Dustin William
Active Member
Street entrance to the new USBT. A lot more sparkle than the old one. The old one will be missed though!
Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR
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I would have thought that they would have fixed the section of Lake Shore Blvd sidewalk (north side) between Bay and the new GO Bus entrance before the opening but it is still closed off and used as storage, that section still uses the temporary (on-road) sidewalk. While they probably need some of it for work-space, it seems to me they could have done something. I guess we must now wait until spring.
sikandar
Active Member
Totally agree - the city charges a nominal fee to use up the road, but there seems to be no mechanism to encourage builders to move off of it. Something like a flat fee upfront for 90-100% of the project timeline followed by an escalating fee structure (instead of simply agreeing to an extension) may push builders to be more creative with their use of space as things wind down.
Generally speaking, it seems the fee structure reflects what developers find reasonable, but in no way reflects what that piece of road means for the neighbourhood or road/foot traffic. Others, please feel free to keep me honest.
KevinT
Active Member
I can't speak to Montreal, but in Toronto the airport and Union are directly connected by a single seat 25 minute train ride. How much more practical can you get?
Northern Light
Superstar
So customs officers would be tied up during the course of their paid shift, for the 25 minutes each way; plus the time from the customs station at the Pearson to the UPX (and back); and any time from platform to customs at Union.
There's no way that's not at least 90 paid minutes of back-and-forth.
If there's only one trip out of Union per day, that's a lot of dead time to serve one train.
smallspy
Senior Member
In fairness.....
That's exactly how it works in Vancouver, and at the crossings at Niagara Falls, Ontario/New York. Customs Officers pile into a van from their nearest office (at Niagara Falls, their respective ends of the Rainbow Bridge; Vancouver, from YVR) and drive to the train stations to meet with the trains.
Dan
Northern Light
Superstar
A valid point, though in that case, it's servicing the status quo; if we shift to pre-clearance, are we eliminating any customs at the border at all?
I find that improbable, and it certainly would mean changes to the way the Maple Leaf operates.
So there is likely an accretive cost; unless there is a substantial change in the nature of the existing service.
superelevation
Active Member
They have a system for it, and I don't think it needs to limit capacity.
Doesn't the Amtrak Cascades just stop next to the border station? Why would agents drive from YVR?
smallspy
Senior Member
It does stop at the border, but pre-clearance for travel over the border is done at the Pacific Central by US Customs agents. And as far as I understand it, customs entry services are provided there by Canadian Customs agents as well.
There are not enough services calling at the station to allow for customs offices at the stations with agents permanently stationed there, thus they get shipped over during their shift from the nearest offices - which happen to be YVR.
Dan
Northern Light
Superstar
So, as at 2019., there were partial customs services at Pacific Central; but a further check at the Peace Arch, on U.S. bound service.
On Canada bound service there is no pre-clearance and no check at the border, there is a customs entry at Pacific Central.
Amtrak Cascades Could Get Customs Preclearance in Canada Shaving At Least 10 Minutes Off Trip - The Urbanist
Amtrak is hoping to improve service from Vancouver, British Columbia for its Amtrak Cascades service. At a briefing Wednesday, Ron Pate of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) told the state Senate Transportation Committee that Amtrak requested preclearance for its services...
www.theurbanist.org
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I recently wrote (again!) to the Mayor about the ugly Jersey Barriers outside Union Station. This time his office has escalated the issue and 311 were instructed to get onto Transportation. We shall see if anything happens. My breath is not being held but ... 311 told me this today and Mayo's Office is copied in.: Joe Cressy's office is also pressing for action so, maybe!
"We have generated a service suggestion to Transportation Services for replacement of the concrete barriers with more aesthetically pleasing barricades. This will be investigated within 30 days."
"We have generated a service suggestion to Transportation Services for replacement of the concrete barriers with more aesthetically pleasing barricades. This will be investigated within 30 days."
sacred
Active Member
I really wonder about Megabus (and other operators, i.e. Greyhound) moving into the new bus terminal. Especially around holidays weekends, they can fall really far behind on their schedule. Compared to GO they're often just an operational mess. At least the current terminal has lots of space for people to queue up. Without tightening up their operations, I can see non-GO operators causing pretty serious crowding in the new terminal.
condovo
Senior Member
Inside new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in NYC
Moynihan Train Hall - Penn Station Expansion
This is kind of off-topic and kind of relevant. Just look at the magnificent new Moynihan Train Hall / Penn Station Expansion in NYC. Nothing will replace the original Penn Station--arguably the worst loss of architectural heritage in American history--but this comes pretty close.
I wonder how the budget here compares to our own Union Station re-do, square-foot for square-foot.
Moynihan Train Hall - Penn Station Expansion
This is kind of off-topic and kind of relevant. Just look at the magnificent new Moynihan Train Hall / Penn Station Expansion in NYC. Nothing will replace the original Penn Station--arguably the worst loss of architectural heritage in American history--but this comes pretty close.
I wonder how the budget here compares to our own Union Station re-do, square-foot for square-foot.
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Mercenary
Active Member
They spend 1.6 billion dollars on this. Construction started in 2017 and finished it 4 years later and it opened on new Year 2021.
I really hope they rebuild the original Penn Station. MSG lease is up in 2023, sounds like a great time to demolish the existing structure and rebuild it
They have already moved Amtrak, LIRR to Moyinahan Station. They just need to move NJ Transit and they can do a a full rebuild.
With Joe Biden becoming President, Rail will be prioritized in US.
I really hope they rebuild the original Penn Station. MSG lease is up in 2023, sounds like a great time to demolish the existing structure and rebuild it
They have already moved Amtrak, LIRR to Moyinahan Station. They just need to move NJ Transit and they can do a a full rebuild.
With Joe Biden becoming President, Rail will be prioritized in US.
Amare
Senior Member
Meanwhile in Toronto, the original Bush Train sheds are considered "historic" and we cut 1/3rd of it open for some cheap glass atrium which is already covered in soot galore.
At least we got the York and Bay concourse halls done right....surprisingly.
At least we got the York and Bay concourse halls done right....surprisingly.