GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[royalrivers]

Guelph park and ride area

Here is what the Guelph GO Station Kiss and Ride area will look like. Comments?

 

[mpd618]

But that's only useful if you live close to the Charles Terminal. mpd618 was most likely referring to bus service from anywhere else in KW, like near the Universities, or Fairview Park Mall. It would be nice if route 7 would start at 5 or 5:15 to allow for GO connections.

This. A shuttle from the bus terminal to the train station makes some sense, but it's of limited utility if no other buses are running yet. Grand River Transit route 7 and the iXpress 200 should run early enough to get you to the GO train, but they don't and there are no plans for them to.

 

[ShonTron]

Here is what the Guelph GO Station Park and Ride area will look like. Comments?

View attachment 9150

That's a "kiss and ride".

 

[EnviroTO]

Exactly. That's what I've always suggested. At the least, rebuilding the Belt Line to remove CP from the downtown Hamilton section wouldn't be very difficult at all. You'd just need to re-lay higher quality track and improve the crossing barriers. If you wanted to also use it to extend passenger service east from Hunter Street, it would require a much more disruptive (but maybe still worthwhile) upgrade.

I think when you consider what it seems they are willing to spend to bring GO service a little closer to the core of Oshawa and a few towns east of Oshawa, I think the benefit of having a Hamilton station building the escarpment side of downtown (closer to the population) is easily justified.

 

[royalrivers]

That's a "kiss and ride".

Yeah I know...it was late and I was typing very quick and notice now and have edited it......

 

[ShonTron]

Yeah I know...it was late and I was typing very quick and notice now and have edited it......

Hah. It would otherwise be the smallest parking lot GO ever had.

My only concern is whether a large PPUDO is needed in Downtown Guelph, rather than TOD.

I'm glad to see Acton started, when can we expect the new Victoria/King station in Kitchener and the suburban stations?

 

[RandomBusGuy]

My only concern is whether a large PPUDO is needed in Downtown Guelph, rather than TOD.

The large PPUDO is a bit of a compromise for Downtown Guelph. Originally, a large (about 400 spots) parking garage was supposed to be built just down the street from the station, and the assumption was that the city would allow GO riders to park there for free. The city hasn't built this structure yet, and a lot of people were really angry when the GO station first opened and their only option was $79 a month parking in the existing downtown parking garages. So having pick-up drop off for people who are unwilling/unable to use transit is much better than more parking downtown. Or the even worse prospect (which GO considered) of moving the GO station out of downtown to somewhere with more parking.

There is some (at least sort of) TOD happening downtown as well. An 18 story condo has been approved right across the street from the GO station, and should be under construction soon. It will have too many parking spots, but at least anyone needing to take a GO train won't be driving. There is also a smaller condo building 5 minutes down the street with live/work units which should start construction any time now.

I'm glad to see Acton started, when can we expect the new Victoria/King station in Kitchener and the suburban stations?

The new kitchener station should be 2017-2018 I think. Around the same time the LRT opens. I'm not sure about the suburban stations, I imagine they're ready to go whenever there's funding in place for them.

 

[royalrivers]

About GO Parking for Downtown Guelph.....

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/l...-100-spots-added-to-downtown-guelph-inventory

He acknowledged there was some concern about the amount of strain the GO train's arrival in Guelph would place on parking inventory, but said research has shown few riders are driving downtown with most getting dropped off or using other forms of transportation.

“I think people thought, ‘Oh my God, GO is coming and we're going to need 100 spots' and that really hasn't been the case at all.”

Silly Guelph City Hall has NO Clue how to keep the GO Train in Guelph...1993 again?

 

[royalrivers]

Here is what the Guelph GO Station Kiss and Ride area will look like. Comments?

View attachment 9150

This looks like the one at Malton, except whenever I pass there, I see cars parked there all day....could some explain how these lanes are suppose to work?

 

[timio]

This looks like the one at Malton, except whenever I pass there, I see cars parked there all day....could some explain how these lanes are suppose to work?

Cars drive into the lanes and park, awaiting the train to arrive. When the passengers get off the train, walk through the tunnel, they will get into the respective car that is waiting for them and then they will drive away. Ideally, all cars will have a passenger in them within a minute or two of each other so they can drive away and make way for those in the back to get through. I picked up a friend in the K&R at Lisgar one day and it worked peachy. If the cars in front of you are waiting longer, theoretically the lanes on either side will be open.

 

[TOareaFan]

This looks like the one at Malton, except whenever I pass there, I see cars parked there all day....could some explain how these lanes are suppose to work?

Cars drive into the lanes and park, awaiting the train to arrive. When the passengers get off the train, walk through the tunnel, they will get into the respective car that is waiting for them and then they will drive away. Ideally, all cars will have a passenger in them within a minute or two of each other so they can drive away and make way for those in the back to get through. I picked up a friend in the K&R at Lisgar one day and it worked peachy. If the cars in front of you are waiting longer, theoretically the lanes on either side will be open.

I believe the only people allowed to "park" (as opposed to stand/wait) in the K&R are people who have reserved spots but arrive and find their spot used. They are instructed to report the offending car in their spot, leave their own car in the K&R and get on the train.

 

[Allandale25]

CTC on the Stouffville Line

From GO Transit's Facebook Fanpage:

To help improve train movements on our Stouffville rail line, we have installed a new signal system known as Centralized Traffic Control (CTC)

 

[innsertnamehere]

do they have any plans to add more trains on the stouffville line then? the current rate of 5 in the morning and 5 at night is quite paltry.

 

[canarob]

do they have any plans to add more trains on the stouffville line then? the current rate of 5 in the morning and 5 at night is quite paltry.

In the main GO thread (Go Transit Service Thread), vegeta_skyline had said:

On another note, the OCS(dark territory) to CTC(signalize) conversion has been completed for the Uxbridge sub and is now in service. We'll likely seem some schedule modifications shortly as trains will no longer be restricted by the minimum 30 minute separation time as per Transport Canada's edict on the Stouffville line.

I've noticed that we seem to be getting to Union much earlier than the scheduled arrival time and then waiting to pull in. Hopefully with new signals we can better realize the potential of the new, faster locomotives and shave at least 5 minutes off each trip.

Also, work on the last of three bridge replacements is still being finished just south of the Markham GO station. It looks to be pretty far along, so hopefully that means we can also finally get 12-car trains to deal with our epic crowding situation.

I'm not convinced we'll get any new runs any time soon, although there were rumours in the spring of another afternoon train. My hope is that the schedule can at least be reconfigured so that there isn't that 40-minute gap between the 17:20 and 18:00 trains.

 

[smallspy]

do they have any plans to add more trains on the stouffville line then? the current rate of 5 in the morning and 5 at night is quite paltry.

A 6th trainset is supposed to be added before the end of the year. As well, 2 of the trainsets will be reconfigured to L12s, which will at least allow for some more seats on those trains.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.