News   Jul 12, 2024
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News   Jul 12, 2024
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News   Jul 12, 2024
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Danforth Line 2 Scarborough Subway Extension

That's a a pretty one-buttocked attempt at TOD. It includes two buildings at the corner but not two more just beside them. And what about the solid block of bungalows across the road? I suppose they'll leave that up to private speculators. Or are bungalows 200 feet from a subway station untouchable elements of a "stable neighborhood" ?
The province's TOCs aren't about good transit-oriented development. They're about sweetheart deals with favoured developers.
 
Such a shame that any resemblance of design or architecture has long since left the building. It's seen as "decoration" rather than wider thought about how a transit station feels to use.
Look at the pathetically sized light well at Sheppard/McCowan - tiny, and surrounded by a PPUDO. Why not larger, and considering the whole design of the station around it?
Screenshot 2023-11-15 at 23.08.40.png

And I don't mean "I want starchitects and giant stations" - you can have beautiful, thoughtful, standardised, well sized station designs (as in Copenhagen) - or a kit of parts approach, like the central tunnels of Crossrail.

I don't hold out much hope for the decoration either - Metrolinx long since junked their public art program, Line 5 Western extension is predominately grey and we've been lucky to get TTC Subway font on platform walls!
 
My surprises from the architectural plans:
  1. Good: Bus terminals with some canopy (it would be nice to have a bit more overhang)
  2. Bad: No underpass or overpass to get people across streets at Scarborough Centre or Sheppard, not even a basic set of stairs. It is one corner of the intersection access.
  3. Interesting: Bus terminals are completely in an unpaid zone (as is LRT, but not Line 4). I would have expected a paid zone or mix, but I guess the evolving pricing models for transit in the GTA are going to want people to tap onto the subway when getting off or on a bus/LRT. It suggests that subway will become more aligned to rail pricing (tap on and maybe off the subway?), while surface LRT aligns to bus pricing.
 
Bus terminals are completely in an unpaid zone (as is LRT, but not Line 4). I would have expected a paid zone or mix, but I guess the evolving pricing models for transit in the GTA are going to want people to tap onto the subway when getting off or on a bus/LRT. It suggests that subway will become more aligned to rail pricing (tap on and maybe off the subway?), while surface LRT aligns to bus pricing.
Interesting that the "Day 1 Fare gates" at Sheppard/McCowan assumes the bus terminal will be a paid zone... but the design of the station futureproofs a large number of fare gates for an unpaid bus terminal...

Screenshot 2023-11-15 at 23.25.29.png
 
The province's TOCs aren't about good transit-oriented development. They're about sweetheart deals with favoured developers.
Can they achieve both objectives?

And I don't mean "I want starchitects and giant stations" - you can have beautiful, thoughtful, standardised, well sized station designs (as in Copenhagen) - or a kit of parts approach, like the central tunnels of Crossrail.[/QUOTE]Did the TYSSE starchitects really increase the price THAT much? It's certainly made for more interesting stations, that aren't so dull and white, that you want to severe your own artery to add a spash of colour.

Crossrail? That looked pretty plain jane to me. From an engineering perspective, it's incredible. But it seems to be along the same line as Eglinton.
 
Where's that @yrt+viva=1system

The province's TOCs aren't about good transit-oriented development. They're about sweetheart deals with favoured developers.
Can they achieve both objectives?

And I don't mean "I want starchitects and giant stations" - you can have beautiful, thoughtful, standardised, well sized station designs (as in Copenhagen) - or a kit of parts approach, like the central tunnels of Crossrail.
Did the TYSSE starchitects really increase the price THAT much? It's certainly made for more interesting stations, that aren't so dull and white, that you want to severe your own artery to add a spash of colour.

Crossrail? That looked pretty plain jane to me. From an engineering perspective, it's incredible. But it seems to be along the same line as Eglinton.
 
Interesting that the "Day 1 Fare gates" at Sheppard/McCowan assumes the bus terminal will be a paid zone... but the design of the station futureproofs a large number of fare gates for an unpaid bus terminal...
Would that be for a hypothetical Durham Region BRT connection, maybe?
 
Would that be for a hypothetical Durham Region BRT connection, maybe?
The Durham/Scarborough BRT has always been planned from STC along Ellesmere. The Toronto portion is unfunded and did face local opposition (Highland Creek)... No word beyond that at present.

Other DRT routes would still service Sheppard and I would assume some space for DRT may be included at Sheppard/McCowan.
 

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