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News Roundup for January 6, 2025
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St Lawrence Market

At Council in July a motion from Wong-Tam was passed asking Staff to report next week on the City's streetlighting contract with Toronto Hydro Street Lighting and on 'decorative lighting'. Predictably, there is no report.
See:

Shining a Light on Toronto Hydro by Updating Street Lighting Options​
http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2021.IE23.21

Of course, Matt Elliott reports that as of August there were 393 overdue Reports to Council.

See: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/con...-delays-and-reduced-service-at-city-hall.html
 
tripwire said:
We noticed the new no-left sign and at first went straight, and did a U-ish loop around the temp farmer's market tent to eventually go south on Jarvis. But seeing how nobody else was following it, we just ignore it too. :( IIRC, there was a time where there was a dedicated left turn lane, just now with the recent changes it's all bogged down and blocking the few that want to go straight or right.

Perhaps what they need to do is have an advanced left-turn green? They definitely need to rethink how to properly handle congestion in that intersection though.
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When they implement Phase 2 - in 2022 - there will be other traffic changes WEST of Lower Sherbourne that will make the no-left at Lower Jarvis more sensible and the "Market tent manoeuvre" will also be illegal.

1634654133220.png
 
DSC said:
The City have now broken out their red paint supply to tell motorists that the block (or most of it) between Lower Sherbourne and Princess is for buses only! Will it work? We shall see!
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Just came here to post this photo of the same thing, from the other side. So far I've seen several non-transit vehicles driving in the red area (including the truck seen in my photo).

Another vehicle coming south on Princess was halfway through a right turn before realizing their mistake and doing a weird u-turn in the middle of the intersection that was pretty... dangerous.

Whether people will follow the rules after an adjustment period or just totally ignore the signage (like on the King Street Transit Priority Corridor) remains to be seen. I know where'd I'd put my money if I was betting.

esplanade_bus_lane_paint.jpg
 
DSC said:
This block IS confusing as vehicles CAN go to/from the construction site entrance until the building is finished/ The truck COULD have been heading there, though I bet it wasn't!
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That's true, I thought of that, this truck didn't stop at the construction site entrance though, and it looked like just a regular delivery/cube van. The driver looked confused and stressed (probably like I do on the rare occasions I need to drive downtown...)
 
EddyMCD said:
I see so many cars turn off the Esplanade onto Lower Jarvis I never would have imagined it was no left turns allowed.
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In light of this discussion, interesting that I just stumbled across this:

1634787366815.png


Owen is with the City's Transportation Dept
 
Yeah I'm quite undecided about the street changes. It feels complicated and idiosyncratic which is not good street planning IMHO.

The new arrows at Esplanade / Jarvis will be a big help alongside the no left turn sign though. Should've done that at the same time honestly.
 
The City have just announced a public meeting to discuss their (firm, it appears) plan to open an Indigenous Men's Shelter at 67 Adelaide St E. (Corner of Church) in 2024. It will replace the Women's Drop-in Centre that has been there for some years. .(This is a few yards from the recently opened men's shelter at 76 Church Street, in the former back-packers hostel). SEE; https://www.toronto.ca/community-pe...lacement-expansion-projects/67-adelaide-st-e/ and https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9794-Final76-ChurchPublicEventPresentationAODA.pdf

Though I support shelters it does seem that this part of St Lawrence is seeing more than its fair share as it is not far from the Novotel on The Esplanade and the Salvation Army hostel on Jarvis at Adelaide. Interestingly, a familiar face is the coordinator of the "public consultation" Joe Mihevc, Community Engagement Facilitator
 
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DSC said:
The City have just announced a public meeting to discuss their (firm, it appears) plan to open an Indigenous Men's Shelter at 67 Adelaide St E. (Corner of Church) in 2024. It will replace the Women's Drop-in Centre that has been there for some years. .(This is a few yards from the recently opened men's shelter at 76 Church Street, in the former back-packers hostel). SEE; https://www.toronto.ca/community-pe...lacement-expansion-projects/67-adelaide-st-e/ and https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/9794-Final76-ChurchPublicEventPresentationAODA.pdf

Though I support shelters it does seem that this part of St Lawrence is seeing more than its fair share as it is not far from the Novotel on The Esplanade and the Salvation Army hostel on Jarvis at Adelaide. Interestingly, a familiar face is the coordinator off the "public consultation" Joe Mihevc, Community Engagement Facilitator
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Person for person bed for bed, I'd rather see the same number of new Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) housing units instead.

The object is to get people out of the shelter system, not into it.

Shelter beds are a necessary evil as first-point-of-access kind of help, as an emergency bed for right now.

But they are not the medium term or long term solution.

Its a misallocation of resources unless it is offset other shelter beds that are being closed and/or are of the old 'dorm' style and these new ones are Single-Room-Occupancy.
 
DSC said:
this is a few yards from the recently opened men's shelter at 76 Church Street, in the former back-packers hostel
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This slipped under my radar. The Hosteling International website (and Google) seem to indicate this is a temporary COVID-related closure. Is the conversion to shelter now permanent, do you know?

The downtown east does feel overrepresented by shelters, and I have seen a noticeable increase of mentally ill people and others in distress on the streets near those shelters and facilities in recent months. Some appear to be a danger to themselves and (occasionally) others, based on numerous unfortunate incidents I have witnessed personally. I have never seen any police or any others interested in assisting.

I understand facilities need to be where the need is greatest, but I also feel there's a chicken-egg factor, particularly if other parts of the city or suburbs can wash their hands of responsibility for helping people -- leaving them to cluster in the few areas where assistance is provided, stigmatizing those areas where others don't wish to visit.

The St. Lawrence Market remains lively and vibrant despite the challenges of the post-COVID era but with so many restaurants and cafes closing and being replaced with blank-fronted cannabis shops, and now hotels and backpacker hostels being replaced with shelters, it's hard not to be feel a bit concerned if you live or run a business in the vicinity.
 
The City website says: The temporary shelter at 76 Church Street provides approximately 55 beds relocated from Seaton House as part of the George Street Revitalization. The shelter is operated by the City of Toronto and supports people experiencing homelessness to stabilize their lives, improve life skills, address needs and goals identified by clients, and move toward securing permanent housing and independence. and The City is currently leasing this site, and in February 2021, the lease at 76 Church Street was extended until April 30, 2026.
 
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