Yonge Street, North York Streetscape Improvements

[DSC]

Isn't he against every project that happens to benefit cyclists, pedestrians or transit users more than drivers?

Yes, but this one seems more 'personal". In many ways it's badge of honour to be opposed by Mammo or some of the others but they DO each have a vote.

 

[junctionist]

If this project goes forward, my morning commute might become longer. But I still support it. John Tory's less contentious plan is both more expensive, and it'll achieve less. Widening the sidewalks and installing bike lanes and lush landscaping will make the street a destination in and of itself. It'll be more desirable to work, live, and visit the area. We need to unlock Yonge Street's potential. Yonge Street in North York's city centre has enough space to be among the city's finest avenues.

 

[amnesiajune]

Yonge Street in North York's city centre has enough space to be among the city's finest avenues.

It already is that. That doesn't mean it can't be improved, but there's no need to talk it down.

 

[junctionist]

It already is that. That doesn't mean it can't be improved, but there's no need to talk it down.

I wouldn't put it on the same level as Queens Quay or Bloor Street in Yorkville. There are too many practical and aesthetic deficiencies. But it could be among the city's finest avenues with the transformation project and quality redevelopment projects.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

This isn't about Feds pouring in over a quarter billion dollars or local BIA picking up a huge tab,.... to create some grand avenue,.... it's about getting it to a state of good repair,.... because it's a dump - as per local Councillor and City Staff.

 

[junctionist]

This isn't about Feds pouring in over a quarter billion dollars or local BIA picking up a huge tab,.... to create some grand avenue,.... it's about getting it to a state of good repair,.... because it's a dump - as per local Councillor and City Staff.

It's more than that. The city wants to enhance the landscaping with a better median and plantings along the reconfigured sidewalks. They want to add bike lanes. We're dealing with a transformative project. A state of good repair project would just repave some sidewalks and resurface the roadway.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

Don't worry,... I'm quite familiar with the project, thanks.

 

[junctionist]

No problem.

 

[amnesiajune]

This isn't about Feds pouring in over a quarter billion dollars or local BIA picking up a huge tab,.... to create some grand avenue,.... it's about getting it to a state of good repair,.... because it's a dump - as per local Councillor and City Staff.

It's more than that. The city wants to enhance the landscaping with a better median and plantings along the reconfigured sidewalks. ... We're dealing with a transformative project. A state of good repair project would just repave some sidewalks and resurface the roadway.

All of these things - resurfaced, reconfigured and wider sidewalks, the extended median, more trees and plants, fixing the 50-year-old road, rebuilt intersections - are happening no matter what the city decides to do. The discussion happening at city hall is just whether the bike lanes will go on Yonge or Beecroft.

 

[junctionist]

All of these things - resurfaced, reconfigured and wider sidewalks, the extended median, more trees and plants, fixing the 50-year-old road, rebuilt intersections - are happening no matter what the city decides to do. The discussion happening at city hall is just whether the bike lanes will go on Yonge or Beecroft.

With the bike-lane plan, there's more space to work with for the landscaped median and sidewalks. It can mean more patio space and bigger planting areas for better pedestrian spaces.

 

[amnesiajune]

With the bike-lane plan, there's more space to work with for the landscaped median and sidewalks. It can mean more patio space and bigger planting areas for better pedestrian spaces.

The city's presentation says the difference in sidewalk space is an average of 30 centimeters. That's not enough for trees or sidewalk patios. (As a side note, I love the loaded wording of "added to each boulevard" versus "increase in sidewalk width")

Patios in particular are just going to be based on whether developers leave space for them. There are a few places on Yonge that already have them, and there's probably a few more coming with new development proposals.

 

[sunnyraytoronto]

But, but, but,... how can that be??? Just look at this "It is not to scale" comparison of 4-lane VS 6-lanes:

See with 4-lanes option, just by converting one little traffic lane to CycleTracks,... we'll get all of that wide pedestrian sidewalk width (already have widest sidewalk in City comparable to University Ave - Hospital Row section!),... with tree-lined curb (already have),... with street furniture (already have),... oh and we'll even get a subway on Yonge (already have!). Why would so many special interest groups from outside the area like CycleToronto with absolutely no local representations be lying to us locals???

 

[amnesiajune]

But, but, but,... how can that be??? Just look at this "It is not to scale" comparison of 4-lane VS 6-lanes:

It's cute how they show a building actually kept within the Secondary Plan's height limits, as if that exists here.

 

[MisterF]

It already is that. That doesn't mean it can't be improved, but there's no need to talk it down.

To me, for a street to be considered one of the city's best avenues it has to have, at a minimum:

• Consistently wide sidewalks made of something better than poured concrete riddled with asphalt patches.
• Planting beds and healthy street trees buffering the sidewalk from the traffic lanes. Think Dundas St next to the Eaton Centre or Michigan Ave in Chicago.
• No overhead wires.
• Infrastructure like traffic signals and streetlights that are nicer than the standard suburban design.

That's just off the top of my head. Yonge Street in North York is none of these things.

It's cute how they show a building actually kept within the Secondary Plan's height limits, as if that exists here.

I don't know what height limits there are in this area, but I actually think that the 3 storeys they show in that diagram is far too short. A wide avenue like this part of Yonge should take a cue from successful grand avenues like Gran Via in Madrid: have buildings go 10 storeys straight up from the sidewalk. The buildings in North York have these dinky two storey podiums that do nothing to provide enclosure to the street. A big street like Yonge needs an unapologetically tall streetwall to help reduce the windswept character of the area. The mostly lacklustre architecture doesn't help.

 

[salsa]

It's cute how they show a building actually kept within the Secondary Plan's height limits, as if that exists here.

Who cares. FYI, short building do indeed exist here.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.7636...6MJCouuwr48I-qxSJzVA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

And a lot of the highrise buildings are set back on a podium of similar height.