Toronto CityPlace Puente de Luz Bridge | ?m | ?s | Concord Adex | Francisco Gazitua

[ssiguy2]

OMG, that is a horrid looking thing!
When I saw pics of it a while back I thought the yellow steeel was the CRANE to put up the new bridge............honest to god, I really did.
That gaudy looking thing looks like a construction crane put on it's side. I'm not sure what worse, the design or the colour. They want that monstrosity to actually encourage people to cross the railway and get to the Waterfront?

 

[Dandy Horse]

Oh come on, its not that bad, really.

 

[khris]

It really is that bad, actually.

Calgary gets it. This is a bridge that makes me want to walk across:

 

[the lemur]

They want that monstrosity to actually encourage people to cross the railway and get to the Waterfront?

So you'd prefer to walk on Bathurst or Spadina to do that rather than offend your aesthetic sensibilities?

Gift horse, people, gift horse.

 

[the lemur]

Come July I'm going to start walking across it whether it's open or not.

I have a feeling it'll be unofficially in use quite a while before anyone shows up with a ribbon and scissors.

And once people experience the convenience of getting from Portland to Bremner, whether they're on the way to work or out on the town, they might not quibble too much with the appearance of it. Not much to be done about the design, although the look may be softened a bit when the mesh goes on. And I suppose it could be repainted in another colour somewhere down the track.

 

[Mo-tage]

They're nearly done the landscaping work on the cityplace side of the bridge and all the construction debris has been cleaned up. Also the other day I noticed the traffic lights used to access the ramp on front street are now working.

I would say it can't be more than a month away.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Pic taken Apr 11, 2012

While I understand why constructing a staircase on the Front St. side of the bridge would have been difficult, it's absolutely pitiful that something wasn't done to ease bridge access on the south side. A nice half-round staircase to the south and east with the wheelchair ramp extending west wouldn't have cost much more and would have better-connected the bridge to its Cityplace context.

It really is that bad, actually.

Calgary gets it. This is a bridge that makes me want to walk across:

While it is true that the Peace Bridge is a far-superior structure, it cost nearly 4 times as much and was funded almost entirely by the city (much to the chagrin of many fiscally conservative Calgarians). Puente de Luz was essentially gifted to Toronto by Concord in exchange for the right to build Cityplace. I agree that it's not going to win awards, but considering those circumstance, I don't think it's the excrescence you imply.

 

[hawc]

One of the things that's really aesthetically unpleasing about it is that it doesn't have a constant arc to it. It's aesymetrical in its arch. That's awful looking. I know I know train signal visibility.

That and it's yellow.

And it has stupid little tacked on decoration all over it.

And long ramps instead of stairs.

And it doesn't line up with anything on either end.

 

[BobBob]

In its defects, it embodies the circumstances of its birth: it was built by a developer forced to do it, over the property of a large company which hated it and barely cooperated, by a city traditionally weak and uncoordinated when it comes to this sort of public infrastructure.

On the bright side, it exists!

 

[ProjectEnd]

x2 on all counts.

 

[grey]

That is a perfect summary.

If this bridge receives a plaque, that post should be on it.

I propose an act of mild civil disobedience (printed page + tape). Forum members can tend to it like flowers on a grave when it inevitably gets removed or damaged.

 

[400WellingtonGuy]

While I understand why constructing a staircase on the Front St. side of the bridge would have been difficult, it's absolutely pitiful that something wasn't done to ease bridge access on the south side. A nice half-round staircase to the south and east with the wheelchair ramp extending west wouldn't have cost much more and would have better-connected the bridge to its Cityplace context.



While it is true that the Peace Bridge is a far-superior structure, it cost nearly 4 times as much and was funded almost entirely by the city (much to the chagrin of many fiscally conservative Calgarians). Puente de Luz was essentially gifted to Toronto by Concord in exchange for the right to build Cityplace. I agree that it's not going to win awards, but considering those circumstance, I don't think it's the excrescence you imply.

This is not true. Concord was actually supposed to build a true road across to Portland, but they talked the pre-Adam Vaughan councillor into providing just a pedestrian bridge. The City got snowed.

 

[Tuscani01]

Where did you hear that? Is it because of the construction going on at the south side?

The news is from Concord itself. The reasoning being that the bridge may look complete, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Completion is expected early fall, with the ribbon cutting (apparently exciting events planned) to follow.

 

[drum118]

One of the things that's really aesthetically unpleasing about it is that it doesn't have a constant arc to it. It's aesymetrical in its arch. That's awful looking. I know I know train signal visibility.

That and it's yellow.

And it has stupid little tacked on decoration all over it.

And long ramps instead of stairs.

And it doesn't line up with anything on either end.

You need long ramps for accessibility, as stair doesn't cut it and elevators would be major problem.

Having stairs on the other side doesn't line with sidewalk or lights at Portland, but could be had other than $$$ for both ends.

Yellow is better than white, but could been another colour. Blue to match Concord Blue.....

Give me a break that this thing not going open until the fall.

Is there a goof somewhere that's needs to be fix first or waiting until the streets are officially open????

 

[Tewder]

In its defects, it embodies the circumstances of its birth: it was built by a developer forced to do it, over the property of a large company which hated it and barely cooperated, by a city traditionally weak and uncoordinated when it comes to this sort of public infrastructure.

On the bright side, it exists!

+1. Excellent and concise. You've pretty much summed up the situation in Toronto in general (with notable exceptions of course).