Mayor John Tory's Toronto

[JWBF]

You think we are going to build the Champs-Elysees in Toronto? We have a ton of 8 lane roads in Toronto and they are used for a lone sidewalk with the backs of houses facing them, I can't blame Tory for looking at current conditions.

Yes, I can. Each situation is different, status quo is not a solution.

 

[nfitz]

You think we are going to build the Champs-Elysees in Toronto? We have a ton of 8 lane roads in Toronto and they are used for a lone sidewalk with the backs of houses facing them, I can't blame Tory for looking at current conditions.

I've certainly sat on sidewalks on congested 10 and 12 lane roads in suburban Seoul sat sipping a beer. Tory should get out more ...

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

You think we are going to build the Champs-Elysees in Toronto? We have a ton of 8 lane roads in Toronto and they are used for a lone sidewalk with the backs of houses facing them, I can't blame Tory for looking at current conditions.

And that's why you have 8-lane roads without cafés. It's also, for the hundredth time, misdirection, as in neither the remove nor maintain plans did anyone say they were putting a restaurant on Lakeshore. So what's that argument about?

 

[ttk77]

You think we are going to build the Champs-Elysees in Toronto? We have a ton of 8 lane roads in Toronto and they are used for a lone sidewalk with the backs of houses facing them, I can't blame Tory for looking at current conditions.

The point is that we can build what we want. There's no reason we can't have a tree lined boulevard with interesting shops and cafes.

 

[Videodrome]

GREAT SCOTT! ‏@ScottScottyp8 21s21 seconds ago
Congrats to @CP24! Seems they've discovered all kinds of TO city councillors to interview about the Gardiner. #TOpoli #theywereALWAYSthere

It only took until Rob was sidelined to do that...

 

[salsa]

So Tory is saying no one would ever want to sit at an outdoor cafe sipping their coffee next to a congested 8 lane road.

He's not entirely wrong, but it's not like University Ave, Highway 7 East or University St in Montreal are particularly vibrant either, and that's fine. As a pedestrian I would much rather cross a landscaped boulevard than this:

However the real impact of the Gardiner will be in the Keating Channel area. A waterfront promenade is supposed to be built here, but this highway is not gonna be pretty to look at, will create lots of noise, and reduce air quality. Don't expect a lot of patios and coffee sipping here either.

The mayor talks about an opportunity to create something truly unique under the highway as was done in other great cities of the world (most of whom also don't slavishly favour cars above all else). I'll believe it when I see a motion from Tory or DMW to spend money towards beautifying the Gardiner. Considering that his opinion on the $1M Luminous Veil (which is fully funded and paid for as part of the Pan Am Games) is that he'd "prefer that money be spent on something else", I have little reason to believe he will care enough to follow through on this. He will be out of office long before the area starts to develop anyway. But isn't it interesting that the mayor has no vision for what Lakeshore Blvd can become, but somehow sees an opportunity to create something nice with the space under the Gardiner. Regardless, there's a lot more that could have been done if the Gardiner wasn't there. I was at the Rideau Canal in Ottawa last summer, and not once did it cross my mind that "hey, wouldn't it be really cool if there was an elevated highway right next to the water! That would be so unique!".

 

[salsa]

Check out this 1 minute video of what the mayor had to say about the gardiner two years ago. He supported tearing it down or burying it, said it's an investment that should be done "even if the cost is huge". I don't understand why he changed so much from the old days.

[video=youtube;RE1IAdiEWZw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE1IAdiEWZw[/video]

 

[Jimmi T]

Check out this 1 minute video of what the mayor had to say about the gardiner two years ago. He supported tearing it down or burying it, said it's an investment that should be done "even if the cost is huge". I don't understand why he changed so much from the old days.

I used to listen to his show every day. He talked all the time about the need to be bold and bury the Gardiner. It'd cost a fortune though.

 

[Tuscani01]

However the real impact of the Gardiner will be in the Keating Channel area. A waterfront promenade is supposed to be built here, but this highway is not gonna be pretty to look at, will create lots of noise, and reduce air quality. Don't expect a lot of patios and coffee sipping here either.

I'd agree with that if there wasn't already a patio on the Keating Channel. It's actually quite pleasant, and you don't get lots of noise.

 

[ttk77]

So it looks like the committee decided to send the Gardiner decision on to council without providing a recommendation.

 

[JWBF]

So it looks like the committee decided to send the Gardiner decision on to council without providing a recommendation.

Cowards.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Cowards.

This is going to be a huge bunfight at Council. The staff presented without recommendation, the committee also. Quite frankly, as long as Council actually votes on it and gets things moving, it might actually be a better thing that there's no recommendation, so Ford/Mammo/et al have to have an opinion rather than being a hero by opposing someone else's recommendation.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

There is a huge taxi protest at city hall right now. Cabs are parked on Bay and Queens and abandoned. Big traffic jam, sea of honking.

 

[PinkLucy]

There is a huge taxi protest at city hall right now. Cabs are parked on Bay and Queens and abandoned. Big traffic jam, sea of honking.

And in today's Uber news: http://www.thestar.com/business/201...-lunch-delivery-service-in-downtown-core.html

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

There is a huge taxi protest at city hall right now. Cabs are parked on Bay and Queens and abandoned. Big traffic jam, sea of honking.

Is that their way returning their licenses? *snicker* Not a fan of Uber and its' practices, but I do think that it points to the way of how taxi service should be provided in the future. In any case, the whole industry is ripe for disruption, and the worst for the drivers is yet to come (i.e. driverless vehicles).

AoD