Friday’s Headlines

17 comments

1. I just hope that the Lansdowne folk are successful as the St. Clair folk. Meanwhile the excavators and dump trucks are already on-site.

   Oh, we do have a French Quarter. It’s the name of a tacky, faux-French condo at Jarvis and Richmond.

2. I guess every politician has his or her major blunder, but I can’t help feeling tremendous sympathy for Adam. They consulted the community on narrowing Lansdowne and the general picture was a go-ahead. Now they’re complaining about it, chaining themselves to trees and staging a “yellow sign revolution”?

   I biked down Lansdowne yesterday and it’s pretty nuts: literally every house from Bloor to Dundas has one now, maybe every third or so from there to Queen.

3. If Giambrone did all the consulting the residents are suing for he would have just as many people screaming about the money wasted on consultation instead of construction.

   Giambrone is doing the right thing, probably inspired by the resolve of Joe Mihevc during his community-building efforts that included loud (but small) opposition to the Right of Way and Wychwood Art Barns. Hopefully other councillors will take note of this type of leadership when it comes to implementing things like the Bike Plan (which, by the way, Joe Mihevc is doing right now on Christie and Vaughan).

4. “If Giambrone did all the consulting the residents are suing for he would have just as many people screaming about the money wasted on consultation instead of construction.”

   Yikes. So, all things being equal, you’d prefer construction to consultation?

5. The lansdowne protesters have lots of energy but I feel it is misguided. There are many people who support it but are not getting any attention.

   I have emailed with protester Sam Gelati and followed this story (as in is in my hood) and to be honest I cant really see what all the anger is about. Its a great plan that will make that strip much nicer. I can understand that some people feel they were not consulted but at the end of the day the issue is the plan and its really good. Its like people have whipped themselves into a frenzy and cant stop; they have to keep escalating to save face. I hope that they learn to love the changes and keep that energy going to continue to make the area better.

   The courts will be very reluctant to overturn or halt decisions made by an elected body unless there is some hint of illeagal activity. They don’t want to open the floodgates to lawsuits every time somebody is unhappy with something the City does.

6. Adam: Vaughan Road is getting bike lanes? Excellent!

   All they need to do now is bridge the gap between Vaughan Road and Dufferin and the Belt Line trail, and that is a big first step to open up the mid-north-west part of town for bikes. (That and the CN Newmarket bike path that’s included the oft-delayed bike plan).

7. I don’t understand why these people are protesting. I thought that houses in streets with less traffic are more valuable and if there is slower traffic and more trees then wouldn’t their houses be worth a bit more? I would be happy with such prospects.
   I guess being able to park in front of the house (even with back alley access) is worth more to them. I find it sad when people become slaves to their cars and don’t even realize it…

8. Does anyone know if bike lanes are part of the Landsdowne plan? Seeing as Adam Giambrone is the former head of the Bike Committee it would a no-brainer, but I haven’t seen any info on that…hmmm…

9. major fires in 1849 and 1904 destroyed many heritage buildings in toronto, including any french quarter that may have existed.

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1904_Toronto_fire

10. Smitty, my point is that there’s a balance between not enough consultation and more than necessary. If Giambrone did the consultation that he says he did (and I’m inclined to believe him based on my interaction with him) then I don’t think that more consultation is a necessity in this case. And judging by the approach of the residents who are upset with the initiative, there could be a hundred community meetings and they’d still have their heels dug firmly into the ground.

    Sean, I just double-checked a newsletter that I received from Joe in April and now I’m not sure about Vaughan Rd. getting bike lanes. This is the description of bike network enhancements in Ward 21:

    “The key routes include:
    ·a signed route on Vaughan Road
    ·an east-west signed route that connects to the proposed Rogers Road bike lanes
    ·an east-west signed route parallel to St. Clair Avenue
    ·a north-south route on Christie Street with bike lanes”

    Is a “signed route” as flimsy as it sounds?

11. a lot of the Landsdowne people are more upset about the lack of good consultation than the actual plan. As for bike lanes, I think it’s getting “sharrows” instead.

12. Bike lanes are part of it.

13. I think my last post disappeared into cyberspace so I’ll try to sum it up and add another couple points.

    Smitty, I think consultation can be used by NIMBYs to slow or halt work that should be done. If Adam Giambrone has done the consultation that he says he has (and based on my experience with him on other issues his word is reliable) then the anti-narrowing crew on Lansdowne has nothing to complain about regarding consultation. (More on Lansdowne below),

    Sean, after looking back at Joe Mihevc’s April newsletter the Vaughan Rd. bike network enhancements are actually termed “signed routes.” I assume that’s a less concrete version of actual bike lanes but I don’t know what that means for sure.

    New points: Council approved bike lanes on Christie between St. Clair and Dupont 25-1 this afternoon (Ford opposed).

    Back to Lansdowne…I was talking to people today who are involved in the Lansdowne issue. Apparently the lawyer the group hired is doing the case pro bono and has links to Cesar Palacio. Although I’m sure the residents are legitimately upset over the issue it doesn’t surprise me that Palacio would attempt to fan the flames on this issue since Giambrone was very supportive of Alajandra Bravo in her run against Palacio in the last election.

14. And, of course, now that I’ve reposted the sentiments in my “disappeared” post it shows up again. Apologies.

15. Open Letter to City of Toronto
    and Spacing Readers

    On Monday morning, 2 35 year old healthy, linden trees were destroyed today in front of a school, and five more are slated for demolition in the name of the ‘narrowing of Lansdowne’. Residents are confused why they are being destroyed as they are not on the side of the street that is being narrowed. When Councillor Giambrone was called, he said that ‘they were diseased’, although Urban Forestry says they are remarkably healthy. They were destroyed because they were in the way of the projected sidewalk location.

    And I wonder- is this how the narrowing of Lansdowne is going to create a tree canopy? What an auspicious beginning to a destructive, counterintuitive, and illogical traffic plan that will have serious longterm consequences for the west end of Toronto.

    I stand at the corner of Bloor and Lansdowne, and watch the traffic. A heavy stream of commuting traffic, two cement trucks, two buses, a wheel trans vehicle, an ambulance and a fire truck go by in under eight minutes.

    And I wonder- how is it that Lansdowne is considered a ‘minor artery’ by the report that recommends its narrowing? How could it possibly benefit by having two working lanes at rush hour? This will guarantee that this street will become a bottleneck which impedes the revitalization of this neighbourhood, and hinder the flow of the north-south traffic in this expanding city. It will also impede emergency service response.

    Within one or two blocks of the Bloor/Lansdowne intersection, there is a subway station, a brownfield that will have major construction on it to build a police station, and significant infill housing planned. There is also retrofitting of warehouses and new housing development, and a film studio which will built in this adjacent area in expanded historic buildings- and all of these will require Lansdowne to have unimpeded traffic flow and access for construction vehicles. This future development will revitalize this neighbourhood for businesses on Bloor West, which all residents wish to happen to upgrade the quality of life in this area. And as this revitalization happens, civic pride will increase, and the greening and increased safety of the neighbourhood will occur as citizens are more invested in the neighbourhood through new business.

    And I wonder- how will this construction take place when the proposed restructuring of Lansdowne will create streams of cars and heavy vehicles forced to idle and line up at a major intersection as they wait their turn to turn or cross the intersection? How will narrowing this street help bus drivers on their route as they use Lansdowne Subway station, and pick up disabled passengers on the sidewalks? How will the projected new saplings absorb all the vehicle emissions of cars, trucks and buses idling in traffic and circling for parking spaces? And why are 7 30-year old trees slated for demolition as part of this project?

    You see- we do not need wider sidewalks on a street with extremely busy and dense traffic. And we do not need to become a two-laned highway such as Parkside, on which cars and trucks speed to maintain lanes as they have no room to pass. And as we have witnessed on College Street, there is no point to adding bicycle lanes to a narrowed street so that traffic spills over into these lanes and creates danger zones for the cyclists, rendering these bike lanes useless. Bike charrettes are not bike lanes- they are indicators where bikes would be if they could fit beside landlocked industrial traffic.

    Lansdowne is a major artery, and the residents of Lansdowne do not want this change, nor the residents of Dufferin, St. Helens, Margueretta, or St. Clarens as they will absorb traffic they were not built to take, and endanger the lives of children and pets.

    It is time to consult the residents of this neighbourhood who have never been officially consulted. It is time to slow down this multimillion dollar construction to benefit the taxpayers, homeowners and residents of this neighbourhood, and abide by the first tenet of grassroots politics- ask the people directly involved what will benefit them, and work with them to institute changes.

    If this reconstruction of Lansdowne occurs, the legacy of this government to use the narrowing of Lansdowne as a ‘litmus test’ for the rest of the city will be shameful. There has been no due diligence in the consultation, no response in the repeated requests for a meeting with Councillor Giambrone before the construction began, and profound neglect in relation to representing the concerns of the multiethnic constituents whose support this government built their electoral platform upon.

    It must be stated that I am an environmentalist, educator, commuter and a bicyclist, and still believe that changing the nature of a major artery to that of a minor artery is an exceptionally destructive idea as traffic cannot follow suit given the future urban development and traffic patterns of this city.

    I am profoundly ashamed that this destructive traffic plan has been foisted on residents who have had no input in its implementation, and question the basic logic of this reconstruction to dissipate industrial traffic into residential streets.

16. Joe Mihevic / Lansdowne:
    Joe’s position regarding the changes to St.Claire were very clear during the election. From public consutation meetings, to the election. People might not agree with the changes but he campaigned on it.

    Mr. Giambrone’s campaign position during the election regarding Lansdowne ave, was also very clear. That community consultation would be taking place during 2007 regarding this project. On Lansdowne he campaigned on it, he sent letters Sept 27/06 to each resident confirming and assuring them that community consultation would be taking place before this project goes forward.

    The consulting people wanted done was the consulting he campaigned on. Consultation in 2007 before the project is implemented. This was not done. People want to have a certain ideal about this man, and thats fine it does not make it reality, and quite frankly its dangerous, to regard any one above question.

    Its June, why are the same people asking if there is a bike lane. Scott there is no designated bike lane. Call city hall transportation department.
    Why were we unaware that the south-west side boulevard would be torn out. We’ve been told a pretty picture here, but no one, even those supporting the idea of the plan are aware of what is being implemented. Nobody here knows. “It sounds great” thats the answer people have for supporting this project.
    And the people protesting are the one’s being called crazy. Amazing.

17. Facts:
    There will be no bicycle lanes on Lansdowne. The street has lost 11 feet of width, and bicycles will no longer be able to fit on the street beside industrial traffic.

    Many residents on Lansdowne are labourers who chose to live on Lansdowne due to having front access to load and unload their construction materials in front of their house. This access will be lost. Councillor Giambrone has misrepresented this neighbourhood by saying that it is transient; there are many construction workers and contracters who have lived there for many years, and they have built the city of Toronto. They have been treated shamefully by the Councillor’s lack of consultation.

    The reconstruction of Lansdowne is counter to the greening policy of the city- the vehicle emissions of the traffic will increase due to the traffic calming measures as this street will now become a bottleneck. Go look at the first section of Lansdowne as it is presently reconstructed- and you will see traffic bumps and narrowed access that will impede the emergency response, wheeltrans and bus routes. They will actually create traffic accidents and traffic jams.

    The reconstruction of the first half of Lansdowne Street will be disastrous for traffic flow, and the second half will be more of the same.

    Councillor Giambrone has disrupted an entire neighbourhood with the imposition of his urban design.