and the way it took over our streets. He also discusses engineering vs designing in a way I hadn’t thought of before.

I look forward to public opinion in St. John’s shifting when it comes to cycling. I think it’s inevitable… but like most things we’re just a few decades behind.

Edit: Not sure how to post a video haha. Try this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX8zZdLw7cs

Architype · #**474** Posted **Aug 21, 2013, 12:21 AM**

Youtube works like this:

[ youtube] pX8zZdLw7cs [ /youtube]

But eliminate all the spaces and it shows up properly:

• Video Link

cam477 · #**475** Posted **Aug 21, 2013, 12:28 AM**

Cheers Architype!

Townie709 · #**476** Posted **Aug 21, 2013, 3:28 AM**

Great video!

goodgrowth · #**477** Posted **Aug 25, 2013, 5:02 PM**

When is the Team Gushue Highway supposed to be completed anyway...seems like it's taking forever...

Townie709 · #**478** Posted **Aug 25, 2013, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

When is the Team Gushue Highway supposed to be completed anyway...seems like it's taking forever...

I think the new date is 2017... Where it's being built by the provincial government, I'd say the last round of budget cuts delayed it alot. Pretty sure no work has been done in it since last year. It sucks

goodgrowth · #**479** Posted **Aug 25, 2013, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Townie709

I think the new date is 2017... Where it's being built by the provincial government, I'd say the last round of budget cuts delayed it alot. Pretty sure no work has been done in it since last year. It sucks

Yeah I haven't noticed any activity this year...kinda sucks...I remember the first section was also delayed...

rthomasd · #**480** Posted **Aug 25, 2013, 7:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

Yeah I haven't noticed any activity this year...kinda sucks...I remember the first section was also delayed...

Tenders were let for overpasses at Old Pennywell area and the overpass at Redmonds rd (Capt Whelan area).

In recent days, there's been some concrete footing work done at the Redmonds Rd, and some work at the Pennywell Rd. There's construction shacks at both locations.

That's the only work I've seen done since January.