Transit expansion in Toronto, but nothing for the downtown

[CapitalSeven]

It's unwise to rely on Toronto Star articles, and especially their maps, as a guide to transportation plans. Waterfront Toronto is talking about 8 lanes, or at the limit 10. Talk of 12 lanes is calculated to generate hostility to the idea.

 

[gweed123]

That was the only source I could find in a pinch. I had read the City of Toronto plan, which including renderings and the like, and it stated 10. I tried to find it, but I couldn't. Whether it's 8 or 10 or 12 is relatively insignificant to this debate anyways, the fact is it's a really big, at-grade roadway.

 

[Second_in_pie]

2) The HOV lanes: The reason why HOV lanes are "empty" most of the time is because they're randomly scattered across the GTA. There is no coherent, seamless network of HOV lanes, and therefore they aren't enough of an incentive to make a valid reasoning to switch to carpooling. If you had HOV lanes on the 401, Gardiner, DVP, etc etc etc, then there may be more people willing to switch to carpooling to use them. A few lanes on the 403 doesn't do much when you have to wait in traffic anyways to merge onto the QEW or 401.

This is a big one to me too. I find it rather weird that you can go in the HOV lane on the 404, then turn through the HOV tunnel and on to a regular highway lane on the 401, normally in brutal traffic. It kind of breaks the flow in feeling good about carpooling if you ask me.

 

[gweed123]

This is a big one to me too. I find it rather weird that you can go in the HOV lane on the 404, then turn through the HOV tunnel and on to a regular highway lane on the 401, normally in brutal traffic. It kind of breaks the flow in feeling good about carpooling if you ask me.

Although I can see the reasoning for this. A project as big as implementing HOV lanes on every highway in the GTA will take time. It has to be phased somehow. Somewhere has to be first, somewhere as to be last.

 

[Translude15]

While much of Chicago's waterfront is spectacular, some big parts of it aren't. Much of the waterfront between Ontario St and the Gold Coast is nothing more than a concrete path between the highway and the water. Not very accessible or pleasant. I think the Harbourfront redesign in Toronto, with the wavedecks, new bridges, and Queen's Quay redesign, will be pretty spectacular as well.

MisterF, sure the area you speak of has the highway right up against the water, but it only spans a distance of about 2 km. That isn't exactly a big part of the waterfront. Chicago's navy pier also lies just east of Ontario St., and to the north of this "unpleasant" gap is South Lagoon and an abundance of parks. Such an occurence doesn't illegitimize their waterfront in the slightest. It's visibilly appealing and also contains numerous attraction for people to flock to, something Toronto's has not quite accomplished.

Undoubtedly, Chicago's waterfront far exceeds Toronto's in terms of progress and beauty. I really hope the Harbourfront and Don Lands redesigns go through as planned however. The proposals looks quite spectacular as you mentioned, and this city and its people deserve a waterfront to take pride in.