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Dundas West/ Bloor Mobility Hub +interconnected hub network (Metrolinx)

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http://www.metrolinx.com/mx/en/cons...Dundas-West Bloor Open House Presentation.pdf

New release from Metrolinx with some nice renders for a 'mobility' hub integrated with GO, the TTC and the Air Rail Link.


656a693f4bc2a819beab5b0743aa.jpeg





from Inside Toronto:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/l...idents-have-input-on-mobility-hub-development
 
How would they build a Danforth Hub at Main St.? A pedestrian tunnel from the GO station just south of Danforth to the Main St. subway/bus/streetcar station? If it were possible I think it would be great and maybe help increase ridership of both GO and the TTC if the different transit systems were supporting each other with such links where possible. I am fairly new here to Toronto but does the GO's Oriole Station have a convenient hook up with the nearby Leslie Station- such as a sheltered pedestrian tunnel or something like that?
 
I am fairly new here to Toronto but does the GO's Oriole Station have a convenient hook up with the nearby Leslie Station- such as a sheltered pedestrian tunnel or something like that?

Not currently. You can see on this view that the station is quite a bit south of Leslie station (400 m walk to the north end of the platform). It's more or less under the 401, while the bus terminal at Leslie station is at Leslie. They could relocate the GO platform further north, though.
 
One thing. I think I'd prefer if that triangular parcel of land East of Dundas and north of the condo towers were developed into a station building of some sort with a plaza rather than an office/residential development. Just my personal preference in wanting to see a bit of permanence with this station rather than the current and/or proposed situation.
 
How would they build a Danforth Hub at Main St.? A pedestrian tunnel from the GO station just south of Danforth to the Main St. subway/bus/streetcar station?
Possibly ... in theory one could build a short tunnel somewhere along the east sidewalk of Main Street and under the road, that connects from the Mezzanine of Main Station to a portal on the pathway to the GO station ... or even to the tunnel under the tracks if you slope it enough. Not sure it would ever happen.

I am fairly new here to Toronto but does the GO's Oriole Station have a convenient hook up with the nearby Leslie Station- such as a sheltered pedestrian tunnel or something like that?
They have recently added a pedestrian pathway along the east side of the tracks to Esther Shiner Blvd, and then you just walk along Esther Shiner and Old Leslie; it's a 5-minute walk, and you can see it clearly now on Google Maps. However, the original plan had been to move the platforms a bit further north, though I think that plan has now died with the construction of Esther Shiner Blvd. You could of, however, had moved the platforms a bit further north, so the south end was near the parking lots under the 401, and the north end was near the GO station, and easily connected into the GO. There's a lot of room for development though south of the TTC station on the east side of the tracks - a better connection one day is quite feasible. And that new complex on the west side of the tracks, on the north side of Esther Shiner will be connected into Leslie Station when it's completed.

Though the current Metrolinx plan doesn't show Lesle/Oriole as a Mobility Hub ... nor Dowsnview Park (aka Sheppard West) oddly enough.
 
Though the current Metrolinx plan doesn't show Lesle/Oriole as a Mobility Hub ... nor Dowsnview Park (aka Sheppard West) oddly enough.

Or Roncesvalles, although that would be heavily dependant on the routing of the DRL.
 
Or Roncesvalles, although that would be heavily dependant on the routing of the DRL.
It does have Dundas West subway station ... along with Osgoode station, Queen station, and Pape station - with maps showing the DRL running down Roncesvalles, along Queen, and up to Pape. Though I'd think exact locations are up in the air until there is some further study completed.
 
Possibly ... in theory one could build a short tunnel somewhere along the east sidewalk of Main Street and under the road, that connects from the Mezzanine of Main Station to a portal on the pathway to the GO station ... or even to the tunnel under the tracks if you slope it enough. Not sure it would ever happen.

They have recently added a pedestrian pathway along the east side of the tracks to Esther Shiner Blvd, and then you just walk along Esther Shiner and Old Leslie; it's a 5-minute walk, and you can see it clearly now on Google Maps. However, the original plan had been to move the platforms a bit further north, though I think that plan has now died with the construction of Esther Shiner Blvd. You could of, however, had moved the platforms a bit further north, so the south end was near the parking lots under the 401, and the north end was near the GO station, and easily connected into the GO. There's a lot of room for development though south of the TTC station on the east side of the tracks - a better connection one day is quite feasible. And that new complex on the west side of the tracks, on the north side of Esther Shiner will be connected into Leslie Station when it's completed.

Though the current Metrolinx plan doesn't show Lesle/Oriole as a Mobility Hub ... nor Dowsnview Park (aka Sheppard West) oddly enough.

Unless a new tunnel access from the west side of the Lesle/Oriole is built, walking from Discovery 1 & 2, west of IKEA will not be a fun walk. You got to walk east and then back west to access this station off Esther Shiner Blvd.

I expect to see more people using GO than the subway to get downtown as well using their cars. The subway will not see a real increase of ridership for both the station next to this development.

I cannot class this station as a Moblity Hud due to the fact there nothing there other than IKEA on the west side, work yard on the east side and under the 401.

 
Unless a new tunnel access from the west side of the Lesle/Oriole is built, walking from Discovery 1 & 2, west of IKEA will not be a fun walk. You got to walk east and then back west to access this station off Esther Shiner Blvd.
I thought Discovery 1 & 2 were north of IKEA, not west. And I thought there was a new tunnel into Leslie station - using one of the knockouts at the west end of the station. Though even without a connection, it doesn't seem that hard to access the subway. You walk east down Sheppard to the main entrance, or you walk east down Esther Shiner to Old Leslie and north to the entrance by the bus terminal. I'm not seeing this doubling back you are referring to.


I cannot class this station as a Moblity Hud due to the fact there nothing there other than IKEA on the west side, work yard on the east side and under the 401.
Surely at this stage you should classify based on potential, rather than current situations. There's a lot of land that can be redeveloped - including ultimately the IKEA and word yards.
 
I thought Discovery 1 & 2 were north of IKEA, not west. And I thought there was a new tunnel into Leslie station - using one of the knockouts at the west end of the station. Though even without a connection, it doesn't seem that hard to access the subway. You walk east down Sheppard to the main entrance, or you walk east down Esther Shiner to Old Leslie and north to the entrance by the bus terminal. I'm not seeing this doubling back you are referring to.


Surely at this stage you should classify based on potential, rather than current situations. There's a lot of land that can be redeveloped - including ultimately the IKEA and word yards.

Look under discovery 1 & 2 plus Tango in the construction and project section and you will find the photos for the area as of Feb that I shot there.

The site is north-west as well west, on the west side of Canadian Tire. They keep changing the name for these 2 areas.

I dont see the work yard or IKEA going anywhere since this is the best location for them. IKEA could allow their parking lot converted into mid-highrise for the right price.

As for doubling back, yes you are doing that if you are coming from the west side of the bridge. You have to walk all the way up to Old Leslie, east of the bridge and then walk west to the bridge to get to the walkway to the station. That about 1,000 feet going up hill.

I have used that hill in the winter and it has been a skating rink or a ski slope at times.

As for Leslie, there is knockout wall to connect to a tunnel that will connect to new development on the west side of the tracks, but no development there at this time. As for walking, it like you said, but longer for the Sheppard Ave entrance

http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.p...d-Adex-28s-P-S-IBI)/page3&highlight=Discovery
5474978920_a7a97ce87d_b.jpg
 
Look under discovery 1 & 2 plus Tango in the construction and project section and you will find the photos for the area as of Feb that I shot there.
Yes, I've seen them. And I've also seen the area while walking back and forth from Ikea to Leslie Station.

The site is north-west as well west, on the west side of Canadian Tire. They keep changing the name for these 2 areas.
I'm only referring to the proect under construction that is right across the street north from Ikea; bounded by Sheppard on the north, Provost on the west, the tracks on the east, and Esther Shiner on the south. Ikea is due south of this, bounded by Esther Shiner on the north, Provost on the west, the tracks on the east, and the 401 on the south.

As for doubling back, yes you are doing that if you are coming from the west side of the bridge. You have to walk all the way up to Old Leslie, east of the bridge and then walk west to the bridge to get to the walkway to the station.
If you walk east on Esther Shiner, and then north on Old Lesle, you walk right to the door of the subway station. The most westerly door of the subway station. I suppose you have to double back for a few feet, as you walk through the door, and the fare gates ... but that's not unusual in any station.

That about 1,000 feet going up hill.
A hill?? An underpass perhaps. Talk about taking a mountain out of a mole-hill. You say 1,000 feet - that's about 300 metres. It's about 250 metres as the crow flies ... 300 metres is hardly surprising.

Quite frankly, when I've walked this, I've found it already seems more pleasant than the Danforth-Main connection.
 
I'm concerned about the finishes of this mobility hub and other projects. The current approach is rather uninspiring. It seems that GO Transit is intent on building their underground passages as cheaply as possible to the point that they consist of completely unfinished concrete passages. I was especially surprised to see this approach taken at Union Station, the grand Beaux Arts station. They don't have to spend a lot of money, maybe embedding patterns or artistic motifs in the concrete. Transportation stations always make an impression on visitors and residents alike, and are often around for generations. It makes sense to consider the aesthetics of these spaces from the beginning.
 
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Why are they maintaining the main street entrance from the sidewalk underpass - it's still going to be pretty dreary even with the expanded space - you'll still have to walk down a narrow sidewalk on Bloor (elevated from traffic) to get to it.

Why not expropriate a volumetric right-of-way in the adjacent (office) building to the west for an entrance vestibule (escalators) and build an overpass of the tracks with access from above?
 

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