Winnipeg | Portage and Main

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

The fact they’re still dancing around actually opening it up like a real city with vision is still sad as fuck though

100& accurate. To get the downtown filled with people around the busy famous intersection..Safer & helps commercial businesses, .A tourism magnet, Who Wouldn't want that???

[GreyGarden]

.

[optimusREIM]

I thought the plan had been to take the barriers out and essentially just make a bunch of kerbs, new barriers??? Wtf

[GreyGarden]

I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Jeff Browaty and Janice Lukes for politicizing this issue. It’s so embarrassing.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

…

Personally I didn't even expect this much to happen at P & M for a while. I'm disappointed with the proposed half-measure but not really surprised. I'll reserve judgement on the project until I see some renderings on what they're proposing.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Jeff Browaty and Janice Lukes for politicizing this issue. It’s so embarrassing.

It really is.

But if we're going to have the barriers, then surely they could be redesigned to look less hideous than the design they have now.

Same vibe:

[WinCitySparky]

Tear down the wall lol

[trueviking]

I believe the hope is something like this.

[thurmas]

Originally Posted by esquire

It really is.

But if we're going to have the barriers, then surely they could be redesigned to look less hideous than the design they have now.

Same vibe:

Mr Gorbachev a hem excuse me, Mr Gillingham tear down this wall!

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I believe the hope is something like this.

Except with glass panels so there's an alternative to smashing bus shelter glass!

In all seriousness, something like that to me would be ideal, just to funnel pedestrians to a proper place to cross when it's finally open. Lets get the BRT stations through there done at the same time. Of course that means the RT Union Station project needs too get done as well.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I believe the hope is something like this.

I am all for it, but how will they make something like that be able to stand up to heavy snow clearing?

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Biff

I am all for it, but how will they make something like that be able to stand up to heavy snow clearing?

Are you talking about physical damage from the plows, or them starting to discolor in a few years from all the sand and salt used at the intersection?

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

…

Of course Jeff Browaty has something to say about it.

F*** everything about that guy.

I hope the new designs will make it super easy to open up the intersection, and when we do decide to take the barriers down, it would cost only thousands of dollars, rather than millions.

[blueandgoldguy]

When they have to replace the envelope to Winnipeg Square, the intersection will have to be completely closed anyways, won't it? Traffic will have to be diverted. At this point, maybe the municipal government will realize that opening the intersection will not be as life-altering as feared and permanently open it up to foot traffic.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by cllew

Are you talking about physical damage from the plows, or them starting to discolor in a few years from all the sand and salt used at the intersection?

I am thinking they will have a tough time withstanding the pressure from the snow as the plows pass. I guess they could come up with a specialized plowing schedule for P&M. I can’t think of bollards on any major street that are right up to the road.

[zalf]

Originally Posted by Biff

I am thinking they will have a tough time withstanding the pressure from the snow as the plows pass. I guess they could come up with a specialized plowing schedule for P&M. I can’t think of bollards on any major street that are right up to the road.

Proper bollards are meant to absorb a vehicle crashing into them, either deliberately or accidentally. Those have something like 2/3 their length below ground, and would hold up to the snow pressure without issue. And I should hope that's what they're doing, because if they instead use the mostly-decorative sort that just bolt to the surface, then they'll offer absolutely no resistance, whether its heavy snow being tilled up by a plow or an out of control car.

[Biff]

I get that proper bollards are meant to withstand a vehicle crash. The thing with that is that after the crash the affected bollard(s) will need to be replaced due to damage. They will 100% do their job, but not without cosmetic damage.

The ones around the police headquarters are a good example. They look great and undoubtedly will protect against any intended/un-intended crash, but no way will they look good after.

Winters are long and unfortunately happen every year so we can expect repeated damage to whatever is there. Just make regular curbs like any other street in the city.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

When they have to replace the envelope to Winnipeg Square, the intersection will have to be completely closed anyways, won't it? Traffic will have to be diverted. At this point, maybe the municipal government will realize that opening the intersection will not be as life-altering as feared and permanently open it up to foot traffic.

We went through similar about 15 years ago when Main St we being refurbished and it 100% caused the exact sort of delays Winnipeg Transit said would happen by opening Portage and Main to pedestrians. At the time I worked just off Portage and Main and commuted by transit. It was faster to get home by walking up Notre Dame to HSC than to catch the same bus in downtown Winnipeg.

As I have long said, before opening Portage and Main to pedestrians we need a city wide rapid transit network that will not be impacted by changes to that intersection. Then we people have a true alternative to single passengers vehicles that is going to get them to their destination faster the impact on those vehicles becomes irrelevant. As we are still dragging our feet on a second rapid transit route and haven't done any spur lines of the existing one to say Linden Woods/Whyte Ridge or BridgeWater/SouthPointe it is telling that rapid transit isn't a priority.

It is time to face that there are five traffic flows going through Portage and Main currently and they all need to be accounted for in any purposed change and the study needs to look at traffic impacts for more than just that one intersection.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Biff

The ones around the police headquarters are a good example. They look great and undoubtedly will protect against any intended/un-intended crash, but no way will they look good after.

The bollards around the Winnipeg Police HQ are decorative covers over the very utilitarian functional bollard. I assume this was done so that damaged covers could be more easily repaired or replaced if needed.

It was also interesting to see them installed. It looked like they dug 10 feet or more below grade. Then build a heavy rebar structure connecting the bollards before encasing the whole structure in cement. Then the bollards were poured concrete with the approximately 4 feet you see above ground into a continuous structure that is an estimated 10 feet more below ground level. Those bollards are some truly serious structure and one day are going to be a massive project to remove.

[rrskylar]

See that the deep thinkers have once again reimagined that opening P & M is the panacea for what ails downtown Winnipeg!

Open Portage and Main and make Winnipeg Great Again!