Raising the Allen to shoe level
Proposal would see expressway overhauled
Shirley Lin, National Post Published: Friday, February 12, 2010
The Allen Expressway, one of the city's major corridors connecting mid-Toronto to Highway 401, could soon be the subject of a massive redevelopment that would make it more pedestrian-friendly and bring its design more in tune with the residential neighbourhoods it dissects.
The plan is a part of the Lawrence-Allen Revitalization Project, a city initiative that aims to overhaul social housing bordering the expressway in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood, and introduce mixed housing, seniors' residences, condos, commercial space, schools and plazas. The revitalization will take 10 to 15 years to complete.
Raising the trench-like Allen Road to the same level as its surrounding neighbourhood, seemlessly connecting it to crossroads from Lawrence Avenue north to Yorkdale Road, is high on the agenda for the area's councillor, Howard Moscoe.
"I do not prefer the do-nothing option, I can rule that one out," said Mr. Moscoe (Eglinton-Lawrence). "It will be better than it is now. We have significant problems at Allen and Lawrence that need to be addressed and resolved."
This summer, city council will take delivery of the project's final draft plan, one that does please all the local residents. Public meetings to discuss the redevelopment are to begin this month.
If approved, the redevelopment would represent the death knell of the only remnant of the Spadina Expressway, the proposed north-south freeway that was extinguished from the planning boards in 1971 after public opposition led by urban theorist Jane Jacobs and scholar Marshall Mc-Luhan.
An email to residents circulated by opponents to the plan questions whether the expressway redesign is Mr. Moscoe's "last gasp in his war on cars."
"It has long been rumoured that Howard Moscoe has plans to bury the Allen Expressway and replacing it with a boulevard," says the email. "Renaming it as 'Allen Road' was probably the first step, so killing another expressway wouldn't sound so bad. Now, as Howard expects to be defeated for reelection to city council or risks losing his NDP majority on council, are the planned meetings for this project his swan song?"
The study, conducted by Arup Canada, an engineering consulting firm, recommends turning the corridor into a boulevard-like street, raising the entire strip from just south of Lawrence Avenue to Ranee Avenue before Yorkdale Station to make it even with the surrounding landscape. The redesign would require extensive filling.
A single intersection would be created at Lawrence Avenue with a new crossing to Flemington Road and would consist of multiple intersections with pedestrian crossings.
The study warns the redevelopment would come with a high price tag but does not provide a specific dollar amount. Construction costs include decking, relocating the bus terminal at Lawrence West station and adding new walls to support the subway station.
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http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/story.html?id=2552831#ixzz0fMMRB40Q
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