Toronto CityPlace Puente de Luz Bridge | ?m | ?s | Concord Adex | Francisco Gazitua

[Traynor]

i kind of like this idea... http://www.toviaduct.com/skyPATH.htm

The problem with that proposal is it is too perfect and makes too much sense for any bureaucrat to understand or approve.

Mess it up with non-connecting streets, dead ends and a transit system that goes nowhere and the City may get on board with it

 

[EnviroTO]

All the pictures of the skyPATH look great because none of them show off and on ramps. The existing Gardiner would be a lot more hospitable if we got rid of the off and on ramps. None of the images are realistic because at that height there would always be ramps making their way up to the bridge or down from the bridge. At normal gradients and existing exit spacing they would probably need to start the next ramp down before the current one reaches the ground. If you reduce the number of access points to reduce the number of ramps destroying the look of the skyPATH then you have a surface road capacity issue at the ramps which remain made worse by the fact the capacity of the viaduct has 8 lanes rather than the Gardiner's current 6.

 

[EnviroTO]

I've heard this time and time again and I think I believe it's true, but I'd just like a little more explanation of this. Why does this happen? Does it ALWAYS happen? I can think of a couple new roads that have been built that are still pretty empty. Heck I remember for the first few years the 407 was pretty empty. I know it's full during peak times now. But what's the science/human behaviour behind this?

Those roads that remain relatively empty probably don't have a good connection to the transportation network serving the greater population.

Like Aaerelon said people make choices based on convenience and affordability. It goes beyond transportation mode selection though. The more convenient and affordable it is to travel a long distance quickly, the more likely a person is to do it as well. Imagine there was no interstate system... the number of people driving to Florida would be far less than exists today. Build the interstate and it doesn't get used only by the traffic which would have gone through an area before, it creates more traffic because it has made longer trips by car a more reasonable option. Only once there is gridlock, inadequate roads, or high costs per distance traveled is that reasonableness to travel further removed. Beyond the convenience and cost of going further easily there are also the other economics draws of travelling further... going further to find a deal on clothing, on housing, etc. Basically convenient affordable travel generates trips that wouldn't have existed until the point where the costs or convenience no longer make it desirable.

 

[interchange42]

No more posts on the non-starter toviaduct please. There's a thread in the Transportation section for it.

 

[Edward Skira]

Renderings.

 

[SpadinaBus]

So the "iron horse" head concept seems to have become more like a snake (ie. perhaps symbolic on how ConCord got away with this!). The yellow will likely look great day one, but in a few years, it will become a bit stained as certainly the City grime and lack of maintenance painting will become an issue.

In my opinion, if this is it and nothing else, ConCord did not deliver what they promised in the last public meeting that the bridge would be significantly "artsied" up and special lighting would come into play. Let's hope the yellow is to deliver more impact at night with some lighting. Let's hope there is more than this.

Thanks for posting Ed!
S'Bus

 

[Bruvyman]

At this point I just want the damn thing built.

Thanks though ED. Much appreciated.

 

[Edward Skira]

Context? I assume you mean Concord Adex.

 

[SpadinaBus]

Sorry, yes Concord. I will edit.

 

[neubilder]

The yellow looks like a primer coat. I hope the colour looks better in person than it does in rendering. When I see the design I think donkey, not horse.

 

[barrytron3030]

not bad, the pillars are really unimaginative, but overall, i like this bridge. it is needed, certainly.

 

[ponyboy]

The entrance exit ramps make the crossing twice as long. Was that necessary?

 

[Atlantis]

The ramps could have probably been shorter if they were stairs, but the only way to make it accessible to everyone on wheels would be to have a long gently slopping ramp. It looks like the bridge is quite high from even street level as well, although I suspect that was probably a CN request. I'm now wondering why there aren't a set of stairs as well, particularly going in the other direction as the access ramps. You're right, they do look like they would make the crossing much longer than it really should be for most people.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The pedestrian bridge over the tracks at Gerrard and Pape has ramps that are constrained.

 

[Tuscani01]

Looking out my window, I can see that the first 'loop' has been installed on the half-built bridge. This bridge looks so wide!