Toronto Spadina Subway Extension Emergency Exits | ?m | 1s | TTC | IBI Group

smallspy said:
Although the media reports have been really vague about the location - probably to tie it in with the previous accident - it appears that this one was on a different site worked on by a different contractor. This accident appears to have been in the TBM pit at the north end of York U, not the actual York U station location.
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Some media are reporting it was near Jane and Steeles. So just southeast of the Steeles West station it would seem. Completely different contractor.

I'm still troubled though by the TTC's quick announcement after the first death claiming that safety was nothing to do with TTC, and entirely up to the contractors ... which was shockingly naive and backwards from where the industry is at these days.
 
nfitz said:
Some media are reporting it was near Jane and Steeles. So just southeast of the Steeles West station it would seem. Completely different contractor.

I'm still troubled though by the TTC's quick announcement after the first death claiming that safety was nothing to do with TTC, and entirely up to the contractors ... which was shockingly naive and backwards from where the industry is at these days.
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I've said it before, in the Construction industry, construction safety is the responsibility of the Contractor. While I agree the TTC should not have claimed it had nothing to do with them, you have to understand the site isn't run by the TTC, it is operated by their Contractor, most likely managed by their outside Consultants. While transit construction projects are operated differently than say a Condo project, they still operate under similar Canadian typical Contracts.

Its horrible to see any accidents on any projects, but unfortunately they do happen, I think its a stretch to blame the TTC in any way without their being specific evidence suggesting the TTC is at fault.
 
TransitPolicyChanger said:
I've said it before, in the Construction industry, construction safety is the responsibility of the Contractor.
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Safety is not just the responsibility of the contractor, it's the responsibility of everyone. TTC should vet contractors on their safety performance, and dismiss those that aren't meeting requirements.

Perhaps if their Health & Safety folk spent more time worrying about real issues, rather than telling people they shouldn't walk up escalators, there would be less deaths at TTC construction sites.

Even ignoring the human tragedy, this kind of hands-off approach to safety will cost TTC in terms of the delay of the project.
 
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nfitz said:
Safety is not just the responsibility of the contractor, it's the responsibility of everyone. TTC should vet contractors on their safety performance, and dismiss those that aren't meeting requirements.

Perhaps if their Health & Safety folk spent more time worrying about real issues, rather than telling people they shouldn't walk up escalators, there would be less deaths at TTC construction sites.

Even ignoring the human tragedy, this kind of hands-off approach to safety will cost TTC in terms of the delay of the project.
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I agree with you that safety is everyone's responsibility, but unless you are actively working on site and perform daily reviews (which Contractors are required to undertake) things can and do happen. The TTC ultimately takes on the responsibility, but if you are on a Construction site and you are a worker down in a station excavation, you are relying on your training and the abilities of the contractor you are working for to keep you safe. You are not waiting for a TTC Health and Safety Inspector to direct you.

All I'm getting at is the Owner of a project does not directly play a role in the safety of a project. If they start cutting corners, telling the Contractor to leave out safety equipment or practices then sure, but the TTC wouldn't do that. I doubt the TTC takes a hands off approach to Safety (you should see the amount of training I once had to go through to work on a flat bed within a TTC station once).

Accidents happen, the construction industry (in Canada) is very safe overall and deaths are rare, but do tragically happen.

Also, "less deaths at TTC construction sites" really makes this sound like a very widespread issue, I cant think of another death on a TTC construction project in recent memory.
 
When the TTC is running the construction project they do the contracting themselves and would know who is doing the actual work. With these big work packages to an construction conglomerate the TTC doesn't have visibility into who is working on the site. The winning bidder of a fixed bid will sub-contract out to whoever can get them across the finish line with profit in their pockets because otherwise the cost overruns due to a poor quote make the whole project a money loser they are stuck paying for in some way. The more there are fixed bid or large P3 type projects, the more we should expect the safety standards to be no better than a privately owned lumber mill or king crab fishing vessel.
 
lead82 said:
Buses will go to Steeles West station. From there it is walkable to most of northern campus buildings, or students can pay TTC fare and ride for one stop.
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Horrible (re double fare).

With lots of foot traffic around there, though, I'd think this would be a great place for cafes, some restaurants, maybe a Goodlife or something, etc. Maybe -- having no idea of the layout, but still -- adjacent to the area in between the subway and the commuter parking lot, to maximize walkbys.
 
Weren't there plans several years ago for a subway along Steeles connecting a Spadina line station with one on the Yonge extension? The plans for lands to the Steeles look like a mini downtown area studded with new housing and very tall (for a suburban area) condos. I wonder if the TTC would consider this a good idea in the future, along with the line continuing along Steeles to say Victoria Park?
 
^ I personally thought a steeles crosstown type subway made sense b/c funding could be shared between Ontario, TO, York region, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.

A steeles subway certaintly isnt happening, likely ever, but if it did it would need to go to (have a stop at), Pacific Mall as it is a huge tourist destination, there is development plans there to make it an even more attractive destination, plus it would be across the street from Milliken GO station.
 
adeel said:
A steeles subway certaintly isnt happening, likely ever, but if it did it would need to go to (have a stop at), Pacific Mall as it is a huge tourist destination, there is development plans there to make it an even more attractive destination, plus it would be across the street from Milliken GO station.
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All-day + two-way + 10~15min Stouffville train service will be a big help (yes yes, needs the TTC-GO fare integration); with a connection at Kennedy station and a potential rapid transit station at Sheppard Av.
 
Wasn't there a Steeles LRT on the 25-year Metrolinx plan? Either way, I think a subway is a loooooong way off, particularly with rapid transit already planned for Hwy. 7 and Hwy. 407.

And since they're already paying taxes to York Region, it's unlikely the lower tier municipalities would chip in. They haven't for the Yonge and Spadina extensions.
 
TJ O'Pootertoot said:
Wasn't there a Steeles LRT on the 25-year Metrolinx plan?
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Well, rapid transit. Could have been BRT. Project 55 and 59 shown on http://www.metrolinx.com/thebigmove/en/interactive/schedule2.pdf

55 and 59 are both under "Other Rapid Transit (BRT/LRT/AGT). 55 is "Steeles" from York University to Milliken GO. 59 is "Steeles/Taunton" from Milliken GO to downtown Oshawa, presumably running along with the "Simcoe" (60) from Steeles to downtown.

However, given that the Metrolinx forecast the peak hourly ridership on each route is 1,800 on Steeles and 2,100 on Taunton in 2031 after compleition, I doubt that there'd be anything more than queue jump lanes ... let alone full-scale BRT, LRT, or subway.
 
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