After many years of debate, the Provincial and Federal governments finally came through with their new cross border plan for Windsor. I'm not sure that this is what we wanted, but it's pretty close to what we expected! The one positive thing is the environmentalists finally got them to consider using rail as part of the planView details of the city's new border access route plan, with public meetings next week, schedule and more available here.
4 comments:
300 acres of mixed use land intrigues me, but I can't help but feel like something just isn't right.
I'll head out Monday night to Massey to get more information, but I want to know how they are going to scrub the pollutants out from the 300 blowers that are installed on the tunnels. Without scrubbers, what difference, environmentally, does a tunnel have over what we already have? All of the mixed use land with be saturated with truck exhaust. Sure, it's greenspace, but at what cost?
What really scares me is the following quote from Greenlink.com In the recent years due to the stringent engine emission standards in Canada and US applied to the new vehicles and the renewal of the vehicular fleet, emissions of carbon monoxide decreased so significantly that it is rare that they cause any health concern. The biggest concern is currently particulate emissions, especially of the fine particles generated by diesel engines.
Mitigation measures, such as reducing traffic congestion, vehicle queues at intersections, and improving traffic flow can be used to reduce impacts from vehicular emissions.
In my interpretation, they are suggesting that if we make the traffic move faster then we are going to some how mitigate the impact of the pollution on surrounding neighbourhoods. Heaven help you if you happen to live near a tunnel entrance or exit as they intend to exhaust the entire length of the tunnels via the entrances and exists.
The plan is better than DRICs as it addresses Windsor as a community rather than a roadway, but it still falls short on the pollution side. Maybe Monday will make me more willing to support the Mayor and council on this proposal.
Be careful what you wish for. There are no scrubbers incorporated in the plan as all proponents have said that scrubbers for tunnels do not work. What you will have is powerful jet fans jettisoning concentrated exhaust and and heavy particulate out of every opening (like smoke stacks). Probably worse than if the roadway was open allowing these elements to "sink" into the atmosphere and blow away with prevailing weather. Next problem will be the mechanicals involved. Storm pumps to keep water from filling the tunnel (people around the world have drowned in these tunnels when the weather has overpowered the systems. As an example, Sao Paulo, Brazil has such occurences with alarming frequency. The costs for mechanicals and fail-safes, the green maintenance above and policing is huge. Who do you think will be elected to pay for that?
Windsor IS a community, with or without roadways. Let's not confuse the issue here. Study all proposals and consider all consequences. Be careful which agenda you hook up with. P.S...Have you been curious as to why the DRTP camp has been so quiet over the last few months? Brace yourselves South Windsorites. A deal has been struck and you are going to see a huge volume in train traffic. Noisy, rumbling, large diesel locomotives will get the green light to pass throught the DRTP corridor at three or four times the frequency which you are used to. Talk about wishes.
Puff Daddy, bring on the trains.
As for concerns about the mainenance of 300 acres of parkland I have discussed this on another blog.
Of course we need these concerns and questions answered as they are important. However, I'd hate to be a politician running on an anti-park platform. You mine as well be anti puppy.
As a business person, you must weight the costs and benefits against each other.
The two expanded park/tunnels at cousineau and cabana present our city with tremendous opportunities.
What about the benefit of the increased taxes resulting from land and bldgs. near the new parks going up in value and providing higher taxes for the city.
What about the benefits of new types of businesses being able to capitalize on these parks. Why can’t there be additional “Bistro’s”, ice cream stands, bike/blade rentals located in these areas.
Why not even considering introducing disc golf on some of this new parkland to raise revenues. check it out at http://www.pdga.com/ could be an entirely new attraction to our city.
This plan connects Lasalle to Windsor in a way that will tie our two communities so much closer together
Mr. Boscariol - that other blog is mine.
Furthermore your gross manipulation of the running commentary does great disservice to the democratic debate.
NO ONE is opposed to parks.
However, the parks are contingent upon whether or not tunnels are feasible - without the tunnels you will have no parks.
And there are serious issues that need to be addressed regarding tunnels, particularly for a border crossing.
Even Liberal MPP Sandra Pupatello has expressed cautious reservation regarding the plan.
No one can argue it looks fantastic - but before anyone can endorse this plan (never mind the political messaging going on), information needs to be provided.
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