[robmausser]

This is so interesting. This apear to be a joint project of council, the Weston residents association and developers. I'm guessing the slick website and branding comes from the latter. Look like they are counting on this as an attractive sell for home and condo buyers.

Notably, TRCA is not listed on the website as being any part of this. Which is eyebrow raising.

Not sure what happened to the BlogTO link you initially had in here, but here it is.

I'm unclear when the golf course backtracked on their opposition. The most recent article I could find on it from this past April, when the club was still claiming "mass fatalities" could occur if the trail ran through their course.

Like others I'm sure, I'm skeptical about the outsized role developers seem to be playing here – and often do – in nominally public projects. They hold too much power and sway and have the ear of the political elites, especially at Queen's Park. If it gets it done, I suppose ends justify means, but I'm ashamed to live in a city that can't simply get projects done for the public good without having big, wealthy developers involved to grease the skids (or at least not logjam things).

I'm also trying to parse their claim it will be a "4 km trail." The Mid-Humber Gap between the staircase below Mallaby Park and the enrance to the trail north of there is about 800m. So the new trail through the golf course wouldn't be much more than 1km. I guess they are including the already existing trail north and south of the gap, in their measurement, because they are branding it as a newly interconnected set of parks. Whatever. Sell the sizzle!

(Also learning that cheatin' Frances Nunziata has a cool "FN" logo for branding purposes. I guess when you've been around as long as she has, why not?)
View attachment 611327

All good info thanks. And yes, I agree, this is such a vital piece of infrastructure to the trail system, and the Pan Am Path etc etc, and it sounded like for a long time it was going to be stalled. If it requires the might of some developers with deep pockets to get it to happen, so be it.

Also to mention, its not uncommon for trails to be built by the city that go through a park and not be part of the TRCA or have their involvement, although they are usually the ones championing for more path networks than even the city is planning to build.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

All good info thanks. And yes, I agree, this is such a vital piece of infrastructure to the trail system, and the Pan Am Path etc etc, and it sounded like for a long time it was going to be stalled. If it requires the might of some developers with deep pockets to get it to happen, so be it.

Also to mention, its not uncommon for trails to be built by the city that go through a park and not be part of the TRCA or have their involvement, although they are usually the ones championing for more path networks than even the city is planning to build.

Thanks, and yes I always am a bit unsure of TRCA's exact role in the trail systems. They seem to be most fully engaged in things like creek remediation, flood prevention, rewilding of ravines, removing invasives, etc. When it comes to actually building and maintaining trails though I've often found the people I've spoken to there try to pass me on to the city. It varies though, for example they seem to be fully engaged with the (long delayed) completion of the East Don Trail. I suppose it's a complex web of agency roles and responsibilities in Toronto. I'm just on the outside trying to look in!

 

[Northern Light]

Thanks, and yes I always am a bit unsure of TRCA's exact role in the trail systems. They seem to be most fully engaged in things like creek remediation, flood prevention, rewilding of ravines, removing invasives, etc. When it comes to actually building and maintaining trails though I've often found the people I've spoken to there try to pass me on to the city. It varies though, for example they seem to be fully engaged with the (long delayed) completion of the East Don Trail. I suppose it's a complex web of agency roles and responsibilities in Toronto. I'm just on the outside trying to look in!

A few bits of the puzzle for you.

1) The TRCA owns most of the ravine lands in the City (not all though)

2) By mutual agreement the City of Toronto 'manages' those lands as City of Toronto parkland.

3) The TRCA generally manages and/or does technical supporting work for most EAs in ravine lands.

4) The TRCA does have crews that can build trail, but not that many, and their work is fully subscribed, so the actual construction is most often tendered to the private sector.

****

In general, with some exceptions, on projects inside the City; the City of Toronto is the nominal project manager, while the TRCA is technical support as required.

However, as the land owner, and more importantly the regulator of all land use within regulatory floodplains, the TRCA does have a material influence on what projects look like, whenever they choose to exercise that influence.

****

Projects involving mitigating erosion can be led by either the TRCA or Toronto Water, both of whom have relevant expertise. Though Toronto Water tends to apply this directly to river/creek banks, with an eye to protecting their own infrastructure (sewers and water mains)

TRCA tends to lead projects involving large slope instability as well as shoreline work along Lake Ontario.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

A few bits of the puzzle for you.

1) The TRCA owns most of the ravine lands in the City (not all though)

2) By mutual agreement the City of Toronto 'manages' those lands as City of Toronto parkland.

3) The TRCA generally manages and/or does technical supporting work for most EAs in ravine lands.

4) The TRCA does have crews that can build trail, but not that many, and their work is fully subscribed, so the actual construction is most often tendered to the private sector.

****

In general, with some exceptions, on projects inside the City; the City of Toronto is the nominal project manager, while the TRCA is technical support as required.

However, as the land owner, and more importantly the regulator of all land use within regulatory floodplains, the TRCA does have a material influence on what projects look like, whenever they choose to exercise that influence.

That is very helpful information and context, thank you!

 

[Towered]

This is so interesting. This apear to be a joint project of council, the Weston residents association and developers. I'm guessing the slick website and branding comes from the latter. Look like they are counting on this as an attractive sell for home and condo buyers.

Notably, TRCA is not listed on the website as being any part of this. Which is eyebrow raising.

Not sure what happened to the BlogTO link you initially had in here, but here it is.

I'm unclear when the golf course backtracked on their opposition. The most recent article I could find on it from this past April, when the club was still claiming "mass fatalities" could occur if the trail ran through their course.

Like others I'm sure, I'm skeptical about the outsized role developers seem to be playing here – and often do – in nominally public projects. They hold too much power and sway and have the ear of the political elites, especially at Queen's Park. If it gets it done, I suppose ends justify means, but I'm ashamed to live in a city that can't simply get projects done for the public good without having big, wealthy developers involved to grease the skids (or at least not logjam things).

I'm also trying to parse their claim it will be a "4 km trail." The Mid-Humber Gap between the staircase below Mallaby Park and the enrance to the trail north of there is about 800m. So the new trail through the golf course wouldn't be much more than 1km. I guess they are including the already existing trail north and south of the gap, in their measurement, because they are branding it as a newly interconnected set of parks. Whatever. Sell the sizzle!

(Also learning that cheatin' Frances Nunziata has a cool "FN" logo for branding purposes. I guess when you've been around as long as she has, why not?)
View attachment 611327

Who designed Frances's logo? Deco Labels and Tags?

 

[JasonParis]

Frances Nunziata,
Your logo's no strata,
Of design that's divine—it’s more like a splata.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I wonder what volume on the bike lanes would look like if we enforced the laws and kept out the ebikes and escooters. It seems that much of what I see on the bike lanes are TFWs and SPs delivering our food. Maybe we should be charging the apps a license fee.

 

[Mihairokov]

I wonder what volume on the bike lanes would look like if we enforced the laws and kept out the ebikes and escooters. It seems that much of what I see on the bike lanes are TFWs and SPs delivering our food. Maybe we should be charging the apps a license fee.

So do you not like them in bike lanes because they're on ebikes/scooters or because they're perceived as immigrants in your eyes?

 

[kotsy]

Don’t expect Olivia Chow to go to war with Doug Ford over bike lanes. Here’s why

The mayor says Toronto must fight the premier’s “overreach” on bike lanes. But her room to manoeuvre appears limited.

www.thestar.com

paywall bypass: https://archive.is/bxtSt

 

[Northern Light]

There are multiple threads I could drop this in...........but the General Government Ctte at its meeting next week will be considering a contract amendment for DTAH in regards to the Lower Don Trail work.

Why? Good question........

Agenda Item History 2024.GG18.9

Agenda Item History 2024.GG18.9

secure.toronto.ca

So we see that it would appear something else got missed in the first pass on this project.

This project is not complicated.........but the team here is certainly doing a good job of making it look that way.

 

[Admiral Beez]

So do you not like them in bike lanes because they're on ebikes/scooters or because they're perceived as immigrants in your eyes?

Speaking as one, they're not immigrants in anyone's, including the government's eyes. But these temporary workers and foreign students are being doubly exploited by our government and US-based delivery apps. AFAICT, these apps rely on our bicycle infrastructure, such as dedicated bike lanes, lax/nonexistent enforcement of the laws for ebikes, and bike coaches on the GO Train to continue that exploitation. The whole TFW/SP experience in Canada must seem like the biggest scam once they arrive and realise the only work that's open to them is rubbish gig work, like racing the bike lanes to deliver our food. Let's put an end to ebikes on our dedicated bike lanes by enforcing the pedal-assist and pedal-only laws, with the added benefit that high speed DoorDash, Skip, etc. ebikes will be reduced and these US apps won't be exploiting as many visitors coming here for temporary work or studies.

 

[evandyk]

I don't think that would be very popular, since people like getting cheap food delivery. And nobody is going to regulate the delivery companies out of business, so all the people currently using those vehicles in the bike lanes will use them in the car lanes. It would increase congestion, cause crashes, and people will die. But Doug Ford will be able to drive to work 2 minutes quicker (he'll still be sitting in stop and go traffic for the majority of his commute, of course).

 

[DSCToronto]

Lower Don Trail update and more $$

GG18.9 - Amendment to Purchase Order Number 6042899 with DTAH for Professional Landscape Architecture Services during Design and Contract Administration of the Phase 2 of Lower Don Trail Improvements for Parks, Forestry and Recreation​

Consideration Type: ACTION
Wards: 13 - Toronto Centre, 14 - Toronto - Danforth

Origin​

(November 5, 2024) Report from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the Chief Procurement Officer

SEE: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/gg/bgrd/backgroundfile-249997.pdf

This looks like another City Project which was poorly thought out initially; having eight requests for more $$ seems excessive to me!

The original purchase order value was issued on February 23, 2016 in the amount of$76,954 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($78,308 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) for the feasibility study of a sloped path connecting the pedestrian bridge at Riverdale Park to the trail, to complete hydraulic modeling and initial coordination with Metrolinx. This is the eighth amendment to the purchase order since 2015 and is required to redesign the foundation of the sloped path using steel piles due to challenging soil conditions and the associated increase in construction duration. Additionally, the trail crosses over an old Toronto Water trunk sewer chamber, which requires a structural assessment of the chamber. Prior Purchase Order Amendments are outlined in Attachment 1.Currently, the construction is approximately 30 per cent complete and the project will be completed in July 2025. The project has faced significant challenges due to its proximity to the Metrolinx rail track, its location within Don River flood zone, and poor soil conditions. Following the amendment of the purchase order, the professional services fees for the detailed design and contract administration will be 7.8 percent of the total construction cost, which is $12.7 million. The total fee is below the Ontario Association of Landscape Architect suggested guidelines, which suggest a range of 10 to12percentof the construction cost.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Lower Don Trail update and more $$

This looks like another City Project which was poorly thought out initially; having eight requests for more $$ seems excessive to me!

This is so frustrating, with the trail now out of service for years. There was nothing wrong with the Lower Don Trail as it was. The bumpy, rough surface slowed cyclists and deterred aggressive Mamils with their "on your left!" It was fine as is.

All we wanted was the ramp from the green bridge to replace the stairs. Leave the rest as it was.

 

[PL1]

This is so frustrating, with the trail now out of service for years. There was nothing wrong with the Lower Don Trail as it was. The bumpy, rough surface slowed cyclists and deterred aggressive Mamils with their "on your left!" It was fine as is.

All we wanted was the ramp from the green bridge to replace the stairs. Leave the rest as it was.

I think it was dangerously narrow and prone to flooding, and wasn't awesome to use as a runner, so I think it needed upgrades. But can you imagine if the city decided to close the Gardiner Expressway for repairs that ended up taking years? This is nuts!