Halifax's Street Network

[someone123]

I think expropriation makes sense in cases where you have only a few properties holding up a public project that would benefit a large number of people. It has a bad name from past decades when it would be used to clear out entire neighbourhoods, but that is an extreme case. It might even be good to pay bonus money to displaced people, or give them extra time to find them new housing (or the city could even waive the fees on a new house or something). I doubt many people would be that upset about their house being expropriated if they received a similar one plus, say, $50,000. From the city's perspective, that cost would not be very significant for a major road project requiring some limited expropriations.

On top of the "small town syndrome", transportation planning in Halifax is also politicized to the point where it's driven by special interests rather than actual need. The city needs a separate transportation authority to handle bridges, roads, and transit based on cost-benefit.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by bluenoser

It's funny/sad that North West Arm Drive never even made it close to its namesake, although there is still a lot of land available to complete it without a ridiculous amount of expropriation. On the peninsula side, there is still a sizeable wooded area at the (abrupt) South end of Robie which could become the landing for the bridge and an interchange.

Well, the Ecology Action Center and their operatives in the media and at City Hall have effectively made it nearly impossible to come out in favor of any improvement to the road network here. Look at the foolishness regarding fixing Bayers Road, a good portion of this was actually planned for way back in the 1940s. Yet we are still stuck witht he 1940 street configuration.

I'm grateful the downtown portion of 'Harbour Drive' was never completed although I've always wondered why, after all the work that went into the Cogswell Interchange, Barrington St. in the North was not turned into a decent highway, or at least straightened out a bit with four lanes - maybe even some trees and a median? It makes for a pretty unceremonious entrance to the peninsula after coming across the McKay Bridge.

Not much different than the entrance from the MacDonald, which dumps you onto North St, a totally unsuitable main street that has absolutely no architectural merit attached to any of the buildings. I'm unsure which entrance to the peninsula is more unsuitable.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Calgary (because it has cycles of peaks and valleys) has been used to this and has had some forethought and created a 'road bylaw table'. Along major roads, where transportation has identified the need to widen the road, there is an additional bylaw setback. That way, when a redevelopment happens, the additional space required for widening is taken. So the building would have to be setback the minimum setback between the 'road widening portion' (since that would be the new property line). But that only works when you have a lot of redevelopment - it might work in Halifax over the next few years but yet again only as redevelopment happens.

The one downside to this is that in the meantime there ends up being a lot of empty space. This is particularly noticeable in Edmonton, where I assume they take a similar approach. Everything there (roads in particular) seems wide to the point of total redundancy, and there is a lot of conspicuously unused land. I guess ultimately it's probably better than having to deal with expropriating land though.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by someone123

I doubt many people would be that upset about their house being expropriated if they received a similar one plus, say, $50,000. From the city's perspective, that cost would not be very significant for a major road project requiring some limited expropriations.

This sounds completely right, with the possible exception of the few who would feel pressured to "not sell out".

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Not much different than the entrance from the MacDonald, which dumps you onto North St, a totally unsuitable main street that has absolutely no architectural merit attached to any of the buildings. I'm unsure which entrance to the peninsula is more unsuitable.

Subjective I guess. I actually really like coming off the MacDonald onto North Street. There might not be any stand-alone impressive buildings, but it's a cool streetscape.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Not much different than the entrance from the MacDonald, which dumps you onto North St, a totally unsuitable main street that has absolutely no architectural merit attached to any of the buildings. I'm unsure which entrance to the peninsula is more unsuitable.

It's not really a main street, just a wide neighbourhood road and a minor traffic thoroughfare.

And while the overall aspect of the street is a bit run-down, some of the houses are quite lovely, actually.

But I've learned not to argue architectural aesthetics with you, so I'll just leave it alone.

[someone123]

Looks like a lot of properties around there have been fixed up lately. It used to be a really dumpy area. Some of the houses a bit farther north have always been well-kept and there are at least 3 new medium-sized buildings in the works for that stretch of Gottingen (North End Pub, Bilby Street, and St. Joseph's). Should be a great spot in a few years. It would be even better if it were tied in with the southern part of Gottingen with the Housing Trust buildings and Gottingen Terrace (or whatever might be built there).

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

Looks like a lot of properties around there have been fixed up lately. It used to be a really dumpy area. Some of the houses a bit farther north have always been well-kept and there are at least 3 new medium-sized buildings in the works for that stretch of Gottingen (North End Pub, Bilby Street, and St. Joseph's). Should be a great spot in a few years. It would be even better if it were tied in with the southern part of Gottingen with the Housing Trust buildings and Gottingen Terrace (or whatever might be built there).

I'm not referring to that section of Gottingen. I'm talking about North St., such as that awful block between Agricola and Robie.