Roads: Gardiner Expressway

[ssiguy2]

Until you write and/or talk to your local councillor you will never know for sure.

 

[muller877]

Building underneath is already happening with the Loblaws development, but long swaths of the Gardiner are above Lakeshore Rd.

Structures under the Gardiner create a very difficult process to maintain and repair the bridge. As I understand it Loblaws owned this land before the Gardiner was built and was not expropriated at that time. Look at what they did for the connection to the new Sun Life Building. They had to make the pedestrian bridge moveable so they can repair the Gardiner if needed.

 

[Euphoria]

An RL under Richmond is essentially a Queen Line, accessible from Queen, but built more cheaply without any disruptions to streetcar service along Queen throughout construction. The connection between a City Hall station and the Queen station is easy through PATH. Another benefit relates to traffic flow and congestion. By digging a little deeper we can combine the construction of an RL with a buried Gardiner Expressway in the same tunnel(s). The on/off ramps can rise straight up to street level and flow in the same direction as the surface traffic, west along Richmond and east along Adelaide.

If you think we shouldn’t consider burying the Gardiner because of expense, consider that the hybrid will cost upwards of a $billion. The congestion that will ensue during its construction, shutting down segments of the Gardiner, can be avoided by tunneling with RL, since the elevated Gardiner can remain in place until the new highway is buried. Think of reconnecting the city to the lake and creating the La Rambla/Michigan Ave./Champs Elysee along Lakeshore that we’ve always wanted.

My version of the RL curves north at Trinity Bellwoods, though it could continue west. I don’t think tolls would be necessary in a buried Gardiner, though there is the possibility of extending the expressway north-west (tunneled with the RL under the parks that follow the old Taddle Creek alignment) and connecting with the Allen Expressway. I would place heavy tolls on this portion, since it isn’t replacing an existing highway and it could in part fund the tunneling of an extended RL. Incorporating expressways in the RL allows us to meet bigger planning goals in a cost effective way. Put the cars underground, reconnect the city to the lake, and complete the subway network.

 

[Palma]

Until you write and/or talk to your local councillor you will never know for sure.

My councillor whom never even had a website until 2015, and in one of his newsletters talked about the option he voted for regarding the Gardiner (same option as Tory) and explained his reasons. He never asked me or had a community meeting to see what people wanted. Sure does not have annual community meetings. I have only been to 1 in 5 years

 

[M II A II R II K]

‘Green’ Gardiner proposal includes a park over the eastern end of the highway
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...park-over-the-eastern-end-of-the-highway.html

 

[kEiThZ]

Does the hybrid option allow for transition to grand boulevard later?

That park proposal is pretty awesome....

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Does the hybrid option allow for transition to grand boulevard later?

Sort of -- the Gardiner will have to be ramped down to the street level, but the main issue is the elevated stretch between Jarvis and Parliament in any case, and not the section between Parliament and DVP covered. Hybrid really should be called - let's keep the Gardiner elevated and change the connection with the DVP.

AoD

 

[ssiguy2]

But won't the section between the DVP and Cherry still be elevated?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

But won't the section between the DVP and Cherry still be elevated?

There are never any plans to see it buried - the ramps has to go above the river afterall.

AoD

 

[ssiguy2]

That's still a pretty big gap of urban blight. There is no reason why it couldn't go another block and then rise to the DVP.

I also don't like the blvd of Lakeshore. 6 lanes with 2 bike lanes is to wide and will become a mini-freeway. If the city is intent on spending this amount on the Gardiner then Lakeshore should be much thinner with wider sidewalks, no bike trails , and a maximum of 4 lanes with a nice tree lined median.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

That's still a pretty big gap of urban blight. There is no reason why it couldn't go another block and then rise to the DVP.

I also don't like the blvd of Lakeshore. 6 lanes with 2 bike lanes is to wide and will become a mini-freeway. If the city is intent on spending this amount on the Gardiner then Lakeshore should be much thinner with wider sidewalks, no bike trails , and a maximum of 4 lanes with a nice tree lined median.

It's not a big deal - you are right by the GO yard there, whatever green space you get it is going to be buffer. It'd be like having Skytrain running by an industrial area.

As to mini-freeway - it is what you do with it, not the width per se. See
Champs-Élysées.

AoD

 

[dunkalunk]

Sort of -- the Gardiner will have to be ramped down to the street level, but the main issue is the elevated stretch between Jarvis and Parliament in any case, and not the section between Parliament and DVP covered. Hybrid really should be called - let's keep the Gardiner elevated and change the connection with the DVP.
AoD

You'd basically basically be converting this

To this

Doing the boulevard option later would mean demolishing newly-built ramps connecting the Gardiner to LSB. Possible, but seems like a waste of money rather than if were built like that from day one.

 

[ssiguy2]

The concept is good but it looks like a good idea that they chopped in half.

I'm not feeling the love.

 

[Towered]

We certainly don't lack grand fantasies that will never come to pass. Another one for the pile.

 

[Wrench]

Why not just build concrete tunnel blocks just like the Danes & Swiss did when they built there Highway connection under water !
If they can build a highway under water so can we & put it out in lake Ontario. From the Humber river in the West to the Don in the west.
Have a couple of inter changes under water or three to the center core.
Could take 10 years and a lot of money & still have that ugly , rotting & old ages design. That should be buried but not just removed and only have Lakeshore widened a little bit. That would be a disaster not having through way connecting the Qew & the 404!
Armageddon
Then tear it down after the dredged tunnel highway is place.
Wow what a beautiful city we would have.
But you know that will never happen !
There isn't any European foresight here we can't even build a new subway without it being talked about for 30 to 40 years.
Oh well just a thought.
So lets just throw more more at the ugly raised highway a least we will still have a connection with the new Hybrid route.
Toronto will never be a World class city a long as it retains this piece of crap!