The city says that Weston and Mount Dennis are “red zones” when it comes to cycling and social equity—but it isn’t doing much about it.
The city says that Weston Road would make an excellent bike route (red in the map below). But according to Spacing Magazine, it’s not going to happen. It’s not part of the city’s 2021–2023 implementation plan.
Jane St (orange) would make another good route, but it will only be studied —though, as I reported earlier, the city had been planning extensive bus-only lanes. As far as I know, the orange route along the railway tracks is only a dream.
Planners did say that there will be
Weston neighbourhood connections extending from Silverthorn Ave and Trethewey Dr.. and will connect to the Mid-Humber trail and closure of the gap.
However, in the city’s recent briefing slides, these connections are only to be studied.
Mount Dennis is in particularly bad shape, with less than one percent of the street (measured by the kilometer) having a bike route. However, Mount Dennis looks to be getting only a path along Eglinton, to connect to the new station.
Transportation Services will be reporting on their new bike plan for 2021–2023 later this fall, and will bring it to City Council.
As measured, the total roadway space required for everything in the video is 56 feet. The current right of way along local roads such as Weston Road, Jane and Lawrence Avenue is at their narrowest, 27 metres or 88.6 feet. Unless I’m mistaken, this would allow the modifications shown in the video with a minimum of 16.3 feet feet for sidewalks on either side. Check out various rights of way on every major street in the city here. According to the video, traffic volume doesn’t suffer and cyclists are then able to operate in safety.
According to Toronto’s chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat, there may be a movement of commercial offices to the downtown core and that this is coming at the cost of the suburbs. One can only assume that the long commute times are responsible for this trend.
“Previously thriving suburban office parks are now experiencing double digit vacancy rates and declining rents, as employers flock downtown.”
Looking at commercial properties for sale in Weston, there is currently only one office property on offer:
2000 Jane Street: Asking Price $3,295,000. This is a large property on about an acre of land by the Highway 400 ramps and the new hospital.
When it comes to retail stores however, there is no shortage of properties for sale, some of them very well known to Westonians.
2387 Weston Road: $599,000. This property A.K.A. ‘Artcube’ is near the Weston Plank Road building in a busy spot near Weston Road and St Phillips. It has served as an art store and taxidermists in recent incarnations.
1982-1986 Weston Road & 1 Little Avenue: $1,199,000. This comprises several properties and includes the former Chelli shoe store, the pizza restaurant next door and the barber shop on Little Avenue. There is a two bedroom apartment on the upper level.
1676 Jane Street: $2,499,000. This is a parcel of five properties fronting on Jane and Ellis Avenue. It has been approved for redevelopment.
1744 Jane Street: $759,800. This property comprises two retail units with an upstairs apartment.
1542 Jane Street: $249,900. This modern Subway outlet at Jane and Denison has 1100 square feet of floor space.
18 – 2007 Lawrence Avenue W: $249,900 Near the Weston Station Tim Hortons, formerly the Brotherhood of Christ Healing Temple Ministry, this property has been reduced from $299,000.
1650 Weston Road: $689,000. Currently operating as a convenience store, there is a three-bedroom apartment upstairs.
1746 Weston Road: $1,899,000. This property currently hosting a seafood store at Weston and Wilby is across the street from the new GO station. Wilby was the site of an affordable condo project that failed to get off the ground a couple of years ago.
1705 Weston Road: $4,650,000. This grouping of three properties is next to the Weston GO station and are being sold ‘as is’.
2464 Weston Road: $989,000. This property comprises two units of differing sizes with a total of 3200 square feet of floor space.
Irving has a short-term solution to the steam that has been bothering some drivers on Jane Street, according to InsideToronto. They will be rerouting the steam using ducts and fans.
For our first-ever podcast, I interviewed Silvio Fiore of Proline Taxidermy, the store we all want to know about but few of us enter. He explained the art of taxidermy to me.
The owner of De Blue Note Lounge at 1709 Jane Street has been charged with three counts of bribery and one count of attempting to obstruct justice. The charges came after police investigated complaints of booze can activities on the premises. Richard Nkabu is alleged to have paid $500 to a police officer in the hopes that the police would ignore the complaints.
Marisel’s Deli on Jane Street got a yellow card, again, from Toronto Public Health. In the unlikely event that you were considering having your lunch at the deli that allows garbage to sit spilled on the street (see the picture below, immortalized on Google forever, yum!), you might wish to know that Marisel’s does not properly sanitize its equipment or clean its washrooms.
This is the second time Marisel’s has been yellow-carded. In June, it was also dinged for not controlling pests.
