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

Sounds nice, Dan, but it doesn't explain the patches all over the city, many of which have been there for years.

If the City does the repair, they will do it properly (for instance, a concrete base prior to a top layer of asphalt). That extra cost, plus the penalty, is really what the utilities are trying to avoid. And to be fair, the City has really only started clamping down on the utility cuts in the past 6 or 7 years. Any cuts from before that are really liable to fall apart quickly.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
If the City does the repair, they will do it properly (for instance, a concrete base prior to a top layer of asphalt). That extra cost, plus the penalty, is really what the utilities are trying to avoid. And to be fair, the City has really only started clamping down on the utility cuts in the past 6 or 7 years. Any cuts from before that are really liable to fall apart quickly.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

I thought the money for the repair had to be held in Trust and the City often does the repair (vs the contractor). Regardless of who does the repair, it first needs to have a quick fix to let the ground settle for a few months before the final repair can happen.

The city does not do a good job fixing potholes or repairs. Inevitably due to the freeze/thaw cycle it will break up in a few years. I wish the city invested in this type of truck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAV-RZlyNNo

to allow a longer life span of repairs (and in the long run will mean they don't have to repave entire streets as often).
 
Yesterday I was at York and Bremner with friend of mine who took pictures of asphalt patches and tweeted them to the City, he told me that depending on how old the patches are, the city reminds the utility responsible to fix it the way it was originally. He had seen few cases that the problem had been resolved soon after he sends the pictures.
 
Yesterday I was at York and Bremner with friend of mine who took pictures of asphalt patches and tweeted them to the City, he told me that depending on how old the patches are, the city reminds the utility responsible to fix it the way it was originally. He had seen few cases that the problem had been resolved soon after he sends the pictures.

In the case of York and Bremner I believe there's more work around there to come....including a cut-and-cover for a tunnel crossing York st right?. There wouldn't be much point fixing those patches until that's done.
 
Any utility that does work in a public boulevard MUST return the boulevard to the condition it was in prior to the work done. The utilities are allowed to leave it in a temporary state after if they intend to come back and complete the work, but if the City has to do the repair they then will bill the utility for the cost of the work plus a premium.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Never. Ever. Happens.
 
Yesterday I was at York and Bremner with friend of mine who took pictures of asphalt patches and tweeted them to the City, he told me that depending on how old the patches are, the city reminds the utility responsible to fix it the way it was originally. He had seen few cases that the problem had been resolved soon after he sends the pictures.

The City is quick, sometimes by noon the next day you'll find it fixed. And you don't even need photos, just tell them the address or general location.

Having said that, I can't say the situation is really 'fixed'. The patch still looks cruddy, and within a week will be back to its sunken old self. I think one of my biggest pet peeves in TO is the appearance of our roads and streetscapes.
 
Here's the latest from Queens Quay and Bay on Thursday March 30th.

Concrete poured in the intersection. Awaiting asphalt.

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Painting nice diagonal lines on road.

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Oh and hello what's this? A big patch already in the new section. Lovely.

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(in fairness at least this one looks like it's done properly.
 

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Sounds nice, Dan, but it doesn't explain the patches all over the city, many of which have been there for years.
I'm not sure I get this issue. In my neighbourhood I see them poke holes in for various thing, and then do temporary patching with asphalt. Then come back later and replace the pieces of sidewalk with concrete, or do permanent paving.

Sometimes a poorly timed patch will be there for a while before the next annual go-around.

Meanwhile, i was wandering down King downtown yesterday, and I saw similar permanent repairs going on to paving stones.

I'm not sure where it is in the city that this isn't happening. It certainly isn't as bad as I see in other cities. Manhattan the sidewalks are in surprisingly poor shape. And I don't think they comprehend the concept of not having tripping hazards in Vancouver where sidewalks look as though no one has done repairs to differentially settled pieces in decades.
 
Here's the latest from Queens Quay and Bay on Thursday March 30th.


Oh and hello what's this? A big patch already in the new section. Lovely. (in fairness at least this one looks like it's done properly.


Actually, I think this is simply the (newly poured) asphalt end of the MGT. They needed to leave it until after they finished the granite.
 
In the case of York and Bremner I believe there's more work around there to come....including a cut-and-cover for a tunnel crossing York st right?. There wouldn't be much point fixing those patches until that's done.

The asphalt patch I mentioned earlier is in front of Telus, at the North/East corner of York and Bremner.
 
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(in fairness at least this one looks like it's done properly.

On this corner we used to have 3 hot dog vendors, Chinese, Iranian and Greek owners. The Chinese were removed when construction started, Those who are gone were very clean. Now only the Greek guy is present, his work station is unbelievably dirty and the granite around him is covered with grease, usually there is garbage around him and his rusty van you see in the picture. I don't know how this is allowed to continue. How health inspectors let him work and how people can eat food from him.
 
^^^^ Was this the same guy that got in trouble for sleeping on his hotdogs at night? He was homeless or something and would use the buns for a pillow at night. There was a big CityTV exposé on him or something.
 
Fresh trees going in now. Let's hope they survive!

(Apologies for the reflection of the office radiator in the top)

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Totally agree with your observations re: the hot dog guys. I hadn't had any street meat in months and the nice weather had me itching for a sausage. They were the only stand open on Queens Quay, and I wasn't feeling like trekking any further for a lowly sausage. Boy, was I disappointed. The condiments were a mess, and the sausage was reheated from a pre-grilled batch that was probably sitting there on top for an hour. Of course, one doesn't go looking for 'quality' when it comes to street meat, but some degree of cleanliness and preparation would have been appreciated. :p
 
New road being poured! Utility companies speak now or forever hold your peace!

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