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What's Happening On Roncesvalles
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For the last seven years, the BIA has worked with the councillor's office, city staff and community groups to seek streetscape improvements above the basic state-of-good-repair track replacement project originally planned for Roncesvalles. The BIA's 2003 Streetscape Strategy, developed in consultation with businesses and the community, served as the starting point for an amazing dialogue between our community and the City. As Councillor Gord Perks says, the resulting streetscape plan "reflects a new understanding of how a street can function."
A joint community committee, called Roncesvalles Renewed, was formed in 2005 with representatives from the BIA, the High Park Residents' Association, the Roncesvalles-Macdonell Residents' Association, the Sunnyside Community Association, Councillor Gord Perks' office and other community members. Roncesvalles Renewed also includes local, volunteer professionals with a background in architecture, design and urban planning, who have helped us to understand and respond to many of the technical issues that have been raised during the process. Since its formation, Roncesvalles Renewed has led workshops and information sessions in church basements, school gyms, community centres, libraries and various living rooms. These gatherings have helped community members understand various streetscape issues, and advise the City on community priorities and local conditions.
Based on the BIA's streetscape document, and following other consultations with business and community groups, Roncesvalles Renewed idenitified four streetscape priorities for the 2009-10 project:
1. Trees, planted in healthy growing conditions
Currently, street trees in concrete "tree coffins" tend to die within 5-10 years. In order for these trees to grow properly, they need access to uncompacted soil, air and water. The City has confirmed that it will plant over 100 trees in the spring after reconstruction is compeleted. These trees will be planted at grade, with a protective grate or guard. In addition, these trees will have access to a continuous soil trench under the sidewalk, providing an adequate volume of uncompacted soil. Finally, the BIA will install water supplies along the street, allowing it to properly water the trees during the summer. In addition to being beautiful and well-loved, mature urban trees will provide shade, cool the street and absorb 15 times as much carbon dioxide and airborne pollutants as the same tree in a rural setting.
2. New and enhanced public spaces
Widened sidewalks and curb extensions will allow for new public uses such as patios, merchandise displays, benches, gardens or public art. These "bumpouts" will allow TTC riders to board the streetcar without crossing a lane of traffic. This plan will change Roncesvalles into a street that prioritizes transit, cycling and pedestrian uses over car traffic. This is in line with City policy, as well as the BIA’s streetscape strategy of 2003. While about 8% of our street parking will be lost, the plain fact is that Roncesvalles will never be able to compete with other shopping areas on parking availability. But Roncesvalles will offer something that a mall never can: a pleasant and distinct experience for shoppers who walk, cycle or ride the streetcar.
3. Improved sidewalk standards
While opening up new public space, curb extensions will also reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians, improving safety and accessibility. Our multi-level sidewalks, which have caused so many accidents, will finally be levelled. TTC stops will be enhanced with attractive planting areas, new pedestrian lighting and other features.
4. Distinctive entrances and public gathering places
Open spaces at Boustead, Queen or near the library provide opportunities for design treatments that announce the entrance to our neighborhood. These public gathering places could feature public art, landscaping and special lighting. The City says it will examine such enhancements as separate projects to take place after the larger reconstruction is completed. Naturally, the plans will be developed in collaboration with the community and other stakeholders.
These streetscape improvements represent the culmination of over seven years of intense collaboration between the City, the BIA, its neighboring residents' associations, Roncesvalles Renewed, Councillor Gord Perks' office, and several other community members and organizations. To everyone who has written in with concerns or suggestions, to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise, to everyone who attended the many community meetings in church basements, community centres, school gymnasiums, at City Hall, and various living rooms ... the BIA would like to express its deep gratitude. Such engagement is what makes our community truly special, and the merchants of Roncesvalles are blessed to have such wonderful neighbours.
The second and last phase of construction has finally started. The City expects this work to be completed by the end of November (fingers crossed). For more information on the construction, please click here for regular updates. Updates are also available by email. Please contact the BIA to be added to our email list.
Reconstruction update: limited parking and traffic movement restored
After meeting with the BIA, the City and reconstruction crews have agreed to restore limited parking and car traffic movement to Roncesvalles during water/sewer replacements, scheduled to continue until the end of the year. This is very good news for Roncesvalles, which had previously been told there would be no parking at all on Roncesvalles during the reconstruction.
Although southbound Roncesvalles will be closed to through traffic from Dundas, the street will remain accessible from side streets except when construction is directly in front. Parking will be available outside the construction zones and will rotate as they move north. The crews are seeking ways to minimize worksite area and storage requirements, to permit additional parking and movement.
The crews have agreed to set up two delivery zones by the construction sites. These zones will move as construction proceeds north.
Site meetings will happen weekly to discuss issues and schedule, and contact personnel will be available on site.
The BIA thanks the City and construction crews for their creativity and cooperation in seeking ways to minimize the disruption to businesses and residents during the reconstruction.
Water main and sewer work to begin next week - traffic to be restricted
Councillor Gord Perks reports that water main and sewer work along Roncesvalles is to begin next week. The official notice can be downloaded here.
From the City notice:
The City of Toronto has awarded contracts to Varcon Construction and Comer Group to undertake the following:
• Roncesvalles Avenue from Queen Street West to Boustead Avenue - watermain replacement and sanitary sewer replacement
• Fermanagh Avenue from Sorauren Avenue to Roncesvalles Avenue - watermain replacementEvery effort will be made to reduce the inconveniences that are inevitable with any construction project.
Construction Details:
The watermains and substandard water services or sanitary sewers and sanitary services will be replaced as specified on the roads listed above. Pavement, boulevards, sidewalks and other areas impacted by construction will be restored.
On Roncesvalles Avenue from Harvard Avenue to Boustead Avenue, the Contractor is also responsible for conducting pre-construction condition surveys of the interior and exterior of all buildings within 15 metres of the streetline. The Contractor or his consultant will contact businesses and residents directly for permission and for appointment times to conduct the survey.
Work Hours:
Work will run from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, as well as occasional work at night until the project is completed.
Traffic and Transit Restrictions:
• One lane of northbound traffic will be maintained on Roncesvalles Avenue; southbound traffic will be detoured onto adjacent roads.
• Access to and from sidestreets will be maintained as much as possible; short-term restrictions may be imposed in areas of active construction.
• Parking will not be permitted on Roncesvalles Avenue from Monday to Saturday for the duration of construction. On Sunday, parking will be provided where possible.
• Streetcar service on Roncesvalles Avenue will be suspended prior to the commencement of construction and will not be reinstated until the tracks are reconstructed in 2010. Bus service will be provided to accommodate transit users. The TTC will post customer route information notices at transit stops along the 540 King streetcar route. In addition, the routing details will be posted on the TTC website, www.ttc.ca - Route Diversions page.Other Considerations:
During construction, traffic delays will occur and driveway access may be disrupted or restricted at times to allow construction to take place. Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained.
The City’s Solid Waste Management Services division requests that all waste and recyclable materials be at curb side no later than 7:00 am on pickup days. Please mark your waste receptacles and blue boxes for easy homeowner or business identification.
We ask you to bring any concerns you may have to the City’s attention right away so that coordination with the Contractor can take place. Supervision of the project will be carried out by the City’s Technical Services division. If you have any specific questions or concerns please contact Daphne Wee, Project Engineer or the Site Inspector during construction. You may obtain emergency service (24 hours a day) by calling 416-338-8888.
Public Meeting: Roncesvalles Construction Design - June 27 - CANCELLED
Update: Gord Perks has confirmed that this meeting will be cancelled due to the strike. More info to come.
The latest preliminary streetscape concepts are available for viewing. The BIA urges all businesses and community members to examine the PDFs of the sidewalk plan (part one is the southern half, and part two is the north), and please let the BIA know how the plan can be made the best possible. Where are the opportunities for new trees, benches, lighting or bike parking? How can crosswalks be made the safest possible? How can the transit stops be made inviting and attractive? Where else can the plan be improved? You can email us at
More information on the Roncesvalles reconstruction project is available here and here.
Roncesvalles Construction Update
UPDATE August 21: The reconstruction of Roncesvalles is well under way. There is one through lane northbound on Roncesvalles, with limited local southbound traffic.
Please obey signage for safety. We have reports of some near-accidents and dangerous behaviour in the construction zones. Cyclists and pedestrians, please avoid the construction zones!
Contractors are now using chalk while drilling or breaking concrete to cut down on dust.
The west-side intersection of Pearson and Roncesvalles will open today or tomorrow. Pearson west of Roncesvalles is temporarily two-way traffic.
The west-side intersection of Galley and Roncesvalles is closed, but is expected to open approximately August 27. Galley west of Roncesvalles is temporarily two-way traffic.
The west-side intersection of Garden and Roncesvalles is closed for about two weeks while water and sewer work is being done there. Garden west of Roncesvalles is temporarily two-way traffic.
The west-side intersection of Fern and Roncesvalles will be closed starting about August 27.
The west-side intersection of Geoffrey and Roncesvalles is closed for several days. Geoffrey west of Roncesvalles is temporarily two-way traffic.
The east-side intersection of Grenadier and Roncesvalles is closed for several days. This should open up by August 23.
The west-side intersection of Grenadier and Roncesvalles will close about August 27. Grenadier west of Roncesvalles will be temporarily two-way traffic.
Sidewalk closures: The west-side sidewalk on Roncesvalles is closed between Fermanagh and Geoffrey, and also closed between Galley and Fern. There will be west-side sidewalk closures between Constance and Marmaduke when water main installation begins in the next day or two.
Parking is permitted outside the construction zones and on side streets; you can usually park within a block or two of your favourite shop! Put your money where your house is, and keep shopping on Roncesvalles.
Delivery zones are coned areas of the street, usually to the north of active construction.
Water main work will be continuing between Galley and Fern.
Please note that the Roncesvalles Polish Festival will be going ahead on September 19 and 20. The contractors will remove equipment from the street, clean up and pave what they can. We will have a very walkable and danceable street for the festival.
TTC Service Changes: The 504 King streetcar will turn back east at the Roncesvalles TTC yard during the reconstruction (until Fall 2010). Roncesvalles service to Queen Street and from the Dundas West subway will be replaced with shuttle buses travelling south along Lansdowne and then north up Roncesvalles. More details at Transit Toronto and the TTC’s 504 King service advisory webpage.
You can now follow us on Twitter for regular construction updates and other important news here: twitter.com/RoncesVillage
Roncesvalles Renewed Walking Tour June 6
| June 6, 2009 | ||
| 1:30 pm | to | 3:30 pm |
The transformation of Roncesvalles will begin this summer and continue in 2010. A number of broad decisions have now been passed by Toronto City Council with regards to the width of the street, transit platforms and other features. The next step will be to convene in a design charette to provide input to the city on specific design details. Gord Perks will be organizing this session shortly.
In preparation for this, the Roncesvalles Renewed team is inviting you to participate in a walk up Roncesvalles to look at the broad plan and to develop ideas for input to the city. We will meet at the Grafton Parkette, at the bottom of Roncesvalles on the east side at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday June 6. We will walk up the street with a map of the new features, aiming to discuss the
following areas:
- Tree location
- Street furniture
- Transit platform design
- Lighting
- Crosswalks
- Bumpouts at intersections
- And whatever else might come up that is consistent with the overall plan.
We hope to see you there. If you are not able to make it, please contact us at with your thoughts.
Contra-flow bike lane planned for Fermanagh
At its June 3 meeting, the City’s Public Works and Infrastructure committee will be discussing a proposed contra-flow bike lane planned for Fermanagh between Roncesvalles and Sorauren. This lane would allow cyclists to ride eastbound on a road that is one-way westbound for motorists.
Via Biking Toronto
Toronto Sun op-ed: Roncesvalles redo a victory for neighbourhoods
On Friday, the Toronto Sun published an op-ed by John Bowker, chair of the BIA’s Beautification Committee and the BIA’s representative in Roncesvalles Renewed. The article celebrates the unity of our neighborhood, as we prepare for the 2009-10 reconstruction of Roncesvalles. It also criticizes efforts by suburban councillors to turn Roncesvalles into a busy highway for commuters from North York and Etobicoke:
“When the automobile folks and the streetcar folks go to war over who controls the street, the neighbourhoods themselves often suffer. Streets get carved up and divided, and a pleasant main street can become a tangle of barriers, signals, lines and signs. Slow streets can become fast highways, and pedestrians learn to just keep on walking with their heads down.
“Too often the local residents themselves succumb to this confrontational mentality, filing lawsuits and sending in angry petitions. Good ideas get drowned out as polarization sets in, leading to poorer outcomes for everyone.
“That’s why I am feeling extremely proud of our neighbourhood today. I believe we have responded to these challenges with remarkable creativity, intelligence and open-mindedness.
“And so our community is poised to benefit from an innovative streetscape plan that uses new ideas to balance the needs of all users, including motorists.”
City Council votes 34-5 to approve Roncesvalles streetscape proposal
Today, Toronto City Council voted 34-5 to approve a staff report proposing numerous Roncesvalles streetscape improvements, including new public spaces and accessible transit stops. This report borrows many ideas from the BIA’s 2003 streetscape strategy, and was unanimously approved by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee a few weeks earlier, following an extensive Environmental Assessment process. From here, the approved report goes to the province, and an official EA Notice of Completion should follow provincial approval in July.
Once the EA is completed, the City will have the authority to consider various design treatments, including permanent parking lanes, new trees (using the area beneath the parking lane for a continuous soil trench), wider sidewalks and improved conditions for cyclists. These details will be worked out in a formal consultation and design process that begins this summer, led by Councillor Gord Perks (continuing an informal process that Roncesvalles Renewed and its community partners, including all the RAs and the BIA, have been working on for several years).
As host to the busiest surface transit route in all of Canada, Roncesvalles is obviously not immune to massive citywide changes that seek to adjust Toronto’s transportation priorities for the 21st century. But instead of becoming a fast highway, or being carved up and divided between motorists and the TTC, Roncesvalles is poised to benefit from an innovative streetscape plan that uses new ideas to balance the needs of all users, while preserving the vibrancy of our street:
- While the TTC has proposed to open up Dundas West to four lanes of busy traffic (a move strongly opposed by the Dundas West BIA), the TTC has just endorsed a plan that would make similar measures impossible on Roncesvalles. Our street will forever remain a safe and pedestrian-friendly two-lane street. This has been accomplished while preserving existing traffic flow, without new traffic restrictions, while adding new provisions for cyclists.
- Instead of carving up the street, the plan embraces transit by integrating it into the fabric of our sidewalk, creating a seamless transition for riders. When the new streetcars arrive, riders will be able to board at all four doors in seconds, speeding up the streetcar’s progress and improving service reliability. And for the disabled, or people with strollers or grocery carts, our streetcar stops will be the most accessible in Toronto.
- Instead of placing concrete islands in the road used only by transit riders, this plan would create new, multi-use public spaces that can be used for patios, merchandise displays, “outdoor living rooms,” benches, gardens and public art, as well as by transit riders.
- These new public spaces replace some parking, and yet the plan actually preserves 92% of existing street parking (95% outside loading zone hours), and removes all peak hour parking restrictions.
The streetscape proposal received much praise from City councillors for the way it balances the needs of businesses, residents, transit riders, cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. “It is a compromise that makes no compromises at all, because it satisfies all those interests,” said Councillor and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone. Councillor Bill Saundercook, who is co-chair of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee, said his committee “strongly endorses” the proposal. And Councillor Howard Moscoe added, “We can all benefit from the work being done on Roncesvalles.”
There is more of this work to be done, obviously, and there will always be room for improvement. The devil will be in the details, which is why community feedback is still so essential. The residents’ associations will host further meetings to discuss the developing plan. The BIA will continue to post information about the proposal, and has sent copies of the sidewalk plan to institutional stakeholders on the street. More information on the Roncesvalles reconstruction project is available here and here.
The BIA urges all businesses and community members to examine the PDFs of the sidewalk plan (part one is the southern half, and part two is the north), and please let the BIA know how the plan can be made the best possible. Where are the opportunities for new trees, benches, lighting or bike parking? How can crosswalks be made the safest possible? How can the transit stops be made inviting and attractive? Where else can the plan be improved? You can email us at .
The measurable benefits of urban trees
Local resident and Roncesvalles Renewed member Jane Humphreys forwarded an interesting article from a recent issue of Planning, the magazine of the American Planning Association. It’s called “Branching Out” and is written by James Schwab. You can read the PDF here or view it in HTML format here. The article condenses the findings of a new APA study called Planning the Urban Forest (this link has further links to other tree/urban planning resources, including a podcast from an Oct. 2008 APA symposium on the urban forest).
Much of the information will be familiar to readers of this blog, where the BIA has repeatedly urged the creation of a Living Sidewalk along Roncesvalles. This project would integrate Roncesvalles’ stormwater sewer with an innovative new tree planting system that would finally allow urban trees to grow to maturity, instead of dying within 5-10 years of age. With healthy trees, sidewalks would become massive absorption pads, sucking up huge amounts of water and reducing the frequency of raw sewage overflows into our lake. In addition, mature urban trees will provide shade, cool the street and absorb 15 times as much carbon dioxide as the same tree in a rural setting
But turns out, there are even more benefits.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, obviously, but they also improve air quality by removing five key pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. And the tree’s effect on air quality is enhanced further as it cools the street, since heat is a big factor in the production of ozone and smog (in 2005, there were 48 High Health Risk smog days in Toronto).
Scientists are also now seriously studying a developing concept known as “environmental justice.” For example, it is now understood that urban communities with access to natural settings tend to have better health, such as lower asthma rates. Trees also tend to make neighborhoods safer (see “Green Streets, not Mean Streets” a condensed summary of a 2001 study by the University of Illinois, which shattered a long-standing myth that trees provided criminals with places to hide, prompting many property owners to cut them down). In jurisdictions such as Connecticut, trees and parks are forming part of their social policy.
Once again, we are learning that trees are not simply decorative frills, but also have enormous environmental, health and social benefits that can be measured and valued. Trees are an important long-term investment whose worth must not be underestimated.
The Living Sidewalk is not yet adequately funded, and time is running out to get the project included in the 2009-10 reconstruction of Roncesvalles. If you would like to offer support to the Living Sidewalk project, you can email Councillor Gord Perks at .
Bombardier gets streetcar contract - “sweet ride” promised
The TTC’s new fleet of streetcars will be longer and air-conditioned, with room for 260 people, bikes and two wheelchairs. Low floors will make the streetcars accessible for strollers, grocery carts and the disabled. And the 204 mini-trains will be assembled in Ontario, at the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay, reports the Toronto Star today.
Now the TTC just needs to find $1.2 billion to help pay for them. But Mayor David Miller is confident that the federal and provincial governments will come through. “If this isn’t infrastructure stimulus, I don’t know what is,” he told the Star.
Bigger streetcars will likely mean fewer streetcars, which may also mean longer waiting times. Any waits will hopefully be mitigated by improved reliability, along with tracking systems allowing riders to know exactly when the next streetcar will arrive. Another big improvement will be the introduction of a computerized proof-of-payment system that will allow riders to board quickly at all four doors. The current, cumbersome boarding procedure has been blamed for much of the streetcar’s often slow progress through Toronto’s streets.
Star columnist Christopher Hume praises the new streetcars, saying they “will make cars, freeways, elevated highways, gridlock, exhaust, smog and, indeed, the very notion of city driving seem as old-fashioned, and as quaint, as top hats and spats.” The Globe and Mail’s John Barber has a somewhat grumpier take, noting the costs of conforming to Toronto’s unusual rail specifications and questioning the smoothness of the lower ride.
The new streetcars will be tested on Toronto’s streets in 2011, and are expected to begin service in 2012.
Email us: info@
roncesvallesvillage.ca
Thanks to everyone who made the 2009 Roncesvalles Polish Festival the best yet!
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