Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | ?m | ?s | Ports Toronto | Arup

CDL.TO said:
Why do you think a tunnel would require security screening?

Dozens of airports around the world have tunnels under their runways without requiring security.
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Can you provide an example? You're saying that people who are not screened for explosives are permitted under active commercial aircraft runways.
 
NorthYorkEd said:
That's a long escalator ride down. How long before one or all of them are out of service? Everyone knows that escalators are the most complex machinery known to man and almost impossible to keep in working condition. At least, that's the impression I get judging by the number of them that are stalled for no apparent reason.
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With three in parallel, at the very least 1/3 could be kept going at any time for upward traffic. Presumably there is an elevator as well for accessibility? In the worst case people could be directed to the ferry.

Mind you, there is an escalator in a certain 40+ floor downtown office building whose downtime for maintenance is starting to get annoying, especially as there never seems to be anyone working there when I pass it.
 
dowlingm said:
Can you provide an example? You're saying that people who are not screened for explosives are permitted under active commercial aircraft runways.
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Yes, that's what I'm saying. Usually it's roadways carrying cars or trucks that could be loaded with explosives, which is far more dangerous than the pedestians and bikes which would occur in a Toronto Island Airport situation.

Off the top of my head?

London Heathrow
Calgary
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
Amsterdam Schiphol

Amsterdam even has a nice bike path under a runway. Here's a pic.
 
CDL.TO said:
Yes, that's what I'm saying. Usually it's roadways carrying cars or trucks that could be loaded with explosives, which is far more dangerous than the pedestians and bikes which would occur in a Toronto Island Airport situation.

Off the top of my head?

London Heathrow
Calgary
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
Amsterdam Schiphol

Amsterdam even has a nice bike path under a runway. Here's a pic.
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I've been under Heathrow but that was airside. As for Amsterdam (and the others) I stand corrected. I do have my doubts that the security theatre in North America would permit a new build one. If I'm wrong on that too, TPA may not want the hoi polloi in their tunnel but I wonder if John Tory would see a city built YTZ-island tunnel connected to the YTZ-mainland one as a way to soften opposition to runway expansion. That's a long walk underground though, and a lot of movators.
 
The famous tunnel to Heathrow terminals 1,2,3 is under a runway. So, no, not just airside there. The Calgary and Atlanta ones are very recent. Calgary opened just last year.

You might be imagining issues where there aren't any.
 
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Um, Pearson has a tunnel under a runway, and public transit even crosses through it.

MiWay route 59 goes under two taxiways to get to the infield terminal. (Britannia Road)
 
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Tuscani01 said:
Um, Pearson has a tunnel under a runway, and public transit even crosses through it.
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No it doesn't. Under a runway it only has the tunnel which goes between the terminal area and in infield area, which you would have gone through if you had used the infield terminal. You can't access that without going through security.

It does have a underpass under a taxiway which public transit uses, though.
 
I meant the taxiway, as mentioned in the second paragraph. It crosses under two taxiways, so still under active commercial traffic.
 
You edited your post to include that second paragraph in after I replied to your original post.

Yes, if we extend our criteria to include taxiways, there are hundreds of major airports around the world with publicly accessible tunnels under taxiways.
 
CDL.TO said:
You edited your post to include that second paragraph in after I replied to your original post.

Yes, if we extend our criteria to include taxiways, there are hundreds of major airports around the world with publicly accessible tunnels under taxiways.
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I was in the process of editing it as you were posting, hence the mixup. (Had to look up the route #)

But yes, he's definitely imagining issues where there aren't any.
 
dowlingm said:
With three in parallel, at the very least 1/3 could be kept going at any time for upward traffic. Presumably there is an elevator as well for accessibility? In the worst case people could be directed to the ferry.
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There are two elevators on the island side for accessibility. They serve the tunnel, the departures level, and the arrivals/ferry level. I used one the day of the tunnel opening after having tried the escalators. Not as good as the 6 on the mainland side but should still be good enough in the event the escalators go out. And yes, the ferry is still running.
 
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