Roads: Gardiner Expressway catch-all, incl. Hybrid Design (2015-onwards)

[DSCToronto]

Interesting City video at https://www.toronto.ca/services-pay...ategy/jarvis-to-cherry-street-rehabilitation/

 

[dullturtle06]

so good news and bad news everyone.

1. good news, the Cherry to Jarvis rehabilitation is officially done! hurray

2. bad news, the next phase of rehabilitation (Dufferin and Strachan) was supposed to start this year but is delayed until next year

3. worse news is that the whole rehabilitation is delayed by 3 years now. so wont be complete until 2030.

Completion of Gardiner rehabilitation project to be delayed 3 years

Toronto drivers finally got a break on Monday morning as the eastern portion of the Gardiner Expressway between Jarvis and Cherry, which had been reduced from three lanes to two since 2019, fully reopened to traffic. But it’s not all good news. The end of construction in that area represents a...

www.680news.com

 

[Northern Light]

Marcus Gee has a piece on the Gardiner lauding its disappearance amid a wall of skyscrapers, and the Bentway; and pushing more 'reimagination'.

Where did the Gardiner Expressway go? Once a barrier, now exciting things are happening underneath

The Gardiner Expressway is fading from the cityscape, and exciting things are happening underneath

www.theglobeandmail.com

This bit from the article caught my attention

In the same area, near a newly opened supermarket, developers are hoping to build a shopping complex with underground floors. Visitors will see the exposed foundations of the Gardiner’s massive pillars. An artist’s conception of its above-ground spaces shows musicians playing, people walking their dogs and reflective shapes slung from the expressway’s underside to brighten the area.

 

[allengeorge]

In the same area, near a newly opened supermarket, developers are hoping to build a shopping complex with underground floors. Visitors will see the exposed foundations of the Gardiner’s massive pillars. An artist’s conception of its above-ground spaces shows musicians playing, people walking their dogs and reflective shapes slung from the expressway’s underside to brighten the area.

Cool - but unlikely. Thanks for the article! I actually think Lake Shore is a bigger barrier than the Gardiner - and that's what really prevents the city from meeting the lake on the west end.

 

[jelbana]

No amount of "integration" of a highway can mask what a catastrophic piece of infrastructure this is for a high density urban centre.

It will be a great day when it's finally torn down. For the next few decades, we'll live with the regressive decision making of a bunch of dinosaurs on council who couldn't make a forward thinking decision even if the sky fell on their heads.

 

[Northern Light]

Cool - but unlikely. Thanks for the article! I actually think Lakeshore is a bigger barrier than the Gardiner - and that's what really prevents the city from meeting the lake on the west end.

Agreed.

Truthfully, I'd like to see the Gardiner removed at least to the Humber; and Lake Shore reduced to 2 lanes each way from 3 (though I'd be fine with an LRT there).

If we're down to only the rail corridor being a substantial barrier, I think that would a great victory.

From there we could focus on making sure all rail the underpasses have wide sidewalks, attractive illumination, and wall treatments and physically separated bike lanes.

***

Ok, fantasy over............ LOL

 

[asher__jo]

No amount of "integration" of a highway can mask what a catastrophic piece of infrastructure this is for a high density urban centre.

It will be a great day when it's finally torn down. For the next few decades, we'll live with the regressive decision making of a bunch of dinosaurs on council who couldn't make a forward thinking decision even if the sky fell on their heads.

Don't spend too much money integrating a piece of infrastructure that will be torn down. Automation of cars and telecommuting will make the massive amount of roads we reserve for single occupancy cars unsustainable.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Don't spend too much money integrating a piece of infrastructure that will be torn down. Automation of cars and telecommuting will make the massive amount of roads we reserve for single occupancy cars unsustainable.

I honestly doubt that we are going to see fully atonumus cars for awhile as no car manufacturers are even close to it yet as well no governments have given a final decision on whether or not they would be allowed. Also no body is exactly sure about whether or not telecommuting will stay for everyone or if there will be a return to offices which may be more likely then people think as it's not really convenient for everyone to work from home.

 

[asher__jo]

I honestly doubt that we are going to see fully atonumus cars for awhile as no car manufacturers are even close to it yet as well no governments have given a final decision on whether or not they would be allowed. Also no body is exactly sure about whether or not telecommuting will stay for everyone or if there will be a return to offices which may be more likely then people think as it's not really convenient for everyone to work from home.

Cities are already trialing autonomous microtransit, it's really not far off. Tesla and many companies also have level 3 autonomous modes which can essentially drive themselves with the driver being passively aware.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Cities are already trialing autonomous microtransit, it's really not far off. Tesla and many companies also have level 3 autonomous modes which can essentially drive themselves with the driver being passively aware.

That doesn't really mean much if you look at any videos that people put up of the Tesla full self-driving beta it's still a long way off and also it's only available in the US right now although Canada and Mexico are supposed to get it sometime this year. However, you have many places like the EU that have put ridiculous road blocks in the way of it because they think it's unsafe. As far as autonomous micro-transit I think it's still always off even if cities are studying it.

 

[afransen]

That doesn't really mean much if you look at any videos that people put up of the Tesla full self-driving beta it's still a long way off and also it's only available in the US right now although Canada and Mexico are supposed to get it sometime this year. However, you have many places like the EU that have put ridiculous road blocks in the way of it because they think it's unsafe. As far as autonomous micro-transit I think it's still always off even if cities are studying it.

Low speed people movers are a lot closer than you might think. My workplace was piloting them for campus use.

The EU is going to face enormous pressure to enable AEVs when the technology is demonstrated to work in other jurisdictions.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Low speed people movers are a lot closer than you might think. My workplace was piloting them for campus use.

There is a big difference between them being used in a private business and on streets of cities. I know that there are plans for a pilot program here in Toronto but nothing has really been announced as far as where and when it will be carried out.

 

[afransen]

There is a big difference between them being used in a private business and on streets of cities. I know that there are plans for a pilot program here in Toronto but nothing has really been announced as far as where and when it will be carried out.

The TTC did announce the what/where/when. It's obviously paused due to the pandemic.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I see no reason why cars won't be able to achieve FSD on freeways - many are basically already there. Local streets are more challenging though. Even freeway self driving would be completely revolutionary though.

 

[DSCToronto]

The City and Waterfront Toronto are continuing to work on the Gardiner East and Lake Shore East (Port Lands Flood Protection Project) . See: https://portlandsto.ca/about/

They keep talking about the rail spur that goes (or went) to the Ashbridges Bay Sewage plant. The line was cut when the City approved the new Canada Post building at Leslie & Commissioners without checking that the line could be moved over onto the road allowance. (Only after it was removed did anyone realise that there are utilities under the road (surprise!) so the rail line cannot go on top.) Clearly the rail spur is dead (it has also just been cut again at the Don River and they removed it at Cherry & Unwin last fall. However, the plans still show it in the median of the new Lake Shore so I asked what was up. Here is the reply:

"Thanks for your email and question regarding the rail spur. There are no firm updates at this time, however we’re told that City staff are studying it in the context of the Broadview extension Environmental Assessment. The city’s process includes reaching out to stakeholders.

The decision to keep or remove the rail spur will come from the City of Toronto, not Waterfront Toronto. Currently, as there is no direction to remove it, the design must incorporate it into the road configuration."

It would seem better if they bit the bullet and said "it's gone than wasting any time/money/space on planning for it in the median! Silos!!!