Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Um, you mean like all of the other ugly concrete sidewalks in the city? If anything, the brick is easier for utilities to remove, less disruptive to communities, less of a mess, and easier to put back. It's not a waste. The bricks just need to be put back.

This is better in your opinion?

Image from: https://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto..._sumach_st_sidewalk_needs_smooth_surface.html

Yup I really don't like the Granite I feel like it's too hard compared to the regular concrete sidewalks, I feel the same way about the ones on bloor street in yorkville too.. I have been told by many poel that my opinion on it is wrong I was even told by someone once on one of the new streetcars that I wasn't allowed to have an opinion on it because I didn't live in the area.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Any digging has to allow the ground to settle. That is also why in new developments, they do not pave the driveways until a year after occupancy, to allow the ground to settle.

 

[MetroMan]

Any digging has to allow the ground to settle. That is also why in new developments, they do not pave the driveways until a year after occupancy, to allow the ground to settle.

I'm gonna have to call bullshit on this. I understand where you're coming from but having lived in Lisbon where every sidewalk is cobblestone, whenever there's work, they take out the stones, perform the work and put the stones back in. Whatever they're doing, works. They've obviously figured it out.

Same thing in Spain. I was recently in Barcelona for 10 days. When I arrived, there was some major work on Passeig de Garcia with a huge hole in the ground. Before I left, less than a week later, not only was the hole covered but the cobble stone sidewalk was all reinstalled as if nothing had ever happened there.

It may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of things but this is one of the things keeping Toronto from greatness. We need to overhaul the procedures of digging up our public spaces. Stop spray painting sidewalks. Have the surveyor on site with the digging crew. Stop covering up sidewalks with asphalt. Make it mandatory to schedule a sidewalk pouring crew or cobblestone mason at the end of work. It's not that hard. It's just the bureaucracy holding us back. If we change the laws and the city's rules, it'll get done.

 

[MetroMan]

There is certainly a sidewalk extension (Contact awarded last summer : Construction of Portland Slip – Sidewalk Extension – Somerville Construction ($191,242)) A 'real' wavedeck would almost certainly cost more than this so I am not sure.....

This is from the 2010-2012 Portland Slip presentations.

View attachment 113800

This is actually likely to get done through the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood redevelopment plan.

It's very deliberately included in the study area:

The temp work to create a corner to add a new sidewalk and allow the cycle trail to continue uninterrupted is going to start any day now. The Bathurst Quay project is in serious discussions and must be done to figure out the problematic traffic flow to/from the airport so it will be built. The wave deck will likely be included as a part of that project.

Out of all the outstanding wave decks, I'd say this one is the most likely to be built. There's also a likelihood that it'll be the first of the bridges built. None have been built so far but this one is actually being discussed and likely funded.

Here's a graphic showing both the wave deck and the bridge as parts of new parks/open spaces and new connections respectively.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The short blurb from the June WT newsletter claims it's already in the budget:

Before the completion of the Queens Quay Revitalization, there was no space for cyclists through the Central Waterfront. Between Stadium Road and Parliament Street, cyclists were forced off the existing Martin Goodman Trail (MGT) into fast-moving mixed traffic. The Queens Quay Revitalization project created a new, off-street section of the Martin Goodman Trail. Together with Queens Quay East interim improvements and the MGT West project, we now have an uninterrupted 17-kilometre multi-use waterfront trail. With the exception of one 60-metre gap at Dan Leckie Way, where the Portland Slip eats into the public right-of-way, making the space too narrow to build both a trail and a sidewalk.

The ultimate vision for this spot – a WaveDeck – would fix this pinch point, in much the same way as we’ve fixed similar narrow spaces at the Simcoe, Rees and Spadina Slips. That solution is included in both our Central Waterfront precinct plan and the City of Toronto’s proposed Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan. The plan involves building a deck over the top of the slip to create more space. At the Simcoe Slip, for instance, we created 60 metres of new waterfront land by building out over the water. Because the extension of the MGT between Spadina and Stadium Road was only approved and tendered in January 2015, there was no time to implement any such solution before the Pan Am / Parapan Am Games. We felt it was more important to open the new Martin Goodman Trail from Bathurst to Stadium Road with a less-than-perfect solution in this short area than not to open it at all.

The original project budget included the funds required to implement this solution, and we have been working to secure the necessary permits so that we can begin work on behalf of the City of Toronto. With help from Councillor Cressy’s office, we have secured the permits and are now working on the final details and approvals needed. The goal is to start construction at the Portland Slip before the end of this summer.

http://mailchi.mp/waterfrontoronto/vrqgpl1g9u-44085

And Somerville had been the contractor for the other wavedecks.

AoD

 

[rbt]

I understand where you're coming from but having lived in Lisbon where every sidewalk is cobblestone, whenever there's work, they take out the stones, perform the work and put the stones back in. Whatever they're doing, works. They've obviously figured it out.

I'm not sure I've more than a few feet of level granite sidewalk in Lisbon. Certainly haven't lived there but I've got about 80 days accumulated vacation time in that city.

As much as I enjoy that city, it's sidewalks are hardly a selling point.

 

[MetroMan]

I'm not sure I've more than a few feet of level granite sidewalk in Lisbon. Certainly haven't lived there but I've got about 80 days accumulated vacation time in that city.

As much as I enjoy that city, it's sidewalks are hardly a selling point.

There are parts of Lisbon that are literally thousands of years old. The city isn't flush in cash to repair all of it (and they have other issues like graffiti that I have a problem with). But certain parts downtown are beautiful cobble stone. I've seen it dug up for work and put back together in the same day. No need to let it settle.

I gave Lisbon as an example because it's more recognizable but the smaller satellite cities have perfectly level sidewalks, all made of cobble stone. I'd never seen asphalt poured in after work. They just put the stones back in their place. There's no waiting time.

 

[dowlingm]

If the Waterfront school is to remain, it would seem a shame not to push the slip out further than shown above so that the school could move some of its footprint to that side, say for 25m out from the current quay wall. The wavedeck could then be positioned immediately south of an extension of the laneway from Eireann Quay adjoining the school. The infilled quay could also have some staging purposes if the City reconstructs Queens Quay to have south-side streetcar tracks, as done east of Spadina.

 

[pman]

There are parts of Lisbon that are literally thousands of years old. The city isn't flush in cash to repair all of it (and they have other issues like graffiti that I have a problem with). But certain parts downtown are beautiful cobble stone. I've seen it dug up for work and put back together in the same day. No need to let it settle.

I gave Lisbon as an example because it's more recognizable but the smaller satellite cities have perfectly level sidewalks, all made of cobble stone. I'd never seen asphalt poured in after work. They just put the stones back in their place. There's no waiting time.

I never imagined I'd defend Toronto, but it's probably the case that Lisbon doesn't have to contend with a freeze-thaw cycle like ours.

 

[rbt]

But certain parts downtown are beautiful cobble stone.

Indeed. Very very nice to look at.

I've seen it dug up for work and put back together in the same day. No need to let it settle.

No need or they simply don't do it? Lisbon has some of the least pleasant sidewalks for actual walking. Bumpy and uneven when dry (every couple meters has a tripping hazard this board would consider unacceptable in Toronto) to downright dangerous in the rain.

I realize their method of sidewalk repair consists of an old man, likely specialized in sidewalk repair for 40 years, sitting with a small hammer/chisel and shuffling sand around by hand doing a couple feet per day at the most which makes it challenging for them. But Lisbon (or Porto for that matter) methods are absolutely not an improvement over Toronto for functional sidewalks.


I'd take their commuter/regional rail system any day of the week though.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I'm just curious about something about the wave decks and the bridges along Spadina they seem to have a different building code as far as railing do then a deck in someone's back yard. For example you are not allowed to have a railing with horizontal boards on it because someone could climb on it also depending on the height off the ground you need to have a railing of a certain height. The wave decks have no railing of any kind an they are over water doesn't that present some sort of safety issue. If it's minum code then I will take Mike Homes stance with it and say "Minum Code suck" sand needs to be changed.

 

[georgevicbell]

I never imagined I'd defend Toronto, but it's probably the case that Lisbon doesn't have to contend with a freeze-thaw cycle like ours.

Put the bricks back in...let it settle...come back every couple of months and fix them if they are uneven until it's settled...seems pretty straight forward...

If you are paying for some guy to come and put pavement down, then rip it up and put bricks down...why not just pay for the guy to put bricks down and come and rip it up and put more bricks down...

 

[nfitz]

I'm gonna have to call bullshit on this. I understand where you're coming from but having lived in Lisbon where every sidewalk is cobblestone, whenever there's work, they take out the stones, perform the work and put the stones back in. Whatever they're doing, works. They've obviously figured it out.

I haven't been to Lisbon. How many days of frozen ground to 1 foot do they have a year?

If they don't let it settle, I'm guessing none.

This has been standard practice for decades in Ontario.

 

[muller877]

I'm just curious about something about the wave decks and the bridges along Spadina they seem to have a different building code as far as railing do then a deck in someone's back yard. For example you are not allowed to have a railing with horizontal boards on it because someone could climb on it also depending on the height off the ground you need to have a railing of a certain height. The wave decks have no railing of any kind an they are over water doesn't that present some sort of safety issue. If it's minum code then I will take Mike Homes stance with it and say "Minum Code suck" sand needs to be changed.

The railings on a house are designed to avoid a fall on to a hard surface (a 8 foot fall onto concrete I expect hurts). The wavedecks (and all of the slips) do not need railings as a fall will result in you getting wet and the only bruise you will have is your ego.

That of course assumes you can swim or someone who is near can swim. But if you are worried about that I will wait for the proposed railing that will traverse the entire Lake Ontario, Don River and Humber River.

 

[PinkLucy]

Put the bricks back in...let it settle...come back every couple of months and fix them if they are uneven until it's settled...seems pretty straight forward...

Except that this is Toronto ... they don't always come back. There are a number of spots where I live that have been settling for about five years now