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Miller wants to tear down Gardiner
A report on the future of the Gardiner was released today. Miller is on record as to wanting to tear it down and replace it with a 6 lane boulevard (yeah like thats not a "barrier to the lakeshore)  ... Can you say traffic chaos??
ALL THE MORE REASON TO VOTE FOR JANE PITFIELD THIS NOV!
Miller, everytime you open your mouth you confirm even more that you are an idiot.
| quote: | Two-Year-Old Report On Future Of Gardiner Expressway Offers Three Options At High Costs
Wednesday September 27, 2006
Normally reading a consultant's report submitted to Toronto City Hall would be like watching the proverbial fly go up the wall.
But keep it a secret and suddenly everyone's interested.
The long awaited and long hidden report on the future of the Gardiner Expressway has finally been released and it offers three separate options - all of which come with a huge cost.
The study targets the elevated part of the roadway running east of Bathurst to West of the Don River.
Among the options that experts are calling the "Three R's":
Replace it
This would involve burying it using tunnels at a cost of $1.3 billion. Another option: tear it down and put in a 10-lane thoroughfare with medians and sidewalks near Spadina for almost $500 million.
Retain It
This would mean relocating some strategic ramps and exits. That would put a $415 million dent in taxpayer wallets.
Remove it
This alternative centres on either expanding the Lakeshore or creating new surface roadways. The price tag for that: $437 for the former and $457 million for the latter.
The report indicates what drivers already know - the Gardiner is already over capacity.
It currently handles three times more volume than it was built for. When construction began in 1955, it was projected 60,000 cars a day would traverse its lanes.
But since the explosion of growth in the suburbs, that's now up to 180,000 - and growing.
The report, which has been kept secret for two years, is expected to play a major role in the November civic election, with both major candidates - David Miller and Jane Pitfield - sharing similar views but coming from opposite sides.
Critics contend Miller has been trying to hide the report to keep it off the campaign trail radar, an allegation he flatly denies.
"Records that come in from other agencies for city staff review happen all the time," he contends. "There are hundreds of records that come in for review ... City staff haven't finished their review and when they do finish their review, they report out. A member of council got interested and asked for the report ... If council wants an outside report, the appropriate procedures is for council to ask for. That's what happened here."
But while he's in favour of seeing the Gardiner removed, he admits there's a problem.
"I've always had the same position," he maintains. "If we could take it down where we are revitalizing from about Yonge Street to Jarvis (Street), that area. If we could take it down, great. But there is no money to do it. And until we find a way to pay for it, it is not on the table."
Miller predicts it's a moot point in any event because an environmental assessment will take three years and an actual decision would be at least another year after that. And he admits his first priority is developing the waterfront, and that's what he intends to concentrate on.
Opponent Jane Pitfield maintains there's no doubt about her position - leave it alone for now.
"The majority of people in this city want the Gardiner to stay exactly where it is," she maintains. "No more of it should come down. It is a major east/west transportation network, and we have no good solution."
Pitfield believes there are more pressing issues that need to be addressed, like crime and garbage. And she believes the public and not politicians should make the ultimate decision on the elevated roadway.
The Canadian Automobile Association likes that idea. Fay Lyons says it's something that should be open for debate.
"If you were to actually look at taking down the Gardiner Expressway, what is going to happen with that expressway-style traffic?" she wonders. "It's going to flush onto residential streets, which causes a big safety concern with the residents of Toronto, and again will force more congestion in the city as well."
But Miller insists you can't take anything to the people without first having a sound business plan in place that includes alternate transportation options - and so far nothing exists.
"We can't go to the people of Toronto with something that's not real," he counters. "Right now there is no business plan and no funding plan for any work to be done on the Gardiner other than routine maintenance."
The report cost $1 million and makes for some heavy reading - it takes up a full seven volumes. |
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| quote: | Originally posted by jester
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