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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

oh this is interesting. Kinda more on the up express thread but w.e.
apperently because of the tight curves of the up express spur, the temperatures and the weight of the trains, within 2 years the fasteners are being streched beyond the design limits
They didnt foresee the design limits before it was built? I guess not everything can be simulated on a computer :p
 
1st stage of the Danforth bridge expansion

culverts, bridge expansions fibre optic lines being dug....were getting closer to the main oncorr project starting.

Not being near the area - Would anyone know what the plaque on the Warden Ave bridge commemorates? I wonder if it and the art on the existing bridge will survive the construction.

- Paul

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wtf we make companies pay to bid so we have to make the public pay to bid too?
why do companies have to pay to bid anyway
seems dumb
That been the case as long as I have done bidding. Depending on the project, size of it and who is calling the tender, some require a fee to get the material as it could run in the 100's of detail drawings to 1,000's of pages a spec's and info.

There is a cost to print things and someone has to pay for it. By having a cost to get material, it weeds out people who like reading things or looking at drawings to cut down on non bidders.

Depending on the project, some sub trades need everything while other subs will go to the contractor office to do the take off there or borrow a set for a few days. Contractors get more than one package as the various departments needs a set to do their take off as well figuring what sub trades are needed as well an idea what cost they could see from them.

See nothing wrong with Metrolinx asking $40 for bid material as that is a cheap price depending what been bid.

Just because a contractor takes material from X, it doesn't mean they will put in a bid for a number of reasons. I have done this a number of times.

I have seen cost of material as high as $500 a set that is either refundable to you bought it.
 
That been the case as long as I have done bidding. Depending on the project, size of it and who is calling the tender, some require a fee to get the material as it could run in the 100's of detail drawings to 1,000's of pages a spec's and info.

There is a cost to print things and someone has to pay for it. By having a cost to get material, it weeds out people who like reading things or looking at drawings to cut down on non bidders.

Depending on the project, some sub trades need everything while other subs will go to the contractor office to do the take off there or borrow a set for a few days. Contractors get more than one package as the various departments needs a set to do their take off as well figuring what sub trades are needed as well an idea what cost they could see from them.

See nothing wrong with Metrolinx asking $40 for bid material as that is a cheap price depending what been bid.

Just because a contractor takes material from X, it doesn't mean they will put in a bid for a number of reasons. I have done this a number of times.

I have seen cost of material as high as $500 a set that is either refundable to you bought it.

A legitimate way to do things back when everything was sent out on paper.

In the age of digital there really is no cost to reproduction, its simply a matter of allowing a download.
 
That been the case as long as I have done bidding. Depending on the project, size of it and who is calling the tender, some require a fee to get the material as it could run in the 100's of detail drawings to 1,000's of pages a spec's and info.

There is a cost to print things and someone has to pay for it. By having a cost to get material, it weeds out people who like reading things or looking at drawings to cut down on non bidders.
Put it online! It's not 1980. Which is the year Metrolinx (and many Canadian public transit agencies) are stuck in.
Depending on the project, some sub trades need everything while other subs will go to the contractor office to do the take off there or borrow a set for a few days. Contractors get more than one package as the various departments needs a set to do their take off as well figuring what sub trades are needed as well an idea what cost they could see from them.

See nothing wrong with Metrolinx asking $40 for bid material as that is a cheap price depending what been bid.
But it's expensive for members of the public who want to see the bid.
Just because a contractor takes material from X, it doesn't mean they will put in a bid for a number of reasons. I have done this a number of times.

I have seen cost of material as high as $500 a set that is either refundable to you bought it.
The important thing is that we, the members of the public, are better informed about the project.

Can you rephrase your last sentence?
 
But it's expensive for members of the public who want to see the bid.

The important thing is that we, the members of the public, are better informed about the project.
I don't really understand why people want access to something like this it's not really going to be anything that anyone outside of the potential companies bidding on a contract are actually going to understand. They only want companies who are actually interested in bidding seeing the documents.
 
I don't really understand why people want access to something like this it's not really going to be anything that anyone outside of the potential companies bidding on a contract are actually going to understand. They only want companies who are actually interested in bidding seeing the documents.

How long have you been at UT?

How many times have you seen members who are not involved in bidding for assorted jobs answer technical questions or discuss material choices or design elements?

Right.

Sure, the working drawings won't be of interest to the typical member of the public, but they will be of interest to many members of the public.

Why deny access to those who are interested?
 
How long have you been at UT?

How many times have you seen members who are not involved in bidding for assorted jobs answer technical questions or discuss material choices or design elements?

Right.

Sure, the working drawings won't be of interest to the typical member of the public, but they will be of interest to many members of the public.

Why deny access to those who are interested?
I still don't see any reason for them to make them available for anyone who isn't bidding on the project. They also may not be legally allowed to release it to anyone other than a company who is bidding on it.
 
I don’t think Merx operates as you understand it.

It’s effectively a commercial site. They charge user fees. Their business model is to balance the user charges between posters (who they need to attract, hence low or no cost to them) and readers (predominantly bidders on work) who will swallow the charge as a cost of business development, hence can be charged more.

The value proposition of merx is that it offers a single, one-stop source for tender calls that provides uniform presentation and timeline enforcement right across the public sector - hence eases effort by bidders scanning for public sector opportunities, and expecting fairness of treatment and access to same. Also helps cost/quality of goods/services procured by increasing the pool of suppliers - who might otherwise not find out about opportunities and never bid.

I don’t believe Merx’s business model speaks to transparency, public oversight or public access to info. If you want the underlying information and don’t want to enrich merx in the process, you can approach ML under a FOI banner…. in which case expect to pay far more.

I want the detail as much as anyone on Ut, but having a hissy fit over a user charge won’t help much. Maybe Rogers would lower their internet fees to offset the merx charge so you get the info at lower cost? Merx is just one link in the info chain.

- Paul
 
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