Roads: Missing Links in the Road Network

[can332]

One interesting disconnected street that often gets missed is Lansdowne Av. The segment that is most familiar was constructed by the old City of Toronto between Queen and St. Clair. The laying out of Prospect Cemetery between St. Clair and Eglinton put an end to an immediate northward continuation. York Township never made any effort to continue it north of Eglinton, replacing it, instead, with streets such as Ronald Av. Interestingly, when North York Township was formed in 1922, they decided to continue the use of Lansdowne Av. north of the township line from Wingold Av. to Glengrove Av. Another short, one block segment continues between Glen Long and Playfair, but the split street was then named Sage Av for the final, broken block up to Lawrence. North York even went to the trouble to figure out the continuous numbering north of St. Clair all the way into North York, with the 2900-block starting at Glencairn. There was never any real reason to go to this trouble, as there was never any real possibility of York Township filling in the gap through their area - it was already built up with other streets.

 

[Johnny Au]

One interesting disconnected street that often gets missed is Lansdowne Av. The segment that is most familiar was constructed by the old City of Toronto between Queen and St. Clair. The laying out of Prospect Cemetery between St. Clair and Eglinton put an end to an immediate northward continuation. York Township never made any effort to continue it north of Eglinton, replacing it, instead, with streets such as Ronald Av. Interestingly, when North York Township was formed in 1922, they decided to continue the use of Lansdowne Av. north of the township line from Wingold Av. to Glengrove Av. Another short, one block segment continues between Glen Long and Playfair, but the split street was then named Sage Av for the final, broken block up to Lawrence. North York even went to the trouble to figure out the continuous numbering north of St. Clair all the way into North York, with the 2900-block starting at Glencairn. There was never any real reason to go to this trouble, as there was never any real possibility of York Township filling in the gap through their area - it was already built up with other streets.

Lansdowne Avenue in North York is not exactly grid north of Lansdowne Avenue in Old Toronto.

 

[Uncle Teddy]

That is certainly true.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Time for a thread bump thanks to the newest SmartTrack documents.

The St. Clair-Old Weston SmartTrack Station will anchor a re-emerging employment area, which will have improved connections to the city, thanks to planned improvements to Davenport Road, Keele Street, Gunns Road and a widening of St. Clair Avenue West. Expansion of the St. Clair underpass will facilitate excellent connections between SmartTrack and the 512 Streetcar. Pedestrians and cyclists headed elsewhere on the GO network will be able to access the station from both sides thanks to public realm improvements and tunnel connections.

So long story short, under St Clair-Old Weston SmartTrack Station plan:

• Davenport is extended to St Clair
• Union Street is extended to St Clair, meeting Davenport
• Guns Rd is extended over the rail corridor to meet Union Street
• Keele is extended south to the Guns Rd extension

I think this would be great for connectivity in the area, while also allowing for some urban intensificiation.

 

[Jaye101]

Union Street / Davenport doesn’t intersect St Clair in this plan. It seems that it runs parallel to the tracks over St Clair. It also looks as if they’re planning to extend the West Toronto, North through this area.

 

[nfitz]

Union Street / Davenport doesn’t intersect St Clair in this plan. It seems that it runs parallel to the tracks over St Clair. It also looks as if they’re planning to extend the West Toronto, North through this area.

That will be quite the shortcut then.

I wonder why not just Keele to Union, or extend Keele past Gunns to end on Union - cut back on the number of turns.

 

[innsertnamehere]

^ I thought that too. that connection sits in what appears to be a wrecking yard today, its not like it would have a massive impact.