Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[Admiral Beez]

The Humber Gap has a new name and is apparently proceeding after the Golf course nearby finally agreed.

What? No Sankofa Gap?

 

[UntitledCyclist]

Weston Loop

www.westonloop.com

The Humber Gap has a new name and is apparently proceeding after the Golf course nearby finally agreed.

View attachment 611326

This is so interesting. This apear to be a joint project of council, the Weston residents association and developers. I'm guessing the slick website and branding comes from the latter. Look like they are counting on this as an attractive sell for home and condo buyers.

Notably, TRCA is not listed on the website as being any part of this. Which is eyebrow raising.

Not sure what happened to the BlogTO link you initially had in here, but here it is.

I'm unclear when the golf course backtracked on their opposition. The most recent article I could find on it from this past April, when the club was still claiming "mass fatalities" could occur if the trail ran through their course.

Like others I'm sure, I'm skeptical about the outsized role developers seem to be playing here – and often do – in nominally public projects. They hold too much power and sway and have the ear of the political elites, especially at Queen's Park. If it gets it done, I suppose ends justify means, but I'm ashamed to live in a city that can't simply get projects done for the public good without having big, wealthy developers involved to grease the skids (or at least not logjam things).

I'm also trying to parse their claim it will be a "4 km trail." The Mid-Humber Gap between the staircase below Mallaby Park and the enrance to the trail north of there is about 800m. So the new trail through the golf course wouldn't be much more than 1km. I guess they are including the already existing trail north and south of the gap, in their measurement, because they are branding it as a newly interconnected set of parks. Whatever. Sell the sizzle!

(Also learning that cheatin' Frances Nunziata has a cool "FN" logo for branding purposes. I guess when you've been around as long as she has, why not?)

 

[robmausser]

This is so interesting. This apear to be a joint project of council, the Weston residents association and developers. I'm guessing the slick website and branding comes from the latter. Look like they are counting on this as an attractive sell for home and condo buyers.

Notably, TRCA is not listed on the website as being any part of this. Which is eyebrow raising.

Not sure what happened to the BlogTO link you initially had in here, but here it is.

I'm unclear when the golf course backtracked on their opposition. The most recent article I could find on it from this past April, when the club was still claiming "mass fatalities" could occur if the trail ran through their course.

Like others I'm sure, I'm skeptical about the outsized role developers seem to be playing here – and often do – in nominally public projects. They hold too much power and sway and have the ear of the political elites, especially at Queen's Park. If it gets it done, I suppose ends justify means, but I'm ashamed to live in a city that can't simply get projects done for the public good without having big, wealthy developers involved to grease the skids (or at least not logjam things).

I'm also trying to parse their claim it will be a "4 km trail." The Mid-Humber Gap between the staircase below Mallaby Park and the enrance to the trail north of there is about 800m. So the new trail through the golf course wouldn't be much more than 1km. I guess they are including the already existing trail north and south of the gap, in their measurement, because they are branding it as a newly interconnected set of parks. Whatever. Sell the sizzle!

(Also learning that cheatin' Frances Nunziata has a cool "FN" logo for branding purposes. I guess when you've been around as long as she has, why not?)
View attachment 611327

All good info thanks. And yes, I agree, this is such a vital piece of infrastructure to the trail system, and the Pan Am Path etc etc, and it sounded like for a long time it was going to be stalled. If it requires the might of some developers with deep pockets to get it to happen, so be it.

Also to mention, its not uncommon for trails to be built by the city that go through a park and not be part of the TRCA or have their involvement, although they are usually the ones championing for more path networks than even the city is planning to build.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

All good info thanks. And yes, I agree, this is such a vital piece of infrastructure to the trail system, and the Pan Am Path etc etc, and it sounded like for a long time it was going to be stalled. If it requires the might of some developers with deep pockets to get it to happen, so be it.

Also to mention, its not uncommon for trails to be built by the city that go through a park and not be part of the TRCA or have their involvement, although they are usually the ones championing for more path networks than even the city is planning to build.

Thanks, and yes I always am a bit unsure of TRCA's exact role in the trail systems. They seem to be most fully engaged in things like creek remediation, flood prevention, rewilding of ravines, removing invasives, etc. When it comes to actually building and maintaining trails though I've often found the people I've spoken to there try to pass me on to the city. It varies though, for example they seem to be fully engaged with the (long delayed) completion of the East Don Trail. I suppose it's a complex web of agency roles and responsibilities in Toronto. I'm just on the outside trying to look in!

 

[Northern Light]

Thanks, and yes I always am a bit unsure of TRCA's exact role in the trail systems. They seem to be most fully engaged in things like creek remediation, flood prevention, rewilding of ravines, removing invasives, etc. When it comes to actually building and maintaining trails though I've often found the people I've spoken to there try to pass me on to the city. It varies though, for example they seem to be fully engaged with the (long delayed) completion of the East Don Trail. I suppose it's a complex web of agency roles and responsibilities in Toronto. I'm just on the outside trying to look in!

A few bits of the puzzle for you.

1) The TRCA owns most of the ravine lands in the City (not all though)

2) By mutual agreement the City of Toronto 'manages' those lands as City of Toronto parkland.

3) The TRCA generally manages and/or does technical supporting work for most EAs in ravine lands.

4) The TRCA does have crews that can build trail, but not that many, and their work is fully subscribed, so the actual construction is most often tendered to the private sector.

****

In general, with some exceptions, on projects inside the City; the City of Toronto is the nominal project manager, while the TRCA is technical support as required.

However, as the land owner, and more importantly the regulator of all land use within regulatory floodplains, the TRCA does have a material influence on what projects look like, whenever they choose to exercise that influence.

****

Projects involving mitigating erosion can be led by either the TRCA or Toronto Water, both of whom have relevant expertise. Though Toronto Water tends to apply this directly to river/creek banks, with an eye to protecting their own infrastructure (sewers and water mains)

TRCA tends to lead projects involving large slope instability as well as shoreline work along Lake Ontario.

 

[UntitledCyclist]

A few bits of the puzzle for you.

1) The TRCA owns most of the ravine lands in the City (not all though)

2) By mutual agreement the City of Toronto 'manages' those lands as City of Toronto parkland.

3) The TRCA generally manages and/or does technical supporting work for most EAs in ravine lands.

4) The TRCA does have crews that can build trail, but not that many, and their work is fully subscribed, so the actual construction is most often tendered to the private sector.

****

In general, with some exceptions, on projects inside the City; the City of Toronto is the nominal project manager, while the TRCA is technical support as required.

However, as the land owner, and more importantly the regulator of all land use within regulatory floodplains, the TRCA does have a material influence on what projects look like, whenever they choose to exercise that influence.

That is very helpful information and context, thank you!

 

[Towered]

This is so interesting. This apear to be a joint project of council, the Weston residents association and developers. I'm guessing the slick website and branding comes from the latter. Look like they are counting on this as an attractive sell for home and condo buyers.

Notably, TRCA is not listed on the website as being any part of this. Which is eyebrow raising.

Not sure what happened to the BlogTO link you initially had in here, but here it is.

I'm unclear when the golf course backtracked on their opposition. The most recent article I could find on it from this past April, when the club was still claiming "mass fatalities" could occur if the trail ran through their course.

Like others I'm sure, I'm skeptical about the outsized role developers seem to be playing here – and often do – in nominally public projects. They hold too much power and sway and have the ear of the political elites, especially at Queen's Park. If it gets it done, I suppose ends justify means, but I'm ashamed to live in a city that can't simply get projects done for the public good without having big, wealthy developers involved to grease the skids (or at least not logjam things).

I'm also trying to parse their claim it will be a "4 km trail." The Mid-Humber Gap between the staircase below Mallaby Park and the enrance to the trail north of there is about 800m. So the new trail through the golf course wouldn't be much more than 1km. I guess they are including the already existing trail north and south of the gap, in their measurement, because they are branding it as a newly interconnected set of parks. Whatever. Sell the sizzle!

(Also learning that cheatin' Frances Nunziata has a cool "FN" logo for branding purposes. I guess when you've been around as long as she has, why not?)
View attachment 611327

Who designed Frances's logo? Deco Labels and Tags?

 

[JasonParis]

Frances Nunziata,
Your logo's no strata,
Of design that's divine—it’s more like a splata.