Vision
To build a gateway to the Lower Don Valley and thereby help reconnect the city, its residents and visitors to Toronto’s unique ecological ravine heritage.
To create an environmentally-friendly and iconic piece of recreational infrastructure that bridges the span between the Broadview & Danforth neighbourhood and the Evergreen Brick Works site.
To be a good neighbour and develop this project with the blessing and guidance of the surrounding communities so as to create something wonderful that is welcomed by the neighbourhood at large.
15 Principles
After numerous consultations, the project team has determined a set of principles to guide the project.
This list is subject to additions as community consultations continue.
But as of right now, we’ve heard that the cable car should —
be a part of the community.
The cable car should be developed in tandem with the local community so that it becomes an integral part of the neighbourhood fabric.
be built by locals for locals.
The cable car should be a piece of recreational infrastructure that will be cherished by current and future generations of local residents and Torontonians at large.
protect the privacy of residents.
The privacy of residents and their private property should not be compromised by the cable car.
encourage active transportation.
The cable car should encourage people to bike, walk and use public transportation as a means to access the Lower Don Valley and its amenities.
connect the city with nature.
The cable car should encourage locals and visitors to reconnect with one of the largest natural urban areas of in the world.
be environmentally-sensitive.
The cable car should be designed in an environmentally-sensitive manner that protects and accentuates the natural environment.
be accessible.
The cable car should be 100% accessible to people of all levels of mobility.
be affordable.
The cable car should be priced appropriately to be affordable to a wide range of locals and visitors.
teach us about our heritage.
The cable car should include programming to educate people and youth about the Lower Don Valley’s ecology and surrounding heritage.
procure goods and services locally.
Wherever possible, local suppliers should be sought to help develop and build the cable car.
increase business in the area.
The cable car should increase revenue for businesses and community groups operating both at the Evergreen Brick Works and the Danforth.
sustain itself economically.
The cable car should be financed by the private sector and programmed such that it is economically sustainable for generations to come.
inspire cooperation.
The cable car should demonstrate how the public, private and ngo sectors can work together to create unique city-building projects.
be something iconic.
The cable car should be more than simply a piece of recreational infrastructure — it should be an icon for the area.
create fun.
Cities aren’t just about going to work. Play and fun are experiences central to the human condition. The cable car should create exciting memories for people of all ages.
Proposed Route Alignment
The proposed route alignment is based upon preliminary designs and travels from the edge of Playter Gardens parkette at the corner of Cambridge and Danforth to the tip of the western parking at the Evergreen Brick Works.
This route was identified for three reasons:
Firstly, It does not directly travel over residential homes and is shielded from said homes by thick foliage thereby reducing any privacy concerns.
Secondly, Playter Gardens is located 3 minutes walking distance from Broadview subway station. This provides passengers with the ability to access the cable car easily by public transit and other active means.
Lastly, the route precludes the need for the removal of any usable park area and old-growth trees.
At Playter Gardens, all cable car station infrastructure can be cantilevered off the western side of the parkette eliminating the need to remove precious green space in the neighbourhood. Neighbours to the north can be shielded from park activity by means of architecturally-designed green walls that act as sound and barriers.
These improvements to the parkette would create a significantly more attractive “frame” to the park than the current chain and picket fences that currently border the park and would allow for increased animation of the space throughout the day.
This animation and increased pedestrianization should decrease the vandalism and vagrancy that sometimes affect the park and have been highlighted in community consultations as problematic and bothersome.
At the Brick Works station, meanwhile, cable car infrastructure would be elevated approximately one storey above grade at the northern tip of the existing western parking lot. This will allow the cable car system to operate as a flood evacuation system during the deluges that sometime effect the Lower Don Valley.
The station’s location would be in close proximity to the Brick Works’ attractions, the Weston Family Quarry Garden and various trails throughout the Don Valley. Despite this proximity, the station would be well-shielded by thick brush and forest from the neighbouring homes to the west.
The route is, however, preliminary with station areas approximate. Both are subject to change according to community and stakeholder consultations.
