From CTV News Vancouver Island — Victoria area Mayors say now's the time for South Island commuter rail

With construction on the McKenzie Interchange scheduled to begin in a few months, four south island mayors have come up with a new solution to ease congestion that is expected to follow suit.   Mayors of View Royal, Esquimalt, Victoria and Langford have penned a letter to the Island Corridor Foundation asking about the feasibility of a rail line. “I think definitely we need to start using that corridor, it’s there, it’s bought and paid for by the public and it’s a great opportunity for the region,” said David Screech, View Royal mayor. Read more: Could a restored rail line solve the ‘Colwood crawl’? | CTV Vancouver Island News

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The McKenzie Interchange is part of a $107m investment in induced demand creating future congestion, environmental social and economic damage on Vancouver Island. Meanwhile a publicly owned rail line thru these Victoria suburban communities sits idle. Background — Victoria Times Colonist, July 2015: $85-million McKenzie interchange project expected to start late 2016

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Toronto’s New Waterfront Street — Queens Quay Open After Three Years of Revitalization Work

After three years of construction, Toronto’s revitalized waterfront boulevard is open – on schedule, and in time for the Redpath Waterfront Festival and the upcoming Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

Once a street that featured poor design, insufficient room for pedestrians, and ageing infrastructure, Queens Quay has been transformed into a beautiful boulevard that includes a separated TTC right-of-way, a new section of the Martin Goodman Trail that connects the Trail across the downtown waterfront, and an enlarged pedestrian promenade that reflects the central waterfront’s importance as the second most-visited area of the city. Under the street, key infrastructure has been replaced or upgraded, including power, gas, water, sewage and telecommunications systems.

Area: Central Waterfront  Topic: design excellence,  parks & public spaces, queens quay,  reconnect to the water,  sustainable development

Read more: Toronto’s New Waterfront Street - Queens Quay Opens on Time After Three Years of Revitalization Work / Waterfront Toronto

Where's Senior Gov's help in #Nanaimo?—Canada, Ontario + City created WaterfrontToronto to oversee waterfront renewal http://t.co/dIwNaiO2xl

— NanaimoCommons (@NanaimoCommons) June 30, 2015

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#Minneapolis' Downtown Transit Hub @archpaper

Pictorial> #Minneapolis' Downtown Transit Hub by @PerkinsEastman http://t.co/AQokVa3Ya1 pic.twitter.com/kpZ5T0UmzG
— Architects Newspaper (@archpaper) October 20, 2014

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From Architect Magazine — Design Competition Winners Snøhetta and Dialog Release Calgary Central Library Designs

Snøhetta and Dialog have released final designs (and video) for a new Central Library in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, following a lengthy stage of community engagement to develop their competition-winning proposal from 2013. Working with Canadian firm Dialog—which has offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Calgary—as executive architect, Snøhetta designed a 236,000-square-foot library that covers an existing light rail station, and incorporates gradual elevation changes within the landscape topography to lift the building above the station. Read more: Snøhetta and Dialog Release Calgary Central Library Designs - Architect Magazine

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From Governing.com — Why Would You Have a Highway Run Through a City?

SF Embarcadero Freeway razed in 1991 replaced with palm-lined boulevard, plazas. (D Kidd/Governing)

Robert Doucette, a developer in Syracuse, N.Y., often commutes to work by walking or biking from his house near Syracuse University to his office downtown. The route is little more than a mile long, but it requires crossing one major obstacle: a hulking highway viaduct that cuts a large swath through the center of the city.

This elevated stretch of Interstate 81 carries 56,000 vehicles a day. Though it is propped up on piers, it has a major impact on the landscape below. As many as six lanes of traffic run beneath the expressway, including feeder ramps and access roads. Pedestrians teeter nervously on raised curbs as they wait for a signal, then “make a break for it,” Doucette says, as they try to avoid unseen vehicles making turns. Read mor: Why Would You Have a Highway Run Through a City?

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Part of making multi-modal cities is designing great experiences - like this, in #Montreal — @TODUrbanWORKS

Part of making multi-modal cities is designing great experiences - like this, in #Montreal: http://t.co/qH15oDlIAH pic.twitter.com/KfirEszHyy

— TODERIAN UrbanWORKS (@TODUrbanWORKS) July 11, 2014

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Multimodal Terminal in the San Bernardino City Center @MattKorner

Post by Matt Korner.

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Island Corridor Foundation / VIA Rail agreement "for all intents and purposes concluded"

Post by Island Corridor Foundation.

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RT @frank_leonard: $10M for 70km: Maritime mayors smiling as Ottawa ponies up for rail repairs

$10M for 70km RTglobeandmail: Maritime mayors smiling as Ottawa ponies up for rail repairs http://t.co/NPF2JRMXAg from @tgamtravel”

— Frank Leonard (@frank_leonard) May 12, 2014

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Level Bus and Rail Platform — Potential Station Design For Langford and Victoria?

Langford and Victoria? Level bus and rail transfer platform for ease of boarding. Potential Station Design. pic.twitter.com/0yYkJlfuba

— Aaron Lypkie (@IslandRail) April 20, 2014

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