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Shabby Public Realm

Toronto Hydro simply doesn't care. I'm seeing more of the classic acorn lights downtown replaced with generic HPS cobraheads stuck to the traditional brackets. On Eglinton East, along the Crosstown route, brand new cobraheads went up on brand new poles.

While everywhere else is switching to LEDs, Toronto Hydro is singlehandedly keeping the old cobrahead production line going.
 
ShonTron said:
Toronto Hydro simply doesn't care. I'm seeing more of the classic acorn lights downtown replaced with generic HPS cobraheads stuck to the traditional brackets. On Eglinton East, along the Crosstown route, brand new cobraheads went up on brand new poles.

While everywhere else is switching to LEDs, Toronto Hydro is singlehandedly keeping the old cobrahead production line going.
Click to expand...

I wonder if there is a maintenance issue with the older style streetlights. Keep in mind they are decades old.
 
Richard White said:
I wonder if there is a maintenance issue with the older style streetlights. Keep in mind they are decades old.
Click to expand...

No. You can spot newer metal halide acorn lights. They're a bit larger (the base where they're affixed to the bracket) but they still generally fit in.

The old City of Toronto upgraded its streetlighting system in the late 1980s-early 1990s, replacing the old bright incandescent "arc" lights to metal halides, though some street lights were replaced by the orange-beige HPS cobraheads and replacement brackets in the 1970s and 1980s before the city settled on the metal halide acorns.
 
ShonTron said:
No. You can spot newer metal halide acorn lights. They're a bit larger (the base where they're affixed to the bracket) but they still generally fit in.

The old City of Toronto upgraded its streetlighting system in the late 1980s-early 1990s, replacing the old bright incandescent "arc" lights to metal halides, though some street lights were replaced by the orange-beige HPS cobraheads and replacement brackets in the 1970s and 1980s before the city settled on the metal halide acorns.
Click to expand...
Last word I heard was that THSL are ceasing to install Acorn lights as 'they are no longer manufactured' and they are running out of supplies. Yes, one would have thought THSL would need enough of them to keep a production line running but that's what I was told last year by THSL. They were intending to only install an updated version of the Cobras and were hoping to use VERY few different models of pole and luminaire. While there probably are now too many minor variations in official streetlight style in Toronto (plus many more used by BIAs), moving to one or two models is clearly not acceptable! (Ther is a huge list in the City's Streetscape Manual.)

A group of concerned folk in St Lawrence (neighbourhood assn, BIA, Councillors) had been meeting with THSL pre-covid and at least seemed to get agreement that they would continue to replace fallen "short Victorians' with new ones but even that minor victory is certainly not 'for ever'. As noted above, THSL has a mandate to provide streetlighting to a certain standard and is paid to do so by the City. The City are not prepared to pay more and THSL cannot subsidise street lighting from their 'regulated income' from providing hydro.
 
DSC said:
Last word I heard was that THSL are ceasing to install Acorn lights as 'they are no longer manufactured' and they are running out of supplies. Yes, one would have thought THSL would need enough of them to keep a production line running but that's what I was told last year by THSL. They were intending to only install an updated version of the Cobras and were hoping to use VERY few different models of pole and luminaire. While there probably are now too many minor variations in official streetlight style in Toronto (plus many more used by BIAs), moving to one or two models is clearly not acceptable! (Ther is a huge list in the City's Streetscape Manual.)

A group of concerned folk in St Lawrence (neighbourhood assn, BIA, Councillors) had been meeting with THSL pre-covid and at least seemed to get agreement that they would continue to replace fallen "short Victorians' with new ones but even that minor victory is certainly not 'for ever'. As noted above, THSL has a mandate to provide streetlighting to a certain standard and is paid to do so by the City. The City are not prepared to pay more and THSL cannot subsidise street lighting from their 'regulated income' from providing hydro.
Click to expand...

But who else is buying cobraheads these days?
 
Richard White said:
There is probably a city lawyer out there that says this may not be AODA compliant or a liability issue because it is not smooth concrete.
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We already have all-brick sidewalks and roads in select locations.

There is no liability issue associated with this.

The issue by and large, is upfront cost; and non-standardized material.

The City is getting a bit better at accepting these, though generally only with the financial support of BIAs
 
I assume @W. K. Lis post features a photo to some, but as I only see it via following the link, I thought I'd post it here:

1605642540047.png

From here: https://scontent.fyzd1-3.fna.fbcdn....=f5e8a95faf27f26c06fae2b88f48d119&oe=5FDAD90E
 
Random thought of the day (well it's been on my mind for a while now): Is it just me or does Toronto seem to always half-ass projects? It almost seems like the City doesn't even try or if it does it doesn't hold third party partners accountable for poor outcomes. It's a very general thought and I know that the City has standards manuals but what's the point of producing these if they don't even follow through on their own standards? A good example is the Forestry department that doesn't even consult its own standards for species of trees that should be planted.

The most recent shabby public realm that prompted my curiosity is the poor infrastructure construction and this being simple road, curbs and sidewalk reconstruction. Some of the poor craftsmanship can outright be noticed and leaves one to wonder how its even acceptable. I know that it would never fly in other municipal jurisdictions and would lead to the contractor to do it right the first time or re-do it. So why does the City seem to let this pass?

Random thoughts.
 
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