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Following the much-publicized and highly controversial City Council vote to retain the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway through a 'hybrid-option' reconfiguration, City of Toronto staff have revised the initial proposal, providing three new concepts that fine-tune the revamped expressway into a more urban-friendly and economically viable piece of the city's infrastructure.
Long a contentious issue among Torontonians and the politicians who represent them, the future of the Gardiner Expressway was debated in June this year by City Council, who were presented with the options of either tearing down ('remove' option) the ageing expressway, spending hundreds of millions to maintain it, or re-configuring it via the 'hybrid' option. While many urbanists, developers, politicians, and media outlets—including UrbanToronto—strongly advocated for the portion of the Gardiner east of Jarvis Street to be removed, the hybrid option, more favoured by suburban interests, narrowly prevailed. Meanwhile, a single maverick councillor (you guessed it, Rob Ford) voted to maintain the expressway as is.
Following the vote, City staff have worked to optimize the hybrid proposal, taking into consideration the results of the Integrated Urban Design and Environmental Assessment. Three revised options now outlined in the Staff Report have been proposed to meet the City's goals to "revitalize the waterfront, reconnect the city with the lake, balance modes of travel; and achieve sustainability and create value." While many options were initially considered, the three concepts presented "best address community and stakeholder input" while achieving the City's goals.
The Concepts
Compared to the base hybrid option that City Council voted for in June, all three new hybrid concepts open up more land for potential development and sale, generating revenue for the City and facilitating urban renewal. Allowing only 5.5 acres of land to be developed, part of the base hybrid option would—much like 'Hybrid Concept 1' (above)—hug the Keating Channel, effectively limiting contact between city and the water. By comparison, the revised concepts are designed to facilitate a stronger connection between the city and the water by moving the expressway north, which would simultaneously allow for more land to be developed.
Concept 1: The first option presented is also the most similar to the base hybrid proposal. Like the initial hybrid option, Concept 1 routes part of the expressway immediately alongside the Keating Channel, separating the water from the urban realm. The major change, however is the tighter curve of the ramps, which reduces the Gardiner's local footprint, allowing an additional three acres of land to be developed, for a total of 8.5 acres of new available land (below).
Concept 2: In the second revised concept, more significant changes are made to the base hybrid option, with the expressway now moved slightly to the north, allowing for new development along the Keating Channel. Under this configuration, Lake Shore Boulevard would run directly underneath the expressway through this stretch, opening up more land for green space and public realm improvements. This plan allows for 7 acres of additional development, for a new total of 12.5 acres (below). In exchange for these benefits, the reconfigured expressway would have slightly lower speeds and marginally increased travel times.
Concept 3: The final concept presents a variation of 'Concept 2,' running somewhat further north, and unlocking an additional acre of potential development (for a total of 13.5 acres). In order to facilitate the very tight alignment of ramps presented in this option, the existing rail bridge over the Don River (below) would need to be widened in order to allow for the Gardiner's ramp curves to start further north.
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We will keep you updated on the Gardiner's future as the City's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee studies the proposals, which have significantly differing impacts on the urban realm around them. While the decision not to remove the Gardiner has been a disappointment to many, the proposals presented attempt to mitigate the expressway's impact on urban life.
A full copy of the Staff Report is available on the City's website here.
