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Fad225
Active Member
"Yonge is a complete dump and a horrid embarrassment to the city and it is going to take a major overhaul {and political balls} to turn it into the premier street of the city that it deserves to be."
Agreed - Downtown Yonge is looking especially horrid post-covid. It is very sad. I am wondering if they are letting the sidewalks deteriorate knowing revitalization construction is pending.
Agreed - Downtown Yonge is looking especially horrid post-covid. It is very sad. I am wondering if they are letting the sidewalks deteriorate knowing revitalization construction is pending.
Northern Light
Superstar
That post has some rather over-the-top rhetorical flourish ...........
But below, let me correct the mis-statement of facts above:
The Yonge overnight bus, Route 320.....is a bit more frequent than every 30M.
Here's the schedule for Yonge/Wellesley stop:
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thecharioteer
Senior Member
The reality south of Gerrard:
Richard White
Senior Member
In general, Yonge from Bloor to Front is in decay. The storefronts from Bloor to Dundas specifically are in various states of decay, the sidewalks have not been maintained and what stores are there consist of low end bargain stores selling vapes and mobile accessories.
If Yonge is to be gentrified there needs to be a master plan and a mandated upkeep of the stores otherwise it will still look like s**t. You can repave the roads, renovate the sidewalks but if the buildings are run down it won't help any,, take Niagara Falls New York as a prime example.
junctionist
Senior Member
A lot of low-rise buildings on Yonge between Bloor and Dundas are vacant above the storefronts, and they're often old buildings with a lot of history and character. What a waste of real estate and heritage resources.
By contrast, on streets like Bloor and Queen, the low-rise buildings are typically fully occupied and maintained, often as a mix of retail on the ground floor and apartments above.
By contrast, on streets like Bloor and Queen, the low-rise buildings are typically fully occupied and maintained, often as a mix of retail on the ground floor and apartments above.
Northern Light
Superstar
Outside of what's been removed for development, what are you endeavouring to show here? (sincere question, not snark)
There's a wee bit of hyperbole here.
As a starting point one has to ask, as compared to what?
Yonge street was rough in the 80s, a bit more visually interesting as well as less corporatist....
But as opposed to the 2 peeler bars that remain, there were at least 4 and 2 major porn cinemas to boot.
There was no Sunday shopping, the sidewalks were not decorative, there were few if any street trees....
I'm not sure where we get the idea things are headed in some in inexorably terrible direction vs last year or 10 years ago.
****
Yonge Street: Sept 2021:
Busy, sidewalks in good condition, if bland, pedestrian lighting in order, each retail unit filled or about to be (with Scotia taking over the old Pizza Pizza.)
Now Same Block 5 years earlier:
Further South (2021)
2016:
****
To be clear, Yonge, as Toronto's main shopping street downtown certainly doesn't look as polished or pretty as one might hope, and we're all looking forward to the streetscape overhaul in that regard.
But this description of Yonge as it is today as some post-apocalyptic war zone where families fear to tread is rather a bit much.
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picard102
Senior Member
My current office is a little bit north of the stag shop, used to work out of an office on Elm.
I've found the sense of decay has little to do with the buildings and more to do with the social decay rampant in the area. (And I don't mean Zanzibar's).
I've found the sense of decay has little to do with the buildings and more to do with the social decay rampant in the area. (And I don't mean Zanzibar's).
SashaLemon
Active Member
Why does this plan involve large sections that seemingly have no cycling infrastructure?
Northern Light
Superstar
Because some areas are very pedestrian heavy, and short of banning all cars, the decision was made to favour pedestrians in this instance, when traffic lanes for cars are reduced.
The numerical justification is there.
Pedestrians wildly out number both cars and cyclists on Yonge.
I'm pro cycle-track/bike lane as much as anyone, but I get the choice here.
We can quibble about what balance is arrived at, and fairness dictates we ask about everything from laneway conditions to cycling infra on Church and Bay....
But the choice here is not illogical. Its a reduction in car capacity, re-prioritized to pedestrians based on existing and projected demand.
evandyk
Senior Member
I expect that there will be very few cars driving down Yonge in any case, and the traffic lanes will be pretty safe for cycling.
afransen
Senior Member
This could be emphasized in the design.
evandyk
Senior Member
I thought Yonge should be entirely pedestrianized other than certain accommodations for deliveries and accessibility, but apparently that was never in the cards for city staff/council.
afransen
Senior Member
Next go around circa 2055.
SashaLemon
Active Member
We all know that the reason why there are fewer cyclists is bc the overall city infrastructure is trash, but that's a much bigger problem!