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1. •  
     CommentAuthorcancelbot
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008

    
   Moderator

   Posted By: DeanKHow come society devolved to the point where having emergency phone boxes like that around is no longer a reality?

   
   
   Same reason there are fewer and fewer payphones around... everybody + dog is using cellphones...
2. •  
     CommentAuthormrchristian
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008

    
   I wonder if an expanded Disraeli could replace both the Disraeli AND the Louise ? You could leave the Louise there for ped and cycling ? They are very close together and with a bit of fixing around Nairn and Midwinter you could easily move that traffic quickly up to the Disraeli - only adding a couple of minutes to the commute. Beats having to fund two completely separate bridges that close together. Maybe one day, when coffers are full, they could go back to the Louise an rebuild.
3. •  
     CommentAuthorcancelbot
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008

    
   Moderator
   That makes some good sense, provided a) that a new Louise would cost less than the cost of a new Disraeli span, and b) that the Louise is serviceable as a ped (or rapid transit, pedestrian, etc.) bridge for another 20 or 30 years.
4. •  
     CommentAuthorStBPegger
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008 edited

    

   Posted By: cancelbot

   Posted By: DeanKHow come society devolved to the point where having emergency phone boxes like that around is no longer a reality?

   Same reason there are fewer and fewer payphones around... everybody + dog is using cellphones...

   Dogs use cellphones now? Great, now I'm going to have to buy my dog one just to fit in with the Jones ;)

   Thankful People: Jimmytufish
5. •  
     CommentAuthorsmjpilot
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008 edited

    
   <blockquote><cite>Posted By: cancelbot</cite>Same reason there are fewer and fewer payphones around... everybody + dog is using cellphones...</blockquote>Well, the homeless have cellphones now too! Thanks Visions!
6. • CommentAuthorDeanK
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008

    
   heh.. they took the call boxes out long before cell phones came around.
7. • CommentAuthorEastSider
   • CommentTimeMay 21st 2008

    
   I like that idea.........making the Louise Bridge a pedestrian/cycling bridge. It is pure hell if you're on a bike at that intersection.
8. •  
     CommentAuthorMR_Point
   • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

    
   wow... no wonder why it roted out the bridge was not designed for a concreat dec
9. •  
     CommentAuthorJimmytufish
   • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

    
   The Midtown bridge had a steel grate deck as well. That was an idea they had back then to save on clearing snow, having ice form, etc. on bridge decks.
10. • CommentAuthorDeanK
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    seems about the same time as the idiotic open classroom concept that prooved so wacked.'
    
    man did they actually do any studies back then or was it... wow thats a cool idea.. lets do it!
11. • CommentAuthorDeanK
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    the gloves are off and the fight is ON!
    
    http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4176459p-4765250c.html
    
    sheesh... okay seriously here people... you are asking a provincially elected MLA to no longer email you? Do you perhaps realize how easy it is to NOT read an email that comes in? Or read it and simply ignore it?
    
    You can certainly tell that Steeves is a much more mature councillor though.. not bad resonding email I guess. But Grant Normand? Wow...
12. •  
      CommentAuthorJimmytufish
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    There may very well be a correlation between these goings on and the use of pot. ;)
13. •  
      CommentAuthorStBPegger
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    Yellow slime? Wow. Looks like councillors are taking "defensive" lessons from Katz.
    
    Mind you, Maloway isn't much better. I mean he goes off on council...meanwhile he hasn't even talked to Doer about getting money for the bridge. He needs to put the money where his mouth is.
    
    And people wonder why people don't care for politicians...and why the pond is drying up trying to find GOOD leaders...

    Thankful People: cancelbot
14. •  
      CommentAuthorSputnik
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008 edited

     
    The best thing for the city to do is during construction leave lanes open for transit (and only transit). During the reconstruction of the Centre Street bridge in Calgary they did just that and the ridership skyrocketed.
    
    At the time it was estimated that the bridge had approximately 34,000 cars cross it daily and it was closed off completely from car and truck for a period of 14 months and had reduced lanes (using lane direction switching and bus priority lanes during rushhour) for almost a year after that.

    Thankful People: cancelbot, StBPegger
15. • CommentAuthorDeanK
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    thats a hell of an idea Sputnik... mind you.. wouldn't buses create fairly bad vibrations just by themselves? or would that be mitigated by the fact there would not be too terribly many of them?
16. •  
      CommentAuthorcancelbot
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    Moderator
    The e-mails, from the WFP website.
    
    Maloway is reaping what he sowed, but as StBPegger pointed out, the councillors have clearly ripped a page out of Katz's playbook:
    
    From: Jim Maloway, Elmwood MLA
    
    Sent: Tue 5/20/2008 8:04 PM
    
    To: Steeves, Gord
    
    Subject: Disraeli response
    
    Gord,
    
    I want to respond to several concerns you have raised in your emails over the last few days, but I also wanted to note that the tone of these messages as well as others from City Council have been challenging and even antagonistic. I find that disturbing. While I'm very serious about this issue I don't believe personal attacks are relevant to this important issue.
    
    I make no apologies for raising the issue of the 16 month closure of the Disraeli bridge. The fact the overwhelming majority of users of the bridge system had no idea what was going to happen demonstrates the needed public consultation around that decision.
    
    I have also emphasized the opportunity to address the long term needs for this entire quadrant of the city and larger region. This is not just the focus in the Elmwood area directly but is a concern in north east Winnipeg. Once again people see a bandage being applied when they believe a more serious remedy is called for.
    
    In your email you asked about Provincial funding. You will be aware the Province is already funding city bridges and roads. We have committed to $125 million over 5 years for Winnipeg roads and bridges including $29 million for this year. This includes funding for the Fort Gary Bridge, Hamilton Bridge, McGillivray and Inkster Blvds as well as other streets. My understanding is that the Provincial Government has yet to receive an official request involving any option for participating in a Disraeli project from the City of Winnipeg.
    
    When will the City be proposing a 6 lane option(3 lanes in each direction) which is supported by 99% of the respondents in my ongoing survey?
    
    Thank you for your continued interest in this issue.
    
    Jim Maloway
    
    MLA for Elmwood
17. •  
      CommentAuthorSputnik
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008 edited

     

    Posted By: DeanKthats a hell of an idea Sputnik... mind you.. wouldn't buses create fairly bad vibrations just by themselves? or would that be mitigated by the fact there would not be too terribly many of them?

    
    
    It seemed to work on an 80+ year old bridge in Calgary, but it shouldn't take much for an engineer to figure out.
    
    I can't really see a couple of bendy buses crossing the bridge every 5 minutes to be a huge issue considering the amount of heavy machinery would be on the bridge at the same time.
    
    Imagine the dilemma Winnipegger's would face having to decide whether to sit in their SUV's for an extra hour in traffic to get downtown via Redwood or to jump on a bus and get there faster than they did when the Disraeli bridge was open to traffic.
18. •  
      CommentAuthorcancelbot
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    Moderator
    From: Steeves, Gord
    
    To: Jim Maloway, Elmwood MLA
    
    Sent: Tue May 20 22:13:16 2008
    
    Subject: RE: Disraeli response
    
    Jim,
    
    You took out an ad in the local newspaper (a very large colour ad, I might add) essentially attacking all of city council. I might add you did not even have the courtesy to phone me or anyone else prior to doing so. In fact, and as well Jim, you have never contacted me despite repeated opportunities in the Kelvin discussion to do so . The latest ad encouraged people to write in and support your attack on city council, it even offered cut out mail in ballots and a chance to castigate your local councillors online. It is very nice that now that people on city council are actually speaking out against your actions that you now are calling for "an end to personal attacks", you may have thought of that prior to the ad being taken out. If you are going to sucker punch people Jim, you shouldn't whimper when people get up and start swinging back.
    
    What would your reaction be if each city councillor took out an ad attacking you? I am serious Jim. What if each councillor took out an ad in the local paper and ask that people join in their attack on you? What if local ballots were offered and an online email input was set up to get you to move the provincial government to contribute. Would this be something that would help you influence the provincial government?
    
    Do not play politics with this issue my friend. If you feel strongly about the province funding this project stand up and say so and say so right now and very clearly, if you do not feel strongly about it then let it go and leave it to us to do the heavy lifting, we do not need your meddling in this issue if you have no influence on the provincial government.
    
    I want to be clear. I see your involvement in this issue as nothing more than blatant political grandstanding of the worst kind, Designed for nothing more than raising your own profile. You could have chosen a much more constructive political role, but instead chose this as your introduction to Winnipeg city council? You talk of the lack of public consultation, perhaps you cold enlighten me as to your "consultation" with city council on this issue? A full page colour ad in the newpaper? If that is your idea of consultation I can assure you we have more than met that threshold Jim.
19. •  
      CommentAuthorcancelbot
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008 edited

     
    Moderator
    (Steeves e-mail, ctd.)
    
    I have 3 NDP cabinet ministers in my ward and I think a very constructive relationship, I would be livid if they zoomed me with something so childish and destructive as the ad that you have taken out. You owe these 3 area councillors an apology and you will not have my respect until you run an ad of apology for your actions on this issue. I doubt you care about my respect and likley you are content to quietly recieve responses to your ad and privately attack city council in your conversations with those people. You obviously may do that if you wish, but do me the courtesy of not playing the diplomat peacemaker, you started this with your actions and if you regret it you have only yourself to blame.
    
    Take me off you list of people to whom you send these ridiculous emails and do it right now.
    
    Gord Steeves
    
    
    
    From: Nordman, Grant
    
    Sent: Tue 5/20/2008 10:24 PM
    
    To: elmwoodmla
    
    Subject: Re: Disraeli response
    
    Keep your yellow slime on your side of the Red River Malloway. We in the west don't need it. Remove me from any mail list.
    
    Grant Nordman
20. •  
      CommentAuthorStBPegger
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2008

     
    *cue circus music*
    
    Everyone is at fault, but some more than others. Nordman's was indeed the most poor.
    
    One thing I will criticize is the short time of the public consultation. It hit papers April 24th, and open houses were on Apr 29th, May 1st and May 3rd. At least they don't seem to give a deadline for comments...which is a bit disorganized, but at least people can still submit comments from the face of it.