Toronto Lower Simcoe Ramp | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto

[rbt]

... they are poor planners.

They're profitable planners; not poor at all.

The contractor plans for maximum profit not for shortest construction timeframe. Whatever the contract stipulates for the finish date is when they'll be done; it's rarely beneficial to finish early.

 

[drum118]

They profitable planners; not poor at all.

The contractor plans for maximum profit not for shortest construction timeframe. Whatever the contract stipulates for the finish date is when they'll be done; it's rarely beneficial to finish early.

Based on my experience, the quicker I can get in and out, the quicker I can apply for my hold back which may or may not have my profit in, but help my cash flow.

It allows me to go after more work to make sure my employees have work and to maintain my core personnel.

If it a project that has gone south, it allows me to cut my loses sooner with less impact on the bottom line.

It also allows me not to worry about penalty clauses if I am late if I complete the work ahead of schedule.

As it stands, construction signs are saying the work is to be completed in Dec 2017 contrary to statements that the work isn't to be done until 2018.

Sooner the city has this ramp open, the happier they will be not dealing with the backlash of the old ramp being taken down and the long wait to use Jarvis ramp. Its always in the best interest of everyone to have work done sooner than the plan schedule.

Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the summer, since work will take place when its supposed to. Doing Harbour is nothing compare to the ramp itself and work is taking place on that ramp now. Don't forget, there are other projects taking place on the north side that is interfering with this project and must work hand in hand to get them done.

 

[muller877]

Based on my experience, the quicker I can get in and out, the quicker I can apply for my hold back which may or may not have my profit in, but help my cash flow..

Generally you are right when you have one trade. It's the hand-over between contractors that often call for delays.

To minimize cost on the demolition you don't want to have too large of penalty clauses (they increase the price). So if the demo estimate was 6 weeks you would create penalties after 8 weeks. Then you would give an extra week so during week 9 the steel would be scheduled to be delivered and installed. If you schedule it to tight (and the demolition is not done) you would have to pay a penalty to the installation team.

If you can work as long as possible breaks between trades it gives each one wiggle room and as a general contractor you will have a lowered cost due to (1) less risk that the trades will have to pay penalties (which are baked into their fee proposals) and (2) you will have to pay less to trades that are delayed because of previous back-up.

 

[wmedia]

They are ripping up another lane of Harbour Street between Bay and York today.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

What about the park? Why no one is working there?

I'm not sure if there's any sort of official plan that is public for it but from the looks of it when I walked by it a few weeks ago it looked like the area they have excavated down to bare earth is about level with the base layer for the granite sidewalks beside it. Alos I observed that the was a small part of the edging on that side that had been removed along with some of the bricks, possibly they are just going to put more granite bricks in the excavated area.

 

[DSC]

I'm not sure if there's any sort of official plan that is public for it but from the looks of it when I walked by it a few weeks ago it looked like the area they have excavated down to bare earth is about level with the base layer for the granite sidewalks beside it. Alos I observed that the was a small part of the edging on that side that had been removed along with some of the bricks, possibly they are just going to put more granite bricks in the excavated area.

As mentioned a few pages back, the plan for the Park is coming "soon". One thing is that it has to be officially made a park, at the moment it is classified like a traffic circle.

If the missing bricks you talk about are on Queens Quay, they were laid right up to the bents in that area so when these bents were removed the brick area was damaged. I assume it will be dealt with when the Park works starts. I do not think there are any plans to expand the brick areas but ....

 

[Michael62]

The Toronto Hydro electrical equipment still hasn't been removed at the northwest corner of York and Harbour St E. Nothing will be able to continue until Toronto Hydro removes the equipment as it is directly in the path of what will be the new right turn lane from Harbour to York St S. Why is it always Toronto Hydro that causes endless delays?

 

[coopEng]

The Toronto Hydro electrical equipment still hasn't been removed at the northwest corner of York and Harbour St E. Nothing will be able to continue until Toronto Hydro removes the equipment as it is directly in the path of what will be the new right turn lane from Harbour to York St S. Why is it always Toronto Hydro that causes endless delays?

Very restricted work with very few contractors that are allowed to do (making it very expensive too). Toronto Hydro is spread thin when it comes to this stuff (not giving them an excuse but it's what they always tell us). Accessing a vault right now comes with an almost 2 month lead time.

 

[dowlingm]

Very restricted work with very few contractors that are allowed to do (making it very expensive too). Toronto Hydro is spread thin when it comes to this stuff (not giving them an excuse but it's what they always tell us). Accessing a vault right now comes with an almost 2 month lead time.

Maybe they could hire more people if the City didn't keep treating it like a piggy bank.

 

[drum118]

The Toronto Hydro electrical equipment still hasn't been removed at the northwest corner of York and Harbour St E. Nothing will be able to continue until Toronto Hydro removes the equipment as it is directly in the path of what will be the new right turn lane from Harbour to York St S. Why is it always Toronto Hydro that causes endless delays?

It joins the long list of projects it keeps screwing up by not being ready to do the work as plan.

It doesn't stop all construction, but only in that area. Are you sure you got the right area???

 

[drum118]

The comment to the location of Hydro work has me stump as hydro work was done on the south side of Harbour St west of York St as late as June 16 when I shot this photo of it. No idea what other hydro work still has to be done and been a while since I been in the area. Could be the relocation of the cables to these manhole and it was a deep hole in the first place. They were digging the hole on May 27 and had no idea what it was for then. This is near the driveway for the buildings and the parking structure.

 

[muller877]

Maybe they could hire more people if the City didn't keep treating it like a piggy bank.

Toronto Hydro has been rapped on the knuckles way too many times to believe they are short of money. They spend money like drunken sailors compared to other urban hydro companies. They spend it on bloated management and pay increases versus using the money to improve the grid or to expedite upgrades.

 

[dowlingm]

Toronto Hydro has been rapped on the knuckles way too many times to believe they are short of money. They spend money like drunken sailors compared to other urban hydro companies. They spend it on bloated management and pay increases versus using the money to improve the grid or to expedite upgrades.

And for all this bloat Council still ripped $25m out of it in *reduced* dividend for 2016 ( http://www.newsroom.torontohydro.com/2016-11-14-Toronto-Hydro-Announces-Reduction-of-Dividend ) and another hydro vault went bang at Bay+Adelaide tonight

 

[Michael62]

The comment to the location of Hydro work has me stump as hydro work was done on the south side of Harbour St west of York St as late as June 16 when I shot this photo of it. No idea what other hydro work still has to be done and been a while since I been in the area. Could be the relocation of the cables to these manhole and it was a deep hole in the first place. They were digging the hole on May 27 and had no idea what it was for then. This is near the driveway for the buildings and the parking structure.

Large electrical boxes and panels (approximately 2m in height x 2m square), I think I counted three different boxes, are still sitting at grade on their original concrete pads at the North West Corner of Harbour St at York Street. This equipment is sitting on the land which will eventually be the right hand turn lane from Harbour to York St S.

 

[DSC]

Large electrical boxes and panels (approximately 2m in height x 2m square), I think I counted three different boxes, are still sitting at grade on their original concrete pads at the North West Corner of Harbour St at York Street. This equipment is sitting on the land which will eventually be the right hand turn lane from Harbour to York St S.

My suspicion is that the work Drum reported happening in June was the building of a new underground vault and the "stuff' in the above ground 'boxes' noted above will be moved into it - when they get their act together. Because the demo moved faster than expected it is not altogether surprising that the coordination with other contractors (like Hydro) has gone off kilter a bit. (As we know, Hydro is NEVER good with coordinating with others!)