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Why not just hand everybody these
jetprop.jpg


Who needs Bixi, anyway.
 
Apparently Doug Ford reads Urban Toronto - with this recent ode to this thread!

We need to get creative with transit, not force tolls: Doug Ford

A three-layer tunnel to replace the Gardiner - "What I’d really like to see is three levels, one for a train, one for the toll and one for regular traffic with no toll and let’s develop on top of the Gardiner and that would pay for itself"

We should stop encouraging wackiness!
 
DKB said:
The german city of Stuttgart is just doing this. Their entire downtown rail system
will go underground and create more space for offices, condos and parks.

Check this out:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,710388,00.html
Click to expand...

There are actually a lot of places where the lake shore rail corridor could and should be decked-over. I'm thinking of the Rogers Centre to Strachan in particular. Past Strachan, the Gardiner could be relocated to on top of the rail corridor to free up even more land, Toronto Waterfront Viaduct style.

And while we're at it, why not build the Front Street Extension, or better, just end the Gardiner at the front street extension like so: LINK
 
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junctionist said:
That's awesome and seems like a better use of $5.4 billion than the Sheppard subway.

This time, I have a more elaborate megaproject: transform Spadina into a Champs Elysees-style boulevard from the lake to Bloor. Build a subway line with beautiful stations to replace the streetcars, widen the sidewalks to grander proportions with the finest trees, landscaping, stone paving, and public art. Consider also a landscaped median, have segregated bike lanes, and include Japanese-style automated underground bicycle parking silos. Demolish and replace all buildings along the boulevard lacking in historical and architectural significance and replace them with mid-rise modern buildings by the world's greatest architects but with conditions encouraging diverse materials, including natural stone cladding. At several major intersections, allow higher buildings.

Bury the Gardiner to restore vistas of Lake Ontario, and build a stone-paved roundabout at the Gardiner/Lakeshore intersection, with a massive vertical monument that would also be seen from the waterfront. A new park would go over the rail corridor at Spadina, but also buildings with retail. The Spadina south subway line would go to Billy Bishop airport, whose site would possibly already have become a part of the Harbour City megaproject built on Lake Ontario mentioned earlier. It could also then proceed to Centre Island or connect with an LRT line for the Islands. This LRT line would be built from the Port Lands as an eastern link. Ferry service could be retained as a way of linking the central waterfront with the Islands or possibly on an east/west axis of the Islands and new waterfront neighbourhoods: The Port Lands, the Islands, Harbour City in the west, and a mixed-use Ontario Place/CNE.

Finally, in terms of logistics and other megaprojects, it may be impractical to have Spadina become part of the downtown canal network due to its subway and road configuration, but it would intersect at least two east/west canals with grand bridges. The intersection at Bloor would be a monumental roundabout with another tall monument in the centre, which would make for a picturesque vista looking west on Bloor from downtown and east from west end neighbourhoods like the Annex. The name Spadina itself could be changed to reflect a famous Canadian or aspect of culture and mythology.

The great thing is that due to the compact nature of downtown, it's only 4.3 kilometres from Bloor to Queen's Quay according to Google Maps. If the subway was $1.5 billion per kilometre including all public realm improvements and the creation of monumental new plazas and roundabouts, the project would cost $6.45 billion. Add a fraction of a billion for the connection to the Islands and the LRT line on the Islands, and it would come to $7 billion. This project would also be the final nail in the Spadina Expressway's coffin.
Click to expand...

You are one of the very few who "gets it". Especially your Spadina stuff.

"Big Picture" thinking from a city-builder. I wish we had more company. This is not wacky at all.
 
Reading the previous posts and thinking for some time (yes, I am that bored), i came up with a few ideas:

1. Bury the rail corridor from Ft. York all the way to the Distillery District/Pan-Am Village and erect a grand European-style pedestrian promenade, complete with trees, flowers and small retail shops - a glorified Queen West-esque approach? It should have prominent pedestrian connections with Fort York, the Rogers Centre/CN Tower/Aquarium, Union Station and Bayside, with maybe a LRT route, to connect them all together. There should be large statues to mark each end of the promenade, and make it look as straight as possible so it provides a view corridor.

2. With regards to the Gardiner, it should be buried from the DVP all the way to Humber Bay (so the Beaches can get a little more respect), and thus Lake Shore Blvd. should be converted into a handsome landscaped boulevard, complete with LRT ROW, bicycle lanes and medians with statues and public art (kinda like University Ave). Plus, the pedestrian realm NEEDS to be fixed along Queen's Quay from Spadina to at least Yonge; I'd prefer no LRT ROW here. Perhaps allow for more offices and retail here so it doesnt become one large residential condo complex.

3. Thinking beyond Downtown, Eglinton (from around Jane to Kennedy) should be built as a shorter (in terms of building height) but livelier North York Centre except between the DVP and Kennedy - they should make that section more dense. Again, landscaped medians and the lot, obviously with the Eglinton subway, but with an express train like the ones they have in NYC, with stops like Kennedy, DVP, Yonge, and finally heading to Pearson separate from the local Eglinton subway.

4. DRL please! :eek:

5. Get rid of those unsightly hydro lines that line the Don Valley, make the trails more appealing and accessible to the public and renovate the Leaside and Prince Edward viaducts so they at least look better :p

I don't know what else I can dream up with at this point...
I'm sure I'll think of some more :D
 
How about a ferry line, OK A hydrofoil vehicle, than runs from Whitby to Toronto ( stops in between) in the east and St Catherines to Toronto in the West. No major infrastructure investment required aside from the docks and the vessels themselves. Even the ferries can transport cars if people are willing to pay for it.
 
GKW said:
high speed rail from coast to coast
an indoor beach
Click to expand...
An indoor beach is a great idea. Maybe they could do this at Ontario Place.

I say convert the Spadina line north of Eglinton, (which is all outside) plus the extension to Vaughan to Go transit.
 
LordWanker said:
How about a ferry line, OK A hydrofoil vehicle, than runs from Whitby to Toronto ( stops in between) in the east and St Catherines to Toronto in the West. No major infrastructure investment required aside from the docks and the vessels themselves. Even the ferries can transport cars if people are willing to pay for it.
Click to expand...
Adam Giambrone! Is that you? Have you been at the cottage drinking again?
 
hah, u guys want a wacky megaproject? lets finish the allen/spadina expressway....except all underground with extra wide tunnels bored alongside the subway tunnels.....and it would only cost us like 30 billion dollars! how could the taxpayers say no? ;)
 
One thing missing from those dream plans: run the DRL up to Eglinton. The line on Sheppard doesn't need to go past Kennedy either. (and they forgot to put on the map the Spadina extension already under construction)
 
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