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Dundas Street Reconstruction

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nstuch

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can someone answer a question about the Dundas Street TTC reconstruction project for me?

how come they don't appear to be digging up and replacing the asphalt and reconstructing all the sidewalks as part of the project? For the King and College projects they did this and the streets look so much better as a result. Dundas needs all the help it can get
 
Because it is not under TTC control, but the city.

The city decides what part of the road and sidewalk get torn up since they pay for it.

The removal of the track and the area under the track is under city control and the city hires the contractor to do this.

The only thing TTC is require to do is reinstall the new tracks as fast as they can, but watching this project from day one and have taken over 400 pic of it, TTC does not work fast.

I have seen 10's of thousand dollars waste on the way TTC does thing and if you have look at the Church Intersection construction this past week, you would have seen TTC was 2 days late completing their work.

By TTC been late, the city was force to payout huge $$ to get this project finish by 7.30 am today.

The city thinks there is no need to do the other work until a year or more down the line and repaving the road is a short time at that time, but most of all, the city does not have the money in the first place to do it now.

Also, it is hard to get everyone on the same page to do everything at once and this includes hydro, gas, water, sewage and cable. If it was done all at once, then there would be no need to come back to tear the roads up like we see today every few years, but very 20-30 years and business along the street would be happy.
 
Why does the TTC lay its own tracks? I'm sorry, but this seems like something that screams for contracting out.
 
There are a few areas where the TTC should consider contracting out, but they are all non-core or non-specialized work.

Consider Harvey Shops - that place is super specialized, and no one outside the TTC could run it. They even have a blacksmith. Streetcar and subway infrastructure maintenance is certainly another - the TTC tenders out most other work - like driveway or building repairs.

The few areas I can think of includes such things as escalator and elevator maintenance - the TTC takes forever even doing minor work, while the manufacturers have their own crews to private-sector and even other public-sector installations. Here, contracting out is where it makes the most practical sense, not ideological or financial.
 
^ The York Mills escalator just reopened last week - it closed down for a refurbishment at the end of 2006.... how is it that a home can be built in 6 months, but it takes 7 or 8 to rebuild an escalator. I've heard of contractors in the private sector that refuse to work with the TTC or only will with significant premiums due to how difficult it is for anything to get done.
 
I agree there's a lot within the TTC that can be contracted out, but like Sean said, there's also a lot you can't.

In the can category:
-IT Services
-Marketing (god please yes)
 
Add to the "can" list:

Grounds maintenance
Landscaping
Cleaning
Building maintenance
 
afransen said:
Why does the TTC lay its own tracks? I'm sorry, but this seems like something that screams for contracting out.
Click to expand...

Judging by my friend's experience working on one of the track reconstruction projects, it screams extremely loudly. I can't include the details on a family forum, but suffice it to say... I can't include the details on a family forum.
 
not to mention a favourite pet peeve of mine, Broadview station, which started being renovated *before* they started work on the 4 Seasons Centre, and still isn't close to being done! it boggles the mind
 
Its ridiculous how they go about these types of projects, city or TTC- why not kill two birds with one stone; by reconstructing the tracks and repaving Dundas. Instead the roads are left in a much worse condition than before due to all the heavy machinery and the digging etc. Roncesvalles was done a few years back and they never repaved after the tracks were replaced-now its like riding over a series of small speed bumps..f-ing brutal..

Ass-backwards...

p5
 
Even if TTC subcontract track work out, they need a crew to do emergency work on short notice or small project.

With all the work on the books over the coming years, TTC is going to have more work than their workforce can handle.

Don't forget this crew also does the subway and SRT tracks.

Since TTC has move to a new method of construction, the track is supposed to last 5-10 years longer and this will require less work and workforce.

You should have heard what the city had to say about TTC crew doing Church intersection last week as it cause them $10's of thousand dollars in over runs and delay the project by 2 days. Saw this with my own eyes and in 1 hour they wasted $5,0000

I understand Broadview station elevator from mezz to service was out of service for the Taste of the Danforth for maintenance and when did this elevator go into service? Who plan this maintenance for this time frame in the first place as there ton's of scooters and strollers that could not get up to the surface. Not the real world.

What is the closes accessibly station near this station?

40% of what TTC does in house can be contracted out at a lower cost, but 113 will not stand for this.

One major issue and it is a city issue is getting everyone on the same page when it comes to road construction, but ego trips take place that they cannot work together. Some cases it cannot be help if unforeseen problems take place or a new project that requires more services.

This make it easy on everyone, but then again if the money is not there or on the top of the list, it get shelve for a later date.

Every see how long it takes them to to a stair? 7 weeks when it should only taken 10 days at the worsted case in the real world.

Some sidewalk need work now on Dundas where other section does not require work for years. My understanding a large section of Dundas for sidewalk and repaving will take place next year if the budget does not get cut.

The section between Spadina an Victoria, the overhead wires should had been bury while track work was taking place as well replacing some of those old poles, but the energy board said there was to much life in them to do this at this time. Even if there was still life, the city should had bit the bullet and did the work this year.

The area in front of AGO would look a lot better if AGO paid to have the wires bury as well upgrading the poles.
 
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