GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Woodbridge_Heights]

It's not about having million dollar art installations nor is it about fancying up lightly used stations. However certain busier stations do deserve better than an asphalt platform.

Though again GO doesn't exactly see itself as much more than a utilitarian milk run transit system.

 

[ShonTron]

GO has been responsible for maintaining and ensuring the viability of historic station buildings at Bradford, Aurora, Maple, Markham and Hamilton. It also provides purpose and as a tenant uses historic stations at Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton and Toronto Union Station. It spent quite a bit of money fixing up some of the above.

I'd say that GO's stations, even the station-in-parking-lot suburban wastelands, are at least functional, with shelters, well-maintained, well-lit platforms and usually an adjacent bus loop for easy transfers. Asphalt platforms are fine, especially if snow-melt systems are put underneath.

What I do find a shame though that most of the updates in this thread are of parking garages. (But to be fair, GO's two big construction projects, Georgetown South and Union Station, are separate threads.)

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

I've looked around but couldn't find anything on the proposed East Rail Maintenance Facility project in Whitby. Have I missed something or is it undiscussed so far?

 

[drum118]

GO has been responsible for maintaining and ensuring the viability of historic station buildings at Bradford, Aurora, Maple, Markham and Hamilton. It also provides purpose and as a tenant uses historic stations at Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton and Toronto Union Station. It spent quite a bit of money fixing up some of the above.

I'd say that GO's stations, even the station-in-parking-lot suburban wastelands, are at least functional, with shelters, well-maintained, well-lit platforms and usually an adjacent bus loop for easy transfers. Asphalt platforms are fine, especially if snow-melt systems are put underneath.

What I do find a shame though that most of the updates in this thread are of parking garages. (But to be fair, GO's two big construction projects, Georgetown South and Union Station, are separate threads.)

Parking garages are the only things being built these days outside of the New Burlington Station/Bus Terminal, upgrading the signals on various lines since Union and Georgetown Corridor have suck up all the money until 2016.

Not sure which year Long Branch Station is to be totally rebuilt, but is to be done by 2016.

Mimico new station will happen when the condo get built and that a few years down the road.

Hunter Station needs to start next year to be open in time for early 2015.

Lincolnville Station platforms are being lengthen for 12 car train as well new power outlet for storing the train overnight there.

Any station not having elevators now are to have them by 2016.

I believe all the stations can handle 12 car trains now and if so, no work is require for them unless snow melting system is being install.

There are a few projects to come, but not until late 2015, early 2016.

Lincolnville June 25

Clarkson Aug 3

 

[drum118]

Took a trip today to get some shots of the Erindale Station and Parking structure before it opens on Sept 3rd.

It is 85% complete with the rest taking place after it is open. It would be higher if the new elevators were working, but due to the strike they aren't. I think the ones on the platform are or near completion, but not the ones in the structure.

The new station doesn't looks like it completed and will not be come Tuesday.

The new kiss & ride in place and will have a temporarily entrance until the new one can be built once all surface parking is removed.

Lots of work to be done on Burnhamthorpe for sidewalk and not sure if the new ramp will be in service there as well the new MT stop. No benches in the shelter like the current ones.

Traffic lights are up and wrap.

The current station can't be removed until the new one opens.

Shelters are in place for the new bus terminal, but not hook up yet.

All the new light poles for the area as well Burnhamthrope are LEDs and a style have seen before that look nice.

Not all parking level fully ready for parking as those areas are being used to store material and equipment.

Over a 100's shots up on site and not a nice day for shooting, but have to take what I can.

Not sure if a new entrance to the plaza is going in.

Expect major traffic jam getting into this new structure as well out on Tuesday. Because trains were delay to the point that 3 trains arrived under 10 minutes, the streets, parking lots including private ones were gridlock by waiting drivers.

 

[ShonTron]

Huh. I didn't think I'd make any positive comments about a parking garage, but Erindale is a bit interesting. The new station building, platform access, bus loop and garage itself seem to be well integrated with each other. It's also one of the better-looking garages too. I'm also pleased to see LED streetlighting not only for the GO property, but on Burnhamthorpe Road at the garage access. (I can't wait to see LED lighting replacing most high-pressure sodium cobraheads.)

 

[innsertnamehere]

Agreed, the garage doesn't look half bad. Don't get me started on the Pickering garage however, yet alone the Ajax garage. I shudder just thinking of those two.

 

[guste]

Agreed, I think they did a pretty good job with this garage/station, especially relative to a garage like Ajax (which I feel is a horror show). I wonder if GO has any plans to put a garage in at Cooksville... Parking there is truly a nightmare during the week. I'd estimate that at least 5% of the cars are parked illegally, due to lack of spaces.

Edit: Ahh, InsertNameHere, you read my mind (and posted while I was typing something similar to you haha). I didn't want to rage too much, but what a disaster Pickering is. It's not even finished yet and it isn't aging well! They really did get carried away there.

 

[doady]

I think Cooksville GO would benefit more from a pedestrian bridge or underpass across Hurontario than a parking garage. Hurontario is the busiest transit corridor in the 905 after all.

 

[drum118]

I think Cooksville GO would benefit more from a pedestrian bridge or underpass across Hurontario than a parking garage. Hurontario is the busiest transit corridor in the 905 after all.

Until Metrolinx and CP come to term on building 3 or 4 tracks as requested by CP, the bridge is on hold. It was to be in place last year. The whole Milton Line was to be 3 tracks by 2011.

A new flyunder has to be built at Lambton to take Milton line from the south side to the north and that is very costly.

I have no problem with a parking garage at Cooksville or any other station that needs one so long as it is underground with development on top of it.

Everything is an improvement for parking structures at Erindale, except no one lives there.

Time Metrolinx starting building true mobility and may have with the Mimico station.

They should get together with the developer at Burlington station by putting the existing surface lot parking underground for the new development along with the rest of the parking for it. It will free up space for another huge development.

That Parking structure is only 85% full these day.

 

[Dan416]

With the old station building being demolished (?), what will go there? And with no more surface parking, what will go where all the current (remaining) surface parking go (I don't mean the temporary parking).

 

[drum118]

With the old station building being demolished (?), what will go there? And with no more surface parking, what will go where all the current (remaining) surface parking go (I don't mean the temporary parking).

I would say a plaza of some sort as that was supposed to be a walkway from the old bridge before it was decided to remove it.

No way you can get parking in this area as there no place to get to it.

Haven't seen any plans for this site and going by various info, no more surface parking unless it will be in the construction zone on the current GO land, not the land that was taken over for parking during the construction.

Let see if a development will finally get built on that land that is more than 3 story tall and over 10 story. The city has shot a few down as well a few never got off the ground in the first place.

 

[Bojaxs]

I know they're ugly, but can we get some pics of the new Ajax and Pickering parking garages?

 

[Ard9001]

Yeah there are pictures of the nearly completed Ajax parking garage (aka the Ajax jail parking garage) taken from late July. The pictures are in page 72. The Ajax parking garage was opened last Monday with some levels still close until the 'end of the year' maybe because of the same reasons with Erindale (i.e. elevator, and storing material and equipment). I will get more pictures with the Ajax parking structure and maybe Pickering parking garage too.

 

[gweed123]

They were going to this for a T3 bridge in Paris last year. The road was almost on a 45 degree to the T3 bridge to be remove. The bridge was almost completed with I shot on the ground. The road was narrow in the first place and going to widen it.

If you add the cost to setup and tear down for both bridges as well the cost to build it in the air as well removing the old one, far cheaper to do it this way. At the same time, you take into consideration drivers dealing with closures as well rerouting, this will benefit them more.

Interesting. And yeah, reducing lanes on the Queensway for months on end wasn't really an option for these bridge replacements. Much better to close the entire thing for 1 week and just get it over and done with.

In any case, it'll be interesting to see some photos of the span replacement this weekend (or is it next week? Whenever it is).