St. Clair streetcar (rather conveniently) impedes Rob Ford on his way to talk about the evils of streetcars
St. Clair streetcar (rather conveniently) impedes Rob Ford on his way to talk about the evils of streetcars
Apparently, the St. Clair right-of-way snarled traffic so badly that Rob Ford was almost late for his first spot as the co-host of CFRB’s The City on Sunday. Given that so far Ford’s radio show feels like a long-winded campaign ad (and a painfully dull one at that), we wonder what will make him late next week. The land transfer tax? A bike lane? Twenty-two superfluous councillors? Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »
I’m really sick of these idiots describing St. Clair as some sort of post-apocalyptic wasteland. Fact of the matter is that St. Clair is now one of the city’s best streets. A bunch of new cafes, restaurants and shops have opened up on stretches where thrift shops and crappy little dollar stores once ran the roost. 2 new condo developments at St. Clair/Bathurst, another at Spadina, another near Christie, one coming near Winona, one completed at Avenue, and another 2 coming just west of Yonge. Not to mention the average price of a house near St. Clair anywhere east of Oakwood is quickly closing in on $1 million. Streetcar ridership is way up, and way more convenient. The new Stockyards development is underway at Keele. And if it is parking you’re after believe me St. Clair is dotted with many Green P lots all along it. Enough talk of how it came to be. St. Clair is better for it. If Ford’s definition of disaster is an area of higher pedestrian traffic, more shops and restaurants, new developments, and rapidly increasing land value then I’ll gladly take a disaster in my neck of the woods anytime.
Seriously? St. Clair is booming? When was the last time you rode the streetcar from Bathurst all the way to Keele? There have been tons of new restaurants and shops try to make it on St. Clair West but one by one over the past 3 years they have shuttered their doors or changed hands. Try going past Oakwood and looking at all the “for lease” signs. Most recent victims are Chuck Burger and Co, Room Service, Santo (which is now a psychic’s shop) the renewly renovated Fish monger at Oakwood just turned into a Pawn shop with blinking red lights while the old greek one two doors down still hangs on somehow. What makes it this hood are the old standards …. Ferro, Prop, Atlas, The Ruston, Marcelo’s…all the old haunts (ok Prop is recent but owned by the brothers who rule the restos in the hood). Now we have Catch, a joint venture between the brothers of FErro and one of the other restaurants again. All Italian. I truly wish we would have an Ossington like renaissance but truly the Moms and Pops who still live in the hood don’t go to these new place. I love St. Clair but it is not what people hear in terms of revitalized retail.
St. Clair has improved from before the construction. Any kind of construction evolves some hard-ache, try renovating your own home (some work may include moving out if it is extensive). St. Clair is now better, especially for the transit user. The only problem is the railway bridge between Keele and Old Weston, which unfortunately is now in the hands of the TTC nor the city.
Now if only they could extend the streetcar line to Scarlett Road, it would become an even better line for the transit user.
Of course, for Rob Ford, he is a non-transit user, being addicted to his gas-guzzling mini-van.
Sorry, that end of the first paragraph should read: “which unfortunately is not in the hands of the TTC nor the city.” The “now” should read “not”.
It seems that Mr Ford couldn’t use his judgement correctly when he decided to drive to Newstalk 1010 when he could have used the TTC
Everybody knows that St. Clair west has been reduced to a pile of ashes, since the firetrucks can’t get down the street because of the endless traffic jam.
Though I have to say I was driving along Davenport yesterday and cyclists – cyclists! – were passing me, traffic was so slow. And that’s along a bus route. Maybe we should look at getting rid of busses as well.