Cruickshank Park Bridge over the Humber

[dunkalunk]

Is it just me, or does a pedestrian/cyclist bridge over the Humber River connecting Church Street in Weston to the confluence of Dixon and Scarlett Roads seem like a total win from a city-building and transportation perspective?

 

[W. K. Lis]

Is it just me, or does a pedestrian/cyclist bridge over the Humber River connecting Church Street in Weston to the confluence of Dixon and Scarlett Roads seem like a total win from a city-building and transportation perspective?

View attachment 7654

It will have to depend on whether it will be a high bridge or a low bridge over the river. A high bridge will need stronger supports and infrastructure to hold up the bridge, while a low bridge will need ramps going down to meet the bridge (increasing the possiblity of out-of-control speeds). I can't see the current mayor spending money on bicycles, unless the councilors goes around him.

 

[Neil]

I'm of the mind that the Eglinton LRT show go up Weston Rd to the Weston GO station and then bridge over to Dixon Rd at this point on the way to the airport. So sure, pedestrian and cyclists could go on top.

 

[drum118]

I'm of the mind that the Eglinton LRT show go up Weston Rd to the Weston GO station and then bridge over to Dixon Rd at this point on the way to the airport. So sure, pedestrian and cyclists could go on top.

Have you every looked at Weston Road to see if this can happen?

Why are you taking the long route to the airport?

As for height of bridge, it needs to be high since this is a flood plain in the first place. Very few pedestrian and cyclists would use this bridge in the first place.

 

[Neil]

Yes, I've been there. An LRT would have to be underground at Weston since its narrow, but centre of the road would be fine for Dixon. Long route? It looks like the shortest route to me. It also intercepts a lot of population, hotels and long term parking as well.

 

[drum118]

Yes, I've been there. An LRT would have to be underground at Weston since its narrow, but centre of the road would be fine for Dixon. Long route? It looks like the shortest route to me. It also intercepts a lot of population, hotels and long term parking as well.

That will be very costly to do since the curve are very sharp today and will not line up in a number of places. Cost along as well ridership would be rule out doing this option.

I agree on Dixon. That is where one of the 512 branch lines would end up under the various options going west of Jane St.

 

[Neil]

Curves? Well to put the bridge where the original poster placed it, you may have to arc it away from Weston on the approach or go via the car dealership if you wanted a straight run to Dixon.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r8h7sp8c5nn0&lvl=18.158413518632763&dir=0.889091543128022&sty=b&form=LMLTCC

Are you speaking of the southern connection to Eglinton? That would be arced under the Kodak lands.

Ridership? Please. Surely you don't mean to/from the airport. If there is no ridership then why is there a GO station at Weston and Lawrence? Are these buildings empty?

http://maps.google.ca/?ll=43.695967,-79.552742&spn=0.00626,0.009431&t=h&z=17

Cost? I would submit that building this bridge would be less than building one across the 401. The approach at the airport itself would be cheaper. Turning north at the Kodak lands would avoid building through Mt Dennis. Connecting to GO at Lawrence would save the cost of a new connection at Eglinton. The Richmond expressway land could still be used to bring Mississauga BRT to the LRT (Weston/Jane) rather than vice versa.

 

[drum118]

Curves? Well to put the bridge where the original poster placed it, you may have to arc it away from Weston on the approach or go via the car dealership if you wanted a straight run to Dixon.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r8...32763&dir=0.889091543128022&sty=b&form=LMLTCC

Are you speaking of the southern connection to Eglinton? That would be arced under the Kodak lands.

Ridership? Please. Surely you don't mean to/from the airport. If there is no ridership then why is there a GO station at Weston and Lawrence? Are these buildings empty?

http://maps.google.ca/?ll=43.695967,-79.552742&spn=0.00626,0.009431&t=h&z=17

Cost? I would submit that building this bridge would be less than building one across the 401. The approach at the airport itself would be cheaper. Turning north at the Kodak lands would avoid building through Mt Dennis. Connecting to GO at Lawrence would save the cost of a new connection at Eglinton. The Richmond expressway land could still be used to bring Mississauga BRT to the LRT (Weston/Jane) rather than vice versa.

Look at the radius of the current road and look at the radius that is needed for the tunnel and you will see they will not follow the same path. You are better off just drawing a straight line from point A to Point Z (bridge) and only a few stops along it.

The cost of the bridge is one thing, but the tunnel is another.

Even thought TTC did have tracks on Weston Rd to the CN bridge up to the 40's, TTC would never think about putting tracks there again.

No good transit planner would think of doing this proposal.

Sorry to say, doing what you want is a total waste of money and resources for a transit line. You are far off better using Lawrence Ave to Dixon as a transit route that will only cost a faction of the Weston Rd plan.

Until Weston and Weston Rd reinvent itself, density and ridership is not there to support a underground system. There are far more places in Toronto that can use this proposal and the money first than here.

As for the GO Station, it was built to server the local area as well draw from other areas just like all the GO station locations. That area is a dead zone from what it used to be 30 years ago and even before my days.

 

[Johnny Au]

I once did a group project on how to improve Weston. One of my suggestions is that very bridge the OP stated. Former Chief Urban Planner Paul Bedford thought that it is a very good idea to implement that bridge, since it would help people at the intersection of Scarlett and Dixon go to Weston to run their errands. In fact, Paul Bedford placed that item in the short list.

 

[squirrelly]

Hi all,
you are missing a link in your conversation. The ARL (Air Rail Link) is already scheduled to be built up the Georgetown Corridor adjacent to the existing GO tracks. If built correctly with an electrified system instead of diesel, with multiple stops instead of only 2 and priced within reasonable range instead of an elite fare, it would do exactly what you are talking about. The density along Weston Rd will increase in the coming years when new condos are built and other businesses come in. We have a GO stop here already and while it could be busier, it does have a good ridership already. Weston is at the confluence of 2 major highways, is very close to the airport and has lots of opportunity to build upon. It has the Humber River which offers great value for cyclists and walkers. So if you are interested in what the communities along the Corridor have been doing for over 6.5 years to make sure that this new infrastructure serves the whole instead of the few, check out www.westoncommunitycoalition.ca or www.cleantrain.ca

 

[dunkalunk]

I don't see anything on these sites about said bridge. Do you have a link to anything specific?