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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

And the lack of connection is simply dumbfounding. The Barrie Line is an extremely long line serving many major destinations, it should absolutely have a simple and convenient connection to the 407 Transitway/Burlington-Oshawa Line/Ontario Loop/Whatever.
It always was weird that the 407 GO buses never connected to the Barrie line in any way, but every single other GO line has a connection. Yes there is the Line 1 extension that makes it somewhat easier to get to the nearest point on the Barrie Line which is Downsview Park from 407 Station, but the issue is that its not direct and fare integration is still an issue. And no the new 66 routing does not count despite it now coming from 407 Station, its best not to talk about that line. We need a proper Barrie GO line connection to the 407 Transitway in the future for sure.
 
Except that any connection to the 407 Transitway is pretty hypothetical at this point. What they''re suggesting is a connection now with the services on Highway 7, which makes sense as it does already exist.

Dan
2 Problems:

1: There is no reason we shouldn't be future proofing this. Sure, the 407 Transitway won't be built tomorrow, but there is no reason why we should put ourselves in a position where we'd have to relocate the station 20-30 years from now, especially since some form of Rapid Transit along the 407 is supported by every major party. The 407 Transitway/Rail isn't some project that only exists in the imagination of some foamers, its a project that has had its EA completed, and is listed as a long term priority by both parties. There is no reason why we shouldn't factor it into the design.

2: Even if there is no 407 Transitway, we still have a ton of regional busses travelling along the 407, which forms a major backbone in circumferential travel within the region. If you're travelling from any major urban area to another area that isn't Toronto, odds are you're travelling along the 407 corridor. I mean, christ, the corridor has extra bolding applied to it on the GO Transit Map for a reason

1683768685914.png



So, instead of having a nice and convenient transfer that could be done by building a small platform on the side of the highway similar to what you'd find in Vancouver, now any bus that wants to serve the station has to waste 10 minutes getting off the highway, and maneuvering through local streets just to reach the station. With this increase in travel time, the business case has also revealed that the plan is to only have 2/6 407 SERVICES STOP AT CONCORD. THAT IS INSANE, there is no reason why Concord GO should have lower connectivity than HIGHWAY 407 STATION, and this wouldn't even be a problem if we have a properly designed interchange than wasn't a headache for all of the GO Busses serving the corridor.

P.S. Are you really telling me that interfacing with Viva Orange is a higher priority than regional GO busses? The ibc outright states that the main benefit of the station existing is to interface with 407 GO Busses so its clear the intention is for it to be a regional hub.

IMG_3915.png

Sorry for the blurry image.
 
2 Problems:

1: There is no reason we shouldn't be future proofing this. Sure, the 407 Transitway won't be built tomorrow, but there is no reason why we should put ourselves in a position where we'd have to relocate the station 20-30 years from now, especially since some form of Rapid Transit along the 407 is supported by every major party. The 407 Transitway/Rail isn't some project that only exists in the imagination of some foamers, its a project that has had its EA completed, and is listed as a long term priority by both parties. There is no reason why we shouldn't factor it into the design.

2: Even if there is no 407 Transitway, we still have a ton of regional busses travelling along the 407, which forms a major backbone in circumferential travel within the region. If you're travelling from any major urban area to another area that isn't Toronto, odds are you're travelling along the 407 corridor. I mean, christ, the corridor has extra bolding applied to it on the GO Transit Map for a reason

View attachment 476135


So, instead of having a nice and convenient transfer that could be done by building a small platform on the side of the highway similar to what you'd find in Vancouver, now any bus that wants to serve the station has to waste 10 minutes getting off the highway, and maneuvering through local streets just to reach the station. With this increase in travel time, the business case has also revealed that the plan is to only have 2/6 407 SERVICES STOP AT CONCORD. THAT IS INSANE, there is no reason why Concord GO should have lower connectivity than HIGHWAY 407 STATION, and this wouldn't even be a problem if we have a properly designed interchange than wasn't a headache for all of the GO Busses serving the corridor.

P.S. Are you really telling me that interfacing with Viva Orange is a higher priority than regional GO busses? The ibc outright states that the main benefit of the station existing is to interface with 407 GO Busses so its clear the intention is for it to be a regional hub.

IMG_3915.png

Sorry for the blurry image.
There's no connection now between the Barrie Line and the 407 Corridor buses because there's no logical place for them to stop. Do you have them divert up to Rutherford, or down to Sheppard? Neither option is particularly good.

And the building of this station isn't really going to change that. It will be a long schlep off of the highway for the 407 corridor buses to get to it. Not as long as today, sure - but it will add a good 10 minutes or more to each trip.

Yes, any hypothetical 407 Transitway can and will fix that, and frankly there's no reason why the transitway's alignment couldn't divert in order to make that connection. There was an earlier version of the design - it didn't make it to the final version of the EA - that had the alignment veering away from the Highway to make the connection. They could very easily make an amendment (provided they do it before the EA lapses) to add it back.

Dan
 
There's no connection now between the Barrie Line and the 407 Corridor buses because there's no logical place for them to stop. Do you have them divert up to Rutherford, or down to Sheppard? Neither option is particularly good.

And the building of this station isn't really going to change that. It will be a long schlep off of the highway for the 407 corridor buses to get to it. Not as long as today, sure - but it will add a good 10 minutes or more to each trip.

Yes, any hypothetical 407 Transitway can and will fix that, and frankly there's no reason why the transitway's alignment couldn't divert in order to make that connection. There was an earlier version of the design - it didn't make it to the final version of the EA - that had the alignment veering away from the Highway to make the connection. They could very easily make an amendment (provided they do it before the EA lapses) to add it back.

Dan
Remember as well that the PC government has passed legislation making a lot of highway and transit-related EAs "unlaspable", or at least subject to smaller, much less stringent requirements for updating following their lapsing. They are building the Bradford Bypass right now on a 2002 EA which is recieving only minor updates.
 
Remember as well that the PC government has passed legislation making a lot of highway and transit-related EAs "unlaspable", or at least subject to smaller, much less stringent requirements for updating following their lapsing. They are building the Bradford Bypass right now on a 2002 EA which is recieving only minor updates.
I hadn't realized that they'd done that. That certainly helps them in this case.

Dan
 
There's no connection now between the Barrie Line and the 407 Corridor buses because there's no logical place for them to stop. Do you have them divert up to Rutherford, or down to Sheppard? Neither option is particularly good.
And that's the whole point of Concord GO, to finally build a connection between the services.
And the building of this station isn't really going to change that. It will be a long schlep off of the highway for the 407 corridor buses to get to it. Not as long as today, sure - but it will add a good 10 minutes or more to each trip.

Yes, any hypothetical 407 Transitway can and will fix that, and frankly there's no reason why the transitway's alignment couldn't divert in order to make that connection. There was an earlier version of the design - it didn't make it to the final version of the EA - that had the alignment veering away from the Highway to make the connection. They could very easily make an amendment (provided they do it before the EA lapses) to add it back.

Dan
My question is, why not do something like this?
1683830841361.png

Have bus stops straddle the side of the 407 Vancouver Style, then have a pathway alongside the Barrie Line tracks connecting the 407 stops to the station which is now located on the south side of Highway 7. The walk will be 300m which while it isn't great, wouldn't be much longer than the walk between RHC and Langstaff GO, and speaking personally, I'd find a stop that can serve the station without wasting much time to be preferable to a long detour that brings you closer to the station. Plus, it means that any future 407 Transitway wouldn't have to awkwardly detour under Highway 7, and the section could be built much more direct and cheaper.

The "Vancouver Style Bus Stop" for context:
1683831271640.png
 
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If you read the description, it actually says "fall 2024". So not next year, unfortunately.

Confederation GO is supposed to be completed some time in 2025.
The reason this Confederation station will be completed sooner than later, it not effected by GO trains daily. At present time, station work is effected by the odd CN train until CN lines get shifted back to the main corridor once all the work is done that will ben under the corridor that is taking place today. After CN tracks are move or left there with new CN tracks, there no worry about trains. I have yet to take a look at the other locations and was supposed to do it in March that got side track.
 
Interesting what we all take from things we see................ this is what caught my attention:

View attachment 477945

So they're contemplating having this ready for seasonal Niagara service.......... next year. Edit (or perhaps not, per the posts below)
At Confederation GO today. I can report not much is happening. I only saw two guys, and there's a generator going, looks like they're working on plumbing/drainage.
View attachment 474211

I also passed West Harbour earlier, lots of work there. Utility cabling, maybe sanitary/storm sewer work, and perhaps something to do with the bridge piers?
View attachment 474212
View attachment 474213

The utilities were clear, but my gut was right, that was sewer excavation I was seeing / hearing when I walked by a few weeks ago.

 

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