Welcome to the Roncesvalles Ave reconstruction Page
Last visited and photograph was on January 09, 2011.
The Roncesvalles Village Streetscape Strategy Study under taken by the local BIA was completed in 2003 that call for a fair number of things to be done to the street to improve it.
Based on what was been asked, a number of EA's would have to be under taken and tie into the reconstruction of TTC streetcar tracks schedule for 2009-2010.
The Roncesvalles Village Streetscape Strategy Study can be found here showing what was proposed for the street between Queen St to the south and Dundas St to the north.
The first public meeting for the EA was held on July 09, 2008 and was met with a backlash over the lost of parking spaces, no cycling lanes, bumpout streetcar platforms, removing Sunday transit stops as well a number of other things.
The second public meet was held March 23, 2009 and was meet with the same reaction as the first time. This time, the EA team was trying to please all parties and that was one of the worse mistake they could do.
Clearly there was a total miss communication both verbal as well in the display boards what this street was too look like after all the work was done. It was also stated that other work like replacing gas lines, 100 year old sewer and water lines would take place first before construction of the road and sidewalks would take place.
Construction of the sewers and waterline would start in September 2009 and the roads, tracks and sidewalk in 2010 with completion by December 2010. That never happen.
During the construction, only one lane of traffic would be open at all time for northbound only. TTC would operate buses in place of streetcars during the construction.
The city went out of its way to please the BIA and the residents by wasting $100,000 of dollars by stoping work for the Polish festival to the point all construction was stop and the construction area was pave over. Even the construction equipment and material was removed off the street to the side street for this festival.
After the festival was over, construction resumed until a few weeks before Christmas. Again, the construction area was pave over and the road open to 2 way traffic with TTC still running service northbound only.
One of the sad part of this project was not having Toronto Hydro burying their overhead wiring system, but based on their track record for St Clair, maybe it was a good thing it did not happen. It would had enhance the street look more if it had taken place.
Based on what I saw at the beginning of 2010, I said this project will not be finish this year and they will be lucky to see the west side done 100%. As the months went on, I saw nothing to change my time line.
The remainder of the sewer and waterline was taking a lot longer to be completed than plan. At this time, unknown to me, consumer gas was starting to play a large part in delaying this project that both the city and consumer gas are point fingers at each other as to who responsible for the delay of 10 weeks.
Check the years photos to see the various changes to this street as well the street car tracks. Click on the photo's to get the full size of them at 3264 x 2448.