GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[gweed123]

With respect to a parking structure at Long Branch, I'd be ok with it if:

1) It was built partially underground as part of a condo or office development of some kind (blend the parking into something useful as much as possible), and;
2) It was paid parking.

As an aside, as a transition to paid parking at all stations I think GO should start charging for parking at locations which are more urban in nature (Long Branch, Brampton, Kitchener, etc), at which parking expansion is physically constrained. Make the parking rate equivalent to the local transit Presto rate x2. It's easier to justify politically than doing paid parking everywhere in one shot. Expand it out to other stations gradually until you have it everywhere.

As a further aside to Long Branch, I'd really like to see the 192 Airport Rocket extended to Long Branch. I've done the LSW+UPX thing a couple times now, and being able to just head straight down the 427 instead of backtracking all the way to Union would be a huge time-saver (and money saver). Even if it was every 2nd bus, that would work (though that would probably mess up the headways).

 

[ShonTron]

Just went by Exhibition tonight and they paved a small path w/ asphalt beside the current northern platform. Delete the picture I took by accident, but it stretches to the side door of where the current stairs are now.

Also saw this new sign. I'm sure this'll make things move *so* much better. Wonder if this is just to cover themselves for the impending lawsuit when someone gets trampled over after a game.
View attachment 149388

I wonder if we'll see these signs at crosswalks in GO Station parking lots.

 

[Leo_Chan]

There's a similar sign at the Union Bus Terminal:

 

[mdrejhon]

There's a similar sign at the Union Bus Terminal:
View attachment 149442

There's also a "no crossing" logo painted onto the pedestrian crossing, too.

They really need to raise the curb to erase the crossing if safety dictates that a crossing no longer can be right at that particular spot.

Then again, this is just temporary VINO stuff (#VisionZero In Name Only) stuff till the new bus terminal is built...

 

[drum118]

June 28
Bramalea GO Station With more up on site

CN Torbram Bridge

Metrolinx Torbram Bridge

 

[TOareaFan]

With respect to a parking structure at Long Branch, I'd be ok with it if:

1) It was built partially underground as part of a condo or office development of some kind (blend the parking into something useful as much as possible),

I kinda thought building it right on top of the new station building made sense....station buildings are useful, no?

As an aside, as a transition to paid parking at all stations I think GO should start charging for parking at locations which are more urban in nature (Long Branch, Brampton, Kitchener, etc), at which parking expansion is physically constrained.

I get your idea but, really, things are more complicated than that. For one thing ML does not consider the parking constrained at DT Brampton....if (as they do now) want to add parking to expand and replace (the main lot is turning into a university) then they just buy buildings and demolish them but if you charge for parking at Brampton Central but not Brampton East (Bramalea) or Brampton West (Mount Pleasant) you are just going to create an internal Brampton traffic mess as people change their pattern of commute to avoid the parking charge......there already is a strong bias towards Bramalea because there is more parking there and lower GO fares....imagine skewing the decision even further by having lower fares and the avoidance of the parking charge at Brampton.

 

[gweed123]

I kinda thought building it right on top of the new station building made sense....station buildings are useful, no?

Well yes, haha. Tt would involve demolishing the existing head house and integrating it into a new development.

I get your idea but, really, things are more complicated than that. For one thing ML does not consider the parking constrained at DT Brampton....if (as they do now) want to add parking to expand and replace (the main lot is turning into a university) then they just buy buildings and demolish them but if you charge for parking at Brampton Central but not Brampton East (Bramalea) or Brampton West (Mount Pleasant) you are just going to create an internal Brampton traffic mess as people change their pattern of commute to avoid the parking charge......there already is a strong bias towards Bramalea because there is more parking there and lower GO fares....imagine skewing the decision even further by having lower fares and the avoidance of the parking charge at Brampton.

My thinking was less about adding parking and more about making better use of the land, at least in Brampton's case. The same amount of parking would be integrated into a development. A surface parking lot in an area like that is just a terrible use of land. Heck, it would even be better to build a 1 level underground structure and put a park on top of it.

For Long Branch though, it would be about adding parking capacity AND making better use of the land, compared to the poorly-designed surface lot that's there now.

 

[TOareaFan]

Well yes, haha. Tt would involve demolishing the existing head house and integrating it into a new development.



My thinking was less about adding parking and more about making better use of the land, at least in Brampton's case. The same amount of parking would be integrated into a development.

I think what ML is doing is developing parking where and office building and rental housing used to be....there is no indication that there is any other development involved on those lands.

A surface parking lot in an area like that is just a terrible use of land. Heck, it would even be better to build a 1 level underground structure and put a park on top of it.

For Long Branch though, it would be about adding parking capacity AND making better use of the land, compared to the poorly-designed surface lot that's there now.

Yeah, I certainly did not envisage a surface lot at LB......this whole discussion started when I expressed surprise that parking was being reduced to accommodate a new station building....I would have thought part of the "plan would have been to increase parking and, yes, do that by integrating some sort of parking structure either above or below the new building.

The next big surprise, to me, was people suggesting it was some sort of urban beauty of a train station......it is as suburban in appearance/feel/design as many of the stations in the system. Protecting the urban character of a station where Brown's Line meets Lakeshore honestly never entered my mind.

The ironic thing now is we should expect to see lower usage numbers at LB after spending however many millions increasing the size of the buildings and the accessibility features of the stations.

 

[Streety McCarface]

I kinda thought building it right on top of the new station building made sense....station buildings are useful, no?



I get your idea but, really, things are more complicated than that. For one thing ML does not consider the parking constrained at DT Brampton....if (as they do now) want to add parking to expand and replace (the main lot is turning into a university) then they just buy buildings and demolish them but if you charge for parking at Brampton Central but not Brampton East (Bramalea) or Brampton West (Mount Pleasant) you are just going to create an internal Brampton traffic mess as people change their pattern of commute to avoid the parking charge......there already is a strong bias towards Bramalea because there is more parking there and lower GO fares....imagine skewing the decision even further by having lower fares and the avoidance of the parking charge at Brampton.

Bramalea will eventually get electrified RER service (unlike Brampton) so that will continue to skew things. At this point, they might as well start charging for Parking at Mt Pleasant and Brampton City Centre, but make it a small cost: say a dollar or two.

 

[TOareaFan]

Bramalea will eventually get electrified RER service (unlike Brampton) so that will continue to skew things. At this point, they might as well start charging for Parking at Mt Pleasant and Brampton City Centre, but make it a small cost: say a dollar or two.

I am not sure what you are saying?....Bramalea already has all the advantages that would make people drive to there rather than use the GO station closer to their home....so, in for a penny in for a pound, lets charge for parking at the two less desirable stations?

I have said it before, I live (roughly) equidistant to Brampton and Mt Pleasant....the furthest station from me is Bramalea....I have more than a few neighbours who I see getting on the train at Bramalea......more parking and cheaper fares draws them there.....someday (but not soon) significantly more trains too.....so we should just make traffic inside the city even worse by charging for parking at those other stations too? It is not apparent that that is a well thought out position.

 

[innsertnamehere]

^ I've done that quite a bit as well, on Lakeshore east. Instead of going to Whitby, which is typically closest to my destination, I often go to Pickering. It's faster to just drive the extra distance on the 401, and way cheaper, at least outside of rush hour. Its maybe 4 minutes of extra driving but saves 13 off the GO schedule.

 

[reaperexpress]

Stouffville Line double-tracking update, 13 July 2018:

The second track is nearly complete between the existing siding north of Kennedy Rd (north of Steeles) and Milliken Station, and grading is underway the rest of the way to Kennedy Station. No sign of a second platform at Milliken Station yet.

 

[hw621]

Stouffville Line double-tracking update, 13 July 2018:

The second track is nearly complete between the existing siding north of Kennedy Rd (north of Steeles) and Milliken Station, and grading is underway the rest of the way to Kennedy Station. No sign of a second platform at Milliken Station yet.

Double tracking has stalled at Milliken for some time

 

[Allandale25]

Stouffville Line double-tracking update, 13 July 2018:

The second track is nearly complete between the existing siding north of Kennedy Rd (north of Steeles) and Milliken Station, and grading is underway the rest of the way to Kennedy Station. No sign of a second platform at Milliken Station yet.

Helpful video thanks for sharing. Increasing the speed of the video at certain points helped with viewing.

 

[crs1026]

Double tracking has stalled at Milliken for some time

Track laying has halted there, yes, but the gaps in the grading south of there are clearly filling in, and there is evidence of track material being staged along the line further south, so I would not say that work has ‘stalled’. The track goes in pretty fast once the grading - a more time consuming task - is complete. I’m actually a little surprised that they are already tamping and surfacing the new track where it exists, lots of time left for that.

The bigger items that will take time (hence impacting the startup date) are the pedestrian tunnels at Milliken and Agincourt, and the bridging over the creeks close to the 401. Wonder when these will start. And, until the Kennedy-Scarboro Jct segment is attacked, there will be limits to 2-way frequency, likely impacting Smarttrack in particular.

Great video - thanks for that !

- Paul