Roads: Bayview Extension/River Street

[hawc]

Paving southbound this morning. And remember, if you're a construction worker you can just park anywhere. Free parking for you. Include on the grass, well outside of the construction zone.

 

[Skeezix]

That kind of thing drives me crazy. The City needs to impose controls on parking by workers (and off-duty cops) who are working on City road improvements. I've seen cars parked on parkettes, at the base of trees, in naturalized areas crushing vegetation, etc. - parking jobs which would get anyone else a ticket.

As many people know, the City is currently improving Richmond Street between Victoria and York, and it is narrowed to one lane for most of that stretch. Between Victoria and Yonge, the nature of the work until recently allowed the one lane to remain wide enough to still accommodate a separate bike lane and a left-turn lane at Yonge. Not anymore - the lane has been narrowed, so that the bike lane and left turn lane are both gone. Not due to the exigencies of the construction project, but rather to provide more free parking for the road crew.

 

[hawc]

I don't understand why road crews can't use public transit or parking lots for their vehicles. It's not like these are work vehicles. They're personal vehicles that have nothing to do with the job whatsoever.

I've reported parked cars to parking enforcement numerous times. But nothing ever comes of it. Cars are parked there day after day. City doesn't care.

 

[Tuscani01]

I don't understand why road crews can't use public transit or parking lots for their vehicles. It's not like these are work vehicles. They're personal vehicles that have nothing to do with the job whatsoever.

I've reported parked cars to parking enforcement numerous times. But nothing ever comes of it. Cars are parked there day after day. City doesn't care.

I have a lot of family who are in construction and leave home long before transit even starts running. (Not to mention travel quite far to get to work sites). Transit just doesn't work for most.

Asking them to park in proper lots isn't much to ask for though. I see no reason why that doesn't or can't happen.

 

[UserNameToronto]

What is the line in the middle of the road? Is there a channel?

 

[hawc]

One half of the road is paved, one half isn't. That line you're seeing is the dividing between paved and unpaved.

I LOVE A FRESH PAVED ROAD!

 

[DSC]

As many people know, the City is currently improving Richmond Street between Victoria and York, and it is narrowed to one lane for most of that stretch. Between Victoria and Yonge, the nature of the work until recently allowed the one lane to remain wide enough to still accommodate a separate bike lane and a left-turn lane at Yonge. Not anymore - the lane has been narrowed, so that the bike lane and left turn lane are both gone. Not due to the exigencies of the construction project, but rather to provide more free parking for the road crew.

I just walked those blocks. The stretch of the south lane from Church to Victoria is blocked because the Yonge & Rich folk are working and the south sidewalk is closed. The section of south lane from Victoria to Yonge is closed because they are working on the sidewalk on south side. The south lane in the section from Yonge to Bay is blocked due to more sidewalk repairs and because the south lane and sidewalk are totally blocked at Bay. From Bay to York the north lane is being dug up, the centre lane is the new streetcar tracks (being laid) and the south lane is open for traffic. Seems to me that in THIS case they are really not taking more space than necessary.

 

[hawc]

Just called TPS non-emergency number and reported the car as an 'abandoned vehicle left on a grassy median'. They're sending someone to remove it.

 

[DSC]

Just called TPS non-emergency number and reported the car as an 'abandoned vehicle left on a grassy median'. They're sending someone to remove it.

That's a great use of police resources.

 

[hawc]

Parking enforcement resources. They share the same non-emergency number.

 

[WislaHD]

I would like to see a bike lane, even if just painted, extended north all the way to Moore Avenue.

Even a mere painted lane is better than nothing. I hate the idea of taking the Bayview Extension downtown on bike in mixed traffic, but sometimes I bike with other people who don't seem to mind and just care about the quickest way downtown.

 

[Skeezix]

I just walked those blocks. The stretch of the south lane from Church to Victoria is blocked because the Yonge & Rich folk are working and the south sidewalk is closed. The section of south lane from Victoria to Yonge is closed because they are working on the sidewalk on south side. The south lane in the section from Yonge to Bay is blocked due to more sidewalk repairs and because the south lane and sidewalk are totally blocked at Bay. From Bay to York the north lane is being dug up, the centre lane is the new streetcar tracks (being laid) and the south lane is open for traffic. Seems to me that in THIS case they are really not taking more space than necessary.

I am there every day, and was most recently there at lunch. The stretch between Yonge and Victoria until recently still accommodated a bike lane and a left turn lane on the north side, in addition to the one car lane kept open. The bike lane and left turn lane were eliminated to accommodate parking. Unclear how the parked cars help the sidewalk repairs.

 

[DSC]

I am there every day, and was most recently there at lunch. The stretch between Yonge and Victoria until recently still accommodated a bike lane and a left turn lane on the north side, in addition to the one car lane kept open. The bike lane and left turn lane were eliminated to accommodate parking. Unclear how the parked cars help the sidewalk repairs.

When I was there (2pm?) they were digging up the south sidewalk at Cambridge Suites and had workers working and a truck and a digger in the lanes. I agree with you that sometimes (often!) construction folk DO take up too many lanes but not, in my opinion, when I was there today.

 

[Skeezix]

That's great. But there is a row of parked cars to the north of that, which replaced the bike lane and left turn lane. No sure how that's helping the reconstruction of the sidewalk on the other side.

 

[wopchop]

I have a lot of family who are in construction and leave home long before transit even starts running. (Not to mention travel quite far to get to work sites). Transit just doesn't work for most.

Asking them to park in proper lots isn't much to ask for though. I see no reason why that doesn't or can't happen.

There aren't exactly a lot of proper public parking lots in the Don Valley ... are there?