Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[nfitz]

Thank you, @DSCToronto. I’m aware that east Jarvis raised tracks are not installed despite the plan. My suspicion is that the local opposition of a very few grumpy old cats called the minster and the hell who else to stop it. So that way how it’s installed on the Esplanade it’s still “temporary”. Sad!

However, I see in the city construction plan, but not in the construction notice that the cycle track should go all the way to Yonge St. and being constructed now. Is this still the case? I don’t see any activities which concerns me.

Perhaps there's other issues. There is (or was) some serious soil contamination in the soil in the northwest corner of that park at Jarvis/Esplanade - where the schoolground is. I assume there's been some soil work and remediation as part of this work? I haven't been down there recently.

 

[DSCToronto]

Thank you, @DSCToronto. I’m aware that east Jarvis raised tracks are not installed despite the plan. My suspicion is that the local opposition of a very few grumpy old cats called the minster and the hell who else to stop it. So that way how it’s installed on the Esplanade it’s still “temporary”. Sad!

However, I see in the city construction plan, but not in the construction notice that the cycle track should go all the way to Yonge St. and being constructed now. Is this still the case? I don’t see any activities which concerns me.

Patience, patience. I understand it may end/start at Scott due to conflict with Green P exit/entrance and garage to BackStage. The SLNA is a strong supporter of The Esplanade raised track and I have no doubt it will be done.

 

[DSCToronto]

Perhaps there's other issues. There is (or was) some serious soil contamination in the soil in the northwest corner of that park at Jarvis/Esplanade - where the schoolground is. I assume there's been some soil work and remediation as part of this work? I haven't been down there recently.

First I heard about this and I think I might have. What is your source? There was contamination in/under Market Wharf (west side of Lower Jarvis south of The Esplanade) which is why they do not have an underground garage but I never heard of anything at the park in front of the school. That block is part of the David Crombie Park rehab project where work is to start later this summer or fall..

 

[Admiral Beez]

Lower Don Trail update and more $$

GG18.9 - Amendment to Purchase Order Number 6042899 with DTAH for Professional Landscape Architecture Services during Design and Contract Administration of the Phase 2 of Lower Don Trail Improvements for Parks, Forestry and Recreation​

Consideration Type: ACTION
Wards: 13 - Toronto Centre, 14 - Toronto - Danforth

Origin​

(November 5, 2024) Report from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the Chief Procurement Officer

SEE: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/gg/bgrd/backgroundfile-249997.pdf

This looks like another City Project which was poorly thought out initially; having eight requests for more $$ seems excessive to me!

The original purchase order value was issued on February 23, 2016 in the amount of$76,954 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($78,308 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) for the feasibility study of a sloped path connecting the pedestrian bridge at Riverdale Park to the trail, to complete hydraulic modeling and initial coordination with Metrolinx. This is the eighth amendment to the purchase order since 2015 and is required to redesign the foundation of the sloped path using steel piles due to challenging soil conditions and the associated increase in construction duration. Additionally, the trail crosses over an old Toronto Water trunk sewer chamber, which requires a structural assessment of the chamber. Prior Purchase Order Amendments are outlined in Attachment 1.Currently, the construction is approximately 30 per cent complete and the project will be completed in July 2025. The project has faced significant challenges due to its proximity to the Metrolinx rail track, its location within Don River flood zone, and poor soil conditions. Following the amendment of the purchase order, the professional services fees for the detailed design and contract administration will be 7.8 percent of the total construction cost, which is $12.7 million. The total fee is below the Ontario Association of Landscape Architect suggested guidelines, which suggest a range of 10 to12percentof the construction cost.

The website (see below) was last updated in Oct 2024, and still shows a completion date of July 2025, so next month, smh.

Lower Don River Trail Improvements

The Lower Don River Trail is undergoing improvements to upgrade accessibility, mitigate erosion and flooding from the Don River, resolve drainage issues and enhance overall trail connections.

www.toronto.ca

I am glad to finally see some workers preparing the footings and installation of the ramp. Best I can tell, the rest of the path is untouched since its destruction and grading from some years ago.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

I'm curious what could be in the soil that would prevent digging a parking garage? Uranium-235? Maybe heavy metals from prior industrial use? I can see concerns around a schoolyard or park, but what is so dangerous that it can't be dug up for a garage?

I suppose they'd be thinking about leachate getting into the structure during flooding and how that could impact health long term of structure users?

This 2010 Globe article states the Market Wharf development actually used their parking structure to "cap" the contaminated soil there as opposed to removing or treating it.

It seems as though they built the parking structure above-ground and ringed it with wraparound units in the "podium" part of the building. Clever.

 

[bearcat]

 

[TwoWheelPoli]

Finally some good news about the proposed Davenport Greenway along the Barrie GO line. Early works are expected to start this week, though I'm not sure where BlogTO is getting their bit about 2026 completion from since it wasn't mentioned in the Metrolinx slides.

Toronto's huge new linear park under a rail line is finally happening

After what consisted of seemingly endless delays, construction is finally underway on the Davenport Diamond Greenway — soon to be a favourite among T…

www.blogto.com

And here are the Metrolinx slides for a more official source.

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Documents/Metrolinx/Davenport_Diamond_Greenway.pdf

 

[Carpe Diem]

The website (see below) was last updated in Oct 2024, and still shows a completion date of July 2025, so next month, smh.

Lower Don River Trail Improvements

The Lower Don River Trail is undergoing improvements to upgrade accessibility, mitigate erosion and flooding from the Don River, resolve drainage issues and enhance overall trail connections.

www.toronto.ca

I am glad to finally see some workers preparing the footings and installation of the ramp. Best I can tell, the rest of the path is untouched since its destruction and grading from some years ago.

I check on this project frequently either by riding up Bayview and having a look, or off one of the bridges, or by riding the northern section of trail south. Last night I went to check out the Cudmore Creek Trailhead which is now complete and open, then ducked down to see if there was any progress. No one has been working on the site for most of June. The footings have been done for a while, my best guess is they are waiting for the parts to the staircases and ramp to install. A separate crew is painting the pedestrian bridge from Riverdale East to West Parks, and the staircase down. No other work currently though. Visually it appears that once the stairs and ramp arrive and are installed, paving and planting would be all that remain.

 

[DSCToronto]

I check on this project frequently either by riding up Bayview and having a look, or off one of the bridges, or by riding the northern section of trail south. Last night I went to check out the Cudmore Creek Trailhead which is now complete and open, then ducked down to see if there was any progress. No one has been working on the site for most of June. The footings have been done for a while, my best guess is they are waiting for the parts to the staircases and ramp to install. A separate crew is painting the pedestrian bridge from Riverdale East to West Parks, and the staircase down. No other work currently though. Visually it appears that once the stairs and ramp arrive and are installed, paving and planting would be all that remain.

Yes, this is yet another example of a PFR project that appears to be amazingly poorly planned and managed. First they discovered that areas of the bank of the Don were unstable (who would have suspected that?), then they needed more $$$ and now they seem to be on hold while the ramps are built. The City just 'parted ways' with the Director of PFR but, though I know of some very dedicated PFR staff, I think the rot is far more extensive.

 

[Northern Light]

Yes, this is yet another example of a PFR project that appears to be amazingly poorly planned and managed. First they discovered that areas of the bank of the Don were unstable (who would have suspected that?), then they needed more $$$ and now they seem to be on hold while the ramps are built. The City just 'parted ways' with the Director of PFR but, though I know of some very dedicated PFR staff, I think the rot is far more extensive.

Its not even 'rot' exactly, I mean, big department, there is some of that.

But this is where good people end up in untenable mires of processes; where a culture of butt-covering and soft peddling make it a challenge to correct mistakes......and where frankly people are promoted beyond their ability/qualifications.

On the latter, sometimes a boss can rightly identify someone who is a good leaner and will quickly grow into a job with new challenges.......but that's not what we're talking about here...

 

[DSCToronto]

Its not even 'rot' exactly, I mean, big department, there is some of that.

But this is where good people end up in untenable mires of processes; where a culture of butt-covering and soft peddling make it a challenge to correct mistakes......and where frankly people are promoted beyond their ability/qualifications.

On the latter, sometimes a boss can rightly identify someone who is a good leaner and will quickly grow into a job with new challenges.......but that's not what we're talking about here...

Yes, I have seen PFR people who seemed to be very good thoughtful managers trying (successfully) to escape to other City divisions as working in PFR was a constant struggle against 'sludge'.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

Yes, this is yet another example of a PFR project that appears to be amazingly poorly planned and managed. First they discovered that areas of the bank of the Don were unstable (who would have suspected that?), then they needed more $$$ and now they seem to be on hold while the ramps are built. The City just 'parted ways' with the Director of PFR but, though I know of some very dedicated PFR staff, I think the rot is far more extensive.

Don't forget in the earlier stages of this project, the city awarded the tender in 2021 to a contractor who was entirely unable to do the work. So they had to cancel the contract and retender it. This set the process back nearly two years, as work didn't really begin until 2023. Hard to say where the main fault lies there, obviously with the contractor, but the city awards these bids so who pulled the trigger on that?

 

[DSCToronto]

Don't forget in the earlier stages of this project, the city awarded the tender in 2021 to a contractor who was entirely unable to do the work. So they had to cancel the contract and retender it. This set the process back nearly two years, as work didn't really begin until 2023. Hard to say where the main fault lies there, obviously with the contractor, but the city awards these bids so who pulled the trigger on that?

As it is a PFR Project, they are ultimately responsible - or, as it's PFR, irresponsible!

 

[Northern Light]

Don't forget in the earlier stages of this project, the city awarded the tender in 2021 to a contractor who was entirely unable to do the work. So they had to cancel the contract and retender it. This set the process back nearly two years, as work didn't really begin until 2023. Hard to say where the main fault lies there, obviously with the contractor, but the city awards these bids so who pulled the trigger on that?

There is a limited amount I can say about the 2021 debacles except to say concerns were raised internally at the time.

 

[robmausser]

Finally some good news about the proposed Davenport Greenway along the Barrie GO line. Early works are expected to start this week, though I'm not sure where BlogTO is getting their bit about 2026 completion from since it wasn't mentioned in the Metrolinx slides.

Toronto's huge new linear park under a rail line is finally happening

After what consisted of seemingly endless delays, construction is finally underway on the Davenport Diamond Greenway — soon to be a favourite among T…

www.blogto.com

And here are the Metrolinx slides for a more official source.

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Documents/Metrolinx/Davenport_Diamond_Greenway.pdf

Would be nice if this was able to continue down to Dundas and connect to the Railpath extension going into downtown. But maybe its too tight there as the elevation stops.

Hopefully they will make some kind of connection to Earlscourt Park in the north, which now has a trail through it that Google Maps again refuses to show but is visible in streetview.

One could then bike through the cemetery up to Eglinton.