Waterloo Region Connected

I’m curious, what parts of the city do you folks feel don’t have good road vehicle access. I think vehicle access, through decades of investment is one thing that is fully universal.

(03-29-2023, 12:31 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]I’m curious, what parts of the city do you folks feel don’t have good road vehicle access. I think vehicle access, through decades of investment is one thing that is fully universal.

I am genuinely confused with this comment. Is this just an excuse to make a comment about priority of infrastructure investing in canada over the past century? or do you not actual see the importance of a centrally located hospital that has a reasonable access to a HWY?  Just because there are roads to a location, doesn't mean it is accessible for the residence of the region. The boardwalk or south Kitchener have road access, but I would not consider either of those locations particularly accessible to majority of population within the region.

(03-29-2023, 11:53 AM)westwardloo Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-29-2023, 12:31 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]I’m curious, what parts of the city do you folks feel don’t have good road vehicle access. I think vehicle access, through decades of investment is one thing that is fully universal.

I am genuinely confused with this comment. Is this just an excuse to make a comment about priority of infrastructure investing in canada over the past century? or do you not actual see the importance of a centrally located hospital that has a reasonable access to a HWY?  Just because there are roads to a location, doesn't mean it is accessible for the residence of the region. The boardwalk or south Kitchener have road access, but I would not consider either of those locations particularly accessible to majority of population within the region.

No...it's a serious question. Several people have mentioned "vehicle access" as a criteria, but I don't think there is any location in the city where this would be a problem.

Highway access is different from vehicle access (and I don't think it actually helps locals much), locations like the Boardwalk or South Kitchener would have good vehicle access, but for those locations, they would have ONLY convenient VEHICLE access where everything else would be bad.

So, like my question is...what locations wouldn't be acceptable for vehicle access, because if there are none, then vehicle access doesn't need to be listed as a criteria.

Well I think hospitals would do better next to a highway, and main arterials.

In terms of “bad” vehicle access, being on the edge of town would qualify, or in a low-capacity residential or industrial area.

Otherwise it’s just a truism that 100% of KW has at least some level of vehicle access - but not all roads are equal especially when referring to hospital needs.

(03-29-2023, 01:05 PM)bravado Wrote: [ -> ]Well I think hospitals would do better next to a highway, and main arterials.

In terms of “bad” vehicle access, being on the edge of town would qualify, or in a low-capacity residential or industrial area.

Otherwise it’s just a truism that 100% of KW has at least some level of vehicle access - but not all roads are equal especially when referring to hospital needs.

I think it also depends on the purpose of the hospital. If we’re talking about bringing in emergency patients from Elmira in an ambulance, being on the highway is a big plus. If we’re talking about serving a 5km radius around the hospital for non-emergency services, then I would agree that almost anywhere in the City has good-enough road access.

(03-29-2023, 12:31 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]I’m curious, what parts of the city do you folks feel don’t have good road vehicle access. I think vehicle access, through decades of investment is one thing that is fully universal.

Depending on what you mean by "good road vehicle access", Vista Hills. There's only one road in. Not very easily accessed.

(03-29-2023, 01:05 PM)bravado Wrote: [ -> ]Well I think hospitals would do better next to a highway, and main arterials.

In terms of “bad” vehicle access, being on the edge of town would qualify, or in a low-capacity residential or industrial area.

Otherwise it’s just a truism that 100% of KW has at least some level of vehicle access - but not all roads are equal especially when referring to hospital needs.

That's kinda the point...there's nowhere in the city that isn't 2-3 minutes from an arterial road, everywhere is accessible easily by car. What makes a road in-equal for a hospital? They don't need to be accessible by any larger than normal vehicles?

(03-29-2023, 04:27 PM)timc Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-29-2023, 12:31 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]I’m curious, what parts of the city do you folks feel don’t have good road vehicle access. I think vehicle access, through decades of investment is one thing that is fully universal.

Depending on what you mean by "good road vehicle access", Vista Hills. There's only one road in. Not very easily accessed.

Actually, Vista Hills now has two roads in because the city built Platinum Dr., but even leaving that aside, I don't think that's inaccessible by vehicle...that's still completely accessible by vehicle. There are not major obstacles, and we know this is the case because virtually 100% of residents in the area arrive and depart by personal car. The area is however, very remote in the city....which is not the point I think.

(03-29-2023, 01:53 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-29-2023, 01:05 PM)bravado Wrote: [ -> ]Well I think hospitals would do better next to a highway, and main arterials.

In terms of “bad” vehicle access, being on the edge of town would qualify, or in a low-capacity residential or industrial area.

Otherwise it’s just a truism that 100% of KW has at least some level of vehicle access - but not all roads are equal especially when referring to hospital needs.

I think it also depends on the purpose of the hospital. If we’re talking about bringing in emergency patients from Elmira in an ambulance, being on the highway is a big plus. If we’re talking about serving a 5km radius around the hospital for non-emergency services, then I would agree that almost anywhere in the City has good-enough road access.

To me, the fundamental issue of whether a place is "inaccessible by car" is that someone driving might find it challenging to get there using a car. I think that is separate to whether a location is close to or far from people who need to access it, which seems to be most of the points that are being made, and really--to me--is a very valid issue.

I would argue that the only location that could be even slightly inaccessible by car is say the old bus station. With Joseph and Ontario being one direction, Gaukel being closed to King, Queen St. being a little tight, and King St. frequently closed, the ability to quickly get into and out of the site by car is more restricted than most places in the region.

FWIW...even here in Amersfoort, very few places are inaccessible by car. The city centre is about the only place which is actually car free. Everything else has relatively easy access.

The Aud location would make the most sense. If they build high rather than wide, and use structured parking, they will not even need the entire property. And while arterial road access is everywhere, highway access for ambulances is ideal.

And maybe eventually the Audi could move to the GRH parking lot next to Sun Life--again, with structured parking--depending on how much of the existing GRH structure will be retained. That would be an ideal location for the Aud, too.

(04-01-2023, 02:50 PM)tomh009 Wrote: [ -> ]The Aud location would make the most sense. If they build high rather than wide, and use structured parking, they will not even need the entire property.  And while arterial road access is everywhere, highway access for ambulances is ideal.

And maybe eventually the Audi could move to the GRH parking lot next to Sun Life--again, with structured parking--depending on how much of the existing GRH structure will be retained. That would be an ideal location for the Aud, too.

Why is highway access ideal for ambulances? Ambulances already avoid the main reason the highway is faster: intersections, they don't have to wait at reds. I'm pretty sure that unless the highway was directly on the route the ambulance was travelling it would be rare for it to be beneficial to detour to the highway.

Yeah they hate highways. Very busy and if anything happens, tons of jurisdictional paperwork to do. Arterial roads are just easier and we have lots of them. One nice thing about Waterloo Region is that our insane road system means you can get around pretty quickly.

(04-01-2023, 03:38 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2023, 02:50 PM)tomh009 Wrote: [ -> ]The Aud location would make the most sense. If they build high rather than wide, and use structured parking, they will not even need the entire property.  And while arterial road access is everywhere, highway access for ambulances is ideal.

And maybe eventually the Audi could move to the GRH parking lot next to Sun Life--again, with structured parking--depending on how much of the existing GRH structure will be retained. That would be an ideal location for the Aud, too.

Why is highway access ideal for ambulances? Ambulances already avoid the main reason the highway is faster: intersections, they don't have to wait at reds. I'm pretty sure that unless the highway was directly on the route the ambulance was travelling it would be rare for it to be beneficial to detour to the highway.

Given that the hospital will be serving the entire region, the highway is more relevant than for Kitchener alone. But, that said, emergency services will be primarily at the current GRH site, so the new hospital would get fewer ambulance rides.

There is also the Uniroyal factory property on Strange St, and Catalyst 137 next to it.

Thoughts on possibly using the sites that used or house MTD. The hospital campus could span both sides or Borden.

(04-01-2023, 07:36 PM)neonjoe Wrote: [ -> ]Thoughts on possibly using the sites that used or house MTD. The hospital campus could span both sides or Borden.

To me that would make more sense than the Uniroyal site (that building needs to be saved).   I think, however, that this government is more inclined to go for suburban sites.

(04-01-2023, 09:56 PM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-01-2023, 07:36 PM)neonjoe Wrote: [ -> ]Thoughts on possibly using the sites that used or house MTD. The hospital campus could span both sides or Borden.

To me that would make more sense than the Uniroyal site (that building needs to be saved).   I think, however, that this government is more inclined to go for suburban sites.

How about Ontario Seed? It already has the helipad, too!

(04-01-2023, 07:02 PM)tomh009 Wrote: [ -> ]But, that said, emergency services will be primarily at the current GRH site, so the new hospital would get fewer ambulance rides.

The plan is to close the GRH emergency department and consolidate at the new site.

Along the LRT near Ottawa St seems logical to me.