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

There's already a second exit/entry to Lansdowne subway on the east side of Lansdowne, though not exactly at the far end of the platform. It's would be about 180m from the track, if you went via the former concrete factory land (currently just used for outdoor storage, I think). That could be a good/available place for a station if it doesn't get snapped up by someone else for redevelopment.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6644922

Of course, entering through that station entrance, you still have a bunch of underground walking to do. Not ideal, but not bad. And definitely better than the existing Bloor GO - Dundas West TTC connection.

Direct connection between stations would be awesome though.
 
That second exit though - it's a fully separate one (not linked to a common mezzanine)?

EDIT: would also need to be made accessible presumably.
 
dowlingm said:
That second exit though - it's a fully separate one (not linked to a common mezzanine)?

EDIT: would also need to be made accessible presumably.
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Good point about accessibility. It's basically a staircase down, tunnel under Lansdowne to mezzanine / fare gates, more stairs down to track. To make this station accessible, they would need to add at least 2 or maybe 3 elevators.
 
^Maybe the residents would like it better if Metrolinx expropriated their homes and built the bridge in that manner so height wouldn't be such an issue. Or do they want a tunnel so they can come up with the excuse of vibrations and diesel fumes seeping into their basements from underground?

Seriously people find a way to complain about everything and make issues bigger than they really are.
 
TOareaFan said:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...-angers-davenport-residents-1.3173449?cmp=rss
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What a joke,

"what led them to think it's the best option,"
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Maybe the fact that I'll cost 500 million less has a little to do with it?

David White, of the group Davenport Options, calls it a "super bridge" which he said "at its highest point would be three stories high and tower over people's homes."
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My god indeed... at that height It'll practically be the second coming of the CN Tower! :rolleyes:
 
TOareaFan said:
this is in the news

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...-angers-davenport-residents-1.3173449?cmp=rss
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"Metrolinx has decided they're building a bridge and they're prepared to talk about that … but other options, no," said Kevin Putnam, of the Junction Triangle Rail Committee.
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Yeah, about that other option...

Metrolinx Exploring Options for Davenport Diamond Separation
Several options were tabled for the grade separation, before being narrowed down to two choices; one which would elevate the GO line over the CP line, and one which would bury the GO line under the CP line. The elevated GO option offers several advantages over the "under" option, including cost of the project ($120m for the "over" option vs $650m for "under"), timeline (2 years for "over" vs 5-7 years for "under"), and several others factors like utility relocation, impact on TTC service, and excavation. In all categories, the "over" option is the more viable one, and this plan is the one preferred by Metrolinx.
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What else is not new?
 
vegeta_skyline said:
What a joke,



Maybe the fact that I'll cost 500 million less has a little to do with it?



My god indeed... at that height It'll practically be the second coming of the CN Tower! :rolleyes:
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David White called for all the bridges over the Lakeshore Line to be save and not to be replace with wider spans as they are historical bridges. :eek: That is his thinking when it comes to this bridge.

The bridge has to be a plus 35 to allow for double stacks as well a future GO line that will be electrify. The bridge is the only option and if these folks want something more expensive and take years longer to build, let them pay for it out of their pockets, not by everyone. They can always move since they are far younger than the rail corridor.
 
500 million savings because we're not tunneling?

Duh. Spend an extra 10-20 million making it look much fancier. Artsy design, colored transparent noisewalls (it' highs up there, so hard to Grafitti), and luminous veil style LED lighting underneath. Then we'll all LOVE the bridge.

And add some Really, Really Fancy Underpass Lighting.
 
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I'm sure the rest of the city would be happy to pay $500 million so these residents have a better view out their window.
 
I fully agree with the sentiments about the bridge being the way to go rather than a tunnel. But can we end the "let them pay for it themselves" talk......the dye has been cast around neighbourhoods complaining and getting the media involved to squeeze new and expensive revisions to transit plans.....how much did the Weston residents contribute to the changes around that station when UP was being built? How much extra are Scarborough residents paying to upgrade the recommended LRT to a subway? Sadly, this is how we do things now and the precedent has been set and while we point our fingers at "the NIMBYs" in each hood when it comes up, it gets repeated from area to area....wouldn't shock me in the least if some of the people suggesting this $500 million is an appropriate spend were vocal in their criticism about the "excess" in Scarborough or Weston.
 
Oh, in addition to fancy colored acrylic noisewalls, throw in noise dampening -- rubber under the railroad ties.

Like what TTC is doing in Vaughan. It's just a few million extra.
 
TOareaFan said:
Sadly, this is how we do things now and the precedent has been set and while we point our fingers at "the NIMBYs" in each hood when it comes up, it gets repeated from area to area....wouldn't shock me in the least if some of the people suggesting this $500 million is an appropriate spend were vocal in their criticism about the "excess" in Scarborough or Weston.
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Agree with your comments, although I wouldn't use the word "sadly". This is just democracy at work. People who are affected ought to have a say in how projects in their neighbourhood unfold. The lowest-cost solution is not always the best, nor must the public defer to "experts" or "studies".

It is not uncommon for public agencies to announce a desire to "consult" only after their internal staff work has already converged on a most-likely solution. That is always a recipe for cynicism, and in the extreme it can be challenged in law. It's also common that these projects get floated but there is no apparent momentum behind them, so people don't voice their objections in full force. And then the agency involved is ready at last to move forward, and time is now of the essence...and the consultation is tell-and-sell rather than true participative decisionmaking, and the opposition comes at the worst possible point in the process.

This specific project has been out in the public eye for some time, but I'm not close enough to it to comment on whether ML has done a skilful and sensitive enough job of presenting it to the community for comment. If the Minister and the MPP were at the latest meeting, and are saying there is room for more discussion....expect this to take some detours. As noted, other projects - Weston in particular - set a pretty unfortunate precedent for letting local pushback drive a very costly solution.

The residents who favour a tunnel might want to speak to those who live a few blocks west, however, to find out what it's like to live next to a multi-year pile-driving project. The right overpass design might be the better experience.

- Paul
 
It's interesting that Metrolinx was willing to spend many millions in Weston when they caved in to the NIMBYs, but refused to put more attractive noise walls along the railpath as the Junction residents wanted (even after cutting down hundreds of trees along the corridor). Then really bungled that one up.
 
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