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Toronto Street Lights

fiendishlibrarian said:
Nice idea, but they'd be covered in street-spam garbage in, oh, about five minutes within being placed into the ground, as your photo illustrates. We don't give a shit about this issue in this city, so why spend money on trying to make the city look elegant when dozens of low-life POS businesses are out to ruin what we have by placing advertising everywhere?
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So why can't we go after the businesses who do this and make them pay? It would be very easy to bring this to an end. Yet the city does nothing about it and hires nobody to remove them and clean up the remaining gunk. It should, especially if it's serious about improving tourism. Are we going to allow this crap when the Pan-Am Games come to town. It's just sad because it doesn't have to be this way. It can be cleaned up and STOPPED!
 
It's also really pathetic that we have wooden utility poles/light poles in the city. I can't think of any other major city that has them (at least not in the downtown core). As for utility poles, we're long overdue to bury all lines. It's embarrassing looking up and seeing a sight like this. All the visual clutter distracts people from seeing buildings for what they are. One is probably more inclined to just stare at the mess of wires then see what's hidden behind them.

toronto_gladstone.jpg
 
By the way, does anyone know who I'd contact about a burnt out light in a city park? Does Toronto Hydro look after park lights or just street lights, exclusively?
 
Dugmor said:
It's also really pathetic that we have wooden utility poles/light poles in the city. I can't think of any other major city that has them (at least not in the downtown core). As for utility poles, we're long overdue to bury all lines. It's embarrassing looking up and seeing a sight like this. All the visual clutter distracts people from seeing buildings for what they are. One is probably more inclined to just stare at the mess of wires then see what's hidden behind them.

toronto_gladstone.jpg
Click to expand...

Though given the particular building in that photo, there may be an argument that the wires add to rather than subtract from the visual effect--and I'm speaking in terms of sociology, more than architecture. If you chose a building less MargieChristina-ized, maybe...
 
adma said:
Though given the particular building in that photo, there may be an argument that the wires add to rather than subtract from the visual effect--and I'm speaking in terms of sociology, more than architecture. If you chose a building less MargieChristina-ized, maybe...
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I just chose the first picture I could find that showed a utility pole. Obviously there are better examples of architecture in the city.
 
Dugmor said:
I just chose the first picture I could find that showed a utility pole. Obviously there are better examples of architecture in the city.
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I don't think you got the gist of my MargieChristina reference, among other things...
 
call2 said:
3 yrs ago they have installed black hanging "coach-esque" lights all around the st lawrence/old town area by removing the original acorn lights and fixing them on. U can see them at the intersection of king/jarvis. it took me a while to get used to, but i actually like them.. if only they would finish the job and change all the lights in the neighbourhood. has anyone noticed these lights?
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Yes, there are quite a few of them scattered around the "historic downtown" area but, apparently, the City could not afford to buy more so they put them only outside historic buildings - which is why they are scattered around in a very strange way on King, Front etc. I absolutely agree that they would look FAR better if used more consistently. I suggest you email Councillor Pam McConnell's office and suggest she pushes to get more ordered and installed.
 
Speaking of street lights. I had the pleasure of driving on St Clair Ave from Jane to Oakwood yesterday. Although some of the Western parts were still in major construction the further you traveled East the more complete it was. The streetlights they installed along St Clair are absolutely amazing. The lights must have been designed in concert with the Streetcar poles as well as stations. Very sleek and modern. I was totally blown away by them.

found this on the city web site. http://www.toronto.ca/wes/techservi...air_construction/cdcg/2006-04-05_05-poles.pdf
 
adma said:
I don't think you got the gist of my MargieChristina reference, among other things...
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Is this the Toronto street light thread or the try to impress strangers thread?

In case it's the street light thread- I've always wondered why Toronto Hydro still puts up new wooden poles in some areas. Is it just about saving money?
 
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PB1 said:
Is this the Toronto street light thread or the try to impress strangers thread?

In case it's the street light thread- I've always wondered why Toronto Hydro still puts up new wooden poles in some areas. Is it just about saving money?
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Why are we still putting up utility poles in general?
 
We certainly could stand to improve all aspects of our public realm spaces. These are not uniquely Toronto issues and the comparisons made to other North American cities are being highly selective. I was just in San Francisco, a beautiful city. Guess what they also have wooden electrical poles throughout the city. As here in Toronto or Montreal each street and area varies greatly with respect to the design and state of repair of public realm infrastructure.
 
Dugmor said:
It's also really pathetic that we have wooden utility poles/light poles in the city. I can't think of any other major city that has them (at least not in the downtown core). As for utility poles, we're long overdue to bury all lines. It's embarrassing looking up and seeing a sight like this. All the visual clutter distracts people from seeing buildings for what they are. One is probably more inclined to just stare at the mess of wires then see what's hidden behind them.

toronto_gladstone.jpg
Click to expand...

i like that style of utility pole with its wooden frames. it fits in quite nicely.
 
Toronto Street lights...

Everyone: I remember those old-style Toronto street lights with the fancy support bracket-have some been retrofitted with brighter sodium vapor lights?
Or do most have their original-designed incandescent bulbs still used?

B1967-That link showing trolley poles and new style light poles looked quite
interesting...good find! LI MIKE
 
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