Johnson Street Bridge Victoria BC Canada This website is one step of an awareness campaign. We are Victoria and Capital Region residents who believe the fate of the Johnson Street Bridge is an issue of vital importance, affecting our city's transportation systems, finances, and governance. Our goal is to provide a central information platform, with news and opinion from all sources, so citizens can make informed decisions about how to proceed with the most expensive infrastructure project in Victoria's history.
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The City of Victoria recently altered its Request For Proposals to allow the bidding companies take over design of the new Johnson Street Bridge. To meet the terms of the 2010 referendum, they will have to build a bridge “generally in accordance” with plans on file at City Hall. But is building a facsimile of the original design a good idea? Maybe not. Judging by examples from Florida, if the three companies were given complete freedom to design a bridge that met the City’s transportation needs, they could build it for $45 to $55 million — 20 to 30 percent less than the $66 million budgeted for constructing the experimental Johnson Street Bridge. [...]
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If there’s any upside to the FOCUS affair, it’s that reporters are starting to pay attention to the Johnson Street Bridge Steering Committee — a panel of City staff that makes crucial decisions about the bridge project, yet repeatedly neglects to report them to our elected councillors. On September 12, 2011, the Steering Committee knew the bridge’s “wheel” design had to change completely, and that budget estimates were being revised. But they didn’t tell councillors for another six months. [...]
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Back in March, Victorians learned that the always-open pathway through the big wheels of the new Johnson Street Bridge was cut from the design. However, it seems many are still unaware that the architects had to radically change the bridge’s entire lift mechanism after the 2010 referendum — and that the unusual mechanism will likely increase the project’s final cost and future maintenance. Are we buying a piece of transportation infrastructure, or a giant moving sculpture? [...]
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The only chance for anyone to comment publicly about what should included in Victoria’s Johnson Street Bridge rehab plan, it appears, will be at next week’s council meeting, on the evening of Thursday, June 10. [...]
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The Johnson Street Bridge petition campaign collected over 10 000 signatures against the proposed borrowing bylaw, and one of the primary reasons voters signed was concern over transparency and public input. The week following the release of the petition results, Ross Crockford and Yule Heibel (.ORG directors) met with Mayor Dean Fortin, City Manager Gail Stephens, Director of Operations Peter Sparanese and Jaime Matten, the Mayor’s assistant, to highlight this issue and offer solutions – open the meetings of the Citizen Advisory Panel to the public, provide comprehensive minutes, and allow public input into the decision process. [...]
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Residents are also open minded about bridge options, and feel the City should take in a wide assessment of variables to determine the best options. That is somewhat at variance with the need to ‘get on with the job’, but clearly suggests the public is concerned City Engineering, and the bridge consultants, have not thoroughly explored all possibilities. Rail and historical consideration were also low on the list of priority considerations. [...]
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We can wonder – what is going on at City Hall with the Blue Bridge process? As we approach the one year anniversary since council received the Delcan Johnson Street Bridge Assessment report, what lessons have been learned? [...]
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In a recent post we noted a meeting between johnsonstreetbridge.ORG Directors Yule Heibel and Ross Crockford with Mayor Dean Fortin and Gail Stephens. Next Steps at City Hall outlined some of the concerns over the role of the Bridge Citizen Advisory Committee: [...]
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On February 18, Victoria’s councillors directed City staff to spend $840,000 to investigate the options involved in repairing the Johnson Street Bridge. Many johnsonstreetbridge.ORG supporters have been wondering how the City plans to proceed with this work. [...]
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In a Christmas Eve reply to emails Geoff Young made an unprecedented local media moment by allowing jsb .ORG to publish his message. Since the completion of the January 4th counter-petition campaign, and the January 7th council meeting – and motion to seek costs and options for bridge repair – Councillor Young has received questions and comments, which resulted in a ‘common reply’ last week. [...]
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