[Stevey_G]

So if Edmonton is a young city, it should look like a dump? I don’t get that logic. How long should we wait to get Jasper Ave repaired? 20 years? 50?

Edmonton being a young city makes it excusable for large swaths of former industrial land to not be redeveloped. This is further exasperated by the fact that land is cheap and plentiful within the city. Thus, we have many of the indicators of a sprawl city.

Personally I think greenfield development should only go ahead when the city hits self imposed targets for population density and brownfield redevelopment. But since we just build out you’re gonna have vacant lots as Ian and I were discussing.

 

[Edmonchuk]

Edmonton being a young city makes it excusable for large swaths of former industrial land to not be redeveloped. This is further exasperated by the fact that land is cheap and plentiful within the city. Thus, we have many of the indicators of a sprawl city.

Personally I think greenfield development should only go ahead when the city hits self imposed targets for population density and brownfield redevelopment. But since we just build out you’re gonna have vacant lots as Ian and I were discussing.

You again miss the point. I am not talking about empty lots. What is your excuse for horrible Jasper Ave? Broken roads and sidewalks of the main avenue in the city? How long should we wait for the city to repair it?
What’s up with the dirt parking lots? Can the city make the owners pave them with asphalt at least and add some greenery?

 

[Edmonchuk]

Tired of people finding excuses for dumpy downtown. Freaking invest some money into the city’s core and repave the streets and add some landscaping!

 

[Stevey_G]

You again miss the point. I am not talking about empty lots. What is your excuse for horrible Jasper Ave? Broken roads and sidewalks of the main avenue in the city? How long should we wait for the city to repair it?
What’s up with the dirt parking lots? Can the city make the owners pave them with asphalt at least and add some greenery?

Ah I thought you were directing your comments towards the previous discussion about Gateway Blvd.

You're not going to get any argument at all from me about the condition of many downtown parking lots. The dustbowl where the Warehouse Park will be creates so much dust and filth on my balcony that when tenants move out, it's a full day cleaning it. And that's usually just after a year as my tenants are often students! Can't be good for the health of people living and walking and working in the area.

Surface lots in the downtown core should be required to pay higher taxes and maintained properly with planters, trees, paving, etc.

 

[northlands]

What does your mainstreet say about your city?
View attachment 423143

https://twitter.com/x/status/1563331065326223361

This section of Jasper Ave needs to be funded this budget cycle without question. Especially given all the private investment in towers and 124th really picking up steam.

Rusted old power poles, smashed up shallow curbs, signature EPCOR mismatched concrete slabs, pot holes galore, and extremely wide lanes despite the 40 km/h speed limit (which I under is only recent, but it’s built like a 70 zone). Just horrid. @MacLac’s tongue in cheek comment was dead on. Take out that new Explorer and throw a sepia filter on and you could fool half of Edmonton telling them it’s from the 70s.

There’s a certain unfortunate irony that walking adjacent to the bike lanes on 102 ave is way more preferable than walking along our main street on this section. Sad.

 

[The_Cat]

Jasper Avenue has undergone upgrades in the 1980's and the last 10 years. Sadly, some light poles rust as a result of the winters. Any fix-up on Jasper Avenue is a 1-2 year commitment.

 

[northlands]

There are ways to prevent/mitigate rust. If the City does not want to invest in them for all of their metal power poles, understandable, but along Jasper Ave, it’s imparable and inexcusable to leave them in that condition.

 

[Edmonchuk]

Jasper Avenue has undergone upgrades in the 1980's and the last 10 years. Sadly, some light poles rust as a result of the winters. Any fix-up on Jasper Avenue is a 1-2 year commitment.

So some upgrades like 40 years ago and a few metres of upgrades here and there in the last 10 years?? And that’s your excuse for leaving it like that??

The city uses galvanized poles now all over and they don’t rust!

 

[The_Cat]

I’m not defending the City, I’m just sharing the facts. From the City’s point of view, your not just fixing streets downtown, it could be LRT stations and other infrastructure. Also, fixing Jasper Avenue is a slow process when 102 Avenue is under construction for LRT.

 

[thommyjo]

This section of Jasper Ave needs to be funded this budget cycle without question. Especially given all the private investment in towers and 124th really picking up steam.

Rusted old power poles, smashed up shallow curbs, signature EPCOR mismatched concrete slabs, pot holes galore, and extremely wide lanes despite the 40 km/h speed limit (which I under is only recent, but it’s built like a 70 zone). Just horrid. @MacLac’s tongue in cheek comment was dead on. Take out that new Explorer and throw a sepia filter on and you could fool half of Edmonton telling them it’s from the 70s.

There’s a certain unfortunate irony that walking adjacent to the bike lanes on 102 ave is way more preferable than walking along our main street on this section. Sad.

Agreed! This has to be a top priority to fund. A 15 year timeline to finish renewal on 1 street, our main street, is ridiculous. Let's get it done! It's bad timing with the WVLRT, but we can't wait 6 (8?) more years to start.

 

[IanO]

Hindsight I suppose, but we should have been bold and moved the rest of it ie. 102-109 along with 114-124st done over the last year or two with most workers away and many residents walking versus driving around their neighbourhood.

 

[CplKlinger]

I agree with you guys in theory, but in practice I honestly don't mind the delay with Jasper Ave just because I hope that our values regarding streets can keep changing enough that the city revisits the design for the remaining stretches. Maybe there's a chance that we can avoid making more stroad. Probably not, but a guy can dream.

 

[IanO]

So just in time to redo the recently completed sections?

 

[CplKlinger]

So just in time to redo the recently completed sections?

Such is the Edmonton way. Just to clarify though, I'd much rather see all stretches of Jasper Ave redone ASAP. But I'm not missing sleep over the delay, simply because I think the new design doubles down on poor practices that we should be moving away from.

 

[Edmonchuk]

Such is the Edmonton way. Just to clarify though, I'd much rather see all stretches of Jasper Ave redone ASAP. But I'm not missing sleep over the delay, simply because I think the new design doubles down on poor practices that we should be moving away from.

Are you launching a space shuttle to Mars?? How long should we wait to get the crumbling roads and sidewalks in downtown fixed?

I have a great new moto for Edmontonians, “if you haven’t touched your crumbling infrastructure for 50 years and don’t want to fix it, blame it on winter, it’s the most Edmonton thing you can do”