GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[reaperexpress]

"Its next to a Wal-mart; its not like it will de-value the neighbours" - Paul (as paraphrased by me)

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Of course, instead of building to the standard of the neighbour, we could do something wonderful; and demolish the neighbours.........

Speaking of those neighbours...

Here are some highlights from the public consultation for the station upgrades. Metrolinx proposed to add an entrance on the west side of the tracks (Lindenshire Ave) to make it safer and more convenient for people in that neighbourhood to walk or bike to the station, and also provide a walking route from that neighbourhood to the shops on the east side of the tracks. The people in that neighbourhood were not exactly supportive:

An update from Metrolinx a few weeks later:

 

[Northern Light]

Speaking of those neighbours...

Here are some highlights from the public consultation for the station upgrades. Metrolinx proposed to add an entrance on the west side of the tracks (Lindenshire Ave) to make it safer and more convenient for people in that neighbourhood to walk or bike to the station, and also provide a walking route from that neighbourhood to the shops on the east side of the tracks. The people in that neighbourhood were not exactly supportive:

Just as the Davenport neighbourhood was enraged at the notion of the railway creating "Berlin wall" cutting the neighbourhood in half, these residents are enraged at the notion that the existing wall becoming more permeable. Basically no matter what you change, people in the neighbourhood will be upset.

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An update from Metrolinx a few weeks later:
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Yup...........the neighbours definitely need demolishing.......... LOL

 

[Undead]

Oh, do tell me how you care so much about kids biking. Guaranteed these same people would bust their gut if anyone ever proposed bike lanes in their area. Truly some of the most garbage takes yet.

 

[drum118]

Question and not sure where it should go.

Has ML thought of painting the rail to deal with heat and buckling like Europe??

Rails in Europe have a white colour on them other than the top. This includes High Speed lines. Even subways lines not underground:

 

[alexb]

It's disappointing that they didn't build a pedestrian bridge from the bus loop to the platforms, given how high up the loop is already.

In the current design to get from the bus loop to the southbound platform you need to go down that station building, walk across the car park, go down into the pedestrian tunnel under the tracks and then back up on the other side.
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Versus just heading directly west from the bus loop in a pedestrian bridge over the car park, then down stairs/elevators directly to either platform.
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The tunnel goes the entire distance. Pic is from 2 weeks ago.

 

[reaperexpress]

The tunnel goes the entire distance. Pic is from 2 weeks ago

Ah okay, thanks. Not as ideal as a bridge (still need to go down to the tunnel and back up), but not that bad either.

I wonder why they chose this option, surely a bridge would have been cheaper as well?

 

[EnviroTO]

Crazy to think of all the places where a tunnel was a good idea but a bridge was built instead forcing a climb up 2 storeys and 2 two storeys, and here we have one of the very few situations where a bridge might offer pedestrian travel distance benefits and a tunnel was selected (gradual slope up and three stories down vs 2 stories down and 1 up). You would think the pedestrian experience would play a larger role in station design.

 

[ARG1]

Crazy to think of all the places where a tunnel was a good idea but a bridge was built instead forcing a climb up 2 storeys and 2 two storeys, and here we have one of the very few situations where a bridge might offer pedestrian travel distance benefits and a tunnel was selected (gradual slope up and three stories down vs 2 stories down and 1 up). You would think the pedestrian experience would play a larger role in station design.

The only reason I can think of is A) Improving Access from Lindenshire (which wasn't cancelled back then), and 2) The fact that the old station building is in the way.

 

[reaperexpress]

Crazy to think of all the places where a tunnel was a good idea but a bridge was built instead forcing a climb up 2 storeys and 2 two storeys, and here we have one of the very few situations where a bridge might offer pedestrian travel distance benefits and a tunnel was selected (gradual slope up and three stories down vs 2 stories down and 1 up). You would think the pedestrian experience would play a larger role in station design.

Yeah, the Stouffville Line grade separations come to mind. Their public presentation materials were heavily biased in favour of pedestrian bridges rather than tunnels. For the design precedent images they chose pictures of dingy dark tunnels and shiny bridges, and they disguised the massive increase in vertical & horizontal distance by only showing the overhead view, in which you can't see the number of switchbacks of the bridge option because they're stacked on top of each other. Meanwhile switchback ramps of the tunnel options are not stacked so the full walking distance is clearly visible from the overhead view.

Havendale Road - tunnel option.

Havendale Road - bridge option. At first glance the walking route it appears more direct than the tunnel option, as long as you don't notice the small text reading "3-level ramp structure".

Corvette Avenue tunnel option: I'm not sure why they did so many switchbacks on the east side, rather than starting the ramp downward as soon as the pathway leaves the street.

Corvette Avenue, bridge option (rotated 45 degrees for some reason)

 

[reaperexpress]

The only reason I can think of is A) Improving Access from Lindenshire (which wasn't cancelled back then), and 2) The fact that the old station building is in the way.

A) The platform is pretty close to grade, they could pretty easily make an entrance to Lindenshire in either option
B) The station building is fully south of the pedestrian path location. And even if it were in the way, it would be just as much of a problem for the tunnel option, given that it's being built as cut-and-cover.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Question and not sure where it should go.

Has ML thought of painting the rail to deal with heat and buckling like Europe??

Rails in Europe have a white colour on them other than the top. This includes High Speed lines. Even subways lines not underground:

yes but it's deemed as not feasible in the Canadian climate

 

[RyLucky]

It's disappointing that they didn't build a pedestrian bridge from the bus loop to the platforms, given how high up the loop is already.

In the current design to get from the bus loop to the southbound platform you need to go down that station building, walk across the car park, go down into the pedestrian tunnel under the tracks and then back up on the other side.
View attachment 409889

Versus just heading directly west from the bus loop in a pedestrian bridge over the car park, then down stairs/elevators directly to either platform.
View attachment 409890

Better yet, connect it all the way to Lindenshire and make it totally public.

 

[Northern Light]

Question and not sure where it should go.

Has ML thought of painting the rail to deal with heat and buckling like Europe??

Rails in Europe have a white colour on them other than the top. This includes High Speed lines. Even subways lines not underground:

They have considered it...........

yes but it's deemed as not feasible in the Canadian climate

That's not the reasoning Mx has given on their Blog.

From here: https://blog.metrolinx.com/2019/07/18/tracking-the-heat-and-riding-the-rails/

What the above has me wondering is ..

"Is ultrasonic testing of the rails not done in Europe?; if not why not, and what are they doing instead? If so, why is the paint not an issue there?"

 

[ViewfromtheLake]

Not as it exists right now: there's only about 4 metres on either side between the edge of the roadway and the points of the switches. So to make room for a detoured crossing, you'd either need to (re)move the switches or build them into the road. This is why the original underpass plans included shifting the entire signalling plant to the east, so that the construction could take place around comparatively simple tangent track.

Unfortunately, both the Burloak and Kerr St switch plants have grade crossings in their limits, which makes simply shifting the roadway more difficult than it would be on tangent track.

I went and had a look on foot. You are absolutely correct and both sets of switches are fairly close to the existing roadway, certainly within the parameters that would be needed to shift track to build an underpass. So I am assuming they will move switches as part of the process of shifting track to build the underpass. if Burloak is closed that would be the most cost effective method?

 

[Allandale25]

Pocket track at Aldershot Station holds a key that will unlock more GO Train service to Hamilton

Pocket track at Aldershot Station holds a key that will unlock more GO Train service to Hamilton.

blog.metrolinx.com