[Juan_Lennon416]

Off topic but when is the Gardiner Expressway Environmental Assessment supposed to be completed?

 

[Tuscani01]

I still wish grass was going to be put in the ROW, as it will enhance the street look even better considering it been done all over in Europe.

I thought the compromise was that we would still get grass, but only a small strip in between the tracks in each direction, providing a solid surface outside of the tracks for emergency vehicles to use the ROW? When the hell did they scrap it altogether?

So dissappointing!

 

[DSC]

Off topic but when is the Gardiner Expressway Environmental Assessment supposed to be completed?

It is "on hold".

 

[CanadianNational]

It's too bad that since the grass won't be going in, there's not something in the budget to decoratively brick or pave the streetcar bed in something more pleasing than concrete.
I think part of the success of the Queen's Quay revitalization depends, largely, on visually softening the harshness and uniformity of all the concrete and asphalt along it's length. With that in mind, even artificial turf for the streetcar bed could work aesthetically to help things along. I don't much like the stuff, but it could look better than mere concrete.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

re: Grass

It's less a TTC thing than an emergency services requirement - firetrucks and ambulances have to be able to use the ROW and a lawn really won't work for that. I do wish however that West 8 can work out a way to 'extend' the design vocabulary to mundane things like cast concrete.

AoD

 

[Zeiss]

If there's a will, there's a way. There are so many different types of pavement that allows the grass to grow and at the same time to be used as a road n case of emergency.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Zeiss:

There might be, but experience would suggests convincing Fire/EMS to accept that would probably hold up the entire project for years.

AoD

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

As an aside, WT is moving forward with putting in temporary improvements to QQE - from the May 23 WT Board Meeting:

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uplo...on___capital_approval_re_mgt_connection_1.pdf

And they will also be sharing costs with private landowners/condo corps to pave the private space with the same kind of paving as the ROW (which is one of the peeves re: Bloor Street Revitalization)

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uplo...tation_re_qq_paving_on_private_property_1.pdf

AoD

 

[PinkLucy]

I love the integration, but I don't like the cobblestone effect, particularly in heels and on rainy days.

 

[Tulse]

As an aside, WT is moving forward with putting in temporary improvements to QQE

Those look like excellent and sorely-needed improvements -- Sugar Beach and Sherbourne Common are lovely spots, but really unpleasant for pedestrians to get to from the west.

 

[DSC]

Those look like excellent and sorely-needed improvements -- Sugar Beach and Sherbourne Common are lovely spots, but really unpleasant for pedestrians to get to from the west.

The City also just approved traffic lights at Lower Sherbourne and Queen's Quay so access from the north will also be far safer. They are supposed to be installed by fall when George Brown opens. Now all we need is TRANSIT.

 

[nfitz]

As an aside, WT is moving forward with putting in temporary improvements to QQE - from the May 23 WT Board Meeting:

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uplo...on___capital_approval_re_mgt_connection_1.pdf

So we are throwing away $5-million that goes up in smoke when they build the LRT?

Just build the LRT like they promised.

 

[taal]

They're having problems "leasing" (clearly a reference to the two 200K office buildings currently marketed) that comes as no surprise to me, I doubt these measures will help.

 

[BurlOak]

So we are throwing away $5-million that goes up in smoke when they build the LRT?

Just build the LRT like they promised.

$5M is chicken feed. We have no idea when the money will become available for the LRT.

I am sure they are spending more to over-build the bus terminal at Finch West even though the FWLRT is funded and coming within less than 5 years of the subway opening.

 

[Jonny5]

Reading the document, I don't see any money being "thrown away". Some of it is state of good repair projects and some of it is to restore the road and sidewalk after unrelated construction.

In fact it mentions that this will use up remnants of federal government funding commitments that will be withdrawn if they are not spent this year. It even says some of this work will facilitate utility relocation when the LRT is built.