Pot Holes Before Trail Paving

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 03:46 AM

I for one would have been much happier to see pot holes patched before the Province handed out enough money to black top 1225 meters of trail in the city.

1225 meters works out to be about three quarters of a mile under the old ruler and the money comes from the "local motion" program.

Before we get a few new walking areas patched, hadn’t the Province better look at handing over some additional money to ensure that the front end of the vehicle doesn’t come off when you make a turn?

Trails are a great idea, they are not used to the extent that the recent study results would have you believe, but they are a way of the future.

There is little point however in having a first class trail system when our community roads look like hell; it takes the appeal out of the matter.

Now someone will come along and say that this money came from a special fund which was earmarked to ensure that the people of the province get off their butts or something to that effect.

My response would be that if you look in your pocket at the very bottom you will see that the money you are spending on taxes comes from only one pocket and priorities should be to look after the majority of the population first before embarking on this sort of program.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 03:46 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: iwundery on July 23 2008 7:04 AM

Ben, what do you know about trails usage that others do not? Motion meters on some of the trails would help determine that.

Lots of things need fixing in this town, and just focusing on one problem will simply allow everything else to continue to degrade. Focusing just on roads means PG will have an even steeper hole to climb out of while other communities find a balance that meets many different lifestyles.

Posted by: metalman on July 23 2008 8:11 AM

What the hell do we need paved trails for? so that bicyclists can go faster? Shoot, we have enough asphalt and concrete in our cities as it is, how about leaving a few surfaces uncovered? Groom the trail (make a good base I mean) lay down some good gravel that will pack well, compact it, that is all. Oh, maintenance you say? How about getting convicts to rake and repair the trails every two weeks? Paving the trails is just a silly and frivolous use of money that should rightfully go toward fixing our crappy roads.
metalman.

Posted by: heidi1555 on July 23 2008 8:32 AM

I agree metalman...save the cement for our roads. Keep trails more in tune with nature or we mine as well just call them roads.....without potholes.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on July 23 2008 8:45 AM

It would seem that "paved" trails sort of defeat the purpose of getting out and enjoying a stroll in the outdoors.
All well and good,but what is the point really?
And paved trails are also slippery and dangerous in the winter.
Nothing wrong with a gravel trail at all, and a lot cheaper too!
A waste of money that WOULD be better spent on other things...like POTHOLES!

Posted by: seamutt on July 23 2008 9:51 AM

The existing trails we already have are not maintained. I can show paved trails in college hts. are that are cracked and degrading. In winter there is no clearing so what is the point in having them. Why a paved trail anyhow. I would think they are more expensive to build. Also more expensive to repair, if ever repaired.

Posted by: travism on July 23 2008 11:10 AM

I lived in a city in the US (Davenport, IA) and they had 60 miles of paved trials. They looked after them properly, plowed them, cleaned up the garbage etc, and they were fantastic. You could get anywhere in the city on them and you NEVER saw someone on the main roads on a pedal bike. It was much safer and encouraged you to bike or walk places.

Here you just about get run over everytime you get on your bike or try to walk. My fiance half jokes about packing rocks with her for when she crosses at a cross walk.

As the price of gas continues to increase we are going to need to consider the non-car driving commuters more. They pay taxes too.

Or maybe I am preaching to the choir and all of my fellow opinion250ers stop at every cross walk and share the road properly with the bikers.

Posted by: giterdun on July 23 2008 11:22 AM

Typical Governmemt program... Money is earmarked and has to be spent or lost, no matter how rediculous the program is. Bureaucrates design it, bureaucrates implement it and bureaucrates get to expand their departments and justify their job. It's a very wastefull system, but as long as we keep paying, the bigger it will get. It's time to say "NO" and clean house.
Pardon me for dreaming.

Posted by: lostfaith on July 23 2008 12:04 PM

Really makes a lot of sense to patch potholes on streets in residential neighbourhoods and then allow heavy trucks to drive down them and park for the night.
Why is it the city is allowing heavy trucks to park at the end of Domano?

They just recently did some decent repairs to Domano, (still lots needing to be done) and they refuse to enforce city bylaws against heavy trucks parking overnight in residential areas.

Posted by: lostfaith on July 23 2008 12:08 PM

Hey Travism
What are your thoughts about cyclists that use pedestrian controlled crosswalks to stop traffic so they can ride their bikes across the road?

Posted by: Don Wilkins on July 23 2008 12:13 PM

Some people just want to pave everything. You know the the song that goes something like "you pave paradise; put up a parking lot".
A good crushed limestone would make a better trail and be easier and cheaper to maintain. Why spread tar soaked gravel on it. Where are all our environmentalists?

Posted by: travism on July 23 2008 1:54 PM

lostfaith,

If they stop and walk, I agree, kind of. The problem is bicyclist seem to think they have whichever rights are convienient at the time. They are the same as cars and should ride like it. Also I think the RCMP (I know they don't have time for this) should be issuing tickets the same as a car driver.

Posted by: metalman on July 23 2008 2:02 PM

And may I chime in at this appropriate moment and say: What about those joggers who insist upon running on the roadway instead of on the concrete sidewalk beside them? Bicyclists and joggers would be an endangered species by now, if natural selection were in play. Well, those who annoy us drivers anyway! Man, they do not seem to have a sense of their own mortality.
Sorry, could not wait for the free for all.
metalman.

Posted by: travism on July 23 2008 2:12 PM

metalman,

In a stunning display of idiocy they put an angle on the sidewalks. Great the rain water runs off them, but in the winter the joggers slide off. The second problem with this is that the constant difference in height causes huge increases in the injury rates of the jogger. Last, the concrete is harder than pavement and again leads to more injuries.

Posted by: seamutt on July 23 2008 2:58 PM

metalman you can't do much walking or running on a lot of the sidewalks in town; as the city in their wisdom build the sidewalks with a slope, so one is always walking on an angle. This can get quite uncomfortable after a short time. This angle makes the sidewalks guite interesting to walk on in the winter.
The reason, I was told, is to let the water run off especially in the winter for the thaw during the day so there is no water to freeze at night. Now anyone who does any running or walking will tell you how well this works. Ever try to walk on a slippery slope, the water doesn't drain it freezes.

The sidewalks on university way are built on a slope that is why there is a very worn trail right beside the sidewalk. The trail is flat, the sidewalk isen't.

I would like to see comments from other walkers or runners.

Posted by: diplomat on July 23 2008 4:01 PM

Seamutt, you are exactly right! The sidewalk in our area is a) too narrow for two people b) too cracked and potholed c) slanted too much.

It's hard on the ankles in the summer and totally unsafe in the winter because one slips sideways off into the street or slips and falls on the round marble sized rocks that are scattered on the glare ice. No sand, heaven forbid!

I end up walking in the street quite a bit.

Participaction! Does anybody remember all the hype about that? How about stumble a block a day!

As for the potholes vs. walking trails:

Are we going to attract tourists by advertising that we are a pothole-free city? Or are we better off ignoring the potholes so we can boast to have lots of paved walking trails?

Let's see if the mayor-in-waiting (Mr. D. Z.) is going to listen to the people and get the pothole disgrace looked after!

Posted by: MrPG on July 23 2008 4:09 PM

I do a fair amount of walking in the bowl area.

The new sidewalks on Carney between 5th and 10th avenue don't seem to be sloped, but I haven't walked on them in the winter. A vast improvement over what was there before.

I know that the 'old style' sidewalks in town (which are just about everywhere) are horribly sloped, bumpy, cracked and narrow.

Posted by: Harbinger on July 23 2008 5:00 PM

If sure hope some city hall doofus doesn't decide to put up stop signs on these paved trails. I remember when the city installed stop signs on the gravel trails in the greenbelt walkways in College Heights many years ago.

Posted by: rightwing on July 23 2008 6:02 PM

log it burn it pave it!

Posted by: NMG on July 23 2008 10:24 PM

I have no issue with money being used to improve various types of infrastructure in the City.

"There is little point however in having a first class trail system when our community roads look like hell; it takes the appeal out of the matter"

I actually disagree. I can't recall ever leaving a City that I visit and being impressed with it based mainly on the condition of their roads. It's always other stuff that sticks in my mind (e.g. river front trails, cleanliness, facilities, amenities, etc.). Roads are generally forgettable.

Posted by: karrman on July 23 2008 10:38 PM

Back in town after a few months in Victoria where I did a lot of walking.
I have to agree that our sidewalks are virtually useless for walking. I tried to use them and got a backache from the severe slope.
Also our roads are dreadful. After driving on roads where manhole covers are mounted flush with the road surface, it's back to swerving around them here. And then the potholes...... Yikes.

Posted by: lostfaith on July 23 2008 10:49 PM

Even though the sidewalks on Malaspina are sloped thats not the reason you can't walk on them.
The reason is it's easier to walk on the road because then you don't have to dodge all the dog crap on the sidewalk.

Posted by: Eagleone on July 24 2008 6:33 AM

I agree with Don Wilkins about the crushed limestone would make a better trail and be easier and cheaper to maintain.

Posted by: heidi1555 on July 24 2008 8:43 AM

lol..so true lostfaith. We don't have a sidewalk on our road so people just let their dogs poop on my grass. Yeah lot's of fun. I quickly turned the hose one night while watering my shrubs towards the road area when I saw her coming with her dog from down the road (no leash), then gave her that fake how are you smile/wave.

I do a lot of walking...good for the mind and soul.. I walk the hart highway from the Northwood Pub area all the way to the corner of Noranda (I think it's Noranda? Pumphouse Pub road). The path is decent..old in spots but whatever. Full speed there and back takes one hour....longer with complaining kids...lol.. Mostly out of the way of traffic .... what would be nice is if the trail continued back the other way by the mohawk, down the hill to the bridge. I'd love to walk into town.

Posted by: diplomat on July 24 2008 9:24 AM

"Roads are generally forgettable." And so are the cities that have bad roads.

The last thing I expected to read here are comments excusing potholed roads and bad sidewalks...

To me they are living visible evidence of either poverty or very bad management.

Can't see anything positive in having pith poor infrastructure. We have a friend who broke a leg twice due to unsafe side walk conditions!

Ah, well.

Posted by: NMG on July 24 2008 6:19 PM

"The last thing I expected to read here are comments excusing potholed roads and bad sidewalk"

I certainly didn't mean to excuse the poor condition of the roads because they are horrific in spots. That being said, they are still forgettable. For example, I honesty can't recall the overall condition of the roads in most any City I've visited in the last year. I can recall many a nice trail that I've walked on though.

Perhaps if I were to actually find a City with impeccable roads it would jump out at me more. Problem is, I don't think that really exists anywhere.

Posted by: lostfaith on July 24 2008 8:44 PM

Look south NMG and imagine how much money from the north they use to have them there nice roads.

Posted by: NMG on July 24 2008 11:44 PM

"Look south NMG and imagine how much money from the north they use to have them there nice roads"

Look around PG and imagine how much money from the rest of the city is spent in the College Heights area.

Posted by: heidi1555 on July 25 2008 8:19 AM

Yes, NMG College Heights is pretty pretty isn't it? :) Being on the Hart I always felt we weren't as important as College Heights. Tourists drivng through must think they entered into a different town.