News   Dec 20, 2024
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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

Thanks. I did check some maps but wasn't sure I had it figured out.

- Paul

It can be confusing, the area is within the regulatory regime of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act. Which often reads as 'greenbelt' in many maps.
 
I doubt Metrolinx would have built a station in the greenbelt.
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Bloomington GO is in the greenbelt, meaning it will never be a transit-oriented community, never have walk-in traffic, and forever be reliant on its 998 parking spaces as exurban commuters drive their pickup trucks great distances to arrive at the station.
 
Here's another photo dump for Exhibition GO now that the new platform is open. There's clearly nothing more exciting being constructed in my area right now 😂

Starting with the West end of the Eastbound Platform (#1) showing the removed section of the old Westbound tracks.
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End of Westbound tracks seen here.
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End of old Westbound tracks.
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East end of old Westbound platform
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Jumping over to the North side. Old platform section shows how much the new platform has shifted East.
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Entrance to new Westbound platform.
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And now onto the new platform.
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Accessibility ramp from tunnel (not opened yet).
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Closed
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Closed entrance to new pedestrian bridge.
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Part 2

More shots looking East on the new platform.
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Looking over the fence at the East end of the platform.
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Looking back Westward from the East end.
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Looking south to the under construction shift of Eastbound platform (#4)
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Looking north into Ontario Line construction site.
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Looking north again to where I think the south-most Ontario Line track will be laid, it not another set of GO tracks.
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One more shot showing how much the new platform has shifted from the old one.
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Westend of the new platform.
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Platform access from the foot of Atlantic Avenue is now closed. You can only use the narrow passageway from the East sidewalk now.
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I don't think current trains are setup for level boarding.
Which height should the platforms go up to? The small step, or the coach floor?
If it went to the small step, it would not constitute level boarding.

Level boarding would only be met by having a platform height of 610 mm, level with the coach floor. The trains are not set up for it, but altering the coaches is possible, if rather a large undertaking.
 
I would say GO is absolutely committed to level boarding.....one day.
Just about every lamp post and curb in those pictures are clearly future proofed for level boarding.
I just don't get how people can believe that GO can say "OK, let's do level boarding" and wave a magic wand and make it happen over night. It will be a major construction program (think new drawings for every inch of GO platforms just to tender the work and manage the details....never mind the construction impacts....every platform having to go through a "doors will only open in cars a-f" period, and CSA's having to remember which station has what loading platform and all that....)
It makes absolutely no sense to start that program when GO has so many transitions and so much other construction going on. Clearly, level boarding can wait. Our children will be glad when it happens, and I'm sure it will.
Right now, we need other things more.

- Paul
 

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