[guavadelic]

Has the city gotten slower in fixing potholes? Eglinton Ave from Keele St to Dufferin is in terrible condition. The number of potholes is out of control.
The condition of the road wasn't great to begin with but the potholes now are so numerous that they're almost impossible to avoid.

 

[DSCToronto]

Has the city gotten slower in fixing potholes? Eglinton Ave from Keele St to Dufferin is in terrible condition. The number of potholes is out of control.
The condition of the road wasn't great to begin with but the potholes now are so numerous that they're almost impossible to avoid.

Not an excuse but the weather this winter has certainly created FAR more potholes than those of last few years. In addition, pothole fixing City staff have been busy (well, not very busy!) shoveling snow.

 

[Amare]

Not an excuse but the weather this winter has certainly created FAR more potholes than those of last few years. In addition, pothole fixing City staff have been busy (well, not very busy!) shoveling snow.

Ever since the mayor and a couple councillors called out contractors and workers for not removing snow a few days ago, i've seen and heard of them getting up from their a**** and finally doing their job in removing snow. Yesterday they were removing snow downtown, and i've heard from family and friends who live in different areas of the city that snow around their areas was finally removed yesterday as well. Prior to this i've seen snow being removed, but at a very slow pace.

That doesnt excuse their lackadaisical approach to the issue, or the previous mayor and council who decide to go and approve having no penalties to contractors who fail to remove snow within a certain period of time. This city never learns from previous mistakes.

 

[AlbertC]

I noticed that Davenport from around Bathurst and eastward have had their snowbanks removed when I drove by yesterday. Although for the rest of us further west on Davenport, still nada. Especially for in our neck of the woods at Lansdowne where one of the sidewalks that lead up to a bus stop was for whatever reason completely neglected and became a sheet of hardened ice.

 

[DSCToronto]

Ever since the mayor and a couple councillors called out contractors and workers for not removing snow a few days ago, i've seen and heard of them getting up from their a**** and finally doing their job in removing snow. Yesterday they were removing snow downtown, and i've heard from family and friends who live in different areas of the city that snow around their areas was finally removed yesterday as well. Prior to this i've seen snow being removed, but at a very slow pace.

That doesnt excuse their lackadaisical approach to the issue, or the previous mayor and council who decide to go and approve having no penalties to contractors who fail to remove snow within a certain period of time. This city never learns from previous mistakes.

Yes, they had snow blowers on my street in St Lawrence yesterday too but, compared to Montreal, it was all very amateurish. No tow trucks to move parked cars, no real effort to clear boulevards, trucks not coming one after the other with no breaks etc etc.

 

[guavadelic]

Yes, they had snow blowers on my street in St Lawrence yesterday too but, compared to Montreal, it was all very amateurish. No tow trucks to move parked cars, no real effort to clear boulevards, trucks not coming one after the other with no breaks etc etc.

I remember the city used to post notices on streets to inform folks when they would be clearing that street and to warn people not to park cars there during said time. Do they still post those notices?

 

[DSCToronto]

I remember the city used to post notices on streets to inform folks when they would be clearing that street and to warn people not to park cars there during said time. Do they still post those notices?

Yes, but there appeared to be no tickets and certainly no towing.

 

[txlseries4]

Yes, but there appeared to be no tickets and certainly no towing.

In the last week or so the University-Rosedale councillor said at a committee that towing cars off the streetcar tracks was taking forever because tow lots were full. Could be this is contributing to lack of towing for snow clearing

The councillor also said that police had the bright idea, when asked for alternatives, that parkland be turned into parking to store towed cars

 

[DSCToronto]

In the last week or so the University-Rosedale councillor said at a committee that towing cars off the streetcar tracks was taking forever because tow lots were full. Could be this is contributing to lack of towing for snow clearing

The councillor also said that police had the bright idea, when asked for alternatives, that parkland be turned into parking to store towed cars

In Montreal when towing for snow clearing, they simply tow cars to a nearby street. Of course, Toronto would make it all so complicated it could never be done!

 

[rbt]

The councillor also said that police had the bright idea, when asked for alternatives, that parkland be turned into parking to store towed cars

Exhibition Lots were largely empty at that time.

 

[Northern Light]

In Montreal when towing for snow clearing, they simply tow cars to a nearby street. Of course, Toronto would make it all so complicated it could never be done!

Are you suggesting that the Climate Change division would demand zero-emission, electric tow trucks, while the Board of Health would want speed limiters on the trucks, and there would be a Canadian content requirement for vehicles as well, after which there would be no bidders and City staff would claim its just not possible here? LOL

 

[DSCToronto]

Are you suggesting that the Climate Change division would demand zero-emission, electric tow trucks, while the Board of Health would want speed limiters on the trucks, and there would be a Canadian content requirement for vehicles as well, after which there would be no bidders and City staff would claim its just not possible here? LOL

They would obviously organise a public consultation process and then, after a year, plan things as they originally proposed but it would be held up in Council because one of the consultation days coincided with a TTC disruption (an excuse that can be used most days!) and then at Council the Etobicoke contingent would ask for special rules if there are bike tracks, windrows or ???? Then global warming would have REALLY arrived and snow days would be a thing of the past - making the signage they put up about snow routes etc somewhat out of date!

 

[Northern Light]

Matt Elliott out with a column on the 'Mayor's real enemy'........ hint, not Council...........

Matt Elliott: Olivia Chow’s greatest opposition has been revealed. Can she rise to the fight?

Simmering tension between Mayor Olivia Chow and the city’s bureaucrats was on full display last week, writes Matt Elliott.

www.thestar.com

The view expressed may be said to align with @DSCToronto 's and my own views on how things stand down at Queen/Bay these days.

To be clear, both he and I know there are some great people inside that workforce.......regrettably they are not in the majority.

 

[txlseries4]

Matt Elliott out with a column on the 'Mayor's real enemy'........ hint, not Council...........

Matt Elliott: Olivia Chow’s greatest opposition has been revealed. Can she rise to the fight?

Simmering tension between Mayor Olivia Chow and the city’s bureaucrats was on full display last week, writes Matt Elliott.

www.thestar.com

The view expressed may be said to align with @DSCToronto 's and my own views on how things stand down at Queen/Bay these days.

To be clear, both he and I know there are some great people inside that workforce.......regrettably they are not in the majority.

This past week at IEC councillor McKelvie spoke in defense of staff and sounded angry that others on council dared to speak publicly to criticize city staff. She's made some weird comments recently, like one at council about the Avenues housing policy and how a road like Sheppard near Rouge Park shouldn't be threatened (I'm paraphrasing) by these developments. Bizarre

At the committee on item "Corporate Landowners Should Have to Clear their Sidewalks Again", she started off her comments saying:
"Firstly I want to thank City staff for all the hard work that they've done over the last couple weeks. While I was sleeping in my warm cozy bed they were out overnight clearing snow on our city streets. It is a thankless job as we have seen over the last two weeks and I will say that that is largely by some of the behavior of my colleagues on Council which I think what I saw this week was City Hall at its absolute worst. Absolute worst."

she goes on more to defend the "wonderful hard working dedicated public servants":

 

[Northern Light]

This past week at IEC councillor McKelvie spoke in defense of staff and sounded angry that others on council dared to speak publicly to criticize city staff. She's made some weird comments recently, like one at council about the Avenues housing policy and how a road like Sheppard near Rouge Park shouldn't be threatened (I'm paraphrasing) by these developments. Bizarre

At the committee on item "Corporate Landowners Should Have to Clear their Sidewalks Again", she started off her comments saying:
"Firstly I want to thank City staff for all the hard work that they've done over the last couple weeks. While I was sleeping in my warm cozy bed they were out overnight clearing snow on our city streets. It is a thankless job as we have seen over the last two weeks and I will say that that is largely by some of the behavior of my colleagues on Council which I think what I saw this week was City Hall at its absolute worst. Absolute worst."

she goes on more to defend the "wonderful hard working dedicated public servants":

There are good staff at City Hall who really are feeling dumped on by some Councillors, the Mayor and the media.

Jen knows and is quite fond of some of said staff.

I'm sympathetic to hurt feelings, particularly from those who are highly competent, and genuinely trying hard.

I do, however, feel that some of those staff are taking it personally where the criticism isn't really aimed at them, but some of their colleagues and bosses.

That's unfortunate. I do get that underfunding has played a role in some, but not all of the issues where criticism has arisen. I think its perfectly fine for staff to say that out loud.

But there needs to a realization that the public are fed up of hearing excuses for poor service. If there isn't enough money whose responsibility is it to say that? If one colleague or business unit keeps mussing things up, whose responsibility is it to throw them under the proverbial bus? At the end of the day, the Mayor and councillors have to seem angry even where they may have contributed to the issues at hand, as their constituents are royally ticked off. They too would like to keep their jobs.

In the end, its about owning the problem and solving it; whatever 'it' is that we're talking about.

While some residents are utterly ignorant of what's possible, or what things cost..........most aren't completely obtuse. They just want the TTC to be reliable, the snow removed to a point where boarding a bus with a stroller or mobility aid is feasible, the trash picked up, etc etc. They aren't really phased by the reasons these things can't be done.........(after all they can)......... they just want them done.

Everyone recognizes that there will be an off day here or there, or storms will take a few days to catch up from...........people are less tolerant when the cleanup is ongoing weeks later, and the TTC is down again.....and this is second time in two months their trash hasn't been collected.