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

Quite frankly, even artificial turf would achieve the visual barrier and aesthetic goals, and be maintenance free. Otherwise, grass block pavers (for turf driveways) are very durable, although I think whether or not they can survive a winter of salting is still an unknown.
 
robmausser said:
I just dont see a version of this without some kind of barrier, albeit even a small knee high fence, between the pedestrian area and streetcar tracks, where QQ is safe. Grass will make the situation worse, because pedestrians will want to walk on it.
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I guess you have to see it in person to understand how it intuitively feels very clear that it's not a place you want to hang out on. Maybe in the same way that people don't set up picnics on random patches of grass in a traffic triangle. It's immediately obvious that it's a train corridor. Barcelona has them, Toulouse as well and another that comes to mind right away is Bilbao. Nobody is sitting on the grass and even as a newcomer to the city, I could tell without thinking that this wasn't some lounging grass.

Here: does this look like a place you'd want to hang out in?

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Even this nicer version of that, does this look inviting to a pedestrian?

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It looks nice, but I wonder about the experience of cities with similar climates to ours. Do they run snowplows over the grass? Are there any issues with the grass itself in winter months?
 
pman said:
It looks nice, but I wonder about the experience of cities with similar climates to ours. Do they run snowplows over the grass? Are there any issues with the grass itself in winter months?
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Wonder if it snows in places like Switzerland, Belgium or Germany? From link.

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Contra said:
I see the yearly "they should use grass on the Queen's Quay streetcar tracks" discussion has started up again.
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That what you get for not doing it right as plan from day one and dealing with clueless drivers who still use the ROW wrong. In some cases, it's drivers who don't give a shit and want to be at the front of the line by bypassing cars waiting in line to go east.
 
Just convert Queens Quay to one way westbound only. It solves a lot of problems including ending up on the ROW cause they can't find the EB lane and entering the tunnel.

Green tracks might backfire on QQ as stupid drivers end up on the grass, pop their tires as it rubs against the tracks and gets disabled.
 
Steve X said:
Just convert Queens Quay to one way westbound only. It solves a lot of problems including ending up on the ROW cause they can't find the EB lane and entering the tunnel.

Green tracks might backfire on QQ as stupid drivers end up on the grass, pop their tires as it rubs against the tracks and gets disabled.
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Every option for driving was look at during the EA with the Bathurst Community wanting both direction due to the back up on the Lake Shore. Traffic count had close to 70% of non resident area using QQ as a drive through and away around the Gardiner mess. License Plates were used to determine where drivers live for the % count. There was just over 600 cars using 2 lanes in each direction and that low number allow 2 lanes to be remove since 1,000 was the number for each lane or 2,000 per direction.

Once the portal gets built on the east side of Bay St, you will have the same issue then as it is today at Bay, but will be straight drive, not the current turn unless the clueless driver thinking turning north on Bay will get them downtown.
 
Steve X said:
Just convert Queens Quay to one way westbound only. It solves a lot of problems including ending up on the ROW cause they can't find the EB lane and entering the tunnel.
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How would that solve the problem? It would only make the problem much worse when drivers see a bunch of westbound lanes, then say oh look, there are some lanes immediately south of those, they must be the eastbound lanes.

This is exactly what happens from drivers turning onto eastbound QQ from Spadina already, somehow they fail to notice the eastbound lanes and go into the ROW instead - I don't think that removing the eastbound lane would prevent that.
 
drum118 said:
Every option for driving was look at during the EA with the Bathurst Community wanting both direction due to the back up on the Lake Shore. Traffic count had close to 70% of non resident area using QQ as a drive through and away around the Gardiner mess. License Plates were used to determine where drivers live for the % count. There was just over 600 cars using 2 lanes in each direction and that low number allow 2 lanes to be remove since 1,000 was the number for each lane or 2,000 per direction.

Once the portal gets built on the east side of Bay St, you will have the same issue then as it is today at Bay, but will be straight drive, not the current turn unless the clueless driver thinking turning north on Bay will get them downtown.
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Doubt cars will end up in the tunnel as much from the east as that is one very wide right turn. Though I agree that it would likely reduce the severity of the issue when cars enter from the west, and if they build up the concrete up to track level along the east-west portion, the cars will be able to drive right through without disruption.
 
max said:
Doubt cars will end up in the tunnel as much from the east as that is one very wide right turn. Though I agree that it would likely reduce the severity of the issue when cars enter from the west, and if they build up the concrete up to track level along the east-west portion, the cars will be able to drive right through without disruption.
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During the EA, TTC wanted bollards along the edge on both side of the ROW, but Waterfront Toronto said no. Same for Cherry St.

Traffic coming out from the south side area going west could end up on the ROW for the eastern section. Have seen cars going east from the south side using the ROW and mostly are smart ass drivers doing it to beat traffic and give you the finger if you say some thing to them about using the ROW. Even to streetcar drivers who honk their horn at them.
 
I don't have that much faith in Torontonians (or North Americans in genera). I can totally see them walking on the grass. :( (And yes, with their dogs no doubt!) I love it, but I just don't know how we can stop stupid people.
 
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