drum118
Superstar
May 16
Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto
- Thread starter AlvinofDiaspar
- Start date
Zeiss
Active Member
I don't know why, but when pedestrians come in the area they get the idea that traffic lights do not need to be obeyed. It was always bad, but this time is worse than ever before. Hope that no one gets hurt while crossing on red, but today on Lower Simcoe and QQ the new street car almost run over bunch of people including mother with baby. Its like "pedestrian friendly" means that cars have no rights to be in the area. On Bay and QQ when the ferry brings them back it's like herd of sheep crossing the field, total disregard of the rules.
gregl
New Member
I walk along QQ every day and honestly the biggest reason why people ignore the lights is that they are really slow. There is not a lot of traffic yet and the pedestrian signals take forever to change.
Two most annoying things I've noticed:
- Streetcar's transit lights go green but pedestrians can't cross. Only when transit lights go red again and normal traffic lights turn green do pedestrians get the green light.
- At QQ&Spadina it's just downright confusing. While you stand there to go E or W it seems like all the traffic lights are red while they cycle through the various transit turning lights.
To the pedestrian it looks like most of the time nothing is happening (as there is often not a streetcar making use of the transit green) and so lots of people chose to start walking.
junctionist
Senior Member
If the systems don't appear to make sense and there's no apparent danger to someone standing at the intersection and waiting, that person will probably cross.
jozl
Active Member
I'm pretty sure this has already been asked but I can't find the answer. Is WT planning to have this completed by the opening of the Pan Am Games?
Riverdale Rink Rat
Senior Member
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Yes, but we'll see whether it actually happens. Official opening June 19th:
http://blog.waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/portal/wt/home/blog-home/posts/queens-quay-opening-volunteer
You can even volunteer if you'd like to participate in the ceremonies.
Riverdale Rink Rat
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Even better blog post from WT: "Is Queen's Quay Going to Be Ready in Time?" Spoiler: WT thinks so...
http://blog.waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/portal/wt/home/blog-home/posts/queens-quay-on-time
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Depending on how fast the paint and cement dries.
Lyphe
Active Member
In the video, they show a series of pedestrian bridges along the water, allowing a long uninterupted walk in a straight line. I don't remember seeing those complete however. Are they done and I just didn't notice or will those be done in the future?
Hamiltonian
Active Member
^ Will be done in the future once they get funding.
ehlow
Senior Member
Really hope those footbridges happen.
MetroMan
Senior Member
WT has repeatedly and consistently stated that the bridges remain in the plan and are in fact essential to their vision of the waterfront. They'll be a part of the next wave of funding. The question that is still unanswered is whether John Tory supports Waterfront Toronto and will fight for it to get funding to complete its work. Given his appointment of Denzil Minnan Wong and his support for the hybrid option for the Gardiner, I'm not so sure he sees the waterfront as a priority.
I walked Queens Quay today and although it looks very messy, it's very close to being finished. The majority of the cobblestone work is done and in most places, all that remains is to pave the Martin Goodman Trail and clean up. The fencing does give it a chaotic and unfinished appearance but once the final touches are made and the area is cleaned up, it's going to make a dramatic difference.
I noticed that many trees are now planted and I'm surprised at how large they are. Once they bloom (some already are), they're going to look like they've been there for 5 or so years.
Given what I've seen, I'm confident that WT can complete the remaining work by the deadline.
I walked Queens Quay today and although it looks very messy, it's very close to being finished. The majority of the cobblestone work is done and in most places, all that remains is to pave the Martin Goodman Trail and clean up. The fencing does give it a chaotic and unfinished appearance but once the final touches are made and the area is cleaned up, it's going to make a dramatic difference.
I noticed that many trees are now planted and I'm surprised at how large they are. Once they bloom (some already are), they're going to look like they've been there for 5 or so years.
Given what I've seen, I'm confident that WT can complete the remaining work by the deadline.
Megaton327
Senior Member
Taking the 509 home today, as best as I could tell, the street is >99% complete from Bay to Simcoe: they have put the final coat of asphalt on the Martin Goodman Trail--it is now fully paved, the asphalt is now level with/just above the side rails and the mixing zone stones (it has been noticeably lower for a while, this last coat brought it up). The new wooden light poles, benches, bike rings, bike signals, and trees all seem to be in as well. Looks like the only, single thing remaining to be done is to paint the lanes on the MGT, then once they remove the fences around it and the pylons+debris from the eastbound lane it'll be done. Great to see! MGT has been curiously lagging behind for months now, sitting prepared but unpaved, and suddenly it and essentially the entire width of the road are done!
West from Simcoe to just before Rees it's also mostly done, but the MGT is still largely unpaved, only a small portion has a partial pave with the testbed lane markings on it. Judging by Bay-Simcoe being at virtually 100%, I'd guess this might even get paved tomorrow, or at the latest sometime next week, and be complete as well (pavers seemed done as did most bike rings/benches, though temporary poles are still in pace, so mostly just the MGT paving left).
The Rees intersection is still a mess. West of rees it's decent for a short stretch with most of the pavers in, etc., but then the EMS driveway is half-dug up and over Peter Slip Bridge it still looks like barely anything has been done, although thankfully they have gotten started with the pavers in the last couple of weeks so hopefully that should be resolved soon. Similarly spotty through to Yo Yo Ma...this stretch from Rees to Yo Yo Ma seems almost guaranteed not to make June 19th along with Bay-Rees, but given that the other stretch is complete and they can focus more effort here, they might manage a miracle.
The western MGT extension from Yo Yo Ma to Dan Leckie was done quite well--I was impressed with the speed of their work, even for such a small stretch. The sidewalk looks great and is open to pedestrians, and the MGT is in the same state as Bay-Simcoe, fully and freshly paved level with the sidewalk, solely needing lane painting done. There are still construction pylons and fencing on that short stretch of the MGT, and have been there despite it being rideable for a good few days now...as small as the stretch is, I don't see much point in keeping it closed as of today, especially given that the sidewalk right next to it is open.
Dan Leckie to Bathurst: the sidewalk has been completely torn up and removed, though the roadway is still mostly there, they seem to only be closing it to traffic at some times of day--I'd seen it closed on Tuesday the 19th as scheduled, but the past couple of evenings it's been open to cyclists and cars. Guess now that the sidewalk is torn up they'll probably fully close the road any day now. This stretch could very realistically make June 19th. Funnily enough, Yo Yo Ma-Dan Leckie-Bathurst seems almost guaranteed to make it while I'm left very concerned about Rees-Spadina-Yo Yo Ma...time will tell.
Bathurst to Stadium, on the other hand, I've heard very little about. Hopefully details are to come. I don't believe it can even be started by June 19th, given that they're only closing one block at a time and Dan Leckie-Bathurst will barely be wrapped up by then, but hopefully it'll only take about a month similar to the two previous 1-block stretches.
West from Simcoe to just before Rees it's also mostly done, but the MGT is still largely unpaved, only a small portion has a partial pave with the testbed lane markings on it. Judging by Bay-Simcoe being at virtually 100%, I'd guess this might even get paved tomorrow, or at the latest sometime next week, and be complete as well (pavers seemed done as did most bike rings/benches, though temporary poles are still in pace, so mostly just the MGT paving left).
The Rees intersection is still a mess. West of rees it's decent for a short stretch with most of the pavers in, etc., but then the EMS driveway is half-dug up and over Peter Slip Bridge it still looks like barely anything has been done, although thankfully they have gotten started with the pavers in the last couple of weeks so hopefully that should be resolved soon. Similarly spotty through to Yo Yo Ma...this stretch from Rees to Yo Yo Ma seems almost guaranteed not to make June 19th along with Bay-Rees, but given that the other stretch is complete and they can focus more effort here, they might manage a miracle.
The western MGT extension from Yo Yo Ma to Dan Leckie was done quite well--I was impressed with the speed of their work, even for such a small stretch. The sidewalk looks great and is open to pedestrians, and the MGT is in the same state as Bay-Simcoe, fully and freshly paved level with the sidewalk, solely needing lane painting done. There are still construction pylons and fencing on that short stretch of the MGT, and have been there despite it being rideable for a good few days now...as small as the stretch is, I don't see much point in keeping it closed as of today, especially given that the sidewalk right next to it is open.
Dan Leckie to Bathurst: the sidewalk has been completely torn up and removed, though the roadway is still mostly there, they seem to only be closing it to traffic at some times of day--I'd seen it closed on Tuesday the 19th as scheduled, but the past couple of evenings it's been open to cyclists and cars. Guess now that the sidewalk is torn up they'll probably fully close the road any day now. This stretch could very realistically make June 19th. Funnily enough, Yo Yo Ma-Dan Leckie-Bathurst seems almost guaranteed to make it while I'm left very concerned about Rees-Spadina-Yo Yo Ma...time will tell.
Bathurst to Stadium, on the other hand, I've heard very little about. Hopefully details are to come. I don't believe it can even be started by June 19th, given that they're only closing one block at a time and Dan Leckie-Bathurst will barely be wrapped up by then, but hopefully it'll only take about a month similar to the two previous 1-block stretches.
Zeiss
Active Member
