Raise the Hammer

Yes, the Queens Quay redevelopment would cost the same the same as about 2.6 km of 400 series HWY extension, when you include the removal of 4 of the 6 existing service lanes, redoing 2.4 km of all the underground power and sewer services, completely rebuild or severely alter 1 underground LRT station (Queens Quay) and do major repairs to 2 more. Replace all the streetcar wires (including brand new energy efficient transformers)for not only Queens Quay Blvd. but Spadina Ave. and the underground portion of the 509 and 510 streetcar routes so that sometime in the future the new streetcars can use their pantographs instead of their ancient trolley poles. Replace an entire 1.7 km of streetcar track, which was going to be replaced anyway due to age and move the entire surface sections of the line 3 metres south to make better use of the right if way.

Keep car and service parking on the north side of Queens Quay, while you finally make the remaining 2 car lanes wider than the lanes on previous street and allow for a centre turning lane. Put in a completely new system of traffic and streetcar favoring traffic lights. Put in wider sidewalks and much superior traffic segregated bike lanes on one of the busiest pedestrian and cycling streets in Toronto and generally improve the look of the area by a considerable margin. On top of that, add many very large shade trees to make it a far more palatable and shaded walk, on Toronto's very hot summers days.

Create a street space just in time for the arrival of many tourists whom are visiting that, will add to the positive image for Toronto. Lastly, create a street that the city can put on a post card or a website and market it to the rest of the world. All of that instead of 2.6 km of ugly suburban 400 series HWY. (4 lanes only) that would just attract more cars and not really change the transportation situation of the area to any great degree, seems like a no brainer to me.