1. The Gardner Expressway and rail lines preserved the lakefront west of downtown in a state of perpetual vacancy. Good for site lines but bad for development.

   Posted by Jeff Benninger  on  12/23  at  02:53 PM

2. That would be the Gardiner Expressway, named after Frederick Gardiner, the former mayor of Toronto whose iron will saw to the creation of the eponymous roadway.

   I think land ownership and public will are greater determinants of potential development on this site than the occupation by private and public infrastructure. Witness the development along the waterfront west of the Humber River.

   Posted by Brad Golden  on  12/24  at  12:56 PM

3. “he 504 street car. Hardly a “rocket” the street car drifts at the speed of flotsam in the slow moving tide of downtown traffic.”

   I pretend the King, Queen and College streetcars don’t exist. That way, when I wait for them, I expect nothing, Then I’m pleasantly surprised when one decides to show up, after waiting much longer than the posted wait-time.

   Posted by Shawn Micallef  on  12/25  at  01:57 PM

4. One winter I regularly rode the 504 from Broadview subway station over to King and Dufferin. I created a photo project that I called “From the 504” which has since expanded into something I now call “Travelling Shots” to document what I see during my transit trips. Some of those old 504 images still hang on in the collection; for example:

   http://tinyurl.com/d2u88
   http://tinyurl.com/9t4qp
   http://tinyurl.com/7ette
   http://tinyurl.com/7kce8 and
   http://tinyurl.com/898jh

   There is much too see while riding the flotsam; much that is worth the wait.

   ...edN

   Posted by Ed Nixon  on  12/27  at  12:22 PM

5. i have to come to the defence of my regular streetcar…

   i live near King and Spencer and take the 504 east to downtown most days. rarely do i wait longer than five minutes for the streetcar. once on board, it’s about 20 minutes to King subway station (of course, this is mid-afternoon). most of the time i get a seat, and on days like today when more than one streetcar is approaching, i love watching their roofs emerge over the horizon like drifting tugboats.

   for these reasons and more, the 504 is far better than the Queen car or the College car.

   Posted by mason  on  12/29  at  11:50 PM

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