Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

[deerparker]

Noticed this week the sidewalks on Yonge south of Dundas are being replaced now that the BIA's street lamp project is finished.

 

[yyzhyd]

Hopefully they have a plan to address the base of those new posts.
They're really ugly with the screws exposed as it is currently... not to mention the tripping hazard as the Yonge sidewalks are narrow.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Remembering the GASWORKS...

Adma: Good link about the GASWORKS - I now remember the venue...
I like the links to Canadian rock bands like: Saga,Triumph,Goddo,Rush
and Teenage Head - That music brings back some of my Toronto memories!
LI MIKE

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Adma: Good link about the GASWORKS - I now remember the venue...
I like the links to Canadian rock bands like: Saga,Triumph,Goddo,Rush
and Teenage Head - That music brings back some of my Toronto memories!
LI MIKE

Those bands sure take me back! (to a good time )

 

[deerparker]

Not surprisingly, sections of sidewalks that were replaced along Yonge between Bloor and College in June are already being torn up and replaced with asphalt . It baffles me that they can cleanly remove a block of sidewalk yet cannot manage the engineering of putting it back (a similar comment was made about the new sidewalks around BA Centre in that thread). I wrote Kyle Rae's office to ask about the construction (and received a response within a day). I understand that it's private firms doing the work, but why can't there be a clause that requires them to repair the work to it's former state? Here's the reply:

It is certainly the practice in the city to coordinate work so that sidewalks and roads are done after all other work that requires excavation is complete. The aim is to achieve a minimum 5 year moratorium once all the work is done. It is regrettable that it didn't happen here.

Unfortunately, efforts at a co-ordinated approach prove unsuccessful at times, especially where private utility companies or private developments are involved. Coordinating internal work with that of the utility companies and private development is a complicated undertaking. This matter will be brought to the attention of senior Transportation staff responsible for programming of work.

Thanks again for writing.

Mark for
Kyle

 

[junctionist]

After construction takes place, the surface has to be patched while the ground settles. But in some cases, especially when it comes to pavers the surface is never restored. Isn't there a better way? It seems like there are cities all over the world with old granite streets dating back decades which are never patched yet whose residents use the same utilities.

 

[Roy G Biv]

After construction takes place, the surface has to be patched while the ground settles. But in some cases, especially when it comes to pavers the surface is never restored. Isn't there a better way? It seems like there are cities all over the world with old granite streets dating back decades which are never patched yet whose residents use the same utilities.

I don't get it either. In fact, most of those cities have buried electrical as well, so they actually have more utilities underground.

It's one of my biggest beefs with TO. It honestly makes some of the streets look 3rd world.

 

[renvel]

Wooden poles

Wooden poles,,,3-rd worldish staple of Toronto...

 

[Roy G Biv]

Wooden poles,,,3-rd worldish staple of Toronto...

True.

Wooden polls/gross street lights, overhead utilities, post-war pavements… if we somehow managed to do something about this trifecta, the city would look entirely different imo.

 

[TO City of Light]

We need to revel in what makes us unique. I think the slanting wooden poles covered with rusty staples qualify. I have never seen anything like it in any city in the world.

The patched sidewalks certainly are world class in Toronto. The lack of lighting on our public buildings is quite unique. We could be the last major city in the world with overhead power lines in our city core. I could go on for a while but one of my favorites is the free-spirited nature of signs that have the aura of officialdom but seem to have just made up by each establishment posting them - unless indeed Toronto by-laws are worded in both metric and imperial with a variation of 100 percent.

.

 

[renvel]

Wooden poles

Lets open discussionn, regarding this unique feature of our beloved town.
My first suggestion is , that Toronto is not true city ( let alone the , so called "World Class City"), but constantly expanding collection of small villages with no time to mature into real Metropolis (big or small)...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Respectfully, this is the Yonge Street Downtown thread. How about creating a thread on wood utility poles and other outdated or aging infrastructure (if there already isn't one).

 

[Roy G Biv]

Respectfully, this is the Yonge Street Downtown thread. How about creating a thread on wood utility poles and other outdated or aging infrastructure (if there already isn't one).

Sounds like Yonge St!



Ok, so how can rag-tag dollar stores and "junk" dealers afford the rent on Yonge? I could never understand this.

 

[androiduk]

^There used to be a dollar store near Yonge & Bloor before that block was demolished for 1BE. Their sales were about $6000 a day.

 

[Roy G Biv]

^There used to be a dollar store near Yonge & Bloor before that block was demolished for 1BE. Their sales were about $6000 a day.

Using my advanced logic (and tax inc.), I have deduced that they're selling 6000 things/day.