By Staff
May 26th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
There is more than one side to a story.
Gary Parker a Deyncourt Drive wrote us saying:
I received the accompanying note from one of my neighbours this Friday afternoon. He was out and about and observed a situation that is all too common in our downtown. He also noted that he had issues finding a parking spot. And this as he points out of course is today’s world without the level of intensification our new OP will allow.
Interestingly in the justification section of the Wellings Consultants report that seeks approval for the high rise tower at 409 Brant is a quote from its traffic consultant. It suggests that some traffic issues might emerge as a result of this development and the city might want to consider a restrictions on left hand turns off of Brant Street to Elgin. That will surely solve the congestion problem eh?
Instead of being a place of vibrancy that attracts Burlington citizens downtown what we are creating is a place to be avoided! This will be the legacy of a city council and a planning department that ignores the wishes of the people.
The note from the neighbour, who has the same first name, said:
There currently is no better argument to re-think downtown intensification than today.
Lakeshore has been gridlocked since 3:30 this afternoon and currently Brant St. is now backed up to almost Smith’s.
No one is going anywhere fast and that is without the planned 5 high rise towers being in play.
G
Jack Dennison, the ward 4 incumbent seeking re-election added to the discussion:
There was an accident on the QEW west bound. There was an accident on the North bound skyway. The ramp to the Niagara QEW is now closed for an extended period. The cut through traffic was at a peak.
Jack
Gary Parker shot back with:
And that’s the point Jack. Problems like this happen with regularity and with the growth of the commuter population in the Niagara region the frequency of these issues will only increase. Now add in what you guys have approved and you have a perfect storm scenario. However I suppose that by then things will be so bad that the Lakeshore / downtown route won’t be a viable option for these commuters. Maybe that’s the missing genius component of your plan?
Traffic is clearly going to be an ongoing debate that will keep the October municipal election interesting.
There is traffic everywhere in the GTA and it’s getting worse everywhere. You think burlington should be an island without traffic? And without any growth? Have you seen the north end of the city? the entire community is built around massive wal mart parking lots. You can get parking there, maybe you should move up there. It’s much better than downtown, lots of parking and no TOWERS, this anti development community should spend some time fighting real problems like poverty. There are much bigger problems in the world that people wanting to invest $100s of millions building luxury condos in your city.. I’m sure brantford, Hamilton and st Catherine’s would die for these problems.
The north part of the city was built long after the south part. The north was planned during the Big Box era, when we were told we lived in the era of the car, and that was the way things were going to be, drive everywhere, too bad, get used to it.
The south was built before this, and things were smaller and more compact, with fewer people. Not so many big boxes, but some 1960s malls of various sizes – lots of parking, but in walking distance for many.
These are now being torn down for intensification – not much meaningful commercial to walk to, not enough parking, lots of people living densely. They still have to drive everywhere most of the time. No escape from this.
But now the city line is the opposite of car – walk, bus, bike – but not based on the facts of the cars, now multiplied by denser numbers of people. Growth never stops – so more people, more cars.
In all cases the traffic is growing everywhere, as Andy says, and Burlington cannot be an island and will not escape, and never has. I think residents are not anti development, and Andy is just dissing their concerns, and attitudes about how they are being told they have to live.
They are just saying they don’t want to be forced to live that way. Telling them to go fight “real” problems like poverty is just an angry sounding ridiculous comparison. And not everyone counts the silver as a measure of a problem.
Andy suggests they go live up north, so at least there is a choice now – south or north – that he would take away from those who don’t want to live either way, so he can get what he appears to want, which is traffic everywhere, or whatever he means to say.
Why doesn’t he move there and leave others alone.
He doesn’t have to be so sarcastic in his dismissal of the thoughts of other people. We are all entitled to seek what we want.
Jack’s excuse is pretty amateur. As anyone considering the flow of traffic in any city – these routes all have to be considered. Makes you wonder who … (edited) Jack is in? #Notreally
This whole situation reminds one of the nursery rhyme “Three Blind Mice.” Basically except for one or two individuals our City Hall is full of “blind” mice, as well as “deaf” ones too when it comes to listening to their constituents. Come the fall lets clean house & get rid of these mice!
Jack, your comments highlight just how out of touch you are with understanding the challenges that come with downtown over-intensification; you have served as councillor for over 20yrs ; its now time for a new voice in Ward 4.
Almost any time of the day, Lakeshore Rd is congested. City hall made it that way with the traffic calming lane reductions, some years ago.
I’m not sure what the reasoning was then – I don’t remember for sure – but I seem to remember something about there being too many cars speeding.
Maybe Dennison can tell us as he was there.
Brant St is too, but not as bad yet, and last week I got the impression the left turn lane from the west up Brant was shortened in the advance turn timing. We use it a lot, so such things are noticed.
I was there yesterday coming from Niagara at the tail end of the Toronto down-bound Skyway accident. It was pretty bad, as was the Niagara bound QEW for miles out of sight.
It was obvious that many drivers didn’t know the QEW on ramp was closed at Lakeshore, so it was really chaos. Lakeshore was backed up and the light from QEW was getting blocked so only 3 or so car were able to pass either way.
But it doesn’t take an accident. I go to Niagara bound every weekend in summer, and on our return home it is always backed up and crowded for miles Niagara bound often out of sight both ways and past the Skyway Toronto bound.
And Plains Rd is always congested in Aldeshot, but I have been to several meetings about development impacts and we have always been told the transportation people always say there is no capacity problem.
This always gets roar from the residents attending, and the last time it got real rancorous and the planner threatened to shut the meeting down.
It is quite clear that the transportation thinking is going to cause chaos in parking, traffic, congestion, air pollution, anger, and so on.
It’s not the absence of our leaders not thinking this through – they didn’t want to think about it, and did not. They have been told by residents what the reality is for several years.
Not interested. Always like Dennison they cough up an excuse in an accident, or a one-time special case, but will not see the general situation staring at them.
come on councilors , stop trying to rationalize a problem that you do not wish to consider. “just close your eyes and maybe the problem will disappear”
Gary makes a very credible point.
I’ve spoken to a dozen neighbours in the past two weeks, and in each and every conversation the issue of traffic congestion arises. Invariably, that segues into a conversation around downtown redevelopment and intensification. A number have told me they avoid shopping downtown Burlington at any cost opting instead for an outlying mall where parking is plentiful and accessible, and they don’t have to contend with narrow roads, bike lanes, etc.
No…our civic leaders sure didn’t think this one through.
I totally agree, Stephen. Adding lots of high rises downtown, tailored to financially comfortable seniors and empty nesters who most likely have two cars will not help parking, transportation or congestion problems. It will only worsen them. But as Gary Parker says, maybe that’s the idea behind the magic the planners will perform when the new transportation plan appears.
“OK everyone, listen up. From now on you’re allowed one car per unit and that’s it. Get out and walk or bike or ride the bus everywhere in Burlington. Visitors will be strictly monitored if they try to enter the downtown in an automobile. Enjoy!”