Winnipeg Construction X

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

^Meth

Time for public flogging to be brought back.

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

Time for public flogging to be brought back.

I dunno if I want to see anyone flog themselves in public thanks

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by Jeff

North Main is a disaster for broken windows right now.. 3/4 of the windows on the RBC branch, the new Main Street Project building has a huge window smashed already, Thunderbird House has a couple broken windows, the advertising kiosk by the Salvation army is all smashed and boarded up, etc. I don't know if it was due to construction or not, but the whole north side of RRC along Elgin was boarded up not long ago as well. My uncle's car shop had all his front windows smashed on Higgins this summer.. all the bus shacks at St. Mary's and Marion were smashed out last week.... I agree, the security shutters don't look good, but we're not some small, idyllic village. I think the city or the downtown/exchange biz should give a grant for the installation of these shutters. The downtown biz has said it is a major ongoing problem when I chatted with one of the members recently.

What about the new Rock glass that is unbreakable?

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

Time for public flogging to be brought back.

lol yeah why try to address addictions & poverty when you can just torture the worst-off people in society instead! this forum has become such a cesspool

[esquire]

^ You have to admit, it is kind of frustrating that a segment of the population gravitates to the worst available substances that lead to the most destructive impulses... not only does it ruin their own lives, it makes the city worse for everyone else too. ("Booze is not damaging enough for my liking... meth, yeah, that's the stuff!")

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ You have to admit, it is kind of frustrating that a segment of the population gravitates to the worst available substances that lead to the most destructive impulses... not only does it ruin their own lives, it makes the city worse for everyone else too. ("Booze is not damaging enough for my liking... meth, yeah, that's the stuff!")

I think it's important to remember that this "segment" of the population cuts across all areas of society. I am not saying that Esquire was suggesting this, but there is a contingent that likes to paint specific ethnic groups or nationalities as the "problem" people. Addictions hit people of all social backgrounds and economic classes. The people who are "seen" in this case are the ones who cannot hide behind the walls of their homes, or have access to the best professional help and family support.

That being said it is perfectly understandable that business in the area get very tired of the vandalism that happens. Like EdwardTh seemed to suggest, the social and political will has to exist to address poverty and addictions if people want the vandalism to stop.

[CoryB]

Does TeamOpen still have the lease on the former TD Bank space in the concourse? Might be time for them to gear their campaign back up as Bowman announced this afternoon he is leaving in two years time. If an open friendly mayor gets elected in could change Portage and Main!

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

lol yeah why try to address addictions & poverty when you can just torture the worst-off people in society instead! this forum has become such a cesspool

Of course the public flogging comment was in jest...it's frustrating to see people vandalize and destroy property for little or no reason.

Not sure what addictions and poverty have to do with vandals destroying property. It should not matter if a person is sober or has an addiction. You break the law, you should be punished for it.

Most people struggling with poverty and addiction issues don't go out and smash windows and commit crime. It would be a disservice to people actually struggling with addiction and poverty issues to let one off the hook due to addiction. It will create more stigma for the majority of people facing these issues, who never break the law.

[trueviking]

Fill out the transit survey to tell them you support the idea of union station as a hub and downtown as a focus. They are worried about opposition.

https://winnipegtransit.com/en/major...lan#tab-engage

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Fill out the transit survey to tell them you support the idea of union station as a hub and downtown as a focus. They are worried about opposition.

https://winnipegtransit.com/en/major...lan#tab-engage

Done

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Fill out the transit survey to tell them you support the idea of union station as a hub and downtown as a focus. They are worried about opposition.

https://winnipegtransit.com/en/major...lan#tab-engage

Done, though I don't agree that it should be the main hub downtown. The Water & Pioneer (Lot #87) Should be used to build a station that connects either underground or via Sky Walk to Winnipeg Square and the rest of the Sky Walk System. This would be truly transformative as it would allow for people to go from the HBC, Portage Place, the Convention Centre, TNS, City Place, and Portage and Main to access the BRT System without ever having to step outside.

[trueviking]

Noticed the inevitable big black out blinds went up on the little BMO offices facing portage and main at 201 portage.

[esquire]

That was fast...

[GarryEllice]

Originally Posted by dmacc

Done, though I don't agree that it should be the main hub downtown. The Water & Pioneer (Lot #87) Should be used to build a station that connects either underground or via Sky Walk to Winnipeg Square and the rest of the Sky Walk System. This would be truly transformative as it would allow for people to go from the HBC, Portage Place, the Convention Centre, TNS, City Place, and Portage and Main to access the BRT System without ever having to step outside.

You think people would walk from HBC all the way over to Pioneer just to catch a bus? When the BRT is going to run along Portage and will have a station literally right next to HBC? "No thanks, I won't board this bus right outside my door because there's a beautiful underground hub over by the ballpark that I'd rather walk to."

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by GarryEllice

You think people would walk from HBC all the way over to Pioneer just to catch a bus? When the BRT is going to run along Portage and will have a station literally right next to HBC? "No thanks, I won't board this bus right outside my door because there's a beautiful underground hub over by the ballpark that I'd rather walk to."

The point I was trying to make was the idea that a station placed with indoor connection to as far as HBC and the convention centre is much more attractive as a Hub station then Union station which doesn't really connect to the heart of downtown. Union Station has a parking and parking lot a soon to be vacant Wawanesa building and the Manitoba club.

I do think Union station should be a downtown station but for me a station that has the potential range as the one I am suggesting, would be a better Hub station and location.

No one is walking from HBC as it's closing anyway.

[esquire]

From a commuting standpoint, there's no question that Union Station is a bit of a dead zone. If you look at a 10 minute walking radius on traveltime, P&M and the Broadway office district are just outside that range... half of the area in that circle is basically The Forks.

If Forks Railside, South Main and the eastern end of Broadway ever get built up it could work. But if Union Station became a BRT hub today it would probably be pretty lightly used except as a transfer point from one route to another, and that is not location-dependent.

[GarryEllice]

Originally Posted by dmacc

The point I was trying to make was the idea that a station placed with indoor connection to as far as HBC and the convention centre is much more attractive as a Hub station then Union station which doesn't really connect to the heart of downtown. Union Station has a parking and parking lot a soon to be vacant Wawanesa building and the Manitoba club.

I do think Union station should be a downtown station but for me a station that has the potential range as the one I am suggesting, would be a better Hub station and location.

Originally Posted by esquire

From a commuting standpoint, there's no question that Union Station is a bit of a dead zone. If you look at a 10 minute walking radius on traveltime, P&M and the Broadway office district are just outside that range... half of the area in that circle is basically The Forks.

If Forks Railside, South Main and the eastern end of Broadway ever get built up it could work. But if Union Station became a BRT hub today it would probably be pretty lightly used except as a transfer point from one route to another, and that is not location-dependent.

But that's all a hub is -- a place where a bunch of spokes meet. A transit hub is a place where you can transfer between a bunch of transit routes. Since 8 routes meet at Union Station, it's a hub. That's just a matter of geometry. It doesn't mean anything more than that. Calling it a "hub" is just acknowledging that geometric reality. It's not as if they can say "oh yeah, 8 routes meet there, but it's not a hub" -- what would that even mean? People aren't allowed to get off the bus there?

On that note, Portage & Main is an even bigger hub than Union Station in the proposed network (9 routes as opposed to 8), but they've been careful not to emphasize that at all. Presumably to avoid triggering the political debates that will unavoidably accompany any proposal to reconfigure P&M.

[CoryB]

Why we even considering this "dog leg" through downtown to reuse Union Station? Time to face some hard facts, the pandemic has effectively killed the need for a Convention Centre and it is much more centrally located in downtown. Let's focus on a plan to make that the transit hub our city deserves!

/s

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GarryEllice

But that's all a hub is -- a place where a bunch of spokes meet. A transit hub is a place where you can transfer between a bunch of transit routes. Since 8 routes meet at Union Station, it's a hub. That's just a matter of geometry. It doesn't mean anything more than that. Calling it a "hub" is just acknowledging that geometric reality. It's not as if they can say "oh yeah, 8 routes meet there, but it's not a hub" -- what would that even mean? People aren't allowed to get off the bus there?

Fair comment, but I suppose this reality makes me wonder about the somewhat grandiose ideas about what Union Station will become when BRT goes through it. It won't be a multimodal transportation nerve centre of the city... it'll be a very lightly used train station that happens to have bus stops inside and next to it.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by esquire

Fair comment, but I suppose this reality makes me wonder about the somewhat grandiose ideas about what Union Station will become when BRT goes through it. It won't be a multimodal transportation nerve centre of the city... it'll be a very lightly used train station that happens to have bus stops inside and next to it.

I think where this could become something really nice to have is down the road, when transit is built out, being located close to a hub, whether as a business or as a residence could be highly desirable. Since the areas nearest to the station happen to be rather blighted and under developed, it could be the kind of blank slate that would allow for really cool development once the demand justifies it.

I understand the debbie-downer arguments that this is ridiculous and pie in the sky and TOD is a failure of epic proportions in Winnipeg blah blah blah... What we need is a fresh attitude towards these things. It could easily be incentivized and we could create the desire to be near there. I think once railside comes online that will be a nice shot in the arm. It would be even better if we had proper intercity rail (I know, wishful thinking).

I know I have a lot of unjustified ambition, and I may even be accused of being unrealistic, but we'll never have the great city we all want to live in if we limit ourselves by a shitty attitude and pessimistic/bordering on cynical outlook on the vitality and future of our city.