Nick.
Banned
the old ones were really ugly actually, but yes functionally they were better than these new ones.
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Critics peeved over new sidewalk ‘information pillars’
- Thread starter M II A II R II K
- Start date
the old ones were really ugly actually, but yes functionally they were better than these new ones.
G
gabe
Guest
The old ones were ugly but didn't take up a ridiculously large amount of sidewalk space like the new ones.
gordbtoronto
New Member
Info Pillars Put on Hold...
Good news!
At Public Works Committee yesterday, councillors voted unanimously to put further pillar installations on hold -- and to request staff to report back in March with an actual way-finding proposal, and pillar design options (read "improvements") to address public concerns with safety, accessibility, too much advertising, etc.
There's a public meeting to be scheduled in February to get public input on the way-finding strategy (...heads up to the writer who had input to the original study...) and a strong push to go back to the original pillar design. Hope to see you there.
Fiona Chapman (City of Toronto, Public Realm Office) can provide details.
Good news!
At Public Works Committee yesterday, councillors voted unanimously to put further pillar installations on hold -- and to request staff to report back in March with an actual way-finding proposal, and pillar design options (read "improvements") to address public concerns with safety, accessibility, too much advertising, etc.
There's a public meeting to be scheduled in February to get public input on the way-finding strategy (...heads up to the writer who had input to the original study...) and a strong push to go back to the original pillar design. Hope to see you there.
Fiona Chapman (City of Toronto, Public Realm Office) can provide details.
MetroMan
Senior Member
Great news! I know that these bring in revenue to the city and they fulfill an important part of the deal that has Astral installing a coordinated street furniture program all over the city at no cost to us. We have to do our part. However, these are totally not ok. I'd be fine with something that cuts down the size of the ad by 30%:
(Pardon the crude photoshop)
(Pardon the crude photoshop)
gordbtoronto
New Member
Great news! I know that these bring in revenue to the city and they fulfill an important part of the deal that has Astral installing a coordinated street furniture program all over the city at no cost to us. We have to do our part. However, these are totally not ok. I'd be fine with something that cuts down the size of the ad by 30%:
(Pardon the crude photoshop)
Nice job, it looks a bit less offensive already. Now if you just turned it sideways and put it in the "furnishing zone" (which is what their Vibrant Streets Guidelines says city Staff HAVE to do...), you'd be able to see the "i" logo from a distance to tell you it's also an info pillar, AND you'd be able to comfortably read the info without blocking the sidewalk. There are some great ideas on this thread -- and the February public meeting is the place to get your ideas in front of staff developing a solution.
The size
Jonny5
Senior Member
I saw one on King West where it was obvious the sidewalk had been dug up to a near by utility pole, probably for an electrical power conduit.
Then it hit me. How come Astral can dig up the sidewalk, insall the signs and conduits, then replace the sidewalk either right away or in a very short time, yet every other utility company takes 6 months to redo the sidewalk!
Then it hit me. How come Astral can dig up the sidewalk, insall the signs and conduits, then replace the sidewalk either right away or in a very short time, yet every other utility company takes 6 months to redo the sidewalk!
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
6 months? Try longer!
Torontovibe
Senior Member
Yeah, it makes you wonder, eh? Something is seriously wrong with the system.
RC8
Senior Member
Recently, though, around the Rogers Centre, they did some cable repair (or something) and replaced the tiles that had been removed with concrete (and not with asphalt). I'm beginning to think maybe this will become a more regular occurrence?
junctionist
Senior Member
It might depend on the work done. A shallow incision in pavement might not require the approximate year for the ground to settle as a deeper excavation. Yet the concrete does seem temporary if it replaced tiles or pavers. I imagine that asphalt is a temporary paving material on sidewalks that's easier to remove for final restoration than concrete, which is a harder material. Nonetheless, if both present no real technical challenges to use as temporary paving, then concrete is better on existing concrete sidewalks for aesthetics.
What I dislike much more than temporary asphalt patches in sidewalks involves the situation when construction work is done that requires pavers to be removed, not just poured concrete surfaces. It's very common to see the pavers never replaced, like this instance at Bloor and St. George. That really irks me because pavers are supposed to beautify the city, and a greater investment is presumably required to have them. We should be proud to have such details and aspire for more. Yet they're often overlooked. Is it that hard to catalogue and store pavers for eventual restoration, or do the initial crews simply destroy them when they make the incisions for utility repairs? More recently, I've seen pavers removed and piled up next to the construction site which seems like an improvement, though they're more likely to go missing this way.
What I dislike much more than temporary asphalt patches in sidewalks involves the situation when construction work is done that requires pavers to be removed, not just poured concrete surfaces. It's very common to see the pavers never replaced, like this instance at Bloor and St. George. That really irks me because pavers are supposed to beautify the city, and a greater investment is presumably required to have them. We should be proud to have such details and aspire for more. Yet they're often overlooked. Is it that hard to catalogue and store pavers for eventual restoration, or do the initial crews simply destroy them when they make the incisions for utility repairs? More recently, I've seen pavers removed and piled up next to the construction site which seems like an improvement, though they're more likely to go missing this way.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
MisterF
Senior Member
Is something like this too much to ask for? I found these really useful when I was in Vancouver, as a tourist they're way more user friendly than trying to get your bearings with a smartphone.
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junctionist
Senior Member
Now that's a real information pillar, not some wasteful and potentially dangerous ad pillar with a small sideboard with wayfinding information.
Torontovibe
Senior Member
I liked the old triangular ones we had. I thought they looked good and didn't take up too much space or block the view. Their city maps were much better and larger too. These new signs are a FAIL in every possible way. They never should have been approved.
SlickFranky
Active Member
The funniest part about our 'pillars' is that, because of the orientation of the informational portion, anyone trying to actually use the signs is forced to block off even more of the sidewalk. They're obstructive enough on their own, but when you have even a small group of 4-5 people (ie. a typical family) gathered around them, the already crowded sidewalk is immediately reduced to single-file walkways in each direction.