A subreddit discussing ways to transform The Gardiner Expressway into a less ugly, more multifunctional travel passage is gaining traction online, however, the city already has a plan in place to enhance the roadway.
Despite the elevated highway being a vital traffic artery, the commanding presence of the road has long divided Torontonians; some argue it’s an eyesore and should be aesthetically enhanced, while others say operational issues need to be prioritized.
Redditor, Tariq804, suggested turning the underside of its elevated section into a green corridor to help offset carbon emissions and to obscure drab slabs of concrete under lush greenery.
“I feel like they should consider looking at some cities in East Asia (particularly China) where elevated expressways have become green corridors. Chengdu Green Corridor is one example that Toronto could really adopt for the Gardiner,” Tariq804 wrote.
However, some pointed out that the road, given its design and material make-up, simply does not possess the structural integrity to sustain plant life.
“As beautiful and lovely as that looks, and ivy is ….it would be terribly dangerous as ivy destroys the concrete it’s attached to,” one person said.
Read More
Others argued the Gardiner operated well when it was first built and that it only became an issue once people started living in such close proximity to it, and that improving its functionality should take precedence over any kind of environmentally conscious transformation or superficial facelift.
“It creates tons of traffic, noise pollution, and air pollution. Nobody should be living within about
500m of a freeway and the Gardiner was actually fine when first constructed, but development has gotten closer and closer over time,” one reddit user wrote.
“Aesthetics are the least of the Gardiner’s issues,” another person said.
“I feel that the Gardiner separates the city into 2. It would be nice to have avenues that are walkable and commercialized right down to the waterfront,” another Reddit user said.
“It should be a tunnel, how could anything else be acceptable? Pedestrians should not have to feel disgust and mortal dread when walking to the waterfront,” someone else said
Select areas below the road are cordoned off for community use such as The Bentway, which offers free, seasonal, community focused activities among other programs.
Moreover, The Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan, an initiative led by The Bentway and the City of Toronto, and supported by a conglomerate of stakeholders, provides guidance for spaces around the Gardiner’s elevated section and aims to advance the space for pedestrians, cyclists, neighbours, and drivers.
“As the City of Toronto continues to grow and we reinvest in our infrastructure systems, there is an opportunity to reimagine how the whole of the Gardiner can connect, perform, and inspire,” the plan’s March 2024 Visions and Opportunity report says.
The report also outlines goals to create “physical and visual connections that link neighbourhoods, community assets and transportation hubs in order to address concerns around safety and accessibility of under Gardiner spaces.”
It also seeks to optimize the use of public space through design and programming strategies that “celebrate its uniquely urban quality.”
The Gardiner is in the midst of a six-part construction project to revitalize the roadway. In April, a chunk of the Gardiner between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue was reduced to two lanes for the next three years as a result of the project.
Read More
The Gardiner Expressway first opened in 1964. The elevated stretch is seven kilometres long, and extends from east of Bathurst Street to the Don Valley Parkway ramp.
This raised section has a total of 17 ramps, both on and off and consists of 335 spans (structures that bridge upon support structures) and 334 bents, bridge support structures.
diner Expressway first opened in 1964. The elevated stretch is seven kilometres long, and extends from east of Bathurst Street to the Don Valley Parkway ramp.
This raised section has a total of 17 ramps, both on and off and consists of 335 spans (structures that bridge upon support structures) and 334 bents, bridge support structures.
