GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[andrewpmk]

Um, have a look at which side of the Yonge line has the Tokyo-grade crowds every morning at Bloor station. Hint: not the side leading to the "most jobs" direction. Most people in Toronto whose work can be competitively accessed by rapid transit work south of Summerhill.

If you're currently driving from a home at Morningside and Finch to an office park on the south edge of the airport, there's little chance in the medium term that a trip door-to-door using a crosstown GO line and other connecting transit would be faster and more reliable than driving. And enough other people would come to that conclusion that the train frequency would be pretty anemic, which keeps the service unattractive, and so on and so forth through the usual negative feedback loops. You can schedule alternating trains equally going to each line all you want, but it's never going to be matched by actual demand patterns.

Now, build the entire Big Move, and then build a second Big Move's worth of rapid transit lines filling out the grid, and start building a third one, and you might start getting a feeder network of rapid transit lines reaching out towards all those low-density office parks that those GO trips using the North Toronto corridor might start being car-competitive. But that's, shall we say, a bit down the road...

(Anyway, I think we're all well off-topic here...)

The Airport Corporate Centre can be accessed either using a Mississauga Transit bus that currently runs from Islington (will be moved to Kipling soon) via Hwy 427, so there will be an easy connection from the CP line to that employment area. It will also be served by a proposed extension of Eglinton LRT, which connects to the CP line at Leslie. Many of the other significant employment areas along this route also have fairly obvious bus connections.

Highway 401 traffic congestion is so absolutely brutal that anyone who has a reasonable alternative will choose to avoid it. The Eglinton LRT + CP rail corridor will attract a LOT of ridership and become overcrowded. The only reasonable way to get from Morningside & Finch to Airport Corporate Centre right now is via Highway 407, which is extremely expensive.

Also for people working in Toronto, the Yonge line can become quite packed northbound in AM rush (not as packed as SB, but definitely standing room only).

My point is that both the Eglinton LRT and the CP line through Summerhill will predominately serve suburb to suburb commuters. If we want to serve people who work downtown then expand routes that go downtown i.e. Lakeshore, Milton (i.e. the current routing from Milton to Union, not the routing from Milton to Malvern), Georgetown, downtown relief line, etc.

 

[Red October]

Aside to the mods: this issue was hashed out previously in this thread, so perhaps everything from The Architect's post on down could get transferred over.

Oops, good point, I didn't see that thread. Feel free to merge!

 

[nfitz]

A thought occurred to me this morning with the CP Rail strike having begun. Maybe this will help speed up construction on the Toronto West Diamond grade separation? I mean they'll have fewer trains coming through while the work is progressing... any idea?

That's exactly what they are doing! Their website - http://goweb02.gotransit.com/gts/en/project/wtd.aspx - says "With the current CP Rail strike, we are able to extend our hours to complete work at the diamond crossing. Our hours of operation will be from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We will be installing pipe piles using vibratory methods. Much of this work is being done during the week; however, some of it must be done over the weekend when no trains are operating. We continue to monitor noise and vibration levels".

The only way that the CP strike will have a positive impact is that they will be able to bring more dump trucks in and out of the construction site and over the CP tracks if routed that way.

From GO's announcement, the strike has let them extend the work day. Presumably they had some windows when they couldn't work.

 

[smallspy]

That's exactly what they are doing! Their website - http://goweb02.gotransit.com/gts/en/project/wtd.aspx - says "With the current CP Rail strike, we are able to extend our hours to complete work at the diamond crossing. Our hours of operation will be from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We will be installing pipe piles using vibratory methods. Much of this work is being done during the week; however, some of it must be done over the weekend when no trains are operating. We continue to monitor noise and vibration levels".

I can't believe that CP would actually allow work to proceed during the strike - which in theory could end at any moment, although that is seeming less and less likely - although it certainly sounds that way by the announcement.

The last thing CP would need would be to hold up their trains because some construction crews couldn't clear off of the ROW fast enough once the strike was settled. And yet, that may be exactly the situation that they might find themselves.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[DSC]

I can't believe that CP would actually allow work to proceed during the strike - which in theory could end at any moment, although that is seeming less and less likely - although it certainly sounds that way by the announcement.

The last thing CP would need would be to hold up their trains because some construction crews couldn't clear off of the ROW fast enough once the strike was settled. And yet, that may be exactly the situation that they might find themselves.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Are you saying that the CP strke will end so suddenly the GO contractors won`t have time to move out of the way of the first train? It usually takes at least 24 hours to recall staff, get schedules sorted out and everything ready to go. I think the GO folks can move in LOTS of time.

 

[nfitz]

I can't believe that CP would actually allow work to proceed during the strike - which in theory could end at any moment, although that is seeming less and less likely - although it certainly sounds that way by the announcement.

The last thing CP would need would be to hold up their trains because some construction crews couldn't clear off of the ROW fast enough once the strike was settled. And yet, that may be exactly the situation that they might find themselves.

This is a joke, right? Cause it almost looks like you might be serious ... very dry!

 

[smallspy]

Are you saying that the CP strke will end so suddenly the GO contractors won`t have time to move out of the way of the first train? It usually takes at least 24 hours to recall staff, get schedules sorted out and everything ready to go. I think the GO folks can move in LOTS of time.

This is a joke, right? Cause it almost looks like you might be serious ... very dry!

I'm being entirely serious.

They're talking about driving piles under the tracks - this is something that requires a 1 week (or longer) track closure to do usually. And while it may take 24 hours to get the staff back up and running in most situations, they are running quite a few operations across the system using managers, meaning that in theory once the crews are back on the property that they could be running right away. And frankly even with the extended work hours granted to the construction crews, it still takes time to set up and tear down from a site. You can't just move a pile driver away from a location and run a train over it.

Look, if CP wants to allow this than all the more power to them. And if it gets the construction done sooner, even better. I'm just saying that I'm surprised that they would.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[nfitz]

They're talking about driving piles under the tracks - this is something that requires a 1 week (or longer) track closure to do usually. And while it may take 24 hours to get the staff back up and running in most situations, they are running quite a few operations across the system using managers, meaning that in theory once the crews are back on the property that they could be running right away. And frankly even with the extended work hours granted to the construction crews, it still takes time to set up and tear down from a site. You can't just move a pile driver away from a location and run a train over it.

Look, if CP wants to allow this than all the more power to them. And if it gets the construction done sooner, even better. I'm just saying that I'm surprised that they would.

I don't believe any 1-week closures of the entire line were planned. I don't think they even use a pile driver anymore - aren't they all using vibratory or drilling techniques these days?

This simply seems to be related to a longer work-day ... not a complete closure of the line.

 

[drum118]

Burlington Plus 30 Bridge

The new Plus 30 walkway bridge a Burlington GO station open at the end of April as plan.

What I saw last Thursday, a lot of exterior work still has to be finish and that should be done by mid June or early.

The Parking garage is the only place you find when the next 3 trains are arriving on the new screen.

It was an oven walking that walkway.

Get a nice view of trains passing the station from the walkway.

Shot a crappy video as my train was coming and very little time to do so. Will try for a better one on my June visit and will be using a better camera than the D7000 that has turn out to be crap these days.

[video=youtube;RMcr2Tz84zQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMcr2Tz84zQ[/video]

 

[Red October]

Meanwhile, the last time I saw it (admittedly about a month ago), the Oakville GO parking structure is progressing along quickly and looking quite good.

.

To be honest I think they're doing a good job of making it seem less imposing coming up from Trafalgar/downtown Oakville, it doesn't look like some huge utilitarian building.

 

[drum118]

Oakville Parking Garage

May 24
The last section to be done is underway and be completed before my June visit.

Handrail being installed on the 3rd floor.

I expect to see grading and landscaping taking place on my next trip.

This garage could be open for September or sooner, but the elevators could be next year, based on past track records.

More photos up on site as well Burlington, Bronte and Oakville.

 

[drum118]

Weston Station & Master Plan + Denison Rd

There is a public meeting Monday June 11 @ 6:30 pm at 1901 Weston Rd for the new GO Station Master Plan.

As it stands now, the new station will go into operation between Mid July/Aug and a clear date maybe known on June 11.

The new parking lot is pave and waiting striping. The new platform is waiting paving.

The current tracks will be move just before the opening of the new platform & temporary station. The real station itself will not open until 2014 with the new plaza. The bridge over Lawrence as well John St will take place in 2013.

The new GO bridge for Denison Rd is finish to the point both GO and CP tracks are using it. Work is underway to start building the new CP bridge.

More up on site

 

[Hipster Duck]

Thanks for the photos, drum. Building an enormous parking lot at Weston is incredibly shortsighted, but this is GO we are talking about.

 

[drum118]

Thanks for the photos, drum. Building an enormous parking lot at Weston is incredibly shortsighted, but this is GO we are talking about.

That parking lot is short term, as under the Station Master plan, it will be used for mix development, depending what comes along first. There hope Humber college or someone else builds a campus on the corner with mid rise near the street and a tall building near the station. There is a need for retail at grade on Weston Rd. The new station will have a cafe and you can sit out in the plaza using WiFi.

The south parking lot is plan to be underground with retail above it if someone comes along, but not until late 2015 when the contractors move out of that area.

There is still calls to have TTC buses to loop into the station which is dumb and not supported by TTC. The cost to add more buses to cover the extra run time as well pissing of 90% of the riders who don't want extra time added to their time will not justify move now or every.

 

[drum118]

Electrification Update

Public Meeting

Metrolinx is holding a public meeting to provide an update on the Electrification of the Kitchener and Lakeshore rail corridors, including the new Airport Rail Link (ARL) service.
We hope you can join us to learn about the process and discuss it with us further.
Wednesday June 27, 2012
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario M6P 1A6