Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[DSCToronto]

This looks like such a gritty render. It took me a second to realize it was real!

That is where the Walks and Gardens art piece is going. Last I heard it is finally going to be erected this fall.

 

[PasticheProtégé]

That is where the Walks and Gardens art piece is going. Last I heard it is finally going to be erected this fall.

Are those black fins the lighting mechanisms?

 

[rdaner]

We are lucky to have gotten the art when we did as they are very prominent now thus . And an image of the beautiful restoration of the original details. The bridge offers a great view up Bay to OCH and should become a selfie spot. Btw, pedestrians going to/from the Dominion Passage to Union are most likely to jaywalk over Bay rather than go up…

 

[nightstreak]

We are lucky to have gotten the art when we did as they are very prominent now thus . And an image of the beautiful restoration of the original details. The bridge offers a great view up Bay to OCH and should become a selfie spot. Btw, pedestrians going to/from the Dominion Passage to Union are most likely to jaywalk over Bay rather than go up…

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Yeah, they’re going to need to figure that natural urge to jaywalk. In the past, the city put up some gates but the powerful desire path urge built into out lizard brains wasn’t deterred. People hopped the fences, making it even more of a danger.

The obvious solution here is to make a scramble with the segment south of Front to the tunnel one large crosswalk that opens once every cycle. Drivers stop at the opening of the tunnel. It would allow for an exchange of a large volume of people coming out of Union Station's Bay Concourse and the subway station exit in the moat and an exchange of people between the West Bay Teamway and East Bay Teamway.

Regardless of the new problem with people wanting to cross to CIBC square and the laneway to the Esplanade, the dinky little crosswalks outside Union Station are far too skinny for the volume of people who pass through them during busy hours in both directions. You're always bumping into people or walking outside of the crosswalk.

 

[DSCToronto]

Are those black fins the lighting mechanisms?

I am not sure, here is what fLUX will supposedly look like https://www.lab-au.com/inrealistion/flux

 

[cryogen]

 

[nightstreak]

That top right picture is this stair:

To the right of this picture and rendering is the hallway leading from York Concourse to Bay Concourse with doors from the VIA Concourse in between. Taking down that south wall will improve circulation immensely.

The state of that section looks like it can open this year.

 

[mburrrrr]

I am not sure, here is what fLUX will supposedly look like https://www.lab-au.com/inrealistion/flux

Selected in 2013. Not too bad.

 

[DSCToronto]

Selected in 2013. Not too bad.

Indeed, last I heard was that the electronics all had to be redone as the 2013 ones were no longer the standard. I have just emailed my Union Station contact to see if there are updates on the various projects. (Floor, Lights and fLUX).

 

[WB62]

I’ll have to come back later with a further analysis or potentially even a map, but here’s what I found today.

Revealed in the landowners tenants slideshow was a massive USEP scope increase on the east end:

This project now includes 5 additional platform entrances to the new platforms. 1 entrance will be built off the Bay East Teamway, the other 4 entrances will lead to tunnels under the rail corridor, with exits on the west and east side of Yonge Street.

This is a massive reveal of information, and expands the station’s footprint significantly, Union station will now span from Lower Simcoe to Yonge Street

 

[nightstreak]

Scotiabnk will still be the most direct route besides the new CIBC route

You and I have mental maps of Union Station and know every nook and cranny. The Scotibank route to the bus terminal is anything but direct. Union Station is confusing as hell to most people — even to some who use it daily.

Imagine you're a tourist, you arrive at Toronto Union Station's front step expecting to take a Greyhound bus. You walk into the Great Hall, can't find buses anywhere. UP Express? GO? VIA? What are these names??? Is that a bus icon, no it's a train, but a different train icon than the train icon next to it! York Concourse, Bay Concourse where are the buses??? You ask someone:

Ok, see, you go down those steps on the right, make a left, then a right, then go straight and you'll see some steps down on the left — not the ramp on the right!You go down and there are some doors in front of some steps. Don't go down the steps! Take those blue doors through a tunnel and you'll find yourself in a hallway in front of Scotiabank Arena. Look to your left and at the very end of the hall are a set of escalators. Go up to those escalators and over a bridge and you're now in the Bus Terminal. Easy peezy, that's the most direct route.

Honestly, it's easier to tell them to go outside and walk down Bay Street until they see the bus station on their left. The new bridge from the East Wing to CIBC Square has the potential to fix this but it doesn't look like they're even trying.

 

[WB62]

You and I have mental maps of Union Station and know every nook and cranny. The Scotibank route to the bus terminal is anything but direct. Union Station is confusing as hell to most people — even to some who use it daily.

Oh trust me I know, but I’m only speaking practically here. The CIBC route is the most direct route to the bus terminal from the Great Hall, but it’s unsigned, the Scotiabank route is the other most direct route.

The Bremner Concourse opening won’t change either of these, it doesn’t add any additional possible routes between the rail and bus terminal.

 

[nightstreak]

Oh trust me I know, but I’m only speaking practically here. The CIBC route is the most direct route to the bus terminal from the Great Hall, but it’s unsigned,

Yes. Add a "Bus Terminal" at the entry to the East Wing from the Great Hall, then repeat that signage at the hallway to the bridge, then again in CIBC Square to go down the escalator, then once more at the entrance to the teamway. It's one continuous route with few opportunities for going off on a wrong fork. Here's the alternative to my longwinded explanation to the Scotiabank route to a tourist in the Great Hall:

Where's the bus terminal?

Me, pointing half looking to the East Wing: follow that path that way.

The Bremner Concourse opening won’t change either of these, it doesn’t add any additional possible routes between the rail and bus terminal.

This could be corrected within the same scope with modest additions.

1. Bus Station sign above the VIA concourse ramp
2. Wall removed at the end of the VIA concourse opening it to the Bremner Concourse.
3. Bus Terminal sign pointing left in the Bremner Concourse
4.
Option A: Set of escalators at the east end of the Bremner Concourse that lead up to the same landing that's in the Scotiabank Arena concourse.
Option B: A doorway at the east end of the Bremner Concourse that opens up directly in front of the existing escalators..

 

[EdDrass]

New bridge video:

(I uploaded this not even an half hour ago and already 70+ views…?)

 

[EdDrass]

Oh trust me I know, but I’m only speaking practically here. The CIBC route is the most direct route to the bus terminal from the Great Hall, but it’s unsigned, the Scotiabank route is the other most direct route.

But the VIA Concourse route is a step-free option to Scotiabank Arena -- via ramps and no worry about a non-functioning elevator -- from the centre of the Great Hall. This is my preferred direction for visitors but yes, sometimes outside along Front St to Bay St is "better", especially if the escalator or elevator within the arena are not functioning.