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GO Transit: Union Station Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Zeidler)

^GO already encourages this by not providing platform numbers on its notice board until a few minutes before departure. It at least keeps irregular riders off the platform.
 
alexanderglista said:
Sorry if this has been posted, but Anne Marie seems to say the green roof isn't happening. From this tweet. Evidently electrification is messing with it.
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The left hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing...let alone the right.

Something is really wrong somewhere on this claim...

Edit to Add: As a tech, I can fully understand the need for awareness and consideration when dealing with 25kVAC, I've been zapped more than a few times myself, but there's ways to deal with that. Consider overhead catenary in tunnel, for instance, more than often done as a rigid rail, and just an inch or so away from conductive surfaces.

*Surely*best practice deals with a situation of overhead conductivity with potential to leak, let alone arc, by insulating and erecting non-conductive barriers to possible contaminant flow onto catenary?

Either Aikins hasn't consulted the engineers on this, or they're scraping the barrel for excuses...the first concern for a green roof would/should be weight. Moisture retention is easily addressed with a modern impermeable barrier underneath the growth.
 
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^ As electrification planning progresses, the above-roof area may now be needed for switchgear or feeders.... and that means access for maintainers and maybe equipment.... so little room for green roof or maybe you don’t want gardening going on around the switchgear.... and now we have urban art to disguise and pretty that....

Or maybe the new guard of planners are going through an urban art fad and they overthrew the last tranche of planners who were in love with green roofs....

I’m just grateful that they are getting on with this and not leaving it to some future vendors to make the decision.

It’s a bit odd how half of the RER design and construction is continuing while half is being left til after the RFP. Whether that is brilliant strategy or just waffling, I can’t figure.

- Paul

PS: Now, about those translucent panels.....
 
Not directly related to the shed but I noticed today that the beams have started to go up for the park/bridge structure that will be connected to that new CIBC office tower which will also have the new GO bus terminal. Best shot I could get from a moving bus.

Update: better pictures in the thread for CIBC Square.

2rGJxo7
 
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One does wonder how well a green roof would work in the shadow of all those new high rise buildings. Need something that grows well in deep shade.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
One does wonder how well a green roof would work in the shadow of all those new high rise buildings. Need something that grows well in deep shade.

- Paul
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Astroturf grows well in shade ;)

But I seriously hope they go with a glass roof instead of a green roof, it's nice having natural light and a view of downtown Toronto from the trainshed.
 
aquateam said:
But I seriously hope they go with a glass roof instead of a green roof, it's nice having natural light and a view of downtown Toronto from the trainshed.
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Totally agreed. There's a place for green roofs, but not when it makes you feel like you're existing in a basement. I can't say I'm that impressed with what's been done there as it is. It's dank, dark and oppressive still. It would have been so easy to build a cathedral of light and suspended the catenary within it. Heritage goes to the Dark Side...
 
steveintoronto said:
Totally agreed. There's a place for green roofs, but not when it makes you feel like you're existing in a basement. I can't say I'm that impressed with what's been done there as it is. It's dank, dark and oppressive still. It would have been so easy to build a cathedral of light and suspended the catenary within it. Heritage goes to the Dark Side...
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Dark and Dank STILL? Were you ever through Union prior to the renos? It was a dark, dank mess at the best of times, at the worst the roof leaked so bad you needed an umbrella inside.

What we have now is a MAJOR improvement.
 
Richard White said:
Dark and Dank STILL? Were you ever through Union prior to the renos? It was a dark, dank mess at the best of times, at the worst the roof leaked so bad you needed an umbrella inside.

What we have now is a MAJOR improvement.
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That's why I used the word "still". It's far from being something like this:

70003854_642803b3e3.jpg


THAT is what I'd call a "Cathedral of Light".
Were you ever through Union prior to the renos?
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Thousands of times, and most likely before you were even born.
 
GregWTravels said:
Re: Union Train Shed Replacement & $600 million in GO up

^ adding to the above.

www.toronto.ca/union_stat.../intro.pdf

Components and ownership of the Station complex
The Station complex is composed of the following major elements:
• the station building (or Head House) at both ground and concourse levels;
• the moats along Front Street, turning south along both Bay and York Streets to the start of the teamways at the viaducts;
• the teamways running south from the moats along both Bay and York Streets;
• the trainshed, its platforms and tracks;
• the VIA concourse;
• the east GO concourse and planned west GO concourse; and
• the service areas directly beneath the arrival/departure hall currently used for storage, mechanical uses, parking and loading docks.

The City of Toronto owns all the lands and the building south of Front Street between York and Bay Streets north of the Canadian National Railway’s High Line, plus the York West Teamway. GO Transit owns the rail corridor roughly stretching between the Don River and Strachan Avenue, and the former CP Express site across Bay Street, including the Bay East Teamway. Between York and Bay Streets, GO Transit owns
a 27 foot high three-dimensional stratum or envelope through the City of Toronto’s property which houses the trainshed, tracks and platforms. The City of Toronto owns the building below and the air space above the GO envelope.

Several other entities have leasehold or other contractual rights to space in the Station and neighbouring properties enjoy rights of access through the block for pedestrian routes.

----

So, it appears GO owns the train shed, tracks and platform, but not the space above that, or the building (via waiting area) below.
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From the opening page of this string, where I got the pic of the "cathedral".

I've quoted this information in the Rail Deck Park forum string prior, but this post remains outstanding in referencing and linking some very pertinent information, albeit it might yet be legally contested.
 
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Richard White said:
Dark and Dank STILL? Were you ever through Union prior to the renos? It was a dark, dank mess at the best of times, at the worst the roof leaked so bad you needed an umbrella inside.

What we have now is a MAJOR improvement.
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It is quickly becoming dank and dark - just give the exhaust a bit more time (a year or two) to do its work.

As to glass roof - I am afraid that ship has already sailed for now - you don't spend all the time and effort to put up a corrugated steel roof just to tear it down again so soon. As junky and exposed to weather as the space was when the shed was skeletally stripped, it did feel far less claustrophobic and quieter.

AoD
 
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