GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[mdrejhon]

A bunch of West Harbour GO pictures I took Tuesday evening.

I witnessed a GO train departing the station, it must be fitting several times and packing the ballast.

Shows the foundation of the multilevel parking garage under construction. First GO station in Hamilton that will have lots of free parking, so its role will be to displace some cars from clogging the 403 to Aldershot.

Parking garage (2016?) entrance will be roughly on the third or fourth level (same level as James/Bay) and cars can go either up or down levels to park. According to the crane height, the parking garage will probably be eight or so levels tall, give or take. Probably towers four or five stories above James/Bay as a result. qThat should make for some interesting parking space hunts, hopefully it has electronic parking-spot indicators. Supposed to be open by 2017, could be partially open next year. This garage is between Bay and MacNab. There is room for a second parking garage of equal size, to west of Bay, for a total of 600 cars.

Also shows that the track is a spur for now, so no through service yet to Stoney Creek / Niagara Falls, but you can see the underpass that the track will go underneath, to go beyond. A little further work in 2017 or even 2016 should enable the ability of Niagara summer trains to stop at West Harbor, as an obvious useful stop -- and those will enable summer weekend two-way Hamilton service as a bonus.

Also shows the station entrance on MacNab that will open before PanAm. Tight call to pave the sidewalk paths to open the station in just a few days from today!.

No entry on James Street for PanAm, as far as I can see, that entrance is a bit far behind. But I can really see it will open from MacNab at first.

Even though only two GOtrains will run from this at first -- looking at it closely, it is a seriously real GO station that will handle both cars and pedestrians very well. I expect West Harbor to capture the main Hamilton park-n-ride role, while downtown captures the B-Line transit audience, but with a fair bit of overlap between the two. Toronto does not even have two GO stations only two kilometers and only 20 minute walk apart!

Station begins permanent weekday service in just one week from now!

 

[mdrejhon]

I just walked past the station again on Canada's Day (Pier 4 fireworks in Hamilton) and I was observing all the lamp posts are on the north edge of the platform, indicating trains will never be stop north of this platform. So the north edge of platform would probably eventually be fenced off from the three freight tracks to the north, for safety rasons.

There seems to be wide enough of a gap between the north edge and the track that a fence is probably not necessary, but it may be a good idea anyway to install one eventually, mostly to discourage trespassers trying to enter the station from the park to the north (on the other side of the treeline)

(North is the left edge of this photo -- the last photo embedded within my previous post.)

 

[DC83]

What you can't tell from any of the photos above is the Stucco Treatment the South-West side of the Station Building is getting.. BLECH!!!!

I really hope the sub-par 'material' is not due to time-constraints! I'd much rather have an unfinished station than one hastily 'finished' with stucco *shudders*

 

[mdrejhon]

What you can't tell from any of the photos above is the Stucco Treatment the South-West side of the Station Building is getting.. BLECH!!!!

Certainly hope that would not be permanent.

If stucco is used, stucco is known by precedent as a temporary covering material before permanent cover. This might be the case here -- time constrants, yes, but permanent, no. I would question the permanence of stucco in this specific case, given the effort that's occuring on other station elements.

In industry, stucco is often the "quick asphalt" equivalent for walls, before fixing up. Like filling sidewalk holes (utilities dig) with asphalt, but finished off properly with sidewalk concrete during good season of the next year. Temporary cover. It is really easy and fast to do stucco, and it is really easy and fast to chip it off, if the stucco is thin.

EDIT: I recalled wrong. Stucco is often used in temporary buildings that are easily demolished, not as a temporary coating (e.g. past World Fair's buildings, etc -- sometimes Plaster of Paris, sometimes concrete, sometimes mud -- but otherwise stucco-like).

Stucco, as a temporary cover, is easily chiseled off when proper siding arrives. How temporary; I don't know -- but if stucco is being used, I will bet the stucco is possibly probably gone by 2017.

I'll have to revisit and see what's happening with the stucco.

 

[mdrejhon]

I tweeted to Metrolinx inquiring about the stucco, and they answered.

We'll await further responses. Officially, no stucco is planned, but they're looking into why it looks like stucco. It may be a rough undertexture designed for attachment of final panels. Often that looks like stucco.

GO Transit ‏@GOtransit 18m18 minutes ago
@mdrejhon Hi Mark. We are in the process of finishing the panels on the exterior but there will be no stucco on the finish piece. ^LH

GO Transit ‏@GOtransit 31m31 minutes ago
@mdrejhon We are looking into this Mark. We will follow up shortly. Thanks! ^LH​

 

[wopchop]

I have never heard of "temporary stucco" being used before final cladding is applied.

 

[mdrejhon]

I have never heard of "temporary stucco" being used before final cladding is applied.

If it's cladding of solid panels (tile, stone, composite, etc) you're probably right. See below.

Another followup:

GO Transit ‏@GOtransit 4m4 minutes ago
@mdrejhon @Metrolinx We suggest to discuss this more here http://ow.ly/P6DKL . This material is not being used on the panels.Thanks ^LH​

I'll take their word, based on this. Based on these responses, it is almost certainly a mortar-like material being spread before installing panels. It's quite possible two passes is done, which means a whole wall may look stucco for a moment, before they install actual panels.

A bathroom wall spread with mortar, looks like stucco just immediately before tiles are stuck onto the mortar. Same thing for a building that needs big solid panels mounted to them.

And at worst, if it is real stucco, it would seem temporary.

 

[DC83]

I have also never heard of 'Temporary Stucco'??
It's only 'temporary' as it has a max life span of 5 years in our Southern Ontario Climate.

Either way, it would appear as though Metrolinx confirms they have cut corners in order to finish this for a group of visitors who will never come back here
(PanAm Athletes).

What else was cut? Is the Elevator even operational? I haven't seen it move once (I walk by often).

As it stands, PanAm Athletes are going to have to walk through a dirty/muddy path to get out of the station itself, as the McNab 'entrance' still isn't paved or finished, and the James St 'entrance' is a literal pile of dirt. Hope it doesn't rain for those two weeks in July.

This station is very nice, but like the rest of the PanAm Sham, the games are having a negative affect on it!

 

[mdrejhon]

I have also never heard of 'Temporary Stucco'??
It's only 'temporary' as it has a max life span of 5 years in our Southern Ontario Climate.

Exactly. My point. It's temporary.

They don't call it the word "temporary", but when you see stucco used in this climate, it's definitely defacto temporary. What are you disagreeing with?

Also, read the above. Metrolinx has since made another reply -- confirming they don't plan to have stucco.

This station is very nice, but like the rest of the PanAm Sham, the games are having a negative affect on it!

It's also possible the station would not have been scheduled until much later, if it weren't for the impetus of PanAm. It's not like we're going to have widespread abandoned facilities like Greece's or Sochi's. Hamilton's stadium drama was maddening, hairpulling mad, revoltingworthy. But it is much ado about nothing compared to a $51 billion dollar sports ghost town [PHOTOS]. Compared to them, and even the recent FIFA scandals, there's surprisingly little waste in GTHA's PanAm. We're reusing 100% of our PanAm benefits (GO station is permanent, stadium is permanent), unlike Sochi and Greece. And Soccer is the most popular PanAm sport. Yet, we are extremely mad at the little waste that occurs, but to those people, in the month of July when the games can no longer be cancelled, it's time for me to say "SHUT THE F UP" for the sake of the soccer-fan kids in front of the house.

The kids don't want PanScam negativity while watching Brazil or Argentina play, even if it's not all top players.

Instead, we got real facilities we will continue using the majority of, some partial transit improvements (some of which bumps original promises out further to the future). That said, I don't think we have an appetite to be a host of these megaevents, due to the negativity we now over these kinds of mega-events. No wonder nobody wants to bid for Olympics 2022 -- city enthusiasm has soured, even if events such as GTHA PanAm hasn't really been nearly as 'scandalous' as Greece 2004 or Sochi 2014.

But this is a sidetrack of a topic. I'm just pissed at the "PanScam" people scaring local kids and soccer fans away from buying tickets. The neibhour kids I babysit, love soccer and plays it on the street in front of our house, they're excited about the games. We've bought tickets for them. Perpetuating further negativity about waste when it is too late and the Games are already here (boycotting by not buying tickets / telling other people not to buy tickets = less revenues = even more taxpayer waste = hypocritical).

The soccer-fan kids don't care about what is a "PanScam". Not directed at you in general, just pissed at the PanScam people spoiling things for the kids who want to watch soccer. Let others choose if they want to attend, please, rather than telling these kids not to attend.

 

[wopchop]

Exactly. My point. It's temporary.

They don't call it the word "temporary", but when you see stucco used in this climate, it's definitely defacto temporary. What are you disagreeing with?
.

I disagree with what you said before;

In industry, stucco is often the "quick asphalt" equivalent for walls, before fixing up. Like filling sidewalk holes (utilities dig) with asphalt, but finished off properly with sidewalk concrete during good season of the next year. Temporary cover. It is really easy and fast to do stucco, and it is really easy and fast to chip it off, if the stucco is thin.

I have never, in all my life, heard of using stucco as a temporary material, "before fixing up" with a true final cladding. And I work in building envelope construction. To say that it is used often in this manner is simply not true.

It is also not necessarily east and fast to "chip it off", as depending on the substrate, a stucco application is more than just the layer of cement plaster, and generally involves metal lath, drainage board, foam insulation, etc.

 

[DC83]

Exactly. My point. It's temporary.

They don't call it the word "temporary", but when you see stucco used in this climate, it's definitely defacto temporary. What are you disagreeing with?

Also, read the above. Metrolinx has since made another reply -- confirming they don't plan to have stucco.


It's also possible the station would not have been scheduled until much later, if it weren't for the impetus of PanAm. It's not like we're going to have widespread abandoned facilities like Greece's or Sochi's. Hamilton's stadium drama was maddening, hairpulling mad, revoltingworthy. But it is much ado about nothing compared to a $51 billion dollar sports ghost town [PHOTOS]. Compared to them, and even the recent FIFA scandals, there's surprisingly little waste in GTHA's PanAm. We're reusing 100% of our PanAm benefits (GO station is permanent, stadium is permanent), unlike Sochi and Greece. And Soccer is the most popular PanAm sport. Yet, we are extremely mad at the little waste that occurs, but to those people, in the month of July when the games can no longer be cancelled, it's time for me to say "SHUT THE F UP" for the sake of the soccer-fan kids in front of the house.

The kids don't want PanScam negativity while watching Brazil or Argentina play, even if it's not all top players.

Instead, we got real facilities we will continue using the majority of, some partial transit improvements (some of which bumps original promises out further to the future). That said, I don't think we have an appetite to be a host of these megaevents, due to the negativity we now over these kinds of mega-events. No wonder nobody wants to bid for Olympics 2022 -- city enthusiasm has soured, even if events such as GTHA PanAm hasn't really been nearly as 'scandalous' as Greece 2004 or Sochi 2014.

But this is a sidetrack of a topic. I'm just pissed at the "PanScam" people scaring local kids and soccer fans away from buying tickets. The neibhour kids I babysit, love soccer and plays it on the street in front of our house, they're excited about the games. We've bought tickets for them. Perpetuating further negativity about waste when it is too late and the Games are already here (boycotting by not buying tickets / telling other people not to buy tickets = less revenues = even more taxpayer waste = hypocritical).

The soccer-fan kids don't care about what is a "PanScam". Not directed at you in general, just pissed at the PanScam people spoiling things for the kids who want to watch soccer. Let others choose if they want to attend, please, rather than telling these kids not to attend.

This is about the GO Station, not a $2.5+ Billion excuse to develop a brownfield in Downtown Toronto's south-east end (Hamilton was getting a WestHarbour GO Station (2007) well before the PanAms were planned (2009) -- the hasty finish to have it done in time for said games is what irks me).

My point here is that the stucco-esq finish they are using to clearly finish this station in time is, like the games itself, cheap showmanship.

 

[mdrejhon]

This is about the GO Station, not a $2.5+ Billion excuse to develop a brownfield in Downtown Toronto's south-east end.

2.5+ billion yes, excuse, yes, ridiculousness, yes, but it's not Sochi/Greece league scam like commentators like to amp it up to. The development recoups itself (whether in part or full) and permanently expands taxpayer base to Toronto. Just ranting. But yes, back on topic.

I have never, in all my life, heard of using stucco as a temporary material, "before fixing up" with a true final cladding. And I work in building envelope construction. To say that it is used often in this manner is simply not true.

Perhaps not often. Searching through stucco again, there is actually a long rich history of cheap stucco (cheap/ugly rough texture type) being used in temporary buildings that are later demolished. I incorrectly remembered it as temporary cladding. So not a temporary cladding, but a temporary building that's later's demolished. But that would be strange in the context of our GO station.

But we know that our GO station is permanent -- I need to take closeup photos to reconcile what Metrolinx is saying versus what's actually being installed there.

Lots of things look like sort of stucco -- like rough-texture undercoats, textured-rock panels, acrylic decorative panels designed to look like a stucco texture, plaster of paris art, spray concrete, etc. I'll drive by there tonight and figure out exactly what kind of 'stucco' it really is, as spray concrete exterior cladding would be a total travesty to Hamilton's spanking new GO station.

Hopefully it's not the final planned appearance, unless it's some kind of preparatory undercoat for high-quality finishing (e.g. shiny-varnish-coated mosaic tile artwork installations).

 

[crs1026]

It's also possible the station would not have been scheduled until much later, if it weren't for the impetus of PanAm.

Aw, nuts. I swore I wasn't get worked up about this, but you got me going.

What's maddening is that none of the transit improvements we are seeing this summer - UPE, Hamilton GO, etc, etc - would have made it through our political process if it weren't for the hard deadline of the Games. So in that regard, we owe Pan Am a big thank you. There is a down side - e.g. the Georgetown GO was definitely set back by the priority accorded UPE when the chips were down - but overall it's progress.

I am annoyed by the games' impact on my mobility, and didn't sign up early for tickets, but yes I am browsing the events for things I might want to go see. It's an opportunity not to be lost, and it may end well.

As for future Olympics - absolutely no way. The GTAA can find greatness without them.

- Paul

 

[mdrejhon]

As for future Olympics - absolutely no way. The GTAA can find greatness without them.

Heavens, no. I agree with everything you said in your post.

P.S. I assume you meant GTHA rather than GTAA -- the airport authority -- why limit greatness to Pearson!

 

[salsa]

mdrejhon, Metrolinx confirmed on twitter that stucco is not being used here, so why are you still talking about it?