Toronto GO Transit: Davenport Diamond Grade Separation | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

Sure, that area redeveloping is a good idea that is probably going to happen no matter what.

But I'm talking about creating a transit hub, enabling new transit and transfer opportunities. It's a completely different issue.
 
That area was mostly industrial because of the railways. The old industrial buildings are slowly being converted into loft condos, as the industry leaves. Yet the railways remain and so that is the problem, the railways are not moving out. If the industry had stayed, it may have been no problem, but for residential it is a problem.
 
CDL.TO said:
Sure, that area redeveloping is a good idea that is probably going to happen no matter what.
But I'm talking about creating a transit hub, enabling new transit and transfer opportunities. It's a completely different issue.
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You can probably modify the B1 level of a new complex to enable that - the distance isn't too large (200m, 300 to Dundas West), but you will probably need travelators.

AoD
 
CDL.TO said:
200m? Google's telling me 400m from the Weston Sub to the Newmarket Sub. That's King St to Queen St distance.
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Oops, my bad. In any case they should still plan for an eventual linkage between the two through redevelopment. Still easier than tunnelling.

AoD
 
No doubt it's easier. No one's denying that.

The question I would ask is whether it would be still be able to fulfill the same benefits to the transit network.
 
CDL.TO said:
I've always had a crazy dream of putting the Barrie line into a tunnel and rerouting it through Dundas West/Bloor station.
Dundas West/Bloor has the potential to be a serious transit hub.
It could be a true hub for the west end and could enable a lot of convenient trips without having to head to Union.
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I can't see a lot of people needing to transfer from the Barrie line to any of Milton, Kitchener, or Bolton so badly that they couldn't travel the extra distance to Union.

A Bloor Station on the Newmarket line makes a certain amount of sense. The connectivity you are seeking could be achieved so much more cheaply with a moving sidewalk. Or a shuttle bus. How does the length compare to the Spadina subway walkway, I wonder?

The whole thing takes yet another dimension if you assume that GO will own the CP North Toronto Sub some day. Where would one put the stations along that line?

- Paul
 
CDL.TO said:
I've always had a crazy dream of putting the Barrie line into a tunnel and rerouting it through Dundas West/Bloor station. Dundas West/Bloor has the potential to be a serious transit hub.

Already passing through:
  • GO Kitchener line
  • GO Milton line
  • UP Express
  • Bloor-Danforth Subway
  • 2 streetcar lines
  • 2 bus routes
Potential to also serve the location:
  • GO Barrie line
  • GO Bolton/Woodbridge line
  • Downtown Relief Subway
  • 1 extra streetcar line (reroute 506)
  • 3 extra bus routes (move 89, 41, 80A terminus to Dundas West).
It could be a true hub for the west end and could enable a lot of convenient trips without having to head to Union.
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1. Milton trains don't stop at Bloor GO

2. If you intend to transfer from Barrie line to Kitchener, use the Eglinton Crosstown. Why would you go all the way to Bloor and back again to do the transfer? Even if it's the airport you're going to, the Eglinton Crosstown would still be a more efficient (and affordable) route than UP Express from Bloor.
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3. Bus 89 already connects to Kitchener and UP Express at Weston (and eventually at Mt Dennis). It doesn't need to be rerouted to Dundas West to connect to those same lines again. See next point.

4. Have you seen how ridiculous the traffic is at Bloor & Dundas? The last time I tried to take a streetcar from the subway station, it took almost 5 minutes and several light cycles to clear the intersection. And that was on a Saturday afternoon. Adding more bus and streetcar routes to an area that has huge traffic problems to begin with is not the best thing to do. As you said, Dundas West is already well served by the 4 routes that go there.

5. There are opportunities for Barrie and other GO lines to connect to the DRL at other locations, such as Queen & Dufferin (where there's also the 501 and Dufferin bus). It could become a significant hub as well, and having a second hub is probably a more viable solution than cramming as many transit lines as possible at Dundas West.


I think we're still a long way away from this type of transit spending, though.
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Good. Toronto shouldn't be spending money on projects that cost way more money than it's worth. Your dream is about as realistic as mayor Tory's fanciful Dumbtrack tunnel on Eglinton.
 

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salsa said:
1. Milton trains don't stop at Bloor GO
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C'mon Salsa. I really don't think I'm asking too much of people's imagination here. You're not exactly expressing a grasp of the potential of the future here.

Each new transfer point is an opportunity for new transit connections where they didn't exist before.

It is pretty fanciful. It only makes sense in the context of a frequent GO RER network, including the Milton line. One day, the GO network is going to be as important as the subway network to mobility in this city, and when that happens spending money to improve connections will be one of the most effective uses of funds. But we're certainly not there yet.

And this is hardly the first time I've been told my ideas are fanciful on this forum.
 
DonValleyRainbow said:
Why do elections have to mess with infrastructure planning? It's ridiculous.
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Agreed.

The only good thing that might come out of is an increased budget provided by the Federal government -- permitting massive improvements to aesthetics of the underpass, as in Underpass Designs & Improvements.

A small 20% increase in budget can turn the Davenport Bridge into a fancy tourist attraction that actually has economic benefits that fully covers the 20% premium (exercise, businesses at the accesses, etc). Prettifying the bridge option would still be much cheaper than doing the tunnel which would be over 4x (>300% increase) more expensive.

- Colored transparent glass noisewalls
- Upgraded bridge design, such as possibly a suspension bridge
- High path *and* low path for both pedestrians and bikes.
- High pedestrian/bike path overhanging side of Davenport bridge; great scenic lookout
- Better underbelly aesthetics, better landscaping for the low path under bridge
- More underpasses (and prettier ones at them too!)
- Fancy lit underpasses that aren't scary

Example of a more appealing pedestrian underpass (perhaps for the low sections of the Davenport ramp-up to bridge):
big-designs-led-lighting-underpass-cumbernauld-pink-jpg.51670


Example of bridge lighting could be like Louisville's Big Four Bridge (I'd prefer a slender suspension or cable-stayed bridge rather than trusswork), which could gradually dim after 11:00pm in a soothing sunset-style fashion (low-blue-light) to appease nearby neighborhoods and avoid disturbing sleep.
 
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^aside from explaining how a 20% increase in any budget is "small" how would it cover the 20%? Would admission be charged?
 
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