[Saint John] Transportation and Infrastructure

[NB_ExistsToo]

Originally Posted by Helladog

I’m wondering if and when the city is planning to redo Simms Corner into either a roundabout (which will confuse poor SJers), or a proper intersection. This has been in the ‘planning’ for some time.

As funny as it is to joke about people using roundabouts, there's not a chance a roundabout would make things more difficult to navigate than Simms Corner current setup during peak traffic.

[JHikka]

Simms Corner? Roundabout? Did I accidentally stumble into a thread from 2010?

I agree that a roundabout at Simms probably simplifies things.

[josh_cat_eyes]

www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5778031


I found a city report indicating some areas of Saint John they might want to building a roundabout.
https://saintjohn.ca/sites/default/f...20Strategy.pdf

[adamuptownsj]

If I was king it wouldn't be top priority. Millidge/Somerset would be. Busiest IIRC, has been altered relatively recently so drivers are more aware of changes, on a key developing corridor. Notice how the residences between here and Boars Head Road keep declining in number as businesses grow.


I would prioritize the mess at the other end of Manawagonish before Simms just because I've almost seen some deadly crashes there.

Ashburn isn't needed until the Crossing if it ever happens. Lights fixed a lot there. Sandy Point and Foster Thurston is not a big deal to anyone. They said they weren't considering Woodward at this time but they should!

[ColSJ]

I’ve noticed in the past 2 days semi truck trailers carrying new cars have been coming onto the throughway from Bluery Street on-ramp so I am to presume things are moving well at the new inter modular facility.

[ColSJ]

Hapag Lloyd is adding Port Saint John to their Mediterranean Canada Service. The company cites Port Saint John's "excellent rail connectivity to the US Midwest".

https://www.hapag-lloyd.com/en/news-...ce--mca--.html

[JHikka]

https://newsysj.ca/province-throws-u...-street-north/

Province Throws Up Roadblock To Bike Lane Proposal For Viaduct And Main Street North

"The provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is saying no to a City proposal to install buffered bike lanes along the Viaduct and Main Street North. Both are provincially designated highways and the department must give approval to any changes in traffic patterns.

City Transportation Director Tim O’Reilly told Common Council a letter from the provincial department was received this afternoon indicating it wasn’t onboard due traffic volumes on the routes – concerns about maintenance of the two roads – and the proximity of Harbour Passage which can be used by cyclists."

Coun. Armstrong is, perhaps unsurprisingly, against the bike lanes. My understanding is that bike traffic, particularly on Harbour Passage, has increased in recent years.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by JHikka

https://newsysj.ca/province-throws-u...-street-north/

Province Throws Up Roadblock To Bike Lane Proposal For Viaduct And Main Street North

"The provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is saying no to a City proposal to install buffered bike lanes along the Viaduct and Main Street North. Both are provincially designated highways and the department must give approval to any changes in traffic patterns.

City Transportation Director Tim O’Reilly told Common Council a letter from the provincial department was received this afternoon indicating it wasn’t onboard due traffic volumes on the routes – concerns about maintenance of the two roads – and the proximity of Harbour Passage which can be used by cyclists."

Coun. Armstrong is, perhaps unsurprisingly, against the bike lanes. My understanding is that bike traffic, particularly on Harbour Passage, has increased in recent years.

It would duplicate Harbour Passage from Place 400 to St Patrick, and the last time they tried it they saw more motorized wheelchair and foot traffic than bikes- I'm talking fewer than 10 bikes a day, IIRC.

[NB_ExistsToo]

I used to bike around Saint John, and I will say, the Harbour Passage is awful for biking, it's always crowded and it's not straight, making it seem more narrow around the bends. I don't mind them telling bikers to just use Harbour Passage, but it's at the point where you would want dedicated bikers/walkers section on it.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by NB_ExistsToo

I used to bike around Saint John, and I will say, the Harbour Passage is awful for biking, it's always crowded and it's not straight, making it seem more narrow around the bends. I don't mind them telling bikers to just use Harbour Passage, but it's at the point where you would want dedicated bikers/walkers section on it.

It had them a couple years ago and should absolutely restore them. It's also a lot shorter- from Simonds St along Main to Union is 850 meters, and the existing HP route is only 600. Maybe run HP up to Fort Howe via Simonds to better connect the North End to the system.

It seems expansion has stalled after the Water to Sydney section. I know the Broad-Tin Can Beach portion is coming, and the city has approved the extension as far as Pitt and Crown. I haven't heard anything about other expansions, but they should prioritize connecting the North End above Pitt and Crown. I say this as someone who would definitely personally benefit from an eventual extension along Crown as far as Union.

Back to the subject at hand, converting the right-hand lane of Main to a solid white line at least past the Red Rose Tea building and eliminating that low visibility yield should take priority.

[ColSJ]

From CBC article: Port Saint John 'rising to the challenge' after nearly $8M drop in revenue, says CEO

An announcement is coming June 8 in relation to the $205-million west-side modernization project, which Quinn described as being more than half-way completed.

"We're going to be doing a little exposé as part of virtual Port Days where we'll be talking about the results of an economic impact study that has been completed around what we're doing with our modernization," he told CBC News.

"And we'll be talking about another submission we've made to the ... provincial, federal governments to support an enhancement of that project."

Quinn declined to elaborate, other than to say it involves a further expansion, and that the economic impact will be "significant."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...ject-1.6046974

[Franco401]

AIM recycling gone? How long is their lease?

[Pugsley]

Originally Posted by Franco401

AIM recycling gone? How long is their lease?

Clearly being pushed out to accomodate this: https://vimeo.com/534517548

Thank goodness.

[homebody]

Originally Posted by Pugsley

Clearly being pushed out to accomodate this: https://vimeo.com/534517548

Thank goodness.

Wow. Looks great.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by Pugsley

Clearly being pushed out to accomodate this: https://vimeo.com/534517548

Thank goodness.

Two month old video. At 1:35 you can see the AIM facility is explicitly not part of the port expansion, but its offices will end up across the tracks from its operations.

[Fischbob]

Here's a site plan of JDI's proposed logistics operation on Dever Road, from next week's PAC package:



Needless to say, several of the residential neighbours have sent in letters of opposition/concern regarding the proposal.

[ButterNutPecan]

I got an odd question, does anyone know why King Street West is so wide?

[JHikka]

From what I can find it's because there used to be a rail line on the street.


The NB Museum lists this photo as Lower King Street, Carleton, Saint John circa 1925

http://website.nbm-mnb.ca/Transition...s.asp?item=191

[ColSJ]

Construction is progressing on the expansion of the Rodney Container Terminal rail yard.

[ColSJ]

A news release from Port Saint John with some highlighted points.

Overall cargo tonnage at Port Saint John in the first three quarters of 2021 is 19% higher than over the same period in 2020. The first three quarters of 2020 saw 18.6 million tonnes of cargo, with 2021 experiencing 22.2 million tonnes by the end of September.

As of the end of September, the container tonnage moved via Port Saint John is 6% higher than 2020. This is the fifth consecutive year of growth in the container sector at Port Saint John.

In other cargo sectors, dry bulk cargoes are experiencing a year-to-date increase of 128%.

The liquid bulk sector is also experiencing a year-over-year increase at 16% higher than the same period in 2020.

https://www.sjport.com/port-saint-jo...affic-in-2021/

I think it's safe to the Port of Saint John is doing very well and with the container terminal expansion, it's only going to get better.