Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

[W. K. Lis]

Why don't they "experiment" with using plants from the family Poaceae known as grasses, not the marijuana kind, first?

We tried it with concrete, and we have found it very wanting. So try it with turf, even the artificial turf kind.

Unless they want to "study" first.

 

[CapitalSeven]

Since no one else has, I'll say in petty fashion that the word is flout.

 

[MetroMan]

I mentioned this before but why can't they make QQ a one-way street and make it easier for the drivers?

That was the intended plan but NIMBYs got that changed as a concession. Alternating one ways would have avoided some of the turning confusion and significantly reduced traffic on Queens Quay (cross town traffic would use Lake Shore). But like other changes, individual items were modified without consideration for how it would affect the scheme as a whole. West8's plan was fantastic until design by committee broke the intuitive circulation. Eliminating the grass streetcar ROW is another one of those changes.

 

[Filip]

Yes, yes I would. I'd get off my bike, walk where I needed to walk and then get back on the bike where I'm allowed to ride. Swerving in and out of pedestrian infrastructure without actually dismounting is one of the hallmarks of the entitlement that's become more than apparent with many cyclists in this city. Just because a cyclist isn't in an enclosed vehicle doesn't mean that they're a pedestrian. They're still a vehicle. Vehicles aren't allowed on pedestrian sidewalks and crosswalks.

If you want to see a great example of cyclist entitlement; stand on Adelaide or Richmond during rush hour. Watch the TTC buses wait and wait in a live lane because not a single cyclist will yield to the bus (pro tip - the yield to buses signs apply to bikes as well). When the bus finally gets into the lane to drop off passengers a good 50% of them will then hop on the sidewalk and play dodge the pedestrian.

It was really bad a few weeks ago so as we were waiting to get into the bike lane to get off I ask the driver if they ever yield and he said no. There are no rules for them. Everyone has to make space for the cyclists. Succinct statement imo.

I'd love to drive on a sidewalk when traffic isn't moving but that's not how you operate a vehicle.

 

[Napoleon]

If you want to see a great example of cyclist entitlement; stand on Adelaide or Richmond during rush hour. Watch the TTC buses wait and wait in a live lane because not a single cyclist will yield to the bus (pro tip - the yield to buses signs apply to bikes as well). When the bus finally gets into the lane to drop off passengers a good 50% of them will then hop on the sidewalk and play dodge the pedestrian.

That's just bad street design. It's an intrinsically dangerous situation for buses to need to pull over to the curb in a cycle track. At a minimum, one should adopt more the model on Roncesvalles with raised platforms. Then buses can load/unload without needing to pull into the cycle track.

Also just to be clear, the yield sign is on the left side of the bus. It's meant to indicate that you should yield to a bus trying to merge back into traffic. Pulling over to the curb is a less clear situation for everyone, which is again why this is not the best design.

 

[thethrows]

I completely agree. As a bike rider, I find buses to be equally unrelenting, which is perhaps why the cyclists are becoming more militant. I complete don't condone jumping on to the sidewalk, but that tends to be the exception rather than the norm (maybe 1 out of 20 cyclists). I really hope they improve the design as its quite dangerous for the cyclists as present.

 

[LNahid2000]

Also just to be clear, the yield sign is on the left side of the bus. It's meant to indicate that you should yield to a bus trying to merge back into traffic. Pulling over to the curb is a less clear situation for everyone, which is again why this is not the best design.

This is correct. The yield to bus law does not mean that you must always yield to buses. You only need to yield to buses when they pull back into traffic after loading passengers.

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/020393

 

[smably]

FYI:

Should TTC Buses Stop in the Cycle Track, or regular Traffic Lane?
TTC Buses should stop in the regular traffic lane. Motor vehicles and cyclists must wait for TTC patrons to board the TTC vehicle before proceeding. When the doors of the TTC vehicle are open, cyclists must yield to these TTC patrons, following the same protocol as when waiting for TTC patrons to cross a curb lane to board a streetcar.

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=f97edd5e4cf12410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD#a08

 

[ShonTron]

That's just bad street design. It's an intrinsically dangerous situation for buses to need to pull over to the curb in a cycle track. At a minimum, one should adopt more the model on Roncesvalles with raised platforms. Then buses can load/unload without needing to pull into the cycle track.

Also just to be clear, the yield sign is on the left side of the bus. It's meant to indicate that you should yield to a bus trying to merge back into traffic. Pulling over to the curb is a less clear situation for everyone, which is again why this is not the best design.

The yield signs were added to buses (and the HTA amendment) so that traffic to the left of the bus, pulled into a turn lane or bus bay, would have to allow the bus to pull back into traffic.

If the bus is merging right into a bike lane, it has to merge like any vehicle - when the lane is clear and it is safe to change lanes. If the bike lane/track is filled with bikes, the lane is not clear. But it's a terrible design. Richmond/Adelaide are also pilot projects, so the bus loading areas like on Sherbourne (or the streetcar stops on Roncy) weren't put in.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

In Europe, the bike signals are synced to the bikes. Don't have to wait or wait long before the signals change to allow them movement.

Here, the bikes have to wait, sometimes it seems forever, before the signals change to their turn. Sometimes, when there is nothing happening. So here the bicyclists give up waiting and cycle through.

The bike red at the condo south of QQ farthest west, just before music garden, is inane. It's long, there's no traffic in or out of the condo parking garage. I'm more than happy to have bicyclists ride slowly through that one.

My issue with bikes are the guys (and it's 99% guys) in full bike gear going really fast in the central section with tons of people around. That's just stupid, and you can figure out an alternative route for your exercise routine, or consider it your 'pause' before cranking back up on Cherry/Leslie Spit/Beaches/wherever.

 

[salsa]

It was only a matter of time.

I also like the lovely paint job that they left behind and how they butchered the asphalt in the bike lane. A lot of cyclists and especially rollerbladers are swerving around it by going into the opposite lane, because of the rough edges and uneven surface. Lets see how long it will take the city to fix this.

 

[pstogios]

It was only a matter of time.

Unbelievable.

 

[vatche]

Seriously something is wrong with these people. They seem to not know any better. I'm in Chicago now. Did not see any stupidity like this and they have created a looooot of walking and biking paths. They're in the midst of creating a river walk. Just spectacular.
We think Toronto is building? I've been traveling all summer and trust me... The rest of the world is beautifying at a faster pace.

 

[DSC]

Unbelievable.

Let's not get our knickers into a twist just yet. The holes were filled in (by the Toronto Hydro contractors) about 3 days ago and it is pretty good they actually have asphalt already! The fill in these utility cuts needs to settle a bit before it makes sense to do a permanent repair (concrete base and then asphalt) and only then will it all be painted nicely. The proper repair and painting will be done by either WT or City contractors.

 

[smuncky]

Let's not get our knickers into a twist just yet. The holes were filled in (by the Toronto Hydro contractors) about 3 days ago and it is pretty good they actually have asphalt already! The fill in these utility cuts needs to settle a bit before it makes sense to do a permanent repair (concrete base and then asphalt) and only then will it all be painted nicely. The proper repair and painting will be done by either WT or City contractors.

the question is when.