Toronto The Bentway (was Under Gardiner) | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

[interchange42]

As the Star article says, Judy "brought the idea, ready to go, to the city." That's not saying Judy brought her idea to the city.

Toronto Life only puts it in a statement to Judy—"Your idea, and your cash…"—which she answers without elaborating on the inception of the idea.

I can tell you that nowhere does Judy claim "I dreamed this up" because it did not start with her. No doubt she has been instrumental in helping shape it ever since the idea was presented to Judy and her husband.

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[EastYorkTTCFan]

As the Star article says, Judy "brought the idea, ready to go, to the city." That's not saying Judy brought her idea to the city.

Toronto Life only puts it in a statement to Judy—"Your idea, and your cash…"—which she answers without elaborating on the inception of the idea.

I can tell you that nowhere does Judy claim "I dreamed this up" because it did not start with her. No doubt she has been instrumental in helping shape it ever since the idea was presented to Judy and her husband.

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To me it doesn't relly mater whose idea it was or why they gave the money I still think this is an odd project that doesn't relly need to be done. We need better thing in this city then parks underneath an expressway. If a section of it was say built as skatepark I would rather see that then the ice rink stuff and whatever other stuff they have planned.

 

[Skeezix]

To me it doesn't relly mater whose idea it was or why they gave the money I still think this is an odd project that doesn't relly need to be done. We need better thing in this city then parks underneath an expressway. If a section of it was say built as skatepark I would rather see that then the ice rink stuff and whatever other stuff they have planned.

Yes, better to leave the space as a no-man's land. The current use of the space by the occasional wino, and as a scene for the occasional sexual assault, contributes so much more positively to the city. God forbid we try to make use of land in the downtown where space is at a premium and there is a serious lack of public open space. And let's ignore the tremendous creative possibilities presented by this space, and stop trying for once to do something unique and interesting in this town, and let's tell the Matthews to keep their money because this doesn't really need to be done. And all the naysayers who told NYC that the High Line was an odd and unnecessary idea - the powers-that-be in NYC ignored them, but in Toronto let's embrace such unfounded, negative talk. And surely if we are going to use the space, let's limit the use so that as few people as possible can take advantage of it - rather than a space that appeals to a broad segment of the population, let's limit it to skateboarders. Or even better, let's redevelop it for the sole use of Parkour enthusiasts.

Yes, let's let this space in the downtown rot, and if we can't get away with that, limit the use of the space to a small niche of Parkour fans in their early 20s.

Good job, everyone. How else can we make Toronto more mundane?

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I just don't get why we have to keep comparing ourselves to other cities. Like for example everyone complains our waterfront isn't like Chicago's or Boston and San Francisco both tore down their downtown express ways, New York has the high line. Why don't we ever talk about what we do have like high park and the rougue valley which is the first urban national park in Canada. This project just doesn't seem to have a visual appeal to many people. The high line is successful because it gives a different prospective of the city that isn't easy to get. This project is a park under an express way it should not be compared to the high line at all. Maybe the money would be better spent doing something with Ontario place and the exhibition grounds. I just don't see why people will actually come and visit a park under an express way that don't live near it.

 

[ADRM]

I just don't get why we have to keep comparing ourselves to other cities. Like for example everyone complains our waterfront isn't like Chicago's or Boston and San Francisco both tore down their downtown express ways, New York has the high line. Why don't we ever talk about what we do have like high park and the rougue valley which is the first urban national park in Canada. This project just doesn't seem to have a visual appeal to many people. The high line is successful because it gives a different prospective of the city that isn't easy to get. This project is a park under an express way it should not be compared to the high line at all. Maybe the money would be better spent doing something with Ontario place and the exhibition grounds. I just don't see why people will actually come and visit a park under an express way that don't live near it.

We should absolutely be comparing our city to others -- we should be doing it always and constantly, while also acknowledging, as you have, the fantastic assets we do have, including those that make our city unique. We can and should be able to do both, simultaneously.

The city is spending a more or less nominal amount of money on the Bentway, so it's not as if it's sapping resources from other projects. We're very fortunate that some very well-off individuals injected a sizable amount of their own money to make this a possibility, and that's a model that our city could use much more of.

And Ontario Place isn't under the city's direct purview.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Whatever if it turns out better than the plans make it look then it will be deemed as a good project by everyone in the city otherwise it will end up like Queens quay where a lot of people think it's a disaster of a street now and a nightmare for public transit.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Whatever if it turns out better than the plans make it look then it will be deemed as a good project by everyone in the city otherwise it will end up like Queens quay where a lot of people think it's a disaster of a street now and a nightmare for public transit.

Queen's Quay is working quite well as a pedestrian realm. It is hardly a "disaster of a street" given the popularity of the stretch.

AoD

 

[ADRM]

Queen's Quay is working quite well as a pedestrian realm. It is hardly a "disaster of a street" given the popularity of the stretch.

AoD

FWIW it's hands down my favourite street in the city, and I know I'm not alone. It's also garnered international attention.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Queen's Quay is working quite well as a pedestrian realm. It is hardly a "disaster of a street" given the popularity of the stretch.

AoD

and that's the problem it only works well for pedestrians and cyclists that want to run red lights. It's terrible for the TTC and cars driving on it as there are too many lights and too many stages for them it was better before they made it a mess.

 

[ADRM]

and that's the problem it only works well for pedestrians and cyclists that want to run red lights. It's terrible for the TTC and cars driving on it as there are too many lights and too many stages for them it was better before they made it a mess.

We shouldn't be designing our waterfront-fronting street around cars.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

We shouldn't be designing our waterfront-fronting street around cars.

maybe but they could have designed it better then they did maybe put in more grass and use something other then the granite it's just too much red and it feels relly hard to me, its difficult for poel with wheelchairs to use the TTC has to slow streetcars down on it because poel use the right of way as crosswalk , Right now I'd only give it a C ifthey do something t keep pedestrians out of the bike and streetcar lanes I'll give it an A.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

FWIW it's hands down my favourite street in the city, and I know I'm not alone. It's also garnered international attention.

Maybe but I think it's only poel who actually live on it. I said I didn't like it to a person on the streetcar once and was informed that because I didn't live on Queens Quay I wasn't allowed to have an opinion about it.

 

[interchange42]

I just don't get why we have to keep comparing ourselves to other cities. Like for example everyone complains our waterfront isn't like Chicago's or Boston and San Francisco both tore down their downtown express ways, New York has the high line. Why don't we ever talk about what we do have like high park and the rougue valley which is the first urban national park in Canada. This project just doesn't seem to have a visual appeal to many people. The high line is successful because it gives a different prospective of the city that isn't easy to get. This project is a park under an express way it should not be compared to the high line at all. Maybe the money would be better spent doing something with Ontario place and the exhibition grounds. I just don't see why people will actually come and visit a park under an express way that don't live near it.

It's important to note that The Bentway is being created in an area where there are thousands of people moving in, and where every inch of space now counts. This was "leftover land" when the Gardiner went through, and everything around it was industrial. There's piles of residential down there now though, and still a lot more to come, and those people need places to unwind.

Some of the area under the highway, where the condos are close to it, is going to feel very urban because of all the hardscaping, but if you've been to Underpass Park in the West Don Lands, you will know that fixing up the area below and underpass can work wonders (and this one is much higher and airier than that one).

Other parts of the area under the Gardiner—where it passes by Fort York—have lots of light coming in because tall buildings are not so close there, and the expressway is particularly high off the ground there. It's a pretty cool space, and I think you might be pleasantly surprised when it's all done.

Maybe but I think it's only poel who actually live on it. I said I didn't like it to a person on the streetcar once and was informed that because I didn't live on Queens Quay I wasn't allowed to have an opinion about it.

That was harsh! Ehh, some people don't really want to talk.

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[Skeezix]

I just don't get why we have to keep comparing ourselves to other cities. Like for example everyone complains our waterfront isn't like Chicago's or Boston and San Francisco both tore down their downtown express ways, New York has the high line. Why don't we ever talk about what we do have like high park and the rougue valley which is the first urban national park in Canada. This project just doesn't seem to have a visual appeal to many people. The high line is successful because it gives a different prospective of the city that isn't easy to get. This project is a park under an express way it should not be compared to the high line at all. Maybe the money would be better spent doing something with Ontario place and the exhibition grounds. I just don't see why people will actually come and visit a park under an express way that don't live near it.

This project is actually an effort to do something unique that doesn't mimic other cities. And people talk about High Park and Rouge Valley all the time. We're a big city - we can have more than one or two excellent public open spaces.

and that's the problem it only works well for pedestrians and cyclists that want to run red lights. It's terrible for the TTC and cars driving on it as there are too many lights and too many stages for them it was better before they made it a mess.

I drive on it all the time. It's not a disaster in the least. I find it one of the easiest routes to get to the west side of downtown in the car.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

It's important to note that The Bentway is being created in an area where there are thousands of people moving in, and where every inch of space now counts. This was "leftover land" when the Gardiner went through, and everything around it was industrial. There's piles of residential down there now though, and still a lot more to come, and those people need places to unwind.

Some of the area under the highway, where the condos are close to it, is going to feel very urban because of all the hardscaping, but if you've been to Underpass Park in the West Don Lands, you will know that fixing up the area below and underpass can work wonders (and this one is much higher and airier than that one).

Other parts of the area under the Gardiner—where it passes by Fort York—have lots of light coming in because tall buildings are not so close there, and the expressway is particularly high off the ground there. It's a pretty cool space, and I think you might be pleasantly surprised when it's all done.

I still say I will reserve judgment until it's done but you do have a point about parkland being built for the condos that have gone up in that area.

That was harsh! Ehh, some people don't really want to talk.

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Yeah I seem to end up talking to a lot of people who have weird opins on the streetcars there was one person who informed me that not having the doors open at every stop and having poel have to push the button for the door in front of them to open up was "uncanadian", I then gave them reasons for it liker keeping the AC from having to work to hard or the heating to do the same they still insisted that they should open all of the doors on the streetcar all the time, even though they also agreed with my argument. They also told me where the "best seat: on it was too.