Toronto Garrison Crossing (was Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge) | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | Pedelta

Automation Gallery said:
Of course, anything over water and in our harbourfront would ..the beauty of this bridge would be lost with it next to an expressway zig-zaging over rail lands to a dog park.
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Fort York is one of this city's most important historical landmarks. This is last place the city should be cheaping out. The Gardiner and the rail tracks, love 'em or hate 'em, are already there - this bridge had the potential to reconnect the Fort to the neighbourhoods to the North while showing reverence to the site itself. Good design here has the potential to alleviate the oppression of past generations' mistakes. Instead, we'll probably end up with a cheap utilitarian bridge and a condo tower, because, y'know, Toronto does have enough of either yet.

Not that I'm knocking the cheap utilitarian thing - it can work if done right - this site just isn't the place for it. We had a chance here to make a statement about how proud we are of our city and its history. Instead we do nothing in the name of one more pinched penny.
 
gristle said:
My guess is that they want to sell land to developers in order to fund the Downsview subway extension. That way they can get downtown developers to subsidize a suburban subway line.
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Your witty comment actually brings up a really important issue. What would 23 mil get you regarding a subway? One train, two? Meanwhile this was (is?) going to be an important link from the west toronto railpath to the path being created on the south side of the tracks (that runs along side of cityplace). I know Ford thinks no one ride into toronto (and other undeniably untruthful beliefs that make me wonder how he is actually mayor) but if we compared the reduced congestion of what the W.T.R. could achieve vs a subway (in an area that is only trying to achieve medium density) I would guess that the WTR is by far the best bang for the buck.
As for the price, ya it was high (unless it actually was the millennium bridge) but how much is the city losing for its increasing bad reputation and overall cost of congestion (not to mention global warming that I'm sure Ford doesn't believe in, but that's for future generations to deal with (mostly by dieing)).
 
nfitz said:
Doesn't a landmark require both the design, and the location. Millennium bridge is such a huge success partly because it is so well used.

I haven't seen the studies for this bridge - what is the projected usage compared to other nearby bridges (Dufferin, Strachan, Bathurst, Spadina, etc)? It's such a long bridge ... will it really have that kind of usage that an iconic bridge deserves?

Ford has proposed a similar bridge to Toronto Island ... perhaps these would be better locations for such an iconic design.
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Good question but I'm getting tired of comments stating the death of this bridge is the death of the city and we lost a landmark. Give me a break....
 
tkip said:
Good question but I'm getting tired of comments stating the death of this bridge is the death of the city and we lost a landmark. Give me a break....
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The symbolism of the cancellation marks it as " landmark ". If Fordites can rally behind such symbols such as " the gravy train ", then, surely this bridge cancellation can embolden the so-called " elites ".
 
Slightly redesigned. They're not starting from scratch. Taking public consultations, selected winning design into account. Just some changes made as part of this land transfer. More details soon.
 
Great news!

This bridge needs to happen.

Cancelling it was a precursor to the the Ford's (failed!) assault on the WT plan. By cancelling the Fort York bridge Ford was going to pocket the savings and sell the resulting parcels of land that would have otherwise become park.

The timing is perfect to relaunch a re-designed version. Ford has been exposed as a fool and a fraud. Any attempt to quash the re-designed Fort York Bridge would look truly ridiculous.
 
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Do you know what would be nice? If this bridge comes back and it's similar to the Gehry-designed bridge in Millennium Park (anyone who's been there knows what I'm talking about). First Gehry-Calatrava joint project anyone?

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While we're at it, a performance venue and pavilion like they have there would be nice too.. :p
 
You think it might come back in an even more expensive form? Ford's influence may be waning, but don't hope too too hard for this. We'll be lucky to get the current - delayed - design. It's a very nice one…

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interchange42 said:
You think it might come back in an even more expensive form? Ford's influence may be waning, but don't hope too too hard for this. We'll be lucky to get the current - delayed - design. It's a very nice one…

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I don't realistically think it would happen, but I would like it to. If there's any opportunity for the city to get something like this, it's here.
This is THE history of Toronto here, and the BICENTENNIAL of the Battle of York, we shouldn't be doing anything half-assed. It's too bad the current administration doesn't give a s*** about the city itself and its history.
 
Re the pedestrian bridge that Ford and quite a few Ford-friendly folk were criticizing a while ago, well it won an award . . . joining the ranks of projects like the Luminous Veil, the OCAD extension, Yonge-Dundas Square, the National Ballet School, &c.

Hopefully this will help forge a consensus among Council's mighty middle to revive it this fall.
 
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