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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
generalcanada
Senior Member
TLDR: no update? MX still dont know what exactly they want here
crs1026
Senior Member
^ I read it to say that ML have been modifying the exact specs as people comment, but the one thing that hasn't changed is that they fundamentally feel that this is the only viable location. And may have the trump card in the legal sense. It's now up to Council whether to make a further issue of it.
Personally, while I don't like the facility being there at all, if it has to be there, the thing I would push for is to "camouflage" the buildings to the best extent possible, especially in terms of the view from the Viaduct. I wonder if a green roof would be sufficient to at least tone the buildings down. The renders by design make the buildings stand out, but maybe if coloured different and with plantings, they could at least blend in better.
Hiding three GO trains, of course, is a bit more problemmatic.
- Paul
Personally, while I don't like the facility being there at all, if it has to be there, the thing I would push for is to "camouflage" the buildings to the best extent possible, especially in terms of the view from the Viaduct. I wonder if a green roof would be sufficient to at least tone the buildings down. The renders by design make the buildings stand out, but maybe if coloured different and with plantings, they could at least blend in better.
Hiding three GO trains, of course, is a bit more problemmatic.
- Paul
Krypto98
Active Member
Any ideas what is happening in Georgetown at this location? The gravel wasn't there before...
Allandale25
Senior Member
Allandale25
Senior Member
Includes one bridge rendering.
blog.metrolinx.com
Double tracking and station upgrades coming to expanding Barrie GO Line - Metrolinx News
Expanding GO Train service along the Barrie Line is on track as construction starts at Maple and King City GO Stations, and work gets underway to install a second set of tracks. Increased two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes is coming – read on for more information about improvements for...
blog.metrolinx.com
generalcanada
Senior Member
is this actual on-corr construction? i was under the impression 2x tracking all of the barrie line was the responsibility of the oncorr packageIncludes one bridge rendering.
Double tracking and station upgrades coming to expanding Barrie GO Line - Metrolinx News
Expanding GO Train service along the Barrie Line is on track as construction starts at Maple and King City GO Stations, and work gets underway to install a second set of tracks. Increased two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes is coming – read on for more information about improvements for...
crs1026
Senior Member
The division of labour seems to be that ML will do the preparatory work eg vegetation clearing, sound walls, grading, grade separation, retaining walls, and roadbed.... and then Oncorr will arrive to lay the trackage and install and commission the signals and (hopefully) OCS.
Sounds like ML may also be proceeding to lay the track from Rutherford station to just north of Maple station. That may be an "exception" to move things along faster than the Oncorr procurement will permit. Similarly starting the station upgrades now will save time (look at the time needed for Milliken and Agincourt, for instance.)
That division of labour makes sense because a) ML's share is basic civil work that can be done through local contractors without specialised rail expertise, and b) it keeps Oncorr out of the controversial part of the project ie relations with communities, trackside neighbours, as well as environmental and land regulation and impacts.
PS - if all the work in that notice is completed, and once Davenport is done, ML will basically have a 2-track roadbed from Bloor to Aurora, and double track from Parkdale to St Clair and from Steeles to Maple. That is huge progress. But let's not forget the Davenport EA condition that limits frequency of diesel trains.... this line really neads electrification to grow further.
- Paul
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drum118
Superstar
April 22
Foundation being place for the walls going east with steel beam shoring in place for the east driveway bridge over the Port Credit Mary Fix Creek.
The north side parking lot will become the main parking lot now plans are calling for no GO parking for the new 40s + 42s towers on the current site that will only see 474 parking spots for 1139 units plus office and retail use.
The plan calls for a roof over the creek to support the LRT.
Foundation being place for the walls going east with steel beam shoring in place for the east driveway bridge over the Port Credit Mary Fix Creek.
The north side parking lot will become the main parking lot now plans are calling for no GO parking for the new 40s + 42s towers on the current site that will only see 474 parking spots for 1139 units plus office and retail use.
The plan calls for a roof over the creek to support the LRT.
Northern Light
Superstar
Took the GO Train from Union to Danforth last night on my way home.......
Passed by the Small's Creek area.........
I have to say........the ravine is trashed on the north side.............its really bad.
They completely obliterated the south wall (trackside) of the ravine; and that is worse than what Mx stated they were going to do.
If my property backed on this, I would be very upset.
The ravine was imperfect (lots of invasive species, small, divided); but it was a special and pretty place..........
It will take at least 2 generations to recover from what's been done.
At any rate, I couldn't get any pics from the train, but went looking for the neighbourhood FB group, and found a video which I will credit, and extracted a couple of stills.
Overhead:
The Before shots:
All photos above are extracted from this video:
Credit: Christopher Terry, plus Alli Neuhauser for the drone footage
Passed by the Small's Creek area.........
I have to say........the ravine is trashed on the north side.............its really bad.
They completely obliterated the south wall (trackside) of the ravine; and that is worse than what Mx stated they were going to do.
If my property backed on this, I would be very upset.
The ravine was imperfect (lots of invasive species, small, divided); but it was a special and pretty place..........
It will take at least 2 generations to recover from what's been done.
At any rate, I couldn't get any pics from the train, but went looking for the neighbourhood FB group, and found a video which I will credit, and extracted a couple of stills.
Overhead:
The Before shots:
All photos above are extracted from this video:
Credit: Christopher Terry, plus Alli Neuhauser for the drone footage
Undead
Senior Member
Drum, do you mean the northern parking lot is being redeveloped?
drum118
Superstar
Yes because of the Mary Fix Creek expansion and the LRT.
There will be a row or 2 of less parking than before once construction is done.
Once the work is done, 2 rows of parking will return to the south side of the creek as well a driveway and walkway,
Wouldn't be surprise to see a parking deck built there in phases down the road.
At the end of the day, there will be less parking spots at PC than before construction and the selling of the south parking lot.
They could build a small parking structure for the west end lot.
I know from my time on the MoE roundtable that parking at GO stations needed to be reduced on many levels and was approved to do so as a recommendation, but shot down at cabinet level.
Lots of bitching by the ward councilors and NIMBY folks for the lost of space with the sell of the parking lot.
The plan back in 2014/15 was to see a parking structure on the south side of 4-8 story with 8-22 story towers on it. Metrolinx wanted to start building the structure by 2017/18 with the city opposing the structure 100%.
crs1026
Senior Member
Includes one bridge rendering.
Double tracking and station upgrades coming to expanding Barrie GO Line - Metrolinx News
Expanding GO Train service along the Barrie Line is on track as construction starts at Maple and King City GO Stations, and work gets underway to install a second set of tracks. Increased two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes is coming – read on for more information about improvements for...
I have to admit I jumped on the bandwagon on this one not because I had seen it with my own eyes, but because I had seen lots of construction activity further south of Rutherford and some stretches of that territory are starting to shape up as double trackable zones.
When ML's article stated
I assumed that this meant the civil work through this stretch was getting done and track laying was actually about to begin. Making this stretch a priority made intuitive sense because it connects the existing double track (a siding) between Teston and Kirby with the double track south of Rutherford station.
As it happens I drove the Rutherford-McNaughton stretch this morning, and found.... nothing. Only the barest signs that a contractor was beginning to access the zone to do site prep, mostly cutting down trees. Absolutely no grading or laying of subgrade material. Not even much progress on replacing the older wood sound fencing which is already beginning to fall down in places. It's one of the furthest-behind sections of the locations where double track is being prepped on the Newmarket Sub.
As we have seen on the Stouffville line, doubling the station platforms is one of the longer lead time activities, because of the need to create tunnels and accessible lifts to cross under the two tracks. Without the platform completion, having track laid is of no consequence. So, one would really expect the station work to go first. From the Stouffville precedent, we would expect that alone to take 2-3 years at Maple. As the article indicates, that's only starting.
We are all accustomed to ML's declaring victory about things that haven't even started happening yet. I question if this article is phrased, um, accurately. Work may be starting, but nothing is really very far along. Or perhaps I read too much into the story.
- Paul
crs1026
Senior Member
I have been meaning to get out to see the site with my own eyes - I see it frequently from the train, but have never visited down below. Your post got me moving today.
Without question, this small area is a treasure and ought to have been approached with the utmost of sensitivity in its design from the very beginning. This is not the inside of a cloverleaf ramp.
I haven't seen any good drawings, but I stood and tried to imagine how the design will alter what's left of that slope. Assuming that the fourth track is best built on the north side, one has to imagine the top third of the grade will be filled in just to get the additional width. The letter from Verster to the community stated that there will be a slope downwards from grade and only further down the slope will the vertical retaining wall begin. To my eye that would place the retaining wall right about where all those tree stumps are. Even if it's above the tree stumps, the removal of those trees was likely necessary to work upwards from the "road".
It's a very confined space, and I have to say I suspect that the approach ML has landed on is likely the least intrusive overall. As a non-expert about plants, I'd be looking for some fast-sprreading ivy to cover up whatever concrete ends up there.
Definitely one of the more ironic shots I have ever taken.
- Paul
innsertnamehere
Superstar
Weren’t pedestrian tunnels installed at Maple GO a few years ago and are sitting unused? That saves a ton of time for the platform construction.
All the article is saying is that construction has started. I’m not sure why it’s a surprise that it looks like construction is, well, just starting. That’s exactly what the article is saying.
All the article is saying is that construction has started. I’m not sure why it’s a surprise that it looks like construction is, well, just starting. That’s exactly what the article is saying.