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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

raptor said:
Ontario Announces New GO Station at Woodbine
Province partners with business to address transit needs and save taxpayers money
March 6, 2019 10:00 A.M.
Ministry of Transportation

TORONTO —Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation, along with Kinga Surma, MPP for Etobicoke Centre and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, and Phil Verster, President and CEO of Metrolinx, announced our government's plan to build a new GO station at Woodbine at no cost to taxpayers.

The Ontario Government and Metrolinx are partnering with Woodbine Entertainment to build the station along Highway 27, on the Kitchener GO rail line.
"Our government is putting Ontario's transit users and taxpayers first by delivering a modern GO station at Woodbine," said Minister Yurek. "We are moving quickly to address transit needs and get relief to people who rely on the GO network."

As part of Ontario's broader strategy to deliver more transit solutions in the GTHA, the province is pursuing a transit-oriented development approach to the delivery of transit infrastructure to reduce the cost to taxpayers.
Woodbine Entertainment has development plans that will bring new jobs, housing and entertainment opportunities to the area around the station.
"The new station is terrific news for everyone in Etobicoke and the surrounding area," said PA Surma. "Our government came into office with a clear mandate to help people and this will better connect Etobicoke residents to the GO line."
"A new GO station at Woodbine will offer opportunities to live and work near a major employer and entertainment destination, as well as better access to the local community and jobs in this employment mega zone," said Phil Verster, President and CEO of Metrolinx. "This is a wonderful announcement for our customers. We look forward to working with Woodbine Entertainment on this exciting venture."

"This is an exciting day for Woodbine Entertainment and the entire community," said Jim Lawson, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment. "Bringing mass transit to the Woodbine property is a big part of a larger vision to develop and unlock the value of our land to create new revenue streams that will help grow and sustain the horse racing industry for decades, attract millions of visitors to our site annually, and serve the surrounding community. It will be a major commercial and employment hub that will include mixed-use residential, commercial space, sports and recreations facilities, parks and public space."

QUICK FACTS
  • The new GO station at Woodbine will also feature fully accessible and barrier-free facilities, and direct road, bicycle, and sidewalk access.
Additional Resources
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Will be a lot more useful once the Finch LRT is extended to the airport through this as well. Currently the station is kind of in the middle of nowhere. They will need shuttles to Woodbine
 
hw621 said:
Looking at the map this location is very close to Etobicoke North and Malton GO...
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ShonTron said:
It will replace Etobicoke North.
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Even if it didnt, we need to stop thinking "big hulking bi level go trains" when we look at station spacings. Get the past/present out of your head.

These will be serviced by quick, nimble EMU trains. We are going to remove stations due to them being "too close" in Toronto with our blinders-on "the past is the future" mentality, and then only then realise we messed up and need to rebuild more stations, the very stations we ripped out.
 
Edward Skira said:
Press release says no cost to taxpayers.
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Conditions apply! There will be costs associated with the track work, signalling, etc, but the gist of "no cost" applies as per the building.
hw621 said:
Looking at the map this location is very close to Etobicoke North and Malton GO...
Click to expand...
EN to be closed.
alexanderglista said:
It (UPX stop) was mentioned as a possibility in the presser but no firm commitment. Verster noted that it would require additional infrastructure.
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This is more a point of discussion than the station itself, which of course replaces the Et North stop. So a net neutral in terms of stops per GO. But if UPX as is won't be stopping, a shuttle using the same tracks should be considered. It can operate in between the present 15 min headway for UPX. It would be absurd to not provide that connection, as Woodbine is also touted to be a GO and local bus hub too.
 
175631


Looking good! Hopefully the final product will be similar to the rendering. Source.
 
robmausser said:
Even if it didnt, we need to stop thinking "big hulking bi level go trains" when we look at station spacings. Get the past/present out of your head.

These will be serviced by quick, nimble EMU trains. We are going to remove stations due to them being "too close" in Toronto with our blinders-on "the past is the future" mentality, and then only then realise we messed up and need to rebuild more stations, the very stations we ripped out.
Click to expand...

No need to be angry with me!
The Etobicoke North Station needs to move because of the space required for the fourth track, especially under Highway 401. Woodbine offers improved transit connections to GO buses from Woodbridge and Bolton via Highway 27, as well as TTC Route 927 (connection to Kipling Station and Humber College) and possibly MiWay and YRT too. It's also along the path of a potential Finch LRT extension.

Though I definitely agree that model of GO lumbering 12-car diesel trains isn't what I want to see, GO hasn't yet ordered anything else, and electrification is still a long way away. If UP Express stopped here too, it would benefit connections to westbound trains as well.
 
The big lumbering landbarges will always be around....especially at peak. Hopefully more of them are expresses that don't need to stop at Woodbine because they are full of people making regional length trips. Four tracks can't happen soon enough.
The multi-stop EMU's will be a nice addition, all the same.

- Paul
 
The company estimates the project will create 4,500 jobs..
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LOL. 4,500 jobs 'created' to build this station. The dingbat PR flacks don't even care to try and hide the lunacy anymore.
 
The question I have about the new business-focussed station strategy is - surely there is a core set of standards and specifications that ML intends to apply to create a uniform, minimum profile for all stations.

What if, (slightly ridiculous example, perhaps) ML says "the station must have video screen information and announcement panels as well as a PA system that is connected to the GO Control Center" and the developer says "Naw, too expensive. Just post a paper copy of the timetable on an old fashioned tackboard" ? Who prevails?

This may sound trivial today.....but.... there was a time that nobody thought GO stations needed elevators to reach the platforms. I'm sure that in 5-10 years there will be some new requirement (replacing 5G internet with 25G, or whatever future technology emerges) that we don't even know of today. Or building codes change, or electrical safety standards, or ML's wayfinding and signage standards, or platform height, or whatever.

The contract better make these things possible, and specify who pays.

- Paul
 
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alexanderglista said:
This number refers to the amount of jobs the station will support at the new Woodbine Casino development
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I know about that development, but the flacks didn't say it that way, and the Canadian Press published what they wrote, and the media simply cut//paste it as fact.
In the PR release they don't talk about that development at all. They simply call the station "the project," then say "the project will create 4,500 jobs".
 
robmausser said:
Even if it didnt, we need to stop thinking "big hulking bi level go trains" when we look at station spacings. Get the past/present out of your head.

These will be serviced by quick, nimble EMU trains. We are going to remove stations due to them being "too close" in Toronto with our blinders-on "the past is the future" mentality, and then only then realise we messed up and need to rebuild more stations, the very stations we ripped out.
Click to expand...
Won't do any of that unless fairs become more affordable
 
alexanderglista said:
View attachment 175631

Looking good! Hopefully the final product will be similar to the rendering. Source.
Click to expand...

Am I the only one who looks at this and see a space ship with a ramp coming down similar to Close Encounters?

Then having made the observation it appears to be wood had the bemused thought that timber construction is really taking off now that were applying it to space ships!

Then wondered if this was the mother ship that has come to take the Ford's home?

Sorry.......in a strange mood, LOL
 
steveintoronto said:
^ Just scanning through the Business Case. There are many references to a UP stop there too. (Some twenty plus mentions of it)

Anyone able to confirm if this is in the latest plan?

Addendum, as I read further in the BC, it contradicts earlier reference:


And further still:


What is the latest 'theory'?
Click to expand...
robmausser said:
Will be a lot more useful once the Finch LRT is extended to the airport through this as well. Currently the station is kind of in the middle of nowhere. They will need shuttles to Woodbine
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I can see the case for this not being a UPX stop considering that the Finch West LRT would be extended to the airport. The LRT serves the purpose, therefore no one would ride it, and it would be a time cost to everyone else. After all, that plus adding a stop at Mount Dennis would make this far from an "express" train.
 
alexanderglista said:
View attachment 175631

Looking good! Hopefully the final product will be similar to the rendering. Source.
Click to expand...

the roof just looks bloated and way too big. Why are they trying to design gigantic mausoleums like 407, bloomington and now this for stops that will have few riderships anyways. I would rather have this on a major terminal where the ridership will justify a larger structure. No wonder infrastructure is so expensive these days. We let utopian architects and designers go mad with idealistic and overly grandeur designs at our expense.
 
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