05-10-2016, 02:55 PM
(05-09-2016, 09:46 PM)Pheidippides Wrote:(05-08-2016, 02:58 PM)panamaniac Wrote: I was told yesterday that ION will require Benton to be widened by a full car lane between King and Charles, meaning a significant bite will be taken out of Speakers Corner. The sculpture in the plaza will need to be moved. I had been hoping that this would be limited to the chunk that has already been taken in front of the Downtown Crepe Café, but apparently not.
ION made me sad all day!
Looks more like a shaving of a few curbs and sidewalks to me, but I guess it depends what we define as a "significant bite":
http://www.rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo...df#page=12
http://www.rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo...df#page=13
Considering there was a plan initiated in 2010 to give Benton St a road diet, any interim measures that increase the width of the road seem particularly counter to our city/region's goals.
Quote:Now the plan for the Benton Street Extension is history and the Region of Waterloo is planning to reconstruct Frederick Street between Weber and King in 2012. Benton Street between King and Courtland will be resurfaced in 2013.
...
Margaret Santos, an architect and member of the region’s Pedestrian Charter Steering Committee, says the Benton-Frederick street corridor “is an opportunity to have one of the best public spaces in the downtown.”
The roadway is so wide now there is lots of room to create a promenade in the core.
“Nice broad sidewalks with lots of trees,” Santos says. “There is lots of room for bike lanes, trees and wide sidewalks. It would be a pity not to see that happen.”
But like so many things, once the Rapid Transit project got started, full priority was given to it, and the RT team, in the interest of quick tendering and construction, prioritized matching existing conditions over incorporating future (not yet fully fleshed out and supported) plans. You can see also the Erb/Caroline intersection, which fails to integrate any bicycle provisions despite years of expectations for just that.
Seeing the 5 lane cross-section at Charles grow to 6 lanes seems like a step back.