Here's a letter I sent to EllisDon and PEO (Professional Engineers Ontario) and Toronto Police; let's hope they make their fences safer:
Ellis Don construction at or near Ontario Place has created an immediate danger to the public where there are dozens of accidents happening daily, as well as this situation creating tension that is causing anger and violence.
EllisDon has completely blocked off the Martin Goodman Waterfront Trail (also known as the Martin Goodman Trail or simply "MGT") near Ontario Place West Island / Parking Lot P1, and re-routed the trail into a gnarly patch of land where they have chopped down the trees and created a narrow path through a confusing maze of fences. EllisDon also moved their fence that was legally and safely at the high-water mark, right down to the water at the beach where the sandbags wash into the lake exposing dangerous sharp metal to people usually barefoot on the beach, putting paddlers, rowers, and swimmers in danger.
Attached are three examples from this past weekend, still frames from crashes and knife violence that occurred on this part of the Trail this weekend. I've recorded many more accidents there so this situation must be fixed immediately.
On Sunday when I was there I saw bicycle crashes, as well as a scooter crash into a bicycle and a bicycle crash into a pedestrian. Many times cyclists crash due to the sand, gravel, and slippery cement dust all along this part of the Trail. I am also seeing tensions and dozens of outbreaks of violence and anger here.
The EllisDon pathway is about 1.0m wide in places, and the minimum allowable path width for a path of this kind (see Section 5 of the MTO Manual) is 3.0m and preferably 4.0m. The fact that the trail is covered with construction debris, sharp metal, stones, rocks, sand, grit, and slippery cement dust makes it even worse.
In places the effective width is 30cm or less due to this debris, and as a result there is not enough room for 2 cyclists to pass safely.
Additionally on Sunday when I tried to walk my mobility aid through there, I was yelled at by people who got angry and violent because I was moving too slowly and slowing them down. The anger here is boiling over and the day before (Saturday), I saw a victim of a stabbing on this Trail with blood spattered on the EllisDon/Ontario Place propaganda billboard behind him. There were two stabbings on this part of the Trail so it also makes me very nervous to walk the trail slowly as the violence and anger escalate. This is a very unsafe condition. Just take a look at the comments on this Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9pdqYWRDhn
The EllisDon pathway has a turn radius of about 1m Eastbound and 2m Westbound and the minimum turn radius is 10m as outlined in the Manual.
The EllisDon pathway includes sudden hairpin bends that violate the safety standards.
In addition to this gross negligence, it seems possible that there might be a deliberate and malicious (i.e. criminal) attempt at obfuscating sight lines around these abrupt bends, through the use of privacy screens.
It also appears that recently the fences and privacy screens were replaced with solid plywood boards, which make it even more dangerous as they totally obstruct the view of oncoming traffic on the Trail.
Why is this path being made even more dangerous rather than fixing it?
I also had an accident there on June 30th, and witnessed numerous more during the brief time I was there.
EllisDon has asked me to pinpoint the exact location of the accident on Google maps, but I'm unable to locate the exact spot because many of the visual landmarks are destroyed (e.g. trees chopped down) or obfuscated by the complex maze of fences, privacy screens, walls, and hoardings.
So I am requesting that EllisDon provide me with their engineering drawings so that I can pinpoint the exact location of the accident on their up-to-date map rather than Google's out-of-date map.
Also while still suffering the effects of the accident on the MGT, I tripped and fell on the beach, due to an unsafe fence there, and others have been injured there as well, especially while taking refuge or a rest at the beach during a sudden summer storm with rough waves pounding them or their vessels against the fence that is right at the water's edge. We get the sense that EllisDon enjoys putting people's lives in danger. Take a look at the facial expression of the worker here enjoying himself. See attached picture(s). I also have a video recording of these workers very happy and joyful at putting our lives in danger where they discuss getting drunk to celebrate their work with the fences.
I would like to see the engineering drawings and plans for EllisDon MGT fence and beach fence.
Details:
The Martin Goodman Trail runs parallel to Lakeshore, on the South side of Lakeshore. There's a foot bridge that crosses Lakeshore and it is closed now, as it leads into the construction site. The footbridge is between Ontario Dr and New Brunswick Way. The crash occurred on the stretch of the Martin Goodman Trail between that footbridge and New Brunswick Way.
In order to pinpoint the exact location, I am awaiting drawings or maps from City of Toronto or Ontario Place Corporation or EllisDon because it is difficult to see exact landmarks here since all the trees are chopped down and many of the landmarks have been destroyed and visibility of remaining landmarks is obstructed with a maze of fencing and privacy screens and walls and hoardings.
The 2014 MTO Bikeways Design Manual defines this as a "shared use off road active transportation path". See Section 5 of the Manual. According to the MTO Bikeways Design Manual, the lane width must be a minimum of 3.0 m "in constrained corridors", with a desired width of 4.0 m. The actual width is about 1m which is only about one third the minimum width required.
The turn radius is about 2m Westbound and 1m Eastbound, where there is a sudden bend. The 2014 MTO Bikeways Design Manual requires a turn radius of at least 10m for a 20km/h speed (i.e. the speed set for the Martin Goodman Trail).
Thus I am asking for design measurements for creating the radius of curvature for this section of the pathway. The path also appears to fail to meet the "stopping sight distance" requirements outlined in the Manual. Thus I am also asking for the design analysis on this.
I tried to find it on Google maps but the terrain is now grossly different from what's shown on Google maps satellite view, e.g. all the trees appear to have been cut down and there are large tall fences and walls with privacy screens blocking view of the most visible nearby landmarks. The maze of fences and privacy screens and walls and hoarding grossly obstructs view, resulting in general confusion of the actual location. Thus I seek maps and drawings from EllisDon, which would have been required in order to legally proceed with this work.
I am asking for design measurements for creating the radius of curvature for this section of the path.
The 2014 MTO Bikeways Design Manual also has tables for 'stopping sight distance'.
I am asking for the design analysis on this.
The EllisDon engineering documents should contain the necessary up-to-date layout which will enable me to pinpoint the exact location of the accident as they have requested me to do.
Meanwhile something must be done immediately to stop immediate danger to the public!
Additionally there are fences moved down to the water's edge which is very dangerous to passing swimmers and paddlers creating an immediate life-safety hazard.
I'm not sure if this is gross negligence or a deliberate act of aggression on the part of EllisDon. Take a look at the attached pictures and video frame screenshot captures.
