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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

Garuda said:
There's a plan to double the track from Georgetown to Kitchener to allow more trains to pass the stations, Metrolinx CEO and president Phil Verster says.

"Our plan currently is to ... create platforms on both sides of the track that allows us to therefore pass trains in the stations and also pass trains outside of the station," Verster told people who gathered for a public town hall meeting Monday night at Communitech.
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This is meant to sound like the current proposal is the plan but there's a way to read this as Metrolinx has a plan for double tracking (that may or may not be adopted by the Government) AND Metrolinx will spend $75 million to create a few bypass tracks. This announcement seems to be designed to make readers think that a mere $75 million spend will result in double-tracking along the line. This press release is technically correct but deceptive AF
 
KevinR said:
This is meant to sound like the current proposal is the plan but there's a way to read this as Metrolinx has a plan for double tracking (that may or may not be adopted by the Government) AND Metrolinx will spend $75 million to create a few bypass tracks. This announcement seems to be designed to make readers think that a mere $75 million spend will result in double-tracking along the line. This press release is technically correct but deceptive AF
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But give them credit. Instead of promising a new ROW (and studying it to death) which stopped any incremental improvements they are acting in a way that can slowly build up transit demand. 1 km of passing track isn't sexy but is certainly creates the ability to double or triple the amount of trips going to Kitchener in a short window.
 
muller877 said:
But give them credit. Instead of promising a new ROW (and studying it to death) which stopped any incremental improvements they are acting in a way that can slowly build up transit demand. 1 km of passing track isn't sexy but is certainly creates the ability to double or triple the amount of trips going to Kitchener in a short window.
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Couldn't we have had both? Wouldn't we have had both? Wouldn't the same political pressure to provide a short term solution that impacted the Tories hit a Liberal or NDP government as well?

I just worry that we may celebrate a quick fix only to find out that the long-term solution that's coming is less than what was promised. Remember, the "missing link" plan that was to be implemented would have allowed for electrification of the whole line, with all of the benefits that come from electrification. We may be losing a lot with this new government's plan.
 
As predicted, the quarterly Capital Programs report which has been a staple of ML Board Meetings for the past couple of years, and which alluded to a fairly generous budget for RER/GO Expansion, does not appear in the latest Board Meeting agenda.

The future of the Smarttrack stations has become a bit clearer....thanks to a report on Transit Oriented Development..... which outlines a little about a plan for Development Oriented Transit.

- Paul
 
Ford has heavily suggested that they will be lifting regulations that slow down the design process in order to speed it up - which I tend to agree. The design process for new transit projects is in excess of 7 years now, which is ridiculous. The Scarborough Subway was approved in 2013 with full funding and permission to move forward, and is only expected to go to tender in early 2020. That's 7 freakin years of design. It should really probably be more like 1-2. Montreal did it with REM - announced in 2016 and under construction 1.5 years later.
 
innsertnamehere said:
Ford has heavily suggested that they will be lifting regulations that slow down the design process in order to speed it up - which I tend to agree. The design process for new transit projects is in excess of 7 years now, which is ridiculous. The Scarborough Subway was approved in 2013 with full funding and permission to move forward, and is only expected to go to tender in early 2020. That's 7 freakin years of design. It should really probably be more like 1-2. Montreal did it with REM - announced in 2016 and under construction 1.5 years later.
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thats really the problem with govt projects. They have no reason to speed things up past the minimum since theres really no profit margins for going any faster.
not to mention all the checks and balances for this. I bet that the design and build for all the condos in the last 7 years wouldve equalled most of the DRL if not more.
 
PT-2018-CINF-639 - PT-2018-CINF-639: Malton Go Station and Track Upgrades

Metrolinx, an agency of the Government of Ontario, oversees the delivery of the best possible transportation services today while leading the way to even better, more convenient services tomorrow. Metrolinx is making the best possible use of the public transportation investment dollar and measurably improving the quality of life in our region.

To achieve the capacity, agility and scale required to handle the increased demand Metrolinx is looking to engage Contractors to execute and manage construction services pertaining to the Malton GO Station and Track Upgrades scope of work which includes but is not limited to trackwork, civil work, culvert and pedestrian tunnel installations, utility work and platform work.
 
innsertnamehere said:
Montreal did it with REM - announced in 2016 and under construction 1.5 years later.
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And yet they started construction of the new REM bridge over the St. Lawrence River years earlier. Much of the original design for metro-like frequencies north of Central is ancient, dating back to the early 1960s. They didn't simply announce it in 2016 and start designing it. The LRT from Central to the south-shore became a major project (Grand projet) back in ... was it 2002 or so?

REM's success is avoiding the political interference and BS. Scarborough would have opened in 2015 if they'd stuck to the original LRT plan. It would have opened before 2010 if they'd stuck with the original TTC plan to upgrade the SRT and extend the platforms with new Mark III roiling stock for less money than has been spent on design since then.

Just build it already. Ford delusional plans aren't going to make this open the Scarborough subway extension any sooner. It just delays it again, and risks yet another delay in the future when someone else balks at the then $6-billion cost when we find out (and we all know it's going to happen) that they aren't finding the money from private developers to finance this.

TTC needs to issue the tender for the current design as planned later this year if we want anything built.
 
crs1026 said:
As predicted, the quarterly Capital Programs report which has been a staple of ML Board Meetings for the past couple of years, and which alluded to a fairly generous budget for RER/GO Expansion, does not appear in the latest Board Meeting agenda.

The future of the Smarttrack stations has become a bit clearer....thanks to a report on Transit Oriented Development..... which outlines a little about a plan for Development Oriented Transit.

- Paul
Click to expand...

Isn't that report just for the Quarterly meetings? When I was looking at the schedule it appeared as though they added this meeting. Maybe tweet to them and ask?
 
innsertnamehere said:
Ford has heavily suggested that they will be lifting regulations that slow down the design process in order to speed it up - which I tend to agree. The design process for new transit projects is in excess of 7 years now, which is ridiculous. The Scarborough Subway was approved in 2013 with full funding and permission to move forward, and is only expected to go to tender in early 2020. That's 7 freakin years of design. It should really probably be more like 1-2. Montreal did it with REM - announced in 2016 and under construction 1.5 years later.
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If the city planning department can't do their job, outsource the freaking thing.
 
Speeding up studies/EA/etc is welcome within urban boundaries. Especially for something as simple as converting an existing diesel rail line to cleaner convenient faster electric quieter rail that has nothing to do with mowing wide swaths of forest or farmland.

We need transit project progress within same terms, so the infinite flux doesn't cause perpetual trasnit stagnation. Even if Cons and Libs and NDP churn thing a bit (sigh) -- at least more transit will be built. See the transit dark ages 1990s-2010s where little got built.

That said, don't make it easier to cancel projects (2 terms needed to do so). Just make it easier to start the projects (within 1 term).
 
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nfitz said:
And yet they started construction of the new REM bridge over the St. Lawrence River years earlier. Much of the original design for metro-like frequencies north of Central is ancient, dating back to the early 1960s. They didn't simply announce it in 2016 and start designing it. The LRT from Central to the south-shore became a major project (Grand projet) back in ... was it 2002 or so?

REM's success is avoiding the political interference and BS. Scarborough would have opened in 2015 if they'd stuck to the original LRT plan. It would have opened before 2010 if they'd stuck with the original TTC plan to upgrade the SRT and extend the platforms with new Mark III roiling stock for less money than has been spent on design since then.
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I've heard that's the case- I've heard that REM was in development by Caisse for awhile longer, and it was only announced when it was in a 'buildable' state.

But overall, I agree that transit projects should really go straight into design/tender once the routing is approved and the funding secured. There's way too much hand-wringing over too many inconsequential things at the moment- especially community impacts.
 
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