Riverdale

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I don't think it's one of the nicest streets. It jut seems to command top dollar. I have looked at houses in Riverdale and Bain has always been a popular street. Maybe it just sticks out more than the others.

I used to live on Bain, and there's been some nice renos, so maybe that's part of it. But there's not a lot of houses in total due to the school and co-op and I don't think it gets a better bid than, some of the bidding wars in Prime Riverdale on Hogarth or on Logan across from the park.

 

[TheKingEast]

I used to live on Bain, and there's been some nice renos, so maybe that's part of it. But there's not a lot of houses in total due to the school and co-op and I don't think it gets a better bid than, some of the bidding wars in Prime Riverdale on Hogarth or on Logan across from the park.

Logan and DeGrassi I don't even bother with. LOL. The bidding wars on those streets are crazy.

 

[riverdaler]

this seems crazy. I live on Bain and have never noticed a problem with the volume or speed of traffic. The stats on their website don't seem to indicate much of a problem either http://www.myriverdale.ca/statistics

I've emailed Paula fletcher asking a few clarifying questions about this but have yet to hear any response.

 

[Toronto Rocks]

this seems crazy. I live on Bain and have never noticed a problem with the volume or speed of traffic. The stats on their website don't seem to indicate much of a problem either http://www.myriverdale.ca/statistics

I've emailed Paula fletcher asking a few clarifying questions about this but have yet to hear any response.

We are all on side for a few more speed bumps if needed for safety and Kudos to them. They sent a lot of time on this issue and the website.

However they did not qualify the stats. It appears the traffic stats they quoted are monthly stats which seems reasonable. If they were daily stats we would all notice the extra traffic.

There are also three laneways that Riverdale and Langley residents both share that are only accessible mid-block,s so those homeowners on both street need to travel on both streets to enter or exit their homes/laneways.

According to the website Fletcher is "guiding" the group. I wonder why the good councilor is not sharing this information directly with the majority of homeowners, who will be affected by potential changes, and who just happen to live on the other streets.

 

[nfitz]

We are all on side for a few more speed bumps if needed for safety and Kudos to them.

Not sure how speedbumps help safety. Between the drivers that slow down to 20 km/hr for a 40 km/hr bump, risking the person behind bumping into them; the drivers that try to pass the speedbump in a parking lane (which has scared the hell out of me as a pedestrian!, and confused me when I've been behind a car that I thought was pulling over), and those that don't slow down at all, it seems like a bad idea. I thought it was long-since concluded that speed bumps were not a great idea. Adding parking on both sides of streets, bump-outs, etc., are far more effective.

As perhaps would police enforcement of speeds and stop signs ... though difficult for them to enforce, given how little attention they pay to them!

 

[DarnDirtyApe]

Yeah, just add parking on both sides of the street! Residents have more parking, and drivers have to slow down because the road has effectively become a narrow one lane road. It's a win-win!

 

[Skeezix]

I agree with that, depending on how its done. If you simply implement parking on both sides, when all the nearby spaces are taken (i.e. most of the time) it becomes difficult for residents to stop temporarily in front of their homes to drop people off, pick something up, help elderly family members into the car, etc. Taxis need to block the road when they wait for a fare. Delivery vehicles also stop traffic completely for as much time as is needed for them to make the delivery and get the signature. Etc. etc. etc. All those events happen a lot more than one thinks. The idea of two-side parking is appealing on its face, but it carries with it its own set of frustrations.

Having small sections of the street with two-side parking might work, as that would still (depending on the design) provide nearby spaces for temporary stopping, dropping off, etc. I suspect that is what is meant by the reference to "island parking" in Fletcher's letter.

 

[Toronto Rocks]

Number of Autos

Yeah, just add parking on both sides of the street! Residents have more parking, and drivers have to slow down because the road has effectively become a narrow one lane road. It's a win-win!

The point is how much traffic, do they think is too much?

For example they state the portion of Langley from Howland to Broadview receives 907 vehicles.

Is that 907 vehicles daily? (37 per hour or 1 per each home on the block)
Or weekly, which is 129 vehicles per week)?
Or is the 907 Monthly, which is 30 vehicles per day?

I think most residents are on side with some type of traffic calming, but we need the good Councilor or the "RTG" to qualify the data, so we all can interrupt it the same way.

My other concern is why isn't the good Councilor sharing this information with ALL THE HOMEOWNERS in the affected area (Gerrard to Bain) in advance of the "RTG" recommendations?

 

[Skeezix]

The owner of 529 Danforth, the former home of Menchie's, and Labiri Shoes before that (located between the Fox & Fiddle and Sophia's), has just submitted a building permit application to a install a kitchen exhaust hood. The For Lease just came down from the window, so a restaurant of some kind will soon be appearing in that space.

Surprised Menchie's went belly-up, although I suppose there is only so much demand for ice cream/froyo/gelato on one street.

 

[Toronto Rocks]

We passed by just before 10 p.m. last night. Dead empty.

I am worried that the only businesses that can now come in are the big chains. A Payless. A SportChek. A Keg. A Winners. I am pretty sure these would all be viable.

I have seen the Danforth change so much that I am disheartened. I have always tried to patronize the small indie stores and restos but they are disappearing ...

Just west of Logan there are now three empty spots, Casa Sushi, Patty and Franks and the old Lucky Shop are all closed.

 

[Skeezix]

No great loss there. The old Lucky Shop was a bit of an anachronism, and Casa Sushi right from the get-go seemed like crap (a sushi joint with a name that evokes Spain and Latin America just doesn't seem right). I hadn't noticed that Patty and Franks had closed, but the one time I went there I did wonder how viable it would be.

 

[Ex-Montreal Girl]

No great loss there. The old Lucky Shop was a bit of an anachronism, and Casa Sushi right from the get-go seemed like crap (a sushi joint with a name that evokes Spain and Latin America just doesn't seem right). I hadn't noticed that Patty and Franks had closed, but the one time I went there I did wonder how viable it would be.

So, just west of Gabby's, the old One-Hour Photo shop and a closed place in the adjacent building (I forget what was there) are now gone while a third story and a yellow stucco facade is up. Something about it strikes me as fishy, as in the usual suspects. Anyway I suppose we can expect an improvement.

 

[riverdaler]

Tonight at 7pm at the South Riverdale community health centre the Ward 30 bikes group is hosting a presentation and discussion about how to better connect riverdale to the lake. Student's from Ryerson's school of urban planning have prepared a report that they will present - which will be followed up by discussion. There are more details about the event here: http://ward30bikes.blogspot.ca/2015/02/community-presentation-youre-invited.html

Or you can read the full report here: http://issuu.com/brandonquigley/docs/connecting_greater_riverdale_to_the/1

 

[Skeezix]

Thanks for the link to the report. That's very helpful.

 

[Skeezix]

No great loss there. The old Lucky Shop was a bit of an anachronism, and Casa Sushi right from the get-go seemed like crap (a sushi joint with a name that evokes Spain and Latin America just doesn't seem right). I hadn't noticed that Patty and Franks had closed, but the one time I went there I did wonder how viable it would be.

Casa Sushi is, sadly, still open for business (at least it was on the weekend), serving its hispanic sushi. There was a sign on the door of Patty and Franks, thanking customers and asking people to keep an eye on their website because they might reopen at another location in the next few months. That suggests that they were possibly at an impasse with their landlord over a rent increase or another issue, as opposed to the business having failed.