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

[ADRM]

The railings on a house are designed to avoid a fall on to a hard surface (a 8 foot fall onto concrete I expect hurts). The wavedecks (and all of the slips) do not need railings as a fall will result in you getting wet and the only bruise you will have is your ego.

That of course assumes you can swim or someone who is near can swim. But if you are worried about that I will wait for the proposed railing that will traverse the entire Lake Ontario, Don River and Humber River.

FWIW, I also love that at least some aspects of our waterfront's built form don't aspire to an American-esque level of idiot proofing. I like that it's conceivably kind of easy to walk right into the water at Corus Quay, rather than having some 5-foot-tall barrier right at water's edge.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

FWIW, I also love that at least some aspects of our waterfront's built form don't aspire to an American-esque level of idiot proofing. I like that it's conceivably kind of easy to walk right into the water at Corus Quay, rather than having some 5-foot-tall barrier right at water's edge.

Even what we have is too safety (actually make that liability) conscious and basically reduced the lake as something to just look but not interact with. And why? Not because of the inherit danger of the water itself (because we certainly didn't prevent access elsewhere0 - but because it is a constructed landscape.

AoD

 

[ADRM]

Even what we have is too safety (actually make that liability) conscious and basically reduced the lake as something to just look but not interact with. And why? Not because of the inherit danger of the water itself (because we certainly didn't prevent access elsewhere0 - but because it is a constructed landscape.

AoD

Very well said -- I think of exactly this dynamic every time I see people interacting with the wave decks; I'm simultaneously pleased with the fact that it's possible to hurt yourself and disappointed that it's not easier to. It's actually quite a Canadian approach to danger-in-design.

 

[Tuscani01]

Very well said -- I think of exactly this dynamic every time I see people interacting with the wave decks; I'm simultaneously pleased with the fact that it's possible to hurt yourself and disappointed that it's not easier to. It's actually quite a Canadian approach to danger-in-design.

I find that the wave decks are made extra dangerous with the railings in place (Specifically the Simcoe one). The low railing presents a tripping hazard to anyone attempting to run/walk down the slope. If you don't jump near the bottom of the slope, you risk a good face-plant.

I also find it funny that HtO Park currently has the water's edge fenced off with temporary fencing - as if there is a need to block off the public from the water which has spilled onto the boardwalk. Seems odd since the water's edge is normally accessible without barriers anyway. The submerged boardwalk offers an opportunity for people to wade in the lake, much like the original plan for HtO which had steps into the lake.

 

[ADRM]

I also find it funny that HtO Park currently has the water's edge fenced off with temporary fencing - as if there is a need to block off the public from the water which has spilled onto the boardwalk. Seems odd since the water's edge is normally accessible without barriers anyway. The submerged boardwalk offers an opportunity for people to wade in the lake, much like the original plan for HtO which had steps into the lake.

I had the same thought, but then wondered if it might have something to do with the significantly higher quantity of e. Coli (et al) that the higher water levels have brought with it -- don't want folks wading into that (literal) shit.

 

[salsa]

I find that the wave decks are made extra dangerous with the railings in place (Specifically the Simcoe one). The low railing presents a tripping hazard to anyone attempting to run/walk down the slope. If you don't jump near the bottom of the slope, you risk a good face-plant.

I believe those railings are there to prevent skateboarding on the wave decks.

 

[DSC]

I believe those railings are there to prevent skateboarding on the wave decks.

The railings were actually added to make them safer - they were not there originally - and, as you say, prevent skateboarding and blading. They do make it a bit more unsafe for walkers but I guess that's a trade-off and overall it is safer.

 

[drum118]

The railings were actually added to make them safer - they were not there originally - and, as you say, prevent skateboarding and blading. They do make it a bit more unsafe for walkers but I guess that's a trade-off and overall it is safer.

The Simcoe Wave deck always had the railing to stop the skate boarders. Skate boarders were always an issue from the start and how to stop or slow them was number one issue. Same for the cycles.

What was never vision for the Simcoe Deck was the slide effect and we saw that on opening day as we did the unveiling. I have it on video up on youtube. The team was really please to see it as it was never vision at all.

 

[DSC]

I'm gonna have to call bullshit on this. I understand where you're coming from but having lived in Lisbon where every sidewalk is cobblestone, whenever there's work, they take out the stones, perform the work and put the stones back in. Whatever they're doing, works. They've obviously figured it out.

Same thing in Spain. I was recently in Barcelona for 10 days. When I arrived, there was some major work on Passeig de Garcia with a huge hole in the ground. Before I left, less than a week later, not only was the hole covered but the cobble stone sidewalk was all reinstalled as if nothing had ever happened there.

It may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of things but this is one of the things keeping Toronto from greatness. We need to overhaul the procedures of digging up our public spaces. Stop spray painting sidewalks. Have the surveyor on site with the digging crew. Stop covering up sidewalks with asphalt. Make it mandatory to schedule a sidewalk pouring crew or cobblestone mason at the end of work. It's not that hard. It's just the bureaucracy holding us back. If we change the laws and the city's rules, it'll get done.

Lisbon does not have ground frost and the resulting heaving. No doubt they could do permanent repairs sooner but it IS necessary to allow the ground to settle fully otherwise you just get later dips. In fact you often see these in the utility cut patches themselves.

 

[isaidso]

The ground frost argument is just another in a long line of excuses. I've been to Finland numerous times and they certainly don't fill in a hole they've made with asphalt. If they can figure it out why can't we? The truth is that Toronto has never cared about the public realm up until recently so the City and public works think nothing of leaving sidewalks in a bloody mess after whatever work/damage they do.

They've already marked up quality paving that's been laid down in various parts of the downtown. I'm just waiting for the time that they do work on the Mink Mile. If they lift the granite block up, do the work, put back the granite, make it look exactly how they found it, get rid of any aerosol marks, and do it the next day I'd be very surprised.

Anything below that standard is NOT acceptable and is tantamount to vandalism. They should face the same repercussions others do when they are caught spray painting buildings, smashing windows, or destroying public property. That they were contracted by the City should not matter one iota.

 

[condovo]

This was right at Queens Quay and York, arguably the "front door" to the waterfront. What I didn't photograph: dying trees, dead trees, tree stumps, empty tree holes, mismatched light standards. Also, the "tagged" sidewalks are more extensive than what I'm showing here.

 

[TransitBart]

This was right at Queens Quay and York, arguably the "front door" to the waterfront. What I didn't photograph: dying trees, dead trees, tree stumps, empty tree holes, mismatched light standards. Also, the "tagged" sidewalks are more extensive than what I'm showing here.

View attachment 117492 View attachment 117493

This looks like hell. On bike rides this summer, I have been dismayed at the number of dead trees and stumps.

 

[DSC]

This looks like hell. On bike rides this summer, I have been dismayed at the number of dead trees and stumps.

See WT May Newsletter, plus lots of comments earlier here.

Spring on Queens Quay - An update on trees

Looking west along the revitalized Queens Quay West.

The weather has warmed up, so why haven’t the trees along Queens Quay West blossomed? The trees planted on the south side of Queens Quay West between Bay Street and Yo Yo Ma Lane are London Planes. This species of tree doesn’t begin to sprout leaves until June. The trees along the north side of Queens Quay West are a diverse mix of tree species, many of which have already sprouted their spring leaves.

The project team continues to monitor the health of the trees along Queens Quay West. This summer, any trees that have not done well will be marked for replanting next spring.

This spring, you may notice Aldershot Landscape maintenance personnel and vehicles on Queens Quay West. They will be doing some basic tree maintenance, as well as flushing the irrigation system for the trees that border the Martin Goodman Trail between Bay Street and Yo Yo Ma Lane. This will take approximately one week, during which time water trucks will stop intermittently on the trail.

 

[tripwire]

What's the rational of utilities (and/or TTC) marking up the sidewalks weeks/months before they really do any action? Maybe I'm just more aware of them now and biased, but I do seem to see the markings in a lot of places downtown.

 

[innsertnamehere]

its a safety thing. Guys come out and mark out utilities before they make a cut, and they mark the whole general area of where the work is needed, even if it's only a small little bit of work.