Future of Harbour Passage

A commenter at Charles Leblanc's blog predicts that Harbour Passage will suffer if Irving Oil develops Long Wharf with an office complex. The commenter suggested that there would be too much traffic crossing the trail and that government monies for projects would be lesser if the project goes ahead.

I think that this may be misguided. I imagine that the Irving proposal will put some traffic over part of Harbour Passage as it exists. However, this traffic won't be large freight carrying trucks or increased trains that could accompany a resurgence of cargo handling at Long Wharf. Also, the project seems to take care in adding to the trail and to public space in general.

While Harbour Passage currently crosses the entrance to Long Wharf, the drawings Irving has released clearly offer a way to avoid causing traffic pedestrian conflict, by creating a link from the boardwalk to the future Long Wharf portion of Harbour Passage.