Roads: Six Points Interchange Reconfiguration (City of Toronto, UC)

[Edllguy]

Construction Update 10
Project Update: The Six Points Interchange Reconfiguration has reached a significant milestone with the recent removal of the bridges over Kipling Avenue, and the opening of the new Dundas Street West alignment from Aukland Road to Dunbloor Road/Bloor Street West. This project now moves to the final stages of construction which include: extending Bloor Street West from Kipling Avenue to Dunbloor Road, raising and widening Kipling Avenue from the new Dundas Street West to north of Bloor Street West, and completing Dundas Street West, Beamish Drive, Dunbloor Road, Dundas-Kipling Ramp, and Road C.

Traffic Management: Lane reductions remain in effect as construction continues until Spring 2020. Road users should expect delays and increased traffic on nearby main and side streets. Efforts have been made to manage traffic in the area for the safety of road users, residents and workers. All drivers, pedestrians and cyclists are asked to please be aware and obey traffic movements, signs and signals. City staff continue to monitor road conditions as vehicles and pedestrians adjust to the new road configuration.

​

Beamish Drive

• Local access only. No access from Dundas Street West. Temporary left-turn access onto Bloor Street West.
• Installing underground services, road reconstruction and resurfacing, streetscaping.

Bloor Street West, east of Dunbloor Road

• Minimum one lane of traffic in each direction. Additional lanes may be opened as construction permits.
• Completing streetscaping, road work, and utility works (hydro, telecom, and gas services).

Dunbloor Road

• Minimum one lane of traffic in each direction. Additional lanes may be opened as construction permits. Left turns temporarily prohibited to Dundas Street.
• Completing streetscaping and road work.

Dundas Street West, between Kipling Avenue and Aukland Road

• Two lanes of traffic open in each direction from Kipling Avenue to Aukland Road. Bike lanes not yet open.
• Installing underground services, road reconstruction and resurfacing, streetscaping, street lighting, and traffic signal

Dundas Street West, EAST of Dunbloor Road to Summerland Terrace

• One lane of traffic open in each direction from Dunbloor Avenue to Summerland Terrace.
• Installing traffic signals, road resurfacing and minor streetscaping work.

Dundas/Kipling Ramp

• Only northbound traffic is permitted from Dunbloor Road to Kipling Avenue.
• Installing underground services, road reconstruction and resurfacing, streetscaping.

Kipling Avenue

• Minimum one lane of traffic in each direction. Additional lanes may be opened as construction permits.
• Installing underground services, traffic signals, and street lighting, road reconstruction, and streetscaping.

Pedestrian Access will be maintained on:

• north side of Dundas Street at Six Points Plaza and Beamish Drive
• south side of Dundas Street West
• one side of Kipling Avenue, depending on the construction stages

Pedestrian access will remain on the:

• north side of Bloor Street, east of Resurrection Road.
  east side of Dunbloor Road

https://mailchi.mp/1301a54f7d4d/con...terchange-reconfiguration-654515?e=51273e714f

 

[Edllguy]

Curious...there is a small piece of land on the south east corner of the Six Points Plaza that will become available shortly.

Will the owners of the plaza purchase this small slice or will the city turn it into a small parkette? The piece of land in question is in a awkward area but someone has to take ownership.

 

[BjamesT]

Curious...there is a small piece of land on the south east corner of the Six Points Plaza that will become available shortly.

Will the owners of the plaza purchase this small slice or will the city turn it into a small parkette? The piece of land in question is in a awkward area but someone has to take ownership.

I've had my suspicions that Six Points Plaza will be sold/redeveloped as soon as the new road network is in place. Suspicion only, but it's a relic. I think the plaza property along with the Apache burger is a great opportunity, given the new civic centre across the street. I think we'll see the whole block bounded by Bloor, Dundas, Jopling, Beamish assembeld, and then also St Andrews will likely sell a la St George on Yonge.

 

[Amare]

Six Points Plaza will 100% be sold sometime in the near future, the land it sits on is far to valuable to remain the way it is. When that will happen is anyone's guess, but most likely you'll see movement on that front after the reconstruction project is complete.

All i'm hoping is that Pinnacle doesn't get their hands on it.

 

[BjamesT]

Six Points Plaza will 100% be sold sometime in the near future, the land it sits on is far to valuable to remain the way it is. When that will happen is anyone's guess, but most likely you'll see movement on that front after the reconstruction project is complete.

All i'm hoping is that Pinnacle doesn't get their hands on it.

Obviously, I just didn't want anyone thinking I actually know anything...

 

[Transportfan]

I drove through the area for the first time today since the road reconfiguration was opened for the first time. The new configuration will take some getting used to, but what's concerning is how car-centric it still is. The streets are wide. The corners are rounded at intersections so that vehicles can make faster right turns instead of optimizing pedestrian safety by requiring slower and more careful driving. There are no medians. It needs finetuning to optimize pedestrian safety.

Considering there's a lot of traffic here, you can't honestly be surprised that the streets are wide (considering they're main thoroughfares) and that the corners are rounded. And square corners are not something they do here in any case.

 

[Amare]

The funny thing is, the St.Albans Road west ramp to southbound Kipling is a square cornered intersection. This results in larger vehicles (ie:buses) having to wait for traffic to clear from 2 lanes of traffic before making turns that take up both southbound lanes of the Kipling intersection. Now that, was incredibly shortsighted decision.

 

[junctionist]

Considering there's a lot of traffic here, you can't honestly be surprised that the streets are wide (considering they're main thoroughfares) and that the corners are rounded. And square corners are not something they do here in any case.

I'm surprised. The old design was functional for drivers, but they decided to radically reconstruct it for the sake of creating a walkable urban neighbourhood. You'd think they'd fully commit to that goal.

It's like they're just trying to put up a more pedestrian-friendly facade on what is still car-centric infrastructure. Square corners make infrastructure safer for pedestrians with minimal inconvenience for drivers.

 

[crs1026]

I'm surprised. The old design was functional for drivers, but they decided to radically reconstruct it for the sake of creating a walkable urban neighbourhood. You'd think they'd fully commit to that goal.

It's like they're just trying to put up a more pedestrian-friendly facade on what is still car-centric infrastructure. Square corners make infrastructure safer for pedestrians with minimal inconvenience for drivers.

It is car-centric because the cars that are passing through there haven’t gone away. Nothing about this project has changed broader transportation patterns in Etobicoke. There is a valid need to retain infrastructure to move cars around Etobicoke.

Hopefully, within the boundaries of the redevelopment, a lot of people will find they don’t need a car for very much of their lifestyle. In that respect, the redevelopment will be a big step forward. But because the project sits at the junction of three arterial roads, it is impacted by its surroundings.

The tradeoffs made are probably as good as can be achieved. The only way to build the kind of car-free zones you are hoping for is to build them away from arterial roads. Or re-route the through traffic somewhere else.

- Paul

 

[junctionist]

Even if people technically don't need a car for their lifestyles, they'll still use one if the infrastructure makes them uncomfortable with walking. I used to work on Dundas between Kipling and the West Mall. I would sometimes take the car to go somewhere a few blocks down the street.

The sidewalks were narrow. The road was wide, loud, and congested. The traffic lights were oriented towards the needs of drivers in terms of timing. The streetscape was designed to seen at 60 km/h and boring or ugly from a pedestrian's perspective. Walking was unpleasant, even if practical. For that reason, people tried to avoid it by habit. It's the kind of environment that should be avoided for this "downtown Etobicoke" precinct.

 

[Tim MacDonald]

Indeed, I remember when I lived in the area I would sometimes drop the car off for service at one of the dealerships along that stretch and I would walk home on Bloor rather than dundas. Dundas was simply a place to get through.

 

[thettctransitfanatic]

It is car-centric because the cars that are passing through there haven’t gone away. Nothing about this project has changed broader transportation patterns in Etobicoke. There is a valid need to retain infrastructure to move cars around Etobicoke.

Hopefully, within the boundaries of the redevelopment, a lot of people will find they don’t need a car for very much of their lifestyle. In that respect, the redevelopment will be a big step forward. But because the project sits at the junction of three arterial roads, it is impacted by its surroundings.

The tradeoffs made are probably as good as can be achieved. The only way to build the kind of car-free zones you are hoping for is to build them away from arterial roads. Or re-route the through traffic somewhere else.

- Paul

That's why I suspect they re-consturcted. Because for the future, we sort of as a city and as indivals want to encourage people within the city to live a ''urban life''. Obviously many people who live in Etobicoke, North York and Scarbrough will still drive in spite of our efforts...

 

[Edllguy]

Speculating...when development proposals are made to city for the six points plaza property what could we see developed here?

Perhaps the city will request mixed use housing/condos before it could be approved. Personally I just couldn't see a development like on Marine Parade Drive.

Maybe it will look like the Humbertown development with retail podiums at the bottom of each tower. Isn't that the trend now because we are running out of space?

Couldn't see townhouses on this property because the city wants density by subway stops.

 

[Amare]

^We could potentially see more Pinnacle Tower in the Park styled garbage like what we're seeing proposed right down the street.

The DRP recently ripped the Etobicoke City Centre/Six Points plan apart for being an uncoheisive mess which doesnt blend well together. The model that should be followed is right in front of them- North York City Centre; but this city seems intent on screwing up this area by allowing tower-in-a-park styled designs to go through without a hitch.

There needs to be a blend of residential as well as commercial/office space as well. The last thing we need is a 100% pure high-rise residential styled area, a la Humber Bay.

 

[Edllguy]

Wouldn't this be nice at the base podium for the future Six Points Plaza towers!