[taal]

Look at those sidewalks! Just beautiful, these are the types of sidewalks we should be investing in and not the cheap crap we get. It's time we start investing in our public realm!

Yep !

Now given this is Hi-way 7 ... it really doesn't matter but ... I find the planters are just to large ... the sidewalk left over is the same as the old sidewalk, its too small. That and the concrete finishing on the planters doesn't really go with the rest of the design. That's it ! I love the rest.

Why not replicate this on Yonge ! (get rid of the planters, all of them though), then we have a wide side walk ... I love the orange grating on the trees.

 

[xtremesniper]

No, they truly did manage traffic exceptionally well. Maybe you're referring to the last two weeks where they've had no choice but to really restrict lanes to do their paving work, but up until now it has been handled very well.

They work well into the night (and often times 24/7) just to decrease impact during rush hours, and if you subscribe to the VivaNext email blasts, they send extremely regular emails notifying people of what work is coming up over the next few days, how it will impact the roads, and at what times and which lanes.

Every time anyone complains about the traffic on 7, I just roll my eyes. Just imagine how much of a mess the same project anywhere in the 416 would be.

Side-note: I thought there would be bike lanes? Or maybe they're not there yet because of lane alignment...

 

[Adjei]

Would be nice if they found money to bury the hydro wires, wonder why we don't bury our hydro wires. Those hydro wires are a blight all over the GTA.

 

[nfitz]

Would be nice if they found money to bury the hydro wires, wonder why we don't bury our hydro wires. Those hydro wires are a blight all over the GTA.

Toronto Hydro tried to increase rates for essential capital works and got turned down. In that kind of environment how would a rate increase for non-essential capital works go down?

 

[Adjei]

Toronto Hydro tried to increase rates for essential capital works and got turned down. In that kind of environment how would a rate increase for non-essential capital works go down?

Yeah people here don't care about how our cities look or things like attractive public realm, they are more concerned with how low their taxes which is why we get clowns like Rob Ford in office. That's the environment we live in, too bad!

 

[taal]

Yea good point about the traffic !


I have to say though ... the more I look at the pics / I've seen it in person a couple times ... this is a waste of money ... seriously. If they sort of treatment was used in downtown Markham ... great, but its not ... Hi-way 7 will never be walkable, its physically impossible. Sure some stretches. Even Yonge would likely be a better candidate.

I hope York Region foots is the one footing the bill for all of this (the extras) ... but they're not ...

Another gripe ... the transit stations themselves ... overkill / imposing / ... its too much and again a waste of money ... I'd argue you that regardless of the street it was on.

 

[Electrify]

Traffic along this stretch of Highway 7 has always been horrendous. I remember several years back when I was working in Vaughan and living in Thornhill I made the mistake to go through this stretch during rush hour (before the construction started). Unbelievable bumper to bumper gridlock through the entire stretch.

These bus lanes are going to be very, very attractive when operational later this year. I predict that many people who currently work in the Commerce Valley/Beaver Creek business park will opt to park at Richmond Hill Centre, Unionville GO, Markville Mall, etc and take the bus in - if not take transit for their entire journey.

Those of you who feel that this stretch of 7 is a lost cause are underestimating the area. It is currently home to several business and municipal offices, Asian restaurants and retail, and even a mini entertainment district including dining and a movie theatre. Really the main thing which is missing is residential, and there is quite a bit of open space nearby to add it in.

That said, I don't know if York is as rigid about adding residential into employment areas as Toronto is, but along 7 it is mostly commercial retail rather than industrial office, so it I think it should be okay.

 

[canarob]

Those of you who feel that this stretch of 7 is a lost cause are underestimating the area. It is currently home to several business and municipal offices, Asian restaurants and retail, and even a mini entertainment district including dining and a movie theatre. Really the main thing which is missing is residential, and there is quite a bit of open space nearby to add it in.

That said, I don't know if York is as rigid about adding residential into employment areas as Toronto is, but along 7 it is mostly commercial retail rather than industrial office, so it I think it should be okay.

Yeah, there's already a lot of residential and retail along Highway 7, so I don't see why there can't be an increase in pedestrians. Aside from maybe Yonge Street, this is the most important street in York Region, so the effort should be mad to improve the pedestrian environment.

 

[taal]

Ha ... you actually think ridership will increase significantly ? I'm betting not.

I work in the area / have many friends in the area, you need to understand the culture.
Having said that, the route is semi-well used rush hour, this may increase a little. I can bet you (and I'm willing to) off-peak ridership will remain dismal, bus lane or not.

That's just one side of the argument, I'm referring to the east side of Hi-way 7, the restaurants / malls in the area are 100% car oriented, and this won't do anything to change that unless they get demolished. This applies to the offices as well, but that's not a big deal, enough people (generally younger folks) do take transit.


That's just one side of the a

 

[Dandy Horse]

looks fancy. when does the first section open for buses?

 

[MafaldaBoy]

They've been reporting the section from Bayview to Hwy 404 to be ready by the end of this year.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

Cool! One good thing about the BRT is it can open in stages. Driving around there now is an absolute nightmare (especially the area on either side of the 404) but it might be easier to stomach the later construction once you can see the first leg up and running...

There are stretches of Hwy 7 where change will come slowly but there's already some street-frontage development in that Bayview-Leslie stretch so lets hope it works. It will be years before we can see if it "Works" but as others have said, it certainly is nice design. If it fails it won't be for lack of effort.

The hydro thing was discussed a lot but it was very expensive...I forget the numbers off-hand. They were talking about at least doing a pilot project in Markham, near Warden but I'm not sure if that got approved. They'd really love to bury the high-voltage lines along the 407, at least near Langstaff but those are impossibly expensive.

 

[canarob]

Ha ... you actually think ridership will increase significantly ? I'm betting not.

I work in the area / have many friends in the area, you need to understand the culture.
Having said that, the route is semi-well used rush hour, this may increase a little. I can bet you (and I'm willing to) off-peak ridership will remain dismal, bus lane or not.

That's just one side of the argument, I'm referring to the east side of Hi-way 7, the restaurants / malls in the area are 100% car oriented, and this won't do anything to change that unless they get demolished. This applies to the offices as well, but that's not a big deal, enough people (generally younger folks) do take transit.


That's just one side of the a

There probably won't be a huge ridership increase initially, but population and employment growth alone will mean a steady increase.

I don't think the culture of those working in office parks near the 404, while obviously an important part of the equation, are the only factor when it comes to pedestrians in the area. There are a lot of us who actually live along Highway 7 as well and would like a walkable environment. Even now there are new condo building going up along near Bayview, Leslie, Warden, etc.,

I don't see why most of Highway 7 East can't eventually be more like Highway 7 further east around Markville, Markham Village, etc., where there are a decent number of pedestrians despite having lower densities and being car oriented.

Some of the plazas along Highway 7 will need to be redeveloped for this to happen, but I think it's a given eventually.

 

[DKsan]

They'd really love to bury the high-voltage lines along the 407, at least near Langstaff but those are impossibly expensive.

You mean the giant towers? The Region of Waterloo is doing it for 1.2 km along their LRT route. Approximately $20 million for 1.2 km to bury it. Yep.

 

[Adjei]

Cool! One good thing about the BRT is it can open in stages. Driving around there now is an absolute nightmare (especially the area on either side of the 404) but it might be easier to stomach the later construction once you can see the first leg up and running...

There are stretches of Hwy 7 where change will come slowly but there's already some street-frontage development in that Bayview-Leslie stretch so lets hope it works. It will be years before we can see if it "Works" but as others have said, it certainly is nice design. If it fails it won't be for lack of effort.

The hydro thing was discussed a lot but it was very expensive...I forget the numbers off-hand. They were talking about at least doing a pilot project in Markham, near Warden but I'm not sure if that got approved. They'd really love to bury the high-voltage lines along the 407, at least near Langstaff but those are impossibly expensive.

How is it that other cities are able to bury their hydro wires but we can't? Is it not also expensive for them?