Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

[ShonTron]

I didn't know that the bikeway would be extended west from Bathurst Street. There's almost always a car blocking the bike lane there, in front of the convenience store. Thanks for the photo updates!

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

I didn't know that the bikeway would be extended west from Bathurst Street. There's almost always a car blocking the bike lane there, in front of the convenience store. Thanks for the photo updates!

That's excellent -- really makes the whole route 'whole', if you know what I mean, as you're then onto the Coronation Park bikepath and off to the Humber!

 

[ehlow]

It seems like it should look way better once the trees grow.

 

[salsa]

From this point, the QQ streetfront does not look all that bad. It isn't a palm tree lined Rio or what you get in Nice or Barcelona's waterfront but impressive in its own style.

The architecture west of Spadina is a lot better than east of Spadina.

 

[Anchorless]

Sorry for the low quality picture (I didn't want to get too close), but another accident at Rees. Speculation on my part as I arrived after the fact, but it looks like a westbound car was attempting to make a left across the ROW and was hit pretty badly by a streetcar. Most of the damage is on the far (driver's) side so you can't see much in my picture but it's not just a fender bender like some of the others I've seen. Someone is going to get killed. Soon.

 

[Miscreant]

That final picture gives us a great idea of what this will look like. Great to see the fence down and the MGT paved and ready to go. Very exciting.

 

[reaperexpress]

On another note, transit signal priority is scheduled to be fully activated over the course of today and tomorrow--fingers crossed the automatic switches at Spadina finally go live as well. Great to be in the home stretch and see it finally coming together all of a sudden!

Today there was a guy stationed at the intersection changing the switch manually for the approaching streetcars, and he was doing a really great job getting the switch changed before the streetcar even got to the intersection. But it still doesn't resolve the issue of unnecessary transit phases being served.

 

[Megaton327]

I got some photos of the accident as well:

And some construction pics--MGT now open from Simcoe to Rees, and the pedestrian detour on the Peter Slip Bridge has ended with the south side promenade open:

Also, the final work for Bathurst to Stadium is done. Bollards are in, even. Sorry for 2nd pic being blurry, didn't notice until I got home:

Also some additional pictures of driver stupidity from the last couple of days http://imgur.com/a/xaaFi

 

[wopchop]

So what's the deal with this signal at Rees? Is it a malfunction? Are people running the red? Are they looking at the wrong signal?

 

[Megaton327]

So what's the deal with this signal at Rees? Is it a malfunction? Are people running the red? Are they looking at the wrong signal?

Nothing is wrong with it. The only way for a streetcar and a car to collide is for one of them to run the red--whether they do it deliberately or out of ignorance is unknowable and irrelevant.

As for today's incident, I was tempted to call it a cut and dry example of a driver running the left turn red and getting hit by a streetcar, but I'm not so sure. At the scene I overheard one person from onboard the streetcar involved in the collision, and separately one bystander who was there and saw it happen, state that the car was running the left turn red and was blocking the ROW while the streetcar was still all the way at Robertson; they said that the streetcar driver was going significantly faster than the speed limit and that he laid on his horn before even getting to Robertson having seen the car on the ROW that early, and that he barely even applied the brakes and appeared to deliberately hit the car (as some sort of revenge for being in the ROW?). If that is true, although the car had run a red light and was illegally blocking the ROW, the streetcar driver could have easily avoided the accident and deliberately hit the car.

However there is no way to know exactly what happened--I heard two bystanders say that, but it is impossible to be sure. The previous two at Queen's Quay and Simcoe were, according to witnesses, cut and dry cases of drivers running the left turn red without a single look and getting t-boned by a streetcar proceeding perfectly legally with no chance to stop, but this one seems to be more complicated, whatever the truth is.

Certainly interesting, though, and it certainly screwed service up badly during rush hour. And for anyone keeping track, in the month of June, according to twitter.com/ttcnotices on Queen's Quay the following occurred: June 6th collision at Rees, June 9th collision at Lower Simcoe, June 11th collision at Lower Simcoe, June 14th collision at Lower Simcoe, June 15th unauthorized personnel in the tunnel, June 16th collision at Rees. The collisions on the 11th, 14th, and 16th involved streetcars (I saw each of the scenes shortly after the accidents), not sure about the others, but these all caused holds or turnbacks.

 

[FC_]

..they said that the streetcar driver was going significantly faster than the speed limit and that he laid on his horn before even getting to Robertson having seen the car on the ROW that early, and that he barely even applied the brakes and appeared to deliberately hit the car (as some sort of revenge for being in the ROW?). If that is true, although the car had run a red light and was illegally blocking the ROW, the streetcar driver could have easily avoided the accident and deliberately hit the car.

This is in no way a confirmation, just from my experiences riding the 510 and 509 on Queens Quay regularly; I've found that some streetcar operators do drive much faster now that they see the next signal or two down the line already green. This was not the case prior to the installation of new light controllers at the start of the month, where before, streetcars would only get a green signal and proceed through an intersection with all other traffic seeing red lights.

One thing's for sure, streetcar drivers are fed up with the constant blocking of the ROW, either by cars, pedestrians, or cyclists on the tracks, it's constant streetcar horns and bells all day down here, even more so on the weekends with all the activity.

 

[hawc]

So how many collisions are we up to now since Queens Quay reopened in this section, 4 or 5?

 

[the lemur]

Here's what part of it was like yesterday:

 

[Miscreant]

Interesting. Thanks for that. I'm not sure about what moves you had to make because of the bike lane being closed, but at a few points you had to cross streetcar tracks at only a slight angle, and if cyclists have to do that regularly there will be accidents, some possibly very serious.

In fact, when you crossed them at only a slight angle, a car passed you, which is inconsiderate because the car should see the hazard and give you some space.

Anyways, interesting video. It really is a huge site, and it's nice to see it coming together. Especially when the fences are down around York. I am a bit skeptical they'll get it all cleaned up by the 19th, though...

 

[Edward Skira]

Toronto, June 17, 2015 – On the evening of June 19, Waterfront Toronto and its government partners will celebrate another major milestone in the revitalization of our waterfront – the official opening of the new Queens Quay. We are orchestrating one of the biggest ribbon cutting and community thank-you event Toronto has ever seen, with hundreds of community members waving a 650-metre long blue ribbon to celebrate the end of construction and the start of a new era on Queens Quay.

Queens Quay Revitalization is one of Waterfront Toronto’s most important projects. Toronto’s main waterfront street has been transformed from an uninviting and pedestrian-unfriendly thoroughfare into a grand boulevard that is both beautiful and functional. A grand civic meeting place and a gateway to the lake, the new street provides a more welcoming, more beautiful and more enjoyable space for residents and visitors alike.

Waterfront Toronto's festivities will also kick off the start of the Redpath Waterfront Festival’s weekend long celebration with two kilometres of entertainment and activities along the new Queens Quay pedestrian promenade and Martin Goodman Trail from Sherbourne Street to Spadina Avenue.

WHO: The Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Finance and MP for Eglinton-Lawrence

The Honourable Glen Murray, Minister of Environment & Climate Change and MPP for Toronto Centre

His Worship Toronto Mayor John Tory

John Campbell, President and CEO, Waterfront Toronto

Mark Wilson, Chair, Waterfront Toronto

Kevin Currie, Chair, Waterfront BIA

Ulla Colgrass, York Quay Neighbourhood Association


WHAT: Official Ribbon Cutting & Opening Celebration of Queens Quay


WHEN: Friday, June 19, 2015

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.


WHERE: Simcoe WaveDeck, on the south side of Queens Quay West between Lower Simcoe

Street and Rees Street.


Note to Media: Any photographers and camera operators wishing to get access to a nearby rooftop should inquire with Waterfront Toronto’s media contact – listed below.


GETTING THERE


Public Transit: Closest TTC subway station is Union Station. Take the 509 Harbourfront streetcar or the 510 Spadina streetcar to Harbourfront Centre. Walk west on the south side of Queens Quay to Simcoe WaveDeck, before Rees Street. Please use the TTC trip planner for additional options.


Parking: We strongly recommend taking public transit. But if you are driving, paid parking is available nearby at Harbourfront Centre on Queens Quay West at Lower Simcoe Street and at the Radisson Hotel on Queens Quay West at Robertson Crescent. Other paid parking lots are available on the north and south side of Queens Quay, Lower Simcoe Street and Bay Street. Parking spaces are limited.


Accessibility: The new fully-accessible TTC streetcars are running on the 509 Harbourfront streetcar and the 510 Spadina lines. The closest Wheel-Trans pick-up and drop-off location is Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West).