How does our city define progress?Is it a quantifiable measure of the increase in our standard of living? Our quality of life? Our cost of living? This is a definition that must be nailed down.
Today, after four months of heavy investment, the section of Wyandotte, between Walker Road east to Drouillard is scheduled to open to vehicular traffic. Watch the "progress" of this investment here.
This is where we need to decide our most appropriate definition of the term "progress". This infrastructure investment will (much like Riverside Drive's Peabody Bridge, which for the life of me I could not find a picture of!) no doubt increase the speed and safety for the cars, yet it doesn't provide for the safe passage of cyclists. The backfilled road cut has provided the abutting property owners with Wyandotte frontage - no doubt drastically increasing the value of their property. 
Yet, one must keep in mind that the road renovation removed much esthetic interest in the neighbourhood, as well as an historic structure that was excavated and built by hand by the town of Walkerville in the early 1930's. Anyone who has ever travelled along Wyandotte will remember this bridge.
How do you define the term "progress" and when, in the evolution of our city, do we stop "progressing" before we establish our version of that definition?
5 comments:
hi chris, it's darren. i still see up the detour signs on the east side of wyandotte tonight. so i guess they didn't open it today yet. I was hoping they would though before the snowfall this weekend. I couldn't find any info on the city website about it opening either.
Perhaps "progress" is measured in the speed and efficency people can get the hell out of downtown out to the fringe and beyond. It's a shame that the archways couldn't have been saved. They could have been an interesting feature in a park. Alas, this city seems to do everything in its power to erase the past and cover it up with something without character or civic value.
Civic tech is on the money when it comes to this city. How quickly can you get cars moving is the measurement here.
I am not lamenting the loss of the bridge it was dangerous from its inception but why not have large plaques with pictures to show what it looked like?
As for not having it open yet...well it is Windsor afterall.
Dave, I'm sure someone is already comissioning a large format wall mural/eyesore somewhere to commemorate the 'subway' build by hand then destroyed by a short sighted leadership.
anon, are you saying that the underpass should have been saved and if so why? Many people have been killed because of it and the subsequent turn it makes at the top. I am bog on preservation but some things need to come down regardless of their age.
I understand your mural hate as well. Nothing like destroyig buildings of good value and architecture to only replace it with a mural of what once was in existence. I find it very hypocritical but with this city it doesn't suprise me.
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