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

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by Offshore1

Just happened upon this. Apparently Metrobus is getting at least 3 new vehicles, Vicinity buses from B.C. manufacturer Grand West Transportation. These smaller buses might be a good fit for St. John's. http://grandewest.com/

Agreed. Smaller buses are the way to go on routes with low ridership and during non-peak traffic hours. Keep the larger buses for the routes which service MUN from student neighborhoods (1, 10, 15) and downsize some of the less-used routes.

[Offshore1]

News from St. John's International Airport.

http://stjohnsairport.com/wp-content...-year-plan.pdf

I still can't wrap my head around the idea that with all this expansion work, an airport improvement fee increasing to $35 from $30 and the worst weather in the entire country that there is no plan for a parking garage.

[statbass]

Originally Posted by Offshore1

News from St. John's International Airport.

http://stjohnsairport.com/wp-content...-year-plan.pdf

I still can't wrap my head around the idea that with all this expansion work, an airport improvement fee increasing to $35 from $30 and the worst weather in the entire country that there is no plan for a parking garage.

I scratch my head at this every time it comes up.

[J_Murphy]

This weeks council agenda details some recommendations for traffic improvements to the Torbay Road/Stavanger/Majors Path area:

http://www.stjohns.ca/city-hall/about-city-hall/agenda

[colinpeddle]

I feel like COSJ is hedging their bets far too heavily on Costco's leaving simply resolving their issues at Stavanger.

The issues are traffic flow related problems, NOT the scale of the traffic but how it flows within the given space.

There's too many entrances and exits which all serve to knock down the pace and flow of traffic. Examples: McDonalds has two access points, Irving/Starbucks/KFC has 3, two are stupidly close to the intersection, dominion has two, Staples/Micheal's has 3, Wal-Mart lot has... honestly, I dunno, 5? but that is a shit show in and of itself: TWO access's by Dollarstore/Chatters, one on side street to Subway/Swiss Chalet, another about 100ft down which would be considered the main entrance and also should serve Subway lot...

There's just too many access points for parking lots, which turns the entire area into a parking lot in terms of how drivers are required to navigate the area. Thoroughfares like Stavanger and Aberdeen are borderline minefields as drivers have to eyeball a car edging out from an access point about every 50ft on Aberdeen going north.

This is preposterous and to me it indicates they'd given zero consideration to flow. Each time a car in front of you slows down to a damn near stop to turn (because ppl here have no idea how to turn properly) it accordions back in the pack of traffic. The second you get back on the gas, another car turns into another entrance just 50ft down the road.. over and over.

I've driven in big box districts from here to Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Windsor, Detroit, Ohio, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rochester, New York, New Jersey, PA, DC, VA... OMG everywhere... literally frigging in the UK even.. and NO WHERE has the same over abundance... rather, spamming of parking lot access points.

It's foolishness and easily rectified.

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by colinpeddle

I feel like COSJ is hedging their bets far too heavily on Costco's leaving simply resolving their issues at Stavanger.

The issues are traffic flow related problems, NOT the scale of the traffic but how it flows within the given space.

There's too many entrances and exits which all serve to knock down the pace and flow of traffic. Examples: McDonalds has two access points, Irving/Starbucks/KFC has 3, two are stupidly close to the intersection, dominion has two, Staples/Micheal's has 3, Wal-Mart lot has... honestly, I dunno, 5? but that is a shit show in and of itself: TWO access's by Dollarstore/Chatters, one on side street to Subway/Swiss Chalet, another about 100ft down which would be considered the main entrance and also should serve Subway lot...

There's just too many access points for parking lots, which turns the entire area into a parking lot in terms of how drivers are required to navigate the area. Thoroughfares like Stavanger and Aberdeen are borderline minefields as drivers have to eyeball a car edging out from an access point about every 50ft on Aberdeen going north.

This is preposterous and to me it indicates they'd given zero consideration to flow. Each time a car in front of you slows down to a damn near stop to turn (because ppl here have no idea how to turn properly) it accordions back in the pack of traffic. The second you get back on the gas, another car turns into another entrance just 50ft down the road.. over and over.

I've driven in big box districts from here to Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Windsor, Detroit, Ohio, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rochester, New York, New Jersey, PA, DC, VA... OMG everywhere... literally frigging in the UK even.. and NO WHERE has the same over abundance... rather, spamming of parking lot access points.

It's foolishness and easily rectified.

While we're at it,

I was always astounded that St. John's allows left turns from said access points, across 4 or 5 lanes of traffic on major city arteries. Kenmount, Torbay, and Topsail Roads especially. Some other large cities disallow this practice for traffic interruption (not to mention safety) reasons.

[jjavman]

http://vocm.com/news/construction-re...se-iv-project/

[statbass]

Well, well well... finally some actual paving for this project! Now hopefully what's already there will be re-patched and surfaced.

VOCM News
May 9, 2017

http://vocm.com/news/tender-awarded-...hue-extension/

[Offshore1]

Well it's taken 2 1/2 months but a tender has been awarded for work on the Team Gushue Highway from Kenmount Road to Topsail Road.
"Hawkins hopes that portion of the highway will be open to traffic by the end of the season."
That would be excellent, but I have my doubts. The plan has been now for a couple of years to start the tendering process early to take advantage of our short construction season. With the tender only awarded now I don't see how it accomplishes any of that. I hope I'm wrong but my guess is it'll still be 2 to 3 weeks before work begins as people will have to be hired, equipment mobilized etc prior to work starting and then we're into June and the whole month of May lost for construction purposes. I don't see any company being prepared to start work the day it's been announced that they have received the contract.
To have accomplished the goal the tender process should have began on Jan 2 and awarded to a company prior to the end of winter, thus giving them time to prepare equipment and hire needed crews. Again, I hope I'm wrong & that section of the TGH is completed this year. End of rant.
http://vocm.com/news/tender-awarded-...hue-extension/

[rthomasd]

Pure fiction.

There's no way anyone will be driving on that portion of the road this year. The article quotes the completion of the Topsail Square underpass this year, work that hasn't even started yet. It's been taking two full construction seasons to get over/underpasses done so it would be miraculous to see this one done in 5 months. Perhaps they are confusing it with the Blackmarsh Rd underpass which is mostly finished. Then there's a roundabout on Blackmarsh that has to be done.

Interestingly the tender amount quoted was $15.2 M but the Gov't website says their bid was $18 M so where's the extra money gone?

[Offshore1]

Avalon Mall entrance on Kenmount road to be realigned.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfou...move-1.4115901

[J_Murphy]

I guess this would fall under transportation developments. It's a $12.8 million project:

http://www.sjpa.com/pier17.aspx

[rthomasd]

More than a month after tender award, there's no sign of any work started on TGH, not even a construction trailer anywhere along the route.

[Offshore1]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

More than a month after tender award, there's no sign of any work started on TGH, not even a construction trailer anywhere along the route.

Hmm... I was wondering when I'd here of some word on any activity ( or lack of it ). Sad to say but my pessimistic attitude with regards to road construction in this province is well founded. WHEN will the province, city and contractors get their act together? We're not Montreal I guess, but this is just an outrageous amount time to build a road.

[ghYHZ]

Air Canada is making some changes to the YYT-LHR route for next winter.

Service is reduced to twice weekly but will now be on a B-767 routing YHZ-YYT-LHR. Think this is the first AC widebody between YYT & LHR in about a dozen years!

[elizabethf1985]

Originally Posted by ghYHZ

Air Canada is making some changes to the YYT-LHR route for next winter.

Service is reduced to twice weekly but will now be on a B-767 routing YHZ-YYT-LHR. Think this is the first AC widebody between YYT & LHR in about a dozen years!

Where did you see about the route changes to YYT-LHR? Can you post a link please?

[ghYHZ]

Originally Posted by elizabethf1985

Where did you see about the route changes to YYT-LHR? Can you post a link please?

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/...ian-maritimes/

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

More than a month after tender award, there's no sign of any work started on TGH, not even a construction trailer anywhere along the route.

Noticed one small piece of heavy equipment today just North of the Blackmarsh underpass. Looked like they were getting ready to plant some culverts.

It's almost July!

[Offshore1]

Originally Posted by jjavman

Noticed one small piece of heavy equipment today just North of the Blackmarsh underpass. Looked like they were getting ready to plant some culverts.

It's almost July!

Amazing. I drove around a few days ago to check on any visible "progress", as I'd seen a pic somewhere recently ( Telegram?) of some work near the Old Pennywell Rd overpass? Maybe it was a dream.
Disappointed to see there was no activity at all near Old Pennywell Rd., no pavement on overpass & diversion still in place. Saw a construction sign near Redmonds Rd, but no activity. The Blackmarsh Rd overpass appeared to be nearly done - almost all paved - why not all of it?
Overall, after 6 weeks since the tender announcement I saw precisely nothing happening. Mind-boggling.

[rthomasd]

Did you notice how high the underpass is above the roadbed of Old Pennywell Rd, looks to be a good 3 metres higher than OP Rd. How do they build up OP Rd by 3 metres and still have the bypass Rd function without extending the bypass further along OP Rd? There's been no additional clearing for that to happen.