Roads: Bathurst Street Bridge

[Filip]

LOL! Genital sloping?

 

[drum118]

Oh!!! my!!!........what was I thinking??????????

Here is some video I shot on June 6-08 showing the steel ramp that is to be replace including the plate girder. As far as I know, the Truss section is to remain as is.

Bridge

GO Movement

TTC CLRV

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

GO Movement

lots of noise. are those tracks not continuously welded or is that noise from the track switches?

 

[drum118]

lots of noise. are those tracks not continuously welded or is that noise from the track switches?

The switches as all rail is welded. You will heard this in other places in the US also.

 

[Towered]

I was wondering what this thing is:

 

[Dan416]

Cool pics. No idea what that thing is though.

 

[JasonParis]

Shawn from Spacing was hoping some of the fine minds at Urban Toronto would take an interest in this, so I'm cross-posting this Spacing Wire post here on Urban Toronto as well. The first design review is in a few days, so please submit promptly if you have some ideas!

June 7th, 2008
Bathurst Street Bridge: A Virtual Charrette
Posted by Shawn Micallef

We’re going to try something new here on Spacing Toronto — a “virtual charrette” — though it often happens quite naturally on many posts due to the quality of our readers’ comments. The term “charrette” comes from the carts used to collect the drawings submitted by students at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 19th century Paris when given a design problem to solve within an allotted time. Inevitably the assignment resulted in a burst of intense activity. Today it describes the brainstorming process often used by architects and designers to develop, usually face to face, specific design solutions, and often with public input. Spacing is organizing a virtual charrette to collect the best ideas for creating pedestrian amenity on top of and under the new Bathurst Bridge. Submitted as comments, suggestions, or links to examples or photos of other projects, they will be passed along to the designers, similar to the “virtual input” given on the TTC website redesign process mentioned yesterday.

The project and its challenges were described in a post I made in March (along with some great comments). Tell us what you’d like to see incorporated into the designs related to lighting, sidewalk materials and site interpretation. Where should the crash barriers that are required on the bridge be placed to separate road, bike and pedestrian traffic? Should they be between cars and pedestrians, or on the outer edge (see both Jersey and Pennsylvania Barriers as example)? If the barriers are close to the roadway, how should they terminate safely, but elegantly, without resorting to the giant beanbags and sand-filled barrels found on 400-series highways? Are pedestrians treated as second-class when the barrier meant to prevent a car from flying off the bridge allows that same car to sweep the sidewalk clear of whatever unfortunate folks are in the way?

Should skateboarders share the sidewalks or the bicycle lanes? What kinds of materials might improve the walks and railings? Would turnouts with plaques to explain the overlook make for more interest? Walking under the bridge at its lowest point, what’s the least headroom you’d feel comfortable with? What other safety features are most important? Given that nothing will grow under the bridge, how should the surface of the ground be treated to encourage a welcoming atmosphere, day and night?

Both “expert” and “armchair expert” opinions are welcome, staying true to the charrette ideals. Please post comments below, for all to see, and discuss, rather than emailing. The first Design Review Panel for the Bathurst Bridge will be held on June 26th (a public meeting), so there is time for suggestions to inspire great design.

Photo by TCHC. With files from Stephen Otto.

 

[Hydrogen]

I think the grounds below the bridge should be remade as a small wetland park - to commemorate the creek that once passed there.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

I think the grounds below the bridge should be remade as a small wetland park - to commemorate the creek that once passed there.

garrison creek? isn't underneath?

 

[drum118]

That thing was a warning devise to warn crews on top of cars that a low underpass was near and prepare to go under it.

 

[marcus_a_j]

I think the grounds below the bridge should be remade as a small wetland park - to commemorate the creek that once passed there.

That is basically the intention of TCHC when they go ahead with their development of Block 32 and 36. There will be a park there recognizing the former path of the Creek

 

[junctionist]

That thing was a warning devise to warn crews on top of cars that a low underpass was near and prepare to go under it.

To elaborate on this, before air brakes became standard, freight trains had brakemen riding on rail cars who would manually work the brakes on individual cars. That thing would alert them of an upcoming bridge.

 

[RedRocket191]

Also, it shows the clearances of the tunnels. If one of the rods was swinging then brakemen would know that an accident was about to occur.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

Also, it shows the clearances of the tunnels. If one of the rods was swinging then brakemen would know that an accident was about to occur.

does the angle of the device correspond the the profile of the (tunnel) object ahead?

also, it's hard to get a sense of scale, how big is that thing?

posted images

those are great pictures!

 

[299 bloor call control.]

That is basically the intention of TCHC when they go ahead with their development of Block 32 and 36. There will be a park there recognizing the former path of the Creek

Which incidentally was to be called Garrison Creek Park... but there's already a Garrison Creek Park at Ossington and Dupont.

Spacing talked about this park in a May article:

http://spacing.ca/wire/2008/05/21/old-golf-course-park/