I had an appointment in the yonge/eglinton area yesterday, so took the opportunity to drive (mid-morning - not so much traffic) and then completed the circumnavigation of the Crosstown route after the meeting.
Noted a couple of Bombardier units moving into the tunnels at Mt Denis. Later. I ran across a couple of units testing (as noted on the trains route displays) towards the Golden Mile section. The units, when in motion, moved at a pace that matched the traffic , so 40 - 50 kmh. It was painful to watch them waiting for a signal at a crossing. Not much to say that has not already been well expressed in previous posts by so many, except to keep, repeatedly, driving home the message to your local political show piece that transit, pedestrians and bicyclers must have traffic priority over cars.
On the western portions crews were out re sidewalks, curbs, bus stop signage...the usual final fitting out and detail cleanup. Eglington/Yonge was a hive of activity, and then after that intersection, moving eastwards, there does not appear to be much left to do on the surface, and the only activity I ran into was landscaping.
In several places the new separated bicycle lanes are in play. But there is so much left to do to connect the dots. Separately I wondered how the city cleans those lanes during the winter - plowing and salting?
There are signs of redevelopment along Eglington in many areas, and yet, there is much, much, much more property of underutilized statuses - ,semi-derelict, of little or no redeeming historical value, parking lots, defunct commercial and office spaces and parking lots. That entire line is just begging for a variety of instendifications, on and adjacent to Eglinton. Hopefully the new fourplex/walkup planning policies will begin to show along and adjacent to this route, as well as the midstory and taller residential infills.
And along with that, the street is ripe for rejuvenation at the pedestrian level, and I guess that is Eglington Connects? Its time for that to get underway in so many areas.
And then, with all due respect to Scarberians everywhere, I thought that the stretch of Dundas from Sherway to Hurontario (Hwy 10) was a sea of mediocrity, steeped in the world of the 1960's and the planning that was the rage then....but the Golden Mile! I had to renew my memorized visuals of that district. I know there are plans in place for much renewal of those many acres and acres, but not fast enough. Bring on the Caterpillar D11's - its time that 'mile' was levelled and we just start over.