Roads: Gardiner Expressway catch-all, incl. Hybrid Design (2015-onwards)

[kotsy]

I think they should change the "ROAD CLOSED" signs to "ROAD NO LONGER EXISTS" signs. That would be more apt with what just happened!

How 'bout "Error 404, Road Not Found"

 

[achender]

How 'bout "Error 404, Road Not Found"

Well, I think the 404 is still there ;-)

The last metal bent with the traffic lights has also been removed.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Well, I think the 404 is still there ;-)

That's the Don Valley Parkway the 404 begins north of the 401 and one of the biggest highway interchanges in the world.

 

[nfitz]

I am a youth Worker, so I will need my car once I'm downtown to travel from different sites. Some days I'm at canoe landing, other days I am at Trinity Bellwoods park.

From Canoe Landing to Trinity-Bellwoods I'd just walk. It's about 20 minutes up Bathurst and Niagara. When I have to travel from place to place downtown, streetcar works well. Though if you need to bring cargo with you, then obviously a vehicle is the way.

Mind you, when I haven't had to take equipment with me, I've walked and even bused from the office to Site, for a visit, in hard-hat, safety vest, etc. A lot cheaper than parking!

If time is of the essence, I'd think a taxi would be cheaper - and certainly faster, as you don't have to park the car at either end.

 

[NW87]

Looking East

Looking West.

 

[drum118]

Traffic Update​

Upcoming Work: Lane Reductions on Lake Shore Boulevard at Cherry Street To realign Cherry Street, we will begin work at the intersection of Cherry Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East in mid-October. WHAT TO EXPECT Starting in mid-October Lake Shore Boulevard East will be reduced to one lane eastbound and one lane westbound at the intersection of Cherry Street This work at the Lake Shore Boulevard East and Cherry Street intersection is expected to be completed in January 2022

Construction Update​

The Gardiner-Logan ramp removal is now complete. Crews will be working in the median of Lake Shore Boulevard East to finish cleaning up materials and to begin preparing the area for the construction of a temporary lane in the median. This is required to allow for the commencement of the Lake Shore Boulevard East – Bridge and Public Realm work. Full closures of Lake Shore Boulevard East are no longer required related to the Gardiner-Logan Ramp Removal.

Above: The ramp abutments, where the elevated ramps met Lake Shore Boulevard East, were the last element of the ramps we removed.

Update: Bike Detours

Until November 30, 2021, the bridge over the Don River and the multi-use trail along Lake Shore Boulevard will be open for cyclists and pedestrians while additional work is conducted on the planned detour through the Port Lands and any final suggestions proposed by the cycling community are assessed and implemented. “Trail Closed” detour signs are being removed to avoid confusion. We have deferred closing the multi-use trail and bridge to allow the project team to develop and implement solutions to any remaining concerns identified by the cycling community. A further construction update will be issued in advance of the next closures, which would start on December 1st and include: Closing the bridge over the Don River Closing the multi-use trail between Don Roadway and Booth Avenue Closing the Lower Don Trail south of the Don Rail Yard We continue to receive feedback from the cycling community that is being considered in collaboration with the City of Toronto. We'll continue to provide updates in future construction notices.

Managing Construction Impacts

Throughout construction, we received comments and concerns through email, phone and social media. We also spoke with people on site and in the surrounding neighbourhood. Projects of this scale will create traffic and noise and our job is to minimize those impacts to the extent possible. The main issues you reported to us and how we’re working to address them are as follows: Congested access to the Jarvis on-ramp to the westbound Gardiner Expressway We are coordinating with City of Toronto staff to ensure that traffic control agents are present and active – controlling vehicle and pedestrian traffic – at the Jarvis Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection and westbound Gardiner on-ramp Queueing cars, congestion, and signal timing along Lake Shore Boulevard Signal timing and signal coordination are being reviewed by our traffic consultant to identify potential improvements for both eastbound and westbound traffic

 

[hawc]

Great shot that really shows all the progress from a recent Waterfront Toronto presentation:

 

[CanAsian]

Looking East
View attachment 354448
Looking West.
View attachment 354449

See how awesome it looks like without the sore eyes to the sight those elevated freeways.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

See how awesome it looks like without the sore eyes to the sight those elevated freeways.

Not seeing it as a a good thing. Just wait until they put up condos that will block the view and add more traffic to the area.

 

[CanAsian]

Not seeing it as a a good thing. Just wait until they put up condos that will block the view and add more traffic to the area.

Progress always has pros and cons. Just look @ the brighter side of it and sometimes just learn to live with it. Think positivity.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Progress always has pros and cons. Just look @ the brighter side of it and sometimes just learn to live with it. Think positivity.

If progress means moving traffic that would have been on an expressway to a city street to take more time to get on it then we need a better definition of progress. This was an ilconsived project by city council with no actual thought on what was going to happen. We don't by condos that have no emeities like schools near by, or parks with baseball diamonds or soccer fields for kids to play in this whole project is a mess and should be reviewed by all levels of government before anything else gets done.

 

[drum118]

If progress means moving traffic that would have been on an expressway to a city street to take more time to get on it then we need a better definition of progress. This was an ilconsived project by city council with no actual thought on what was going to happen. We don't by condos that have no emeities like schools near by, or parks with baseball diamonds or soccer fields for kids to play in this whole project is a mess and should be reviewed by all levels of government before anything else gets done.

What are we building a city for?? Are we building a city for people or cars???

As someone who being dealing with the waterfront since 2004, I have stress that High Order Transit needs to happen on day one to say you don't need a car to live here. The area needs to be a place to live, work, play and shop with green space. Nothing should be in front of the water edge for 1000' that will be public space and then a road. Buildings should slop up to X height to allow residents/works a view of the waterfront.

Schools should be part of a development, not a stand a lone with areas for kids to be use 7/24. Schools should be use 7/24 as well.

There been calls for skate and cycle parks as well baseball and soccer field, but falling on deaf ears.

You can have various types of low risk manufacturing as part of development as not everyone is an office workers.

A large number of residents want to live on the waterfront as its the place to be, but work in other parts of the city or in the 905.

What was vision for the waterfront from 2004-2010 is opposite to what is being built to the point the density is 10 plus times more and will even be more than that when fully built.

As a Toronto Chief City Planner said from day one, we have one chance for 100 years to make a major change to the city and sadly we are still screwing things up.

TTC has drag their feet or opposed plans that would offer better transit on the waterfront as well surrounding area and part of that is caused by Council who refused to fund TTC better than they do today. The province has flip flop on since 2008, but more by the FORD Bothers who kill various plans by building various wasted tunnel lines. There is a need for subways, but they need to be built in the right areas with other types of technology for other areas.

The 2004/6 plan call for an LRT to be place on the Lake Shore, but TTC removed it from the approved plan.

The Queen Quay east LRT line was to be in service years ago and the current date is 2030 now. TTC only wants buses to be Transit First model which is fine for some arears, not the waterfront.

When one looks what the area look like after the Gardiner off ramp for Bay-York-Yonge was removed, it show clearly what the east end would look like if the Gardiner was remove east of Yonge. This section that has been removed again shows we are still making a mistake keeping the east section as well rebuilding parts of it for a small number of drivers. Given the fact that we are supposed to see 3.5-5 million people by 2040, where do we put the extra 2-3 million cars when the current road system can't handle today cars??

Again, are we building a city for people or cars??

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

What are we building a city for?? Are we building a city for people or cars???

As someone who being dealing with the waterfront since 2004, I have stress that High Order Transit needs to happen on day one to say you don't need a car to live here. The area needs to be a place to live, work, play and shop with green space. Nothing should be in front of the water edge for 1000' that will be public space and then a road. Buildings should slop up to X height to allow residents/works a view of the waterfront.

Schools should be part of a development, not a stand a lone with areas for kids to be use 7/24. Schools should be use 7/24 as well.

There been calls for skate and cycle parks as well baseball and soccer field, but falling on deaf ears.

You can have various types of low risk manufacturing as part of development as not everyone is an office workers.

A large number of residents want to live on the waterfront as its the place to be, but work in other parts of the city or in the 905.

What was vision for the waterfront from 2004-2010 is opposite to what is being built to the point the density is 10 plus times more and will even be more than that when fully built.

As a Toronto Chief City Planner said from day one, we have one chance for 100 years to make a major change to the city and sadly we are still screwing things up.

TTC has drag their feet or opposed plans that would offer better transit on the waterfront as well surrounding area and part of that is caused by Council who refused to fund TTC better than they do today. The province has flip flop on since 2008, but more by the FORD Bothers who kill various plans by building various wasted tunnel lines. There is a need for subways, but they need to be built in the right areas with other types of technology for other areas.

The 2004/6 plan call for an LRT to be place on the Lake Shore, but TTC removed it from the approved plan.

The Queen Quay east LRT line was to be in service years ago and the current date is 2030 now. TTC only wants buses to be Transit First model which is fine for some arears, not the waterfront.

When one looks what the area look like after the Gardiner off ramp for Bay-York-Yonge was removed, it show clearly what the east end would look like if the Gardiner was remove east of Yonge. This section that has been removed again shows we are still making a mistake keeping the east section as well rebuilding parts of it for a small number of drivers. Given the fact that we are supposed to see 3.5-5 million people by 2040, where do we put the extra 2-3 million cars when the current road system can't handle today cars??

Again, are we building a city for people or cars??

The problem is all of the plans were made without any input except for the development company that is waterfront Toronto. Your arguments make no sense at all. Why on earth would there be a streetcar line on lake shore Blvd. I'm sure that the TTC rejected that idea with very good reasons and not anything to do with buses.

As I said we need housing in Toronto not condos with a small convenience store, chain fast-food restaurants and a grocery store or shopper's drug mart. The whole waterfront development is centered around people who will live in that area and no one else. They don't care about anyone in Toronto who isn't going to buy one of them or rent one.

The "parks" are mostly concrete with a water feature and some grass and trees. That is not a park that is useful for anyone other than someone who wants to sit and people watch.

 

[DirectionNorth]

The problem is all of the plans were made without any input except for the development company that is waterfront Toronto. Your arguments make no sense at all. Why on earth would there be a streetcar line on lake shore Blvd. I'm sure that the TTC rejected that idea with very good reasons and not anything to do with buses.

To move people in a dedicated lane on a ride faster and more comfortable than buses? I should say, your arguments make no sense at all (and I get the feeling from your posts that you're not really a "TTC Fan" as your username claims, and that you're basically anti-change).

As I said we need housing in Toronto not condos with a small convenience store, chain fast-food restaurants and a grocery store or shopper's drug mart. The whole waterfront development is centered around people who will live in that area and no one else. They don't care about anyone in Toronto who isn't going to buy one of them or rent one.

We need housing, but it can't be this kind, that kind, or the other kind. Right? I get this kind of impression from you:

The "parks" are mostly concrete with a water feature and some grass and trees. That is not a park that is useful for anyone other than someone who wants to sit and people watch.

The "parks" can be improved with time, and the plans can change. You complain about how we don't have enough parks, then complain that we're building parks because they're built a certain way. I hate stretches of grass as much as you do, but that's not a reason to stop building parks.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

need housing, but it can't be this kind, that kind, or the other kind. Right? I get this kind of impression from you:

If people don't care about what type of home they live in then why do people move out of Toronto to have a large family home instead according to you they should live in a condo instead of a house so that they can live in Toronto. This is not nimbysium.

move people in a dedicated lane on a ride faster and more comfortable than buses? I should say, your arguments make no sense at all (and I get the feeling from your posts that you're not really a "TTC Fan" as your username claims, and that you're basically anti-change

I all for transit when it makes sense bus or streetcar Lanes on lake shore Blvd won't help anyone at all as there is nothing for anyone to use it for that isn't already served.

e "parks" can be improved with time, and the plans can change. You complain about how we don't have enough parks, then complain that we're building parks because they're built a certain way. I hate stretches of grass as much as you do, but that's not a reason to stop building

They are a joke and nothing can be done to improve them. The problem is a short sighted condo department company was given control over all of the waterfront in Toronto and their has been no reviews over it.

Unfortunately I don't share the options of people here and they would rather be in a world where everything is positive about everything that they like. The world isn't like that.