[rbt]

If they are really going for a single pole on QQ it's good news because centre poles make the reserved track virtually unusable for emergency vehicles or replacement buses - think St Clair

Both buses and emergency vehicles use St. Clair ROW regularly; or they used to at least. Some drivers take a bit of time getting used to the poles though.

 

[FNTS]

Cars are running on the new stretch of pavement, and it's finally getting easier to imagine the final result.

(From Waterfront Toronto's webcams):

 

[hawc]

So is the traffic going to be one-way across queens quay, or is that part where the excavator is digging going to be the other direction?

 

[raptor]

So is the traffic going to be one-way across queens quay, or is that part where the excavator is digging going to be the other direction?

Two-way traffic (one lane each), on the newly paved section north of the tracks.

 

[achender]

Here is a render from Waterfront Toronto that shows the final Street/TTC/Martin Goodman Trail cross section at Lower Simcoe.

 

[ttk77]

Cars are running on the new stretch of pavement, and it's finally getting easier to imagine the final result.

All the sewer grates and utility access points are sticking up above the paved surface though, so it looks like they have another layer of asphalt to put down at some point.

 

[DSC]

All the sewer grates and utility access points are sticking up above the paved surface though, so it looks like they have another layer of asphalt to put down at some point.

That's how they do paving (when they have time.) It allows the undercoat to cure and allows the crews to make any small modifications before the final coat goes on. The WT weekly email on QQ last week said "The final topcoat layer of asphalt will be applied mid to late September."

 

[ttk77]

Thanks. Do you know if that means they'll shut down the whole street for a few days to get one seamless stretch of pavement, or will they do it in a piecemeal fashion again?

 

[ttk77]

Curious also if anyone knows the reason they're installing a single row of red brick on each side of the road, right next to the granite curb. It seems a little odd since everything else is granite. Does it serve some kind of functional purpose, or is it just an aesthetic detail?

 

[DSC]

Curious also if anyone knows the reason they're installing a single row of red brick on each side of the road, right next to the granite curb. It seems a little odd since everything else is granite. Does it serve some kind of functional purpose, or is it just an aesthetic detail?

This is a Toronto standard for certain streets (I am unclear on which). There have been (lengthy and inconclusive) discussions on the purpose on other threads on UT but they MAY be simply aesthetic or may have some technical reason or even both! I suggest you try searching for earlier discussions.

 

[junctionist]

The red bricks are to ensure a grade so that water flows towards storm drains when it rains. It's a traditional solution that also gives the edge of the roadway an attractive accent. You see it in cities around the world, though many cities use granite blocks instead of bricks.

 

[smallspy]

The red bricks are to ensure a grade so that water flows towards storm drains when it rains. It's a traditional solution that also gives the edge of the roadway an attractive accent. You see it in cities around the world, though many cities use granite blocks instead of bricks.

The bricks have nothing to do with adding a grade to the road surface, as that is quite easily done with regular paving methods.

They are solely decorative. And to cyclists, a nuisance. But since there is large set of bike lanes being installed to the south of the roadway, perhaps they are being put in as a deterrent.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[junctionist]

Of course it has to do with drainage. It's a traditional solution. As a cyclist, I've never had any problems with those bricks. No one should be riding that close to the curb.

 

[hawc]

Currently when you look at the street markings it looks like one big one way street. I guess it will eventually be turned back to two way. One lane in each direction. Better hope nobody stops illegally or breaks down or the entire Queens Quay grinds to a halt.

 

[nfitz]

The bricks have nothing to do with adding a grade to the road surface, as that is quite easily done with regular paving methods.

They are solely decorative. And to cyclists, a nuisance. But since there is large set of bike lanes being installed to the south of the roadway, perhaps they are being put in as a deterrent.
Toronto, Ont.

How is the width of a single brick a nuisance to a cyclist - unless the cyclist is far to close to the curb? Bikes should be one metre from the curb to aviod curbside hazards according to the Ministry of Transportation - http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section3.0.shtml Even if they stay more than 10 centimetres from the curb, the bricks won't be a problem!