Comments on: Space is scarce: Self-explaining roads needed http://johnsonstreetbridge.org/?p=349 Blue Bridge News and Opinions Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:30:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Johnson Street Bridge - Citizen Advisory Committee Monday Meeting http://johnsonstreetbridge.org/?p=349&cpage=1#comment-90 Johnson Street Bridge - Citizen Advisory Committee Monday Meeting Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:24:54 +0000 http://johnsonstreetbridge.org/?p=349#comment-90 [...] not looking for a freeway surface. Note – the video included in Yule Heibel’s post on Self Explaining Roads includes the “sound” of the current Johnson Street Bridge, something well worth [...] [...] not looking for a freeway surface. Note – the video included in Yule Heibel’s post on Self Explaining Roads includes the “sound” of the current Johnson Street Bridge, something well worth [...]

]]> By: Daniel http://johnsonstreetbridge.org/?p=349&cpage=1#comment-81 Daniel Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:16:33 +0000 http://johnsonstreetbridge.org/?p=349#comment-81 Replacing the bridge and straightening the roads are two separate issues because either could be done without the other. I agree that it isn't really necessary to straighten the road, especially considering how expensive it is. This wasn't an issue back in January, but suddenly fixing the bridge is an urgent project. Apparently, it's too expensive to just fix so it will be completely replaced, but there is enough additional money to straighten the roads. What is the motivation behind this decision? If the plan was just to straighten the road, people would reject it as an unnecessary expense. If the plan was to renovate the bridge and straighten the road, then people might reject the straightening portion of the project to save money. It only makes sense to straighten the road if the bridge is also being replaced. Since fixing the bridge wasn't an issue until very recently I suspect that replacing the bridge is being used as a reason to spend a lot of money to straighten the road. Straightening the road will remove the perceptual distance between the recent building developments on the west shore and the downtown core, increasing property values and salability. Replacing the bridge and straightening the roads are two separate issues because either could be done without the other. I agree that it isn’t really necessary to straighten the road, especially considering how expensive it is. This wasn’t an issue back in January, but suddenly fixing the bridge is an urgent project. Apparently, it’s too expensive to just fix so it will be completely replaced, but there is enough additional money to straighten the roads. What is the motivation behind this decision?

If the plan was just to straighten the road, people would reject it as an unnecessary expense. If the plan was to renovate the bridge and straighten the road, then people might reject the straightening portion of the project to save money. It only makes sense to straighten the road if the bridge is also being replaced.

Since fixing the bridge wasn’t an issue until very recently I suspect that replacing the bridge is being used as a reason to spend a lot of money to straighten the road. Straightening the road will remove the perceptual distance between the recent building developments on the west shore and the downtown core, increasing property values and salability.

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