GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[StealthyArrow]

Milliken GO Station - Trees, and more trees!

 

[APTA-2048]

Speaking of trees: all of the trees outside Pickering GO Station have died and have been removed. I’m not really surprised. The plaza was always caked with salt in the winter.

 

[Northern Light]

Milliken GO Station - Trees, and more trees!
View attachment 421142View attachment 421143View attachment 421144View attachment 421145View attachment 421146View attachment 421147View attachment 421148View attachment 421149View attachment 421150View attachment 421151View attachment 421152View attachment 421153

Unless they are irrigated, those trees embedded in the sidewalk, in image 2, are as good as dead; tiny little openings in very challenging conditions, no obvious attempt to mitigate salt spray.............

Also.........transplanting in Mid-August........? No! Happens all the time in the landscape trade; always a stupid idea.

Those trees on the train platform though could do really well, providing the stress of transplanting in August doesn't do them in........

I will say, the planting stock looks pretty healthy.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Speaking of trees: all of the trees outside Pickering GO Station have died and have been removed. I’m not really surprised. The plaza was always caked with salt in the winter.

That comes back to GO's complete overuse of salt at it's facilities to an almost comical level.

 

[Undead]

Most of those paving materials look dispiriting.

 

[Amare]

That comes back to GO's complete overuse of salt at it's facilities to an almost comical level.

Well I guess that's what happens when a transit agency bends over backwards to car lovers, instead of ironically it's mandated focus of transit riders. Im not surprised at all that they do this.

 

[TransitBart]

Well I guess that's what happens when a transit agency bends over backwards to car lovers, instead of ironically it's mandated focus of transit riders. Im not surprised at all that they do this.

*I hear an axe grinding*

Far more salt is used on sidewalks - personally that is my pet peeve - to create an Elmer the Safety Elephant environment where no one will ever slip.

Salt is used to prevent far more than car slippage in the winter.

 

[Coolibop]

There is still salt on the sidewalks at Pickering Go under the section covered by the parking garage. It stays year round and corrodes the bollards and such in the vicinity.

 

[crs1026]

*I hear an axe grinding*

Far more salt is used on sidewalks - personally that is my pet peeve - to create an Elmer the Safety Elephant environment where no one will ever slip.

Salt is used to prevent far more than car slippage in the winter.

And in an increasingly media intrusive, litigous world, an agency with public reputation sensitivities will see over-salting as a very wise move.
I once worked in a public facing industrial facility that achieved a multi year “no lost time accidents” record, only to have it undone when someone blew out their knee slipping on a patch of ice. It was a real blow to reputation in the company’s eyes, and it was a very long and painful recovery for the individual who ended up having surgery etc.
From that point forward, oversalting was an imperative.
I can well imagine why ML fears slips and trips on its property.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

And in an increasingly media intrusive, litigous world, an agency with public reputation sensitivities will see over-salting as a very wise move.
I once worked in a public facing industrial facility that achieved a multi year “no lost time accidents” record, only to have it undone when someone blew out their knee slipping on a patch of ice. It was a real blow to reputation in the company’s eyes, and it was a very long and painful recovery for the individual who ended up having surgery etc.
From that point forward, oversalting was an imperative.
I can well imagine why ML fears slips and trips on its property.

- Paul

Most new platforms are heated aren't they?

 

[lenaitch]

Most new platforms are heated aren't they?

I think the discussion is focused on sidewalks, parking lots and other approaches. It's not just Metrolinx, some public and private buildings are equally brutal (I swear you could turn an ankle at some places), but it's largely driven by lawyers and insurance companies - or fear of them. WSIB rates would also play into it.

 

[Allandale25]

Good news.

https://www.metrolinxengage.com/sites/default/files/2022-08-16-notice_of_resumption_letter.pdf

Key paragraphs:

Metrolinx is of the opinion that additional information from Indigenous Nations was required to identify if existing Aboriginal and/or treaty rights, as recognized and affirmed in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, are impacted by the Project. Prior to and during the pause, Metrolinx engaged with a Nation to discuss the details of the Project, outline the studies completed as part of the TPAP, and identify commitments for future work outside of the TPAP (i.e., during detailed design and construction). Further, Metrolinx established a project-level agreement with another Indigenous Nation to facilitate their review of the EPR, and has been meeting regularly with this Nation to develop a broader agreement moving forward.

As part of our engagement prior to and during the pause, Metrolinx also committed to continued engagement with Indigenous Nations outside of the TPAP, and has continued to work with Indigenous Nations to set up field monitors for any field activities in which they expressed interest.

 

[Northern Light]

Most new platforms are heated aren't they?

It has been common, though not universal practice on new or rebuilt platforms to include hydronic snow melt systems.

It is a curious irony then, that GO rarely if ever applies this tech to either the sidewalks surrounding their stations or to exposed surface parking.

****

Of course, there are alternatives to salt, most which are equally or more effective in most circumstances.

But they either cost more (brine, various eco-chemical mixes) or, in the case of sand, there is a long standing issue about it clogging drains.

That too is preventable, sand is the preferred application in much of western Canada, and all the drains don't clog up. There are design solutions available. But you have to want to find them, and then pay for them.

****

Equally, if you plant trees in ideal conditions, (high soil volumes. correct soil drainage and irrigation/access to rain fall), then excess salt can be fixed by nature (up to a point) .

At locations of high risk for salt-spray, you can also choose species with good tolerance of salt (not unlimited) such as White Spruce. (which is native to Toronto)

But again, you need to design your landscapes accordingly and invest the $, and oversight to do it properly.

 

[lenaitch]

It has been common, though not universal practice on new or rebuilt platforms to include hydronic snow melt systems.

It is a curious irony then, that GO rarely if ever applies this tech to either the sidewalks surrounding their stations or to exposed surface parking.

****

Of course, there are alternatives to salt, most which are equally or more effective in most circumstances.

But they either cost more (brine, various eco-chemical mixes) or, in the case of sand, there is a long standing issue about it clogging drains.

That too is preventable, sand is the preferred application in much of western Canada, and all the drains don't clog up. There are design solutions available. But you have to want to find them, and then pay for them.

****

Equally, if you plant trees in ideal conditions, (high soil volumes. correct soil drainage and irrigation/access to rain fall), then excess salt can be fixed by nature (up to a point) .

At locations of high risk for salt-spray, you can also choose species with good tolerance of salt (not unlimited) such as White Spruce. (which is native to Toronto)

But again, you need to design your landscapes accordingly and invest the $, and oversight to do it properly.

No doubt heating surface parking would increase the capital and operating budgets significantly. Not a traffic engineer but I imagine the goals, and liabilities, of winter surface treating is diferent between surfaces meant for walking and those meant primarily for vehicles.

 

[Jonny5]

No doubt heating surface parking would increase the capital and operating budgets significantly. Not a traffic engineer but I imagine the goals, and liabilities, of winter surface treating is diferent between surfaces meant for walking and those meant primarily for vehicles.

Yeah, the comical over-salting of pedestrian areas is usually the result of large monetary settlements on slip and fall cases where someone internally says "we could have spent an extra $50,000 on salt and avoided paying someone $500,000 in medical expenses and lost wages, etc..."