Is St. John's broken? Nope, but it has big fixes that need to be tackled
Keeping downtown vibrant is key, but so too is improving the region's transit network
"If downtown is dying," one of my colleagues remarked the other day, "why can't I find a parking space?"
A little hyperbole on both ends of that sentence — first, downtown is not dying (but, sure, it's in a rough patch) and second, you can find a parking space — but he does have a point.
(Apologies, by the way, to readers who aren't townies and/or don't care much about Northeast Avalon problems. You may want to skip ahead to the next section.)
Downtown is in a bit of a mess at the moment, as our colleague Terry Roberts documented quite well in a feature report that illustrated how vacancy rates have been rising, if not soaring, in the best-known towers in the city core.
Hundreds of jobs (well-paying ones, quite often) have disappeared from the area — either lost to the economic slowdown, or more significantly, moved with the construction of lower-rise office space in other parts of the city.
Somehow, though, you still often need to drive around Water, Duckworth, Harbour Drive and other streets for a while to find that coveted parking spot. (Personally, I've decided to just go straight to one of the parking garages, pay the fee and get to an appointment on time. Or, cab it, if it's one of those evenings.)
There is still a bit of a hectic pace in the downtown, and there's definitely still life in the place. Developers like Charlie Oliver — while trying to find new occupants in his Martek-leased properties — are also focusing on residential developments, like the 80-unit building now under construction on the site of the old Star of the Sea Hall on Henry Street.
As well, Coun. Debbie Hanlon told us this week that new businesses and restaurants are poised to move into vacant spots, joining more than 20 other businesses that hung up a shingle in the last year.
In the wake of Terry's piece — which showed how oil companies in particular have been decamping for more suburban settings — I heard a number of people start talking about sprawl. That is, how the metro area has been getting wider, but not taller, which has implications for everything from traffic to the cost of road maintenance.
Fair, but I will point out that for office workers, a location like Suncor's offices on Kelsey Drive, for instance, is actually more convenient. A friend told me of the relief of actually having a parking space, and not having to pay through the nose to get it. The shorter drive also helps.
Speaking of which, this speaks to another tricky issue about planning and development in the St. John's area: how people get around. That is, transportation, or more specifically, transit.
Getting there. Or not, as the case may be
I can't help but think that one of the factors influencing decisions about where buildings get built is the ability of the workforce to get there.
Or, as it may be, not, or at least not get there that easily.
And, yep, I'm talking about Metrobus — and a pending decision at Memorial University that could be influential in the shape of the public transit system for years to come.
First, some disclosure. I take the bus most weekday mornings and it's such a part of my routine, I don't give it much thought. But I will say this: there is still a stigma about riding the bus.
I recall a colleague who was in disbelief (and I am not exaggerating) that I rode the bus, by preference. "But you make a good dollar," he said. I've heard similar things many times over the years, as well as a canard that the buses are empty. My favourite times are always busy, and there's usually a handful of us at my stop alone.
In any event, the Metrobus system is — and long has been — a neglected opportunity. It functions, but the design for Northeast Avalon has taken shape without public transit being at the core. Subdivisions have sprouted up — driven by competing towns, all looking for a tax base — with low-density living making it uneconomical to keeping adding to the existing bus network.
I suspect a lot of would-be commuters either don't know what services are available to them, or haven't costed out the difference. (Another point of personal disclosure: while our family is committed to staying with one car, it's cheaper and better for my health to not buy a second vehicle and to walk more.)
Another parent I got to know when our kids were in the same schools regularly took the bus downtown for an oil company job. I gather that was not the norm.
Room for improvement
Routes to places like Kelsey Drive and the whole Stavanger area exist, but there's room for improvement. There is, indeed, a whole lot of room for improvement in Metrobus's schedules and routes.
Which is one reason why I'm really curious to see what happens at Memorial with what's called the U-Pass proposal, which is so significant for the region that the city has deferred its own transit review until the issue at MUN is decided.
Students will be voting Feb. 26-28 on the proposed system, which if implemented would see students charged a flat rate of $139 per semester (less in the summer) and in return get an unlimited pass — with (this is key) enhanced services. Those services include park-and-ride services to Torbay and Mount Pearl; more frequent service on the busiest routes; extra services to places like Paradise and Kenmount Terrace; and shuttles from the main campus to places like the Battery and Ocean Sciences Centre.
To me, the options look good, but I'm not a student and I can imagine a few will not jump at the chance at a higher fee. That said, doing the math should show a lot of them that this is a bit of a deal — and it could seriously help both the on-campus parking crunch and the morning clogs at busy intersections around campus.
The vote, incidentally, is not a referendum. You won't find the word on posters on campus, and that's because it's not binding. Basically, the student vote will be counted as strong advice for the university's Senate.
At least there's a good discussion about transit and planning.
We could use more of that — particularly as downtown reinvents itself with a focus on new residents and new shops.
Election watch
A few weeks ago, I laid out the various bits of speculation that we'll have an early general election.
Some more signs are pointing to just that. To recap, Newfoundland and Labrador has fixed-date election legislation that would have us vote on the second Tuesday in October, but the premier has several outs.
Let's recap what's been happening.
First, NDP Leader Gerry Rogers will be giving up that description as soon as the party can put a new leader in place. Rogers acknowledged on Tuesday that her decision puts the party in a difficult position. "I truly, truly regret that."
Then, just hours after Rogers spoke, Premier Dwight Ball was more clear on the possibility of an earlier election that he previously had not ruled out.
Ball, fully aware that there will also be a federal election in the fall, says he'll be making an announcement in April on the date.
Meanwhile, the Tories have evidently been getting their ducks in order, and have begun assembling a slate of candidates. Nominations opened Thursday for the district of Stephenville-Port au Port (they close today), marking the fifth district the PCs have called so far this year.
While Ball and the Liberals hold the cards about when an election rolls, the PCs are clearly getting their game on. Last weekend, I ran into a well-connected Tory, who told me the word has gone out to that troops should be ready to move by early March. Granted, that was a few days before Ball spoke publicly about announcing a date, but it's an insight into the Team Blue's readiness.
Another factor: poll results that show PC Leader Ches Crosbie and the Tories are gaining traction on Ball's Liberals. MQO found the Tories are now neck-and-neck with the Liberals, while an earlier Mainstreet poll also showed gains for the PCs.
Finally, a last factor: St. John's Morning Show cohost Fred Hutton noted earlier this week that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to visit the province in the week coming up.
On the agenda? We'll see, but it's reasonable to assume it'll just happen to work with the Ball team's plans.
Quote of the week
"So, you were a member of a motorcycle gang without a motorcycle licence or motorcycle."
Defence lawyer Jon Noonan on Wednesday, questioning a key witness in the first-degree murder trial of Al Potter. The man was a member of the Vikings MC, and is now in a witness protection program.
For your weekend reading
Hope you have a hot cup of coffee or tea, or something soothing. Here are some great things to read this weekend.
Oh, just your typical story about a mayor living in an off-the-grid house — and whose own council approved an order that demanded he (and his wife) stop living there.
What do migraine sufferers put up with? A lot, including something called "migraine hangovers."
She might be the luckiest woman in the province.
The Chinese Association had quite the party in St. John's. Paul Daly, the delightfully talented photographer, took it all in, and put together this wonderful photo essay.
Credit the sharp eye, and dedicated effort, of a Salvation Army employee who noticed that a lack of lunch is one reason why some young children aren't sent to school.
A porridge bar? Yep!
Billy Woods's story — almost being killed in a gruesome farming accident, and then becoming a national bowling champ, is so inspiring. It's our third This Is My Story episode; read Jen White's feature here, and watch the piece Jen prepared with videographer Sherry Vivian:
Marystown — the former home of a shipyard and a big fish plant — is putting its chips on another industry: aquaculture.
A challenge from the CBC brought Andie Bulman around on that explosively divisive issue: leftovers. Honestly, check it out, and watch Andie and fellow chef Mark McCrowe state their cases:
Fire in the sky
A spectacular burst of colour in this photo (and proof of what they say about red skies in the morning, given the storm weather that followed). It's one of the highlights in our weekly audience gallery.
If you'd like to submit a photo for a consideration, please do. You can email them to nlphotos@cbc.ca with your full name, and enough information for us to write a caption.
That's it for this week. Make the most of your weekend.
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