Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[DatTranzitGuy]

It's looking more and more likely pedestrian traffic through the leather shop bypass will soon be re-routed through the Bay Concourse.

I just passed through during lunch and they appeared to be polishing the floors of the middle section of the Bay Concourse. There also seems to be an initiative to clean up the middle path and move all construction material and equipment to the sides/corners.

To use Richard's photo....

View attachment 169463

It could be very likely to happen because they still need to do a lot in the leather shop bypass

 

[Allandale25]

The existing pedestrian pathway that lead to the subway station and PATH are known as the leather shop bypass because that's where the little leather shop used to be before the Bay Concourse was closed.

Thanks! I'm having some difficulty picturing the leather shop in the old Bay Concourse at Union. Any pictures of it out there? Update: I checked my files from just before the Bay Concourse closed. Was it to the left of the Juice place in this picture?

 

[DSC]

I think at top of ramp in this picture but it's all so long ago.... In the current situation it is close to the top of the (temporary) inside metal stairs going down to Bay Concourse.

 

[Allandale25]

^ Cool - I think another store a few months (years?) before the closing must have replaced it? Doesn't seem to be in this video (time marked to where the person walks through the stretch)

 

[AnotherCanuck]

If I remember correctly, the leather shop is already gone in that video. It was past the fruit market, up the ramp and just past those window panes on the right.

It's been a looong time, the shop was already punched out for the pedestrian pathway prior to closing the concourse, I guess.

 

[WillTo]

For crowd control purposes, southbound Bay will be closed after the afternoon game at the ACC ends since this will happen around the same time of the evening commuter rush (albeit a more subdued rush as many are still off work)

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/01...eafs-fans-downtown-after-rare-afternoon-game/

 

[DatTranzitGuy]

It's looking more and more likely pedestrian traffic through the leather shop bypass will soon be re-routed through the Bay Concourse.

I just passed through during lunch and they appeared to be polishing the floors of the middle section of the Bay Concourse. There also seems to be an initiative to clean up the middle path and move all construction material and equipment to the sides/corners.

To use Richard's photo....

View attachment 169463

I can’t wait for that part to open. Do you think the walkway up to the bay tramway will open too?

 

[DatTranzitGuy]

And here we jump forward to May 2016. This one is for the engineers amongst us. The column cutting has begun.
View attachment 163348

The new main N/S corridor on the lower level under VIA, looking north from the Union Square stairs towards Front Street. Right now there are temporary ramps which run up to VIA from the Union Square doors. The east half of the temporary ramps up to VIA were in the process of being removed last time I passed through Union. Once the temporary ramps are removed and the lower level is opened up, the entrance from Union Square won't lead through this "maze of ramps" up to VIA but will rather lead straight on to a short flight of stairs down to enter this main N/S corridor straight ahead. This should improve passenger circulation for those who enter the station from the south.
View attachment 163349

Looking south-east at the new stairs which will lead up to Union Square from the main N/S corridor on the lower level. At this point the street level of Union Square / Maple Leaf Square is level with the top of these stairs. The temporary ramps which currently lead up to VIA are on the red steel frame seen in the background.
View attachment 163350

The same stairs as in the picture above (up to Union Square) except looking directly south this time.
View attachment 163351

Just for kicks a peek into the crawl space under the temporary ramps leading from Union Square up to VIA. Looking south.
View attachment 163352

Looking south from the intersection of the main N/S and E/W corridors on the lower level, roughly just north of the exact middle of the VIA concourse. This main intersection of corridors on the lower level is almost dead centre in the station and will allow passengers to walk as-the-crow flies in any direction (to Union Square, Bay St, Front St, or York St). A 360 degree view on this same main intersection is seen here: youtu.be/f0KWmNtnxwI
View attachment 163353

And the same picture as above except with some creative liberties. "Mood lighting".
View attachment 163357

I feel the centre retail area could be opened up to alleviate the crowding issues coming from the scotia bank arena where people go down the stairs from the union south enterance and and turn left to go into the food court and up to the York concourse

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Is there an elevator too?

Under AODA there has to be.

Are those motorized platform things attached to staircases no longer an option?

Yes there is, but close to water issues (degases?) by York St

An elevator to the main level of the York Concourse is hiding at the north end of the food court, located next to the (full service) Tim Horton’s and opening above roughly between the Starbucks Express and Union Chicken.
It’s almost unmarked, from what I could see, but operational when I tried it on the weekend.

Well that's infuriating. I was at Union two weeks ago with a stroller, wanting to check out the new food court. I could not find said elevator at all; there was no signage at all, and I searched and searched for anything that resembled an elevator, no luck. I managed on the escalators, 'cause luckily I can manage, but it's not my first choice putting my kid in that position.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Wasnt there a pizza joint in the leather shop prior to closing of the bay concourse?

I too have difficulty sometimes trying to visualize some things in and around union.

Also i agree that opening up of the centre retail would do wonders for people movement in union. This needs to open before the summer.

 

[whatever]

The leather shop is already gone in that video, and I believe it's already been reconfigured into a passageway to the moat at that point

There was a pizza joint beside the leather shop (and they had great potato wedges!). And then one storefront over there was a small bar who's name escapes me. I want to say it was Choo Choo's?

 

[steveintoronto]

I managed on the escalators, 'cause luckily I can manage, but it's not my first choice putting my kid in that position.

You're a lot more alert than most! To minimize the risk of it jamming (which happens), best, even if it's awkward, that you go first with the stroller trailing, even if it's higher than you, so if it does start to jam (God forbid) at least you can pull it out of wedging, rather than try to push it out, which will only exacerbate the proclivity to jamming. My heart is pounding just at the thought of it going wrong.

Addendum: I just Googled to see what's on-line on this, and fortunately, there's a lot. First hit: (I disagree with putting the stroller in front, trail it)


Taking a stroller on an escalator can be risky. In fact, many escalators ban the use of any wheeled device on the escalator, such as strollers. Nonetheless, if you do not have another option, you can use the tips in this article to take your stroller on the escalators more safely.
3 Ways to Take a Stroller on an Escalator - wikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com/Take-a-Stroller-on-an-Escalator

I would add that the person stand slightly sideways to be able to view what's upcoming as well as what's trailing. I learned this the hard way generations ago taking a bike down one of the very narrow escalators the TTC used to have (still has at some of the old Yonge stations?) with the front wheel dangling loose as I'd lifted it. The tire just barely touched the side-panel and being a quality headset adjusted for the lightest of castor, bam! It took less than a fraction of a second to jam and bend the wheel. Total write-off save for the hub and tube. Even the tire bead was torn. My sixth-sense still rings to this day. Far better a bike wheel than an occupied stroller!

Ditto when crossing streetcar tracks or any ruts in the road. Pull the stroller across as a trailer, rather than push.

And for those of you with dogs...if the dog is too big to lift, use the stairs, or if you're on an escalator already and realize the mistake, even a dog too heavy to lift, make them jump off the top over the comb piece which can catch their claws. I've seen that happen...it can rip the claws right off. Even slatted steel steps (think fires escapes) can and do.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

The leather shop is already gone in that video, and I believe it's already been reconfigured into a passageway to the moat at that point

There was a pizza joint beside the leather shop (and they had great potato wedges!). And then one storefront over there was a small bar who's name escapes me. I want to say it was Choo Choo's?

Commuters

 

[DSC]

It could be very likely to happen because they still need to do a lot in the leather shop bypass

I got a good look into Bay concourse today from the (normally closed) door in the Leather Shop area (to right of the top of metal stairs inside the Bay Concourse. ) Work in the Bay Concourse is clearly moving on and it is certainly far tidier but it will be several weeks (or, more likely) months before it looks as though they will be able to open that new staircase up and remove the temporary metal one.

 

[W. K. Lis]

You're a lot more alert than most! To minimize the risk of it jamming (which happens), best, even if it's awkward, that you go first with the stroller trailing, even if it's higher than you, so if it does start to jam (God forbid) at least you can pull it out of wedging, rather than try to push it out, which will only exacerbate the proclivity to jamming. My heart is pounding just at the thought of it going wrong.

Addendum: I just Googled to see what's on-line on this, and fortunately, there's a lot. First hit: (I disagree with putting the stroller in front, trail it)

View attachment 169526
Taking a stroller on an escalator can be risky. In fact, many escalators ban the use of any wheeled device on the escalator, such as strollers. Nonetheless, if you do not have another option, you can use the tips in this article to take your stroller on the escalators more safely.
3 Ways to Take a Stroller on an Escalator - wikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com/Take-a-Stroller-on-an-Escalator

I would add that the person stand slightly sideways to be able to view what's upcoming as well as what's trailing. I learned this the hard way generations ago taking a bike down one of the very narrow escalators the TTC used to have (still has at some of the old Yonge stations?) with the front wheel dangling loose as I'd lifted it. The tire just barely touched the side-panel and being a quality headset adjusted for the lightest of castor, bam! It took less than a fraction of a second to jam and bend the wheel. Total write-off save for the hub and tube. Even the tire bead was torn. My sixth-sense still rings to this day. Far better a bike wheel than an occupied stroller!

Ditto when crossing streetcar tracks or any ruts in the road. Pull the stroller across as a trailer, rather than push.

And for those of you with dogs...if the dog is too big to lift, use the stairs, or if you're on an escalator already and realize the mistake, even a dog too heavy to lift, make them jump off the top over the comb piece which can catch their claws. I've seen that happen...it can rip the claws right off. Even slatted steel steps (think fires escapes) can and do.

And hold the handrail of an escalator. You could be ticketed.

See link.

She was handcuffed for not holding an escalator's handrail. Ten year's later, she's headed to Canada's Supreme Court