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Dufferin Street: Eliminating the jog

Is this Railpath some private road for CN vechiles.

No, as discussed in the Junction neighbourhood thread, the Railpath is a pedestrian and bike path being built on an abandoned section of railway which used to service local factories. The proposed path would link the Junction with Queen and King streets. But so far, they only have the land to build it to Lansdowne.
 
No, as discussed in the Junction neighbourhood thread, the Railpath is a pedestrian and bike path being built on an abandoned section of railway which used to service local factories. The proposed path would link the Junction with Queen and King streets. But so far, they only have the land to build it to Lansdowne.

It would be nice if somewhere in this development they can add an enviormently friendly people mover.check this out no electrified wires no pollution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parry_People_Movers
800px-Tivedshambo_2006-03-12_Parry_.jpg
 
Sure, I wouldn't mind a people mover, but the basic paved and landscaped path is exciting enough, as the completed path will be a quick and useful route between these urban west end neighbourhoods.

There is more space in the rail corridor, but a future downtown relief line could make better use of that.
 
junctionist - I disagree. There is huge short, medium and long term expansion potential for heavy rail in that corridor (stuff like all-day Bradford line, GO Bolton, GO Guelph, all-day Georgetown, more Kitchener-London VIA, Union-Pearson, who knows maybe even garbage trains) and near-zero chance of reinstating it once it's given away.

I am deeply uneasy about the railpath already given away from Lansdowne to the Junction (as my home city of 250,000 realised they might need an old light rail line as a new light rail line (PDF) about five minutes after they designated it as a walk/bikeway).

I hope that with the increase in the oil price that the realisation that every inch of the heavy rail infrastructure needs to be retained and optimised rather than disposed of becomes swiftly apparent, not least because of any safety and maintenance separations resulting in wasted space and the utility of having spare space to lay tracks to route around projects like electrification.

If we need bike routes then let's close a road - we've got loads but we can't manage it except Kensington Market on a Sunday. Instead we cut laybys at the behest of the swanky set into the single most requested road for a bike lane. Whoopee. If we need a subway, and I agree that we need a relief line then bring in the TBM, as on Eglinton. I doubt the "idle" tracks will stay that way for long.
 
This isn't a wide path, and we're talking about a huge corridor. Even with the path built, there will be enough space to double the current capacity at the narrowest points. If greater capacity is needed, tunnels could be added to the narrowest sections.

I believe that a small portion of the land should be used for local community transportation.
 
From: bounce@enews-gotransit.com
Subject: GO News
Date: August 28, 2008 12:41:55 PM GMT-04:00
To: bounce@enews-gotransit.com
Reply-To: bounce@enews-gotransit.com

The City of Toronto is building a bridge under the CN & GO tracks at Queen & Dufferin. These tracks are used by Milton, Georgetown & Barrie GO trains. We have been advised that initially there will be minimal impact on GO train schedules.
We will monitor this very closely, as with any major construction project unforeseen issues may arise.
We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

This message was sent on: 8/28/2008 12:41

Looks like some of the heavy construction is about to begin.
 
It's about frakking time. Every time I pass by on the GO train absolutely nothing is happening.
 
From the Globe:

Underpass will ease the way at Dufferin jog

JEFF GRAY

September 9, 2008

After almost two decades of planning and delays, construction is finally set to begin on a $34-million project to liberate drivers in the west end from the obstacle known as the Dufferin jog.

The corner - familiar to locals but confusing for others - now cuts Dufferin Street in half at Queen Street West because of the railway tracks, forcing traffic to edge over to nearby Gladstone Avenue and Peel Avenue to continue north or south on Dufferin.

Soon, city officials say, it will be known for its brand-new underpass, which will take drivers, one of the TTC's busiest bus routes and cyclists in new bike lanes under the train tracks to reconnect Dufferin's two disjointed ends.

Gone will be some of the corner's gritty, industrial feel, replaced with new parks on both sides of the underpass, which will feature lit-up public art installations. The change comes as nearby stretches of Queen Street West continue to gentrify. The existing metal railway bridge across Queen, deemed a heritage structure, will remain.

The costly project has been on the city's books for years - public meetings were held as long ago as 1991 - but officials blamed the delays on the project's complexity, the required property expropriations and co-ordinating the reconfiguration of the tracks with CN and GO Transit. In the intervening years, major roadwork on Dufferin north of the jog was put off, creating what some drivers complained was one of the city's most potholed roads.

The city works committee recommended yesterday that council approve a $25-million contract with St. Lawrence Cement Inc. (operating as Dufferin Construction Co.), the lowest of two bidders by $6-million, to build the tunnel. If approved, construction could start in three months and finish next year.

While getting rid of the jog will alleviate clogged west-end traffic, city councillors and bureaucrats were eager to portray the project as one meant to help pedestrians, cyclists and transit users.

Councillor Adam Giambrone (Ward 18, Davenport) whose ward includes the north half of the project and who is also chairman of TTC, said the improvements are expected to shave three minutes off the Dufferin bus time.

"It has to make two left turns and get caught in the traffic on Queen," Mr. Giambrone, the works committee's vice-chairman, said of the current bus route. "So that is going to be very helpful."
 
I assume this has something to do with all the redevelopment projects coming up in West Queen West District
 
I assume this has something to do with all the redevelopment projects coming up in West Queen West District

I don't think so.

"The city works committee recommended yesterday that council approve a $25-million contract with St. Lawrence Cement Inc. (operating as Dufferin Construction Co.), the lowest of two bidders by $6-million, to build the tunnel. If approved, construction could start in three months and finish next year."

With no contract approved yet it can't start yet and all projects require lead time to figure out the process to construct that will be used in detail.
 
I don't think so.

"The city works committee recommended yesterday that council approve a $25-million contract with St. Lawrence Cement Inc. (operating as Dufferin Construction Co.), the lowest of two bidders by $6-million, to build the tunnel. If approved, construction could start in three months and finish next year."

With no contract approved yet it can't start yet and all projects require lead time to figure out the process to construct that will be used in detail.

Still working on contract fine points:
  • want concrete to match my girlfriend's hair colour
  • can you put mirrors on the beams?
  • I like pigeons, no wire mess
  • gargoyles
  • put Miller's face on a gargoyle
  • drop cents from each sub-contractor into my Swiss bank account
 
I don't think so.

"The city works committee recommended yesterday that council approve a $25-million contract with St. Lawrence Cement Inc. (operating as Dufferin Construction Co.), the lowest of two bidders by $6-million, to build the tunnel. If approved, construction could start in three months and finish next year."

With no contract approved yet it can't start yet and all projects require lead time to figure out the process to construct that will be used in detail.

$6 million less than the other guys on a $31 million contract!!! Are you sure they're using real concrete?
 

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