Neighbourhood Watch
DOWNTOWN
Councillor Denzil MinnanWong says Lake Shore Boulevard will stay open despite the Gardiner Expressway’s tendency to shed pieces of concrete onto the road. At one point the councillor suggested it might be time to close parts of the Gardiner, but he did an about-face after consulting with city staff. Earlier this week, city workers chiselled off more loose material after pieces fell onto an occupied car.
QUEENS QUAY
That stalwart of the waterfront, Captain John’s floating seafood restaurant, has finally sunk, metaphorically, that is. The city rescinded the establishment’s lease, cut off the water supply and ordered the kitchen closed this week over $500,000 in unpaid bills. The rusty former Adriatic passenger ship, the Jadran, could linger on while a marine court decides its fate. In the meantime, the Toronto Port Authority has ordered the boat to stay put (it’s got no engine and has been jammed in the mud for 35 years).
THE SUBWAY
Note from the TTC: Please stop putting bikes, strollers and dogs through the subway revolving-door turnstiles — they get stuck. This week, Laurie Brown, the host of The Signal on CBC Radio 2, photographed a bicycle jammed in the gate at Spadina station. It was circulated and roundly mocked on Twitter. According to the TTC’s Brad Ross, things get stuck in the one-way doors on a weekly basis and rescues can take up to four hours. You’ve been warned — again.
YONGE AND COLLEGE
Roaring its way into the 21st century, the TTC will install second generation Presto card readers at College station this summer, allowing people with contactless credit cards and smartphones to pay their fares electronically. If the trial is successful, the readers will be added at Dundas and Yonge-Bloor. The TTC expects to have Presto readers at all stations by 2015.
THE TAPS
If your water bill looked pretty good last year, it really was too good to be true. Toronto Water accidentally under-charged its customers by $1.45-million, roughly $30 a household, by forgetting to add on a planned rate increase. The city is now trying to figure out how to recover some of the missing cash.
THE ROADS
The city launched a new website this week that allows residents to determine where upcoming roadwork projects are scheduled to take place, and hopefully find a way to avoid them. Called T.O. INview (Toronto Infrastructure Viewer), the online map also includes major projects from the TTC and Metrolinx. Construction aside, the map is freakishly detailed. You can zoom in on any street and see the shape of buildings and even backyard garages. Happy snooping.
NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE
Cyclists rejoice! A new 24-hour, secure bike parking facility complete with showers, lockers, tools and compressed air for punctures will be arriving at the parking garage opposite City Hall. The only catch is riders will have to hold a parking plan to access the services. No more trying to force your bike through a TTC turnstile if it gets a late-night puncture.