Windsor's New Jail Site. Birds Eye View

Google Earth View:

Windsor's proposed new Municipal Jail location

for reference and perspective.

RIVERSIDE ROUNDABOUTS DIZZY PLANNING

Circle is about 8 feet in diameter. Signs, painted hash marks. Electric flashing light.

We weren't careful and it looks like we are getting what someone wished for. It looks like the town of Tecumseh is the first out of the gates to test "traffic calming" on Riverside Drive. There is no wonder why residents of Riverside Drive have taken legal action to curb this insanity. This will definately leave the Drive aesthetically challenged. Yellow hash lines, white lines everywhere, lots and lots of signage and a flashing yellow beacon. Yeah...Everybody wants one of those in front of their home. The calming effect of this is maddening. Similar to the mazes we find in todays shopping plaza parking lots. If you are not a Type A personality going in, you will be coming out. This is a strange planning science which needs serious reconsideration.

The safety of this is highly suspect. Riverside Drive is so narrow, these circles have to be tiny as well. Will they slow traffic down? Maybe. Will Riverside be any safer? Who wants to answer that? Put this out to the local bookie and the odds will probably favour a higher incident of accidents. Salvador Dali would be pleased to see the signage all warped and bent from kissing bumpers and fenders.

What do local residents around this test bed think? They are not happy. Several said it totally ruins their neighbourhood. All agree that it will only be a matter of time before there is a first accident there. Several driveways lead into this thing, Southport Yacht Club feeds into the Drive just feet from the circle along with one other residential side street. Cars have to back out of their drives into the circle (hopefully in the right orientation) and then get on their way. Hopefully oncoming traffic will catch the play. Residents were also quick to remind that this section of Riverside Drive has been shut down to all but local traffic. It is literally barricaded at both ends until construction is completed. What will happen when the tap is opened to transient traffic? (CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

Car backing out of Driveway onto Riverside. Wait until traffic is opened up.

Too puny to be effective, too many signs, road markings and a flashing beacon.

Maintenance is also going to be a problem. Already this thing has proven to be treacherous for snow removal. Plough trucks had to be very ginger navigating around it. In the end it proved to be quite a nuisance with snow piled in the center of the street forcing traffic to actually navigate the wrong way around the circle.

This is not the proper solution for Riverside Drive. This is not the street for such measures. Riverside Drive is too small with no place else to go and these circles will only cause confusion and heartache. Imagine cars and bikes using these things for u-turns. What car has a turning radius that tight?

If the Bicycling community thinks that this is their answer then they are sadly mistaken. With cars and bikes weaving in and out of these things there can only be a higher degree of risk. The proper solution for all on Riverside Drive is probably the simplest one. It doesn't include ugly traffic lines, hashing, flashing lights, divets, traffic circles or curbs. Everybody involved in that planning was thinking so hard their heads must be turning in circles. All that needs to be done is to widen Riverside Drive by six feet. Three feet per side. This gives the bikers the room they need to run with traffic. Car and bike drivers alike have to obey the same rules of the road and Riverside Drive will be a lot safer and a nicer commute for it. As soon as we junk up Riverside Drive with obstacles and all of this visual pollution it won't be so scenic at all. Can somebody stop this dizzy spin?

Excellent! Check this out courtesy of Anonymous:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFsDjmceuDo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGPUArA4CU0

OPEN LETTER FROM EASTER BUNNY TO OLD WALKERVILLE BIA

Dear Walkerville BIA,

These are hard economic times for sure. Even for the Easter Bunny. Please don't make it harder for me than it already is. Hiding eggs and goodies gets more challenging every year but you are asking a bit much don't you think? Can you find it in your hearts to fix this. This is a tough enough gig as it is. Thank you and Merry...Aghemm...Happy Easter!

Easter Bunny,

Spring Special for Roadies

For all residents of Monmouth Road who want to improve their lawns this season. Lauzon Enterprises has worked out a special price for lawn aeration and rolling. Here is the package from Mr. Lauzon himself:

Service Includes:

Lawn Core Aeration and Light Rolling $10 to $20

(depending on size of area) for both services complete.
The average front lawn on Monmouth will be $10.00.
I also have a Nitrogen Granular fertilizer that I recommend

to apply after the aeration to promote root growth, thickness and color.

If anyone is interested in the fertilizer it would be an additional $10.00

Target date for completion – Weekend of April 13th.

This is a great value and it will eliminate a couple of steps in your spring clean-up regimen while paving the way for a greener, lusher lawn.

This is going to be a one day event only so if you are interested be sure to call the number below to book your appointment. Thanks everyone and have a green season!


Roger Lauzon
Lauzon Enterprises
(519) 259-3371

ST. VINCENT FIRE CAUSES FOOD, CLOTHING SHORTAGE

EVERYONES HELP IS NEEDED.

St. Vincent de Paul Store Recently Gutted by Fire

When fire recently took out the St. Vincent de Paul Store in Old Walkerville it unfortunately took out all of the food and clothing reserves as well. As we all know, times are pretty rough here in the Windsor area and there has been a noticeable correlation to the draw from local food banks. This particular operation is central to this as it is where food and clothing is packaged and distributed to those affected most by these harsh economic times.

Old Walkerville businesses and residents are chipping in to replenish much needed food and clothing stock. We are putting the word out across Windsor and surrounding areas to help by offering your kind donations. Non-perishable food is the first and most important thing needed followed by clothing and small household appliances. Please take a little bit of your time to rummage through the kitchen cupboards to find anything which can be donated to help the cause. Spaghetti, beans, soup, flour, canned vegetables, canned fish, cereal ...all of the above are greatly needed.

Monmouth Road residents have initiated a block drive to gather food and clothing. Other local blocks can do the same or people can simply drop their donations off to one of these fine Old Walkerville businesses:

Britton Images Photography 1823 Wyandotte St East

Flowers By Design 1936 Wyandotte St East

Human Kinetics Publishers 475 Devonshire Rd, Unit 100

Nguyen Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Centre 1918 Wyandotte St East

Refine Fitness Studio 1623 Wyandotte St East

Taloola Café 396 Devonshire Rd

The Olde Walkerville Pharmacy 1701 Wyandotte St East

The Yoga Loft 624 Chilver Rd, Unit 201

Willistead Restaurant 1840 Wyandotte St East

If you are shopping or conducting business in Old Walkerville please remember to stop by and drop off your donations to any of these fine establishments. If you have been pondering lunch or supper in Olde Walkerville here is a great reason to make that happen. If you cannot visit the area due to time or travel limitations please let us by calling this telephone number: 519-253-7481 St. Vincent de Paul will arrange send some one to your home to collect your donation.

Lets take care of our own. Windsorites are known for stepping up to the plate in support of all worthy causes. This is one of those causes and a very important one. Your kind consideration and help is needed now more than ever.

Thank you!

Open Roads Sunken Tubes and Windsor's "Big Stink"

401 Passing Through Toronto. 12 Plus Lanes Open Air. No Tunnels.

For whatever reasons, our higher governments have decided that the time has come for a new, government owned, probably P3 border crossing. For whatever reasons, Windsor's Mayor and Council have determined that the best approach to this new border crossing should be in the form of an underground tunnel. From the onset our municipal leaders have been desperately trying to sell their tunnel package to Windsorites as "GreenLink". So far, millions of dollars have been spent on consultants, lawyers, studies, and advertising in an effort to bend the public into parting with their common sense. None of this has worked. Instead, it would appear that all of the attention heaped onto the GreenLink proposal has caused an even larger public rationalization. All of the wonderous benefits and Godsends that GreenLink is supposed to heap on Windsor have been logically blown off with little effort. The Mayor's tautology harps about armys of future mutant children who were exposed to particulate matter from heavy traffic. One has to wonder whats in store for kids who grew up in South Windsor. Hemmed in by Howard, Dougall, Huron Church, the E.C. Row Expressway and Zalev's scrap yard. As more and more citizens are dragged into the debate they are committing to objectively thinking through all of the spin and to qualifying everything put in front of them. Simple questions: Is GreeLink "greener than the open road DRIC proposal? No. Does it cost the same? It will cost a billion dollars more to build and millions to operate. Will it benefit Windsor in the long run? How could it?

Sit Back and Take a Breather...

For those who have not yet been pulled into the spin cycle the simplest way to get introduced is to take a few steps back, sit down and observe what is already around us. After all, we are only talking about a highway whether it is covered or not. It is a highway just like the 401, I-75, I-696 or whichever. It's purpose will be the same. Much more traffic pours over those roads each and every day than a single border crossing can handle yet somehow we have been living with these givens every day for decades. Could tunneling clean the exhaust from those vehicles? How could it? It will exhaust to the atmosphere no matter what. Thanks goodness for prevailing westerly winds. Lets look at the tunnel which we already have. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. It is one mile long (5,160 feet). When has the air in there ever smelled fresh and sweet? Even with massive exhaust fans that change the air out every 90 seconds it still stinks. That tunnel is only one lane in either direction. GreenLink has three lanes running in each direction and three of the tunnels are about as long totaling out at 8,105 feet. By the way...That Detroit-Windsor Tunnel air is exhausted right into downtown Windsor yet we have managed to live with that too. It is not cleaned or filtered in any way. Here are a few more visualizations:

Lodge Freeway. Six Lanes. Late 1950s. Were These vehicles Greener?

Woodward Avenue "Dream Cruise". Six Lanes through urban areas

I-75 at Davidson. Six Lanes Plus Service Roads

I-75 Approaching Detroit. Oh the exhaust!

Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Loads of fun.

Promises of the GreenLink Future

The initial cost of GreenLink is only a starter cost. It does not take into account the huge amount of energy required to maintain the tunnel. As an example, GreenLink calls for no less than 126 jet fans to exhaust tunnel fumes into open air. To compare, consider that the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is using 12 high volume fans and the electricity costs to run those is already through the roof. Keep in mind that those costs are paid for with tunnel tolls. GreenLink energy costs will be picked up by tax payers. Water pumps will also be required because the GreenLink runs below the water table. They will cost a pretty penny too.

Tunnel Ventilation: http://www.govengr.com/ArticlesSep06/detroit.pdf

Since we are already overly burdened by simple snow removal are these extra costs necessary? The life expectancy of the tunnels is 50 years so we can count on replacing them again. In today's world we have to barricade a simple bridge on College Avenue because we don't have the funds to fix or replace it. All of these scenarios present a pretty good definition of what "Legacy Costs" truely are.

The Big Blue Icon

While we are taking a moment to look at all of those existing roads that are a part of our every day lives lets not forget to take into account the Ambassador Bridge. If nothing else, it has kept our post card industry thriving since its beginning. In many ways it is what defines both Windsor and Detroit for people around the world. Should we just toss it aside and forget about it? It's owner hasn't. At this very moment earth is getting sheep-footed and hoppers of concrete are pouring into forms for its brand new twin. There will be no taxpayer involvement here because it is a private entity. The same scenario was true when the current bridge was built back in the 1920s. Has that harmed us in any way? No. It hasn't. As for the infrustructure leading to the bridge, it will be expanded to accomadate any extra traffic. Clean and simple. All of this would render Greenlink a pipe dream with only one question remaining: What's the "Big Stink?"