LESLIE BARNS & CONNECTION TRACK Leslieville BIA Meeting May 2, 2014 1 OVERVIEW • Communications • Queen/Leslie Intersection Closure Overview • Next Steps - Coordination of TTC Track Upgrades (Queen streetcar stops between Brooklyn Ave to east of Parliament) - Queen/Broadview Intersection Construction 2 COMMUNICATIONS 3 COMMUNICATIONS Newsletters • Distributed to 35 000 properties, from Broadview to the Beach, north to Gerrard, south to the Lake Spring, 2014 - Leslie Barns Newsletter 4 COMMUNICATIONS “Open During Construction” Postcards and Posters • Inform community about transit and access during closure, promote BIA • Postcards mailed via Canada Post to over 35 000 homes and businesses • Posters provided to Businesses • Posters for transit stops on Queen East 5 WORKING WITH THE LESLIEVILLE BIA “Doors Open Event” at Russell Carhouse featuring the New Streetcar • Saturday, May 24, 11am-5pm 6 COMMUNICATIONS TTC Explainer Video for the Leslie, Victoria, Broadview, and overall Queen Street work • Explain transit plans, including Victoria street • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asI-YBCkC8k • Promote local businesses 7 COMMUNICATIONS Newspaper ads in The Metro, Beach Mirror, Beach Metro • Highlight local access during Queen/Leslie work, encourage local shopping 8 TRANSIT ROUTING Replacement bus service during intersection closure travels to University Avenue • Routing requested at community meetings and by BIA in 2013 • Increase frequency for 72 Pape, 83 Jones and 31 Greenwood buses at community request 9 BROADVIEW/QUEEN Broadview intersection construction moved to begin June 30, 2014 after World Pride Staggering Leslie and Broadview provides better service on Queen St East 10 QUEEN/LESLIE INTERSECTION CONSTRUCTION 11 QUEEN/LESLIE INTERSECTION – UTILITY UPGRADES 12 SEWER WORK EXAMPLE– LESLIE STREET New storm culverts placed under Leslie Street to improve storm sewer operation 13 QUEEN/LESLIE CLOSURE – SCOPE OF WORK • Replace 80+ year old watermain and water infrastructure • Install high capacity storm sewer • Install upgraded Bell chamber (avoids impacts to tracks during utility works in future) • Install new TTC cables and chamber (access for maintenance) • Install new TTC tracks • Install new overhead catenary poles 14 QUEEN/LESLIE CLOSURE – WATERMAIN UPGRADE • Replacing and upgrading the Watermain has impacts • For water work affecting businesses (not residents), preference to perform work when businesses are closed overnight, pending Toronto Water approval • Minimum 2 temporary water shutoffs during closure – to disconnect service from old main and make new connection (details, locations TBC following valve testing) • Some watermain valves are over 100 years old and need replacement • Only Toronto Water is permitted to turn off water and must approve timing • Inform residents and businesses immediately once schedule is set with Toronto Water • Work is subject to weather (heavy rains) 15 QUEEN/LESLIE INTERSECTION • Close smallest possible area that allows contractor to complete intersection work efficiently • Maintain pedestrian access to businesses and residences, small interruptions for pole installation • New access to Avondale Parking Lot via Leslie Street (remove and then replace fence) • Waterman south of Queen St on Leslie St advanced to start May 8th Lane closures 16 EARLY JUNE – PREPARING FOR TRACK INSTALLATION AT QUEEN AND LESLIE INTERSECTION • Fastest way to install tracks is pre -assembly • Pre-assembled rail system for Leslie/Queen requires six 80 foot flatbed trucks • Significantly reduces duration of track installation (and duration of road closure) • Requires Police escort, then track system installed like jigsaw puzzle • Six flatbeds park for approximately 1 week (Carlaw to Greenwood, staggered to maintain side street access) • Removed ASAP after track system installed Flatbed trucks with pre-assembled rail system (King and Sumach example) 17 CONSTRUCTION PHASING – LESLIE ST CONTEXT May 11 to June 21, 2014 Sewer replacement and utility upgrades Staggered closure from north of Eastern Avenue - access maintained to Marigold Condo parking garage Utility work – access to The Duke parking maintained from Lane Queen and Leslie closure for utilities and track work – 6 weeks (May 11 – June 21) Traffic configuration shifts back to south side 18 TRANSIT SERVICE – MAY 11 TO JUNE 21 Replacement bus service during intersection closure travels beyond Parliament Street to University Avenue Increased frequency on Pape, Jones and Greenwood Buses 19 QUEEN/LESLIE CLOSURE – WORK HOURS - Work is required overnight in order to return regular access as fast as possible - Per major intersection closures across Toronto, work is planned 24/7 - Police and/or flagpersons will be on site to assist pedestrians 20 DUST MITIGATION • Wet cutting of concrete • Truck wheel washing • Window washing for businesses and residences directly fronting construction 21 COORDINATING TTC TRACK UPGRADES AT SELECT STOPS ON QUEEN STREET EAST 22 COORDINATING TRACK UPGRADES ON QUEEN EAST • Important track upgrades at some streetcar stops on Queen St (unrelated to Leslie Street ) are being coordinated during the Leslie/Queen and Broadview/Queen intersection closures • TTC Operations met with Leslieville and Riverside BIAs and Councillors to develop plans • Coordinate works this year to avoid future streetcar disruption Leslieville BIA Meeting, May 2, 2014 23 COORDINATING TRACK REPLACEMENT - QUEEN STREET • Tracks are worn at some streetcar stops and need replacement • Work during intersection closures (when no streetcars are running on Queen St East) • Track upgrades at stops do not require street closures, do occupy centre track lanes • 4 days per stop Queen Streetcar Stop Rail Replacement Locations • Not continuous across Streets Direction Timeline* Queen Street East Booth Avenue West May 12 - 15 Logan Avenue East May 20 - 23 Logan Avenue West May 26 - 29 Brooklyn Avenue East May 30 - Jun 2 Brooklyn Avenue West Jun 3 - 6 • Diego Sinagoga Carlaw Avenue East Jun 19 - 22 Community Liaison Carroll Street West Jul 1 - 4 416-393-2197 River Street East Jul 10 - 13 River Street West Jul 14 -17 [email protected] Tracy Street East Jul 21 - 24 Three additional stops will be considered if time permits Bright Street East TBD Pape Avenue East TBD Sackville Street West TBD Note: There is no track work planned in this area from June 22 to June 30. 24 STREETCAR STOP – TRACK REPLACEMENT May to July 2014 (Brooklyn Avenue to Tracy Street) QUEEN/BROADVIEW INTERSECTION 26 BROADVIEW/QUEEN INTERSECTION JUNE 30-JULY 25 Bus diverts via Carlaw, Dundas, River Street Scheduled after World Pride 27 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT 28 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Key changes made to assist traffic flow in Leslieville BIA and vicinity: • Additional east-west green time added to 17 intersections along Queen St & along Eastern Avenue • 10 Electronic Changeable Message Signs with Traffic Info • Signal timing changes to improve east-west flow on Dundas and Gerrard during Queen/Leslie closure • Ongoing traffic volume monitoring and cameras at key intersections to make signal adjustments Improvements on Carlaw passed at City Council • Rush hour parking now prohibited on east side of Carlaw from 4pm-6pm to improve flow into Leslieville • New right turn green arrow added at Lake Shore and Carlaw 29 THANK YOU 30 .