GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[wopchop]

Any claim of labour inflation should be scrutinized.

1. All the Metrolinx contractors are bound by Union agreements, where the labour inflation over the length of the agreement was known.
2. We are hearing about all kinds of material and shipping inflation, but as far as I am aware, employers are not suddenly paying employees more money. I am not aware of anyone in Engineering or Construction that all of a sudden got a pandemic raise.

As for expropriation, yes. They have to tear down a stand alone retail building and takeover a strip of the plaza parking lot to build the new roadway. North of the rail corridor, a loading dock had to be relocated off Kerr St, so I imagine there was property expropriation there. This work already happened though, so it wouldn't have been expropriated probably in 2020.

However if they are only looking at finalizing expropritation of the plaza land now, I have to question their competence.

 

[ShonTron]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

The Kerr Street separation was only going to be for 4 lanes, no? Or do you mean the Burloak bridge? Oakville is rapidly building out a large industrial park south of the tracks off of Burloak which will increase traffic levels on the street significantly, I can see the need for 6 lanes over the long term.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

The render in the article is from the Burloak Underpass. Kerr will be four lanes.

 

[drum118]

When the Rain condos were built some years ago, it allow for Sheppard to be relocated to the south for the grade separation and was done on Oakville dime.

What the plan cost were to be and the current construction cost are totally different numbers due to cost increase across the board due to the length of time it has taken place. Same goes for land cost.

Kerr St was to happen over 5 years ago and still waiting to happen.

Once done, that plaza will be a thing from the past with a better 4 lane road in place of the current 2 north of the tracks and 4 south from Sheppard

 

[drum118]

Feb 27
More up on my site

Unionville
Have to laugh that the posted signs for no smoking as there are butts all over the place by the workers.

Only small small sections of tracks have been place for track 2-3 with no track 2 going north from the station. Odd there is a track 2 switch north of the overpass with a heater, yet no track on either side of it other than doing a s move.

A few block signaled mast need to be install at both end of the station.

Agincourt

The temporary platform is gone with track 2 in place correctly for the new platform that is mostly close off at this time

 

[drum118]

Feb 27
Kennedy

More up on my site

Like a lot of stations, snow clearing sucks that the accessibility community have a bitch trying to get to/from them as well a skating zone for the rest of the riders. Makes no different what city/town, transit systems, snow clearing for pedestrians is the last thing that comes to mind for who every is responsible for clearing sidewalk snow. Things will not change until there is a major lawsuit over it or when someone is major injury from a fall or kill.

 

[drum118]

Construction work moves forward in Guelph as part of expanding GO Train service on Kitchener Line​

 

[wopchop]

I just simply don’t get the six lane cross-section. Two through lanes, along with the wide, separated walk/cycle ways ought to be enough, especially as the grade separation eliminates delays at the crossing.

Dorval Drive is the through route to the QEW and points north and has been since the late 1970s. Kerr Street hugs the 16 Mile Creek ravine immediately north of the tracks.

Kerr St cross section was to be four lanes from Speers north. I agree with you about the rest. This lane expansion essentially serves traffic going to the GO station.

Normally I have no issue with that, but in this case, it is extremely auto friendly and completely ignores that Kerr is a very pedestrian neighborhood.

At Kerr & Speers, southbound, they were going to have dedicated right hand, a bicycle gutter, a through lane, and double left turning lanes. Plus two northbound. 6 lanes to cross for pedestrians.
The double left lane is ridiculous IMO. Drivers to GO Station already have good access down Dorval and onto Speers.

At Sheppard & Kerr, which will be an extremely minor intersection for the foreseeable future if not forever, both northbound and southbound: right-hand, two through lanes, and left hand turning lanes. Two through lanes in opposite direction. Again, six lanes for pedestrians to cross.

In both cases, the radii for the right hand turns is extremely generous (12m), which will encourage drivers to roll through, and increase danger to pedestrians. All trucks to this area are coming off highway down Dorval and then onto Speers. There are no trucks turning right from Kerr St, so these can be tighter. Speers right onto Kerr northbound is more problematic because it needs to accommodate buses.

 

[smallspy]

Any claim of labour inflation should be scrutinized.

1. All the Metrolinx contractors are bound by Union agreements, where the labour inflation over the length of the agreement was known.
2. We are hearing about all kinds of material and shipping inflation, but as far as I am aware, employers are not suddenly paying employees more money. I am not aware of anyone in Engineering or Construction that all of a sudden got a pandemic raise.

As for expropriation, yes. They have to tear down a stand alone retail building and takeover a strip of the plaza parking lot to build the new roadway. North of the rail corridor, a loading dock had to be relocated off Kerr St, so I imagine there was property expropriation there. This work already happened though, so it wouldn't have been expropriated probably in 2020.

However if they are only looking at finalizing expropritation of the plaza land now, I have to question their competence.

There is also a premium for working within an active rail corridor, with specially trained and certified workers.

Dan

 

[tsm1072]

Kerr St cross section was to be four lanes from Speers north. I agree with you about the rest. This lane expansion essentially serves traffic going to the GO station.

Normally I have no issue with that, but in this case, it is extremely auto friendly and completely ignores that Kerr is a very pedestrian neighborhood.

At Kerr & Speers, southbound, they were going to have dedicated right hand, a bicycle gutter, a through lane, and double left turning lanes. Plus two northbound. 6 lanes to cross for pedestrians.
The double left lane is ridiculous IMO. Drivers to GO Station already have good access down Dorval and onto Speers.

At Sheppard & Kerr, which will be an extremely minor intersection for the foreseeable future if not forever, both northbound and southbound: right-hand, two through lanes, and left hand turning lanes. Two through lanes in opposite direction. Again, six lanes for pedestrians to cross.

In both cases, the radii for the right hand turns is extremely generous (12m), which will encourage drivers to roll through, and increase danger to pedestrians. All trucks to this area are coming off highway down Dorval and then onto Speers. There are no trucks turning right from Kerr St, so these can be tighter. Speers right onto Kerr northbound is more problematic because it needs to accommodate buses.

I think you are right that a re-design is required. If the underpass does go in, 1-lane each direct is sufficient for Kerr, most of the congestion currently occurs due to the level-crossing. I would propose:

• Kerr remains 1-lane each direction north of speers, with left-turn lanes at signalized intersections (Speers, Shepherd, Wyecroft)
• The intersection at Kerr and Wyecroft is signalized and made bike and pedestrian-friendly
• The 2 entrances to the plaza on the west of Kerr are closed and replaced with a single signalized entrance at the Shepherd intersection
• The Kerr st entrance to the plaza at the northeast of Kerr and Shepheard is permanently closed, with the Shepherd entrance being improved to deal with the increased traffic.
• A 2-way protected cycle path is added on the west side of Kerr from Speers all the way to the Canadian tire (potentially extended in the future)

As a related note, pedestrian and cycling access between the Go Station and Kerr-Speers area need to be dramatically improved. I would love to see a cycling and pedestrian bridge alongside the railway tracks over sixteen-mile creek. It would save everyone from the narrow sidewalks and hills walking along speers.

 

[generalcanada]

i guess the only concern ive got is without the grade separation, are the go transit services affected?

 

[wopchop]

There is also a premium for working within an active rail corridor, with specially trained and certified workers.

Dan

And have those rates suddenly spiked?

 

[smallspy]

And have those rates suddenly spiked?

Without seeing the contracts and tenders - I don't know.

I do know that several of the companies that do operate in this part of the world are currently suffering from understaffing and simply aren't able to get enough workers onto the sites. That may be part of the issue and may lead to higher costs.

Dan

 

[urbancog]

This posted on Merx:

Tender No. RQQ-2021-ERNA-571

Metrolinx is issuing this Request to Qualify and Quote (RQQ) to retain the services of Vendor(s) and establish a Vendor of Record
(“VOR”) Agreement to provide the goods and/or services described herein.

Metrolinx is accepting Submissions for the provision Design Consulting Services to be delivered on as needed basis for Request No. RQQ-2021-ERNA-571.

Metrolinx is a crown agency of the Government of Ontario under the Metrolinx Act, 2006, reporting to the Ministry of Transportation. It was created to improve the coordination and integration of all modes of transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). The Metrolinx mandate includes delivering the best possible transportation services today while leading the way to an even better, more convenient service tomorrow; making the best possible use of public transportation investment dollars; and measurably improving the quality of life in the region.

The Stations Capital Delivery Unit, part of GO Expansion in the Capital Projects Group at Metrolinx, is responsible for capital improvements to existing GO Stations and net new stations on the GO Rail Network.

The objective of this Request to Qualify and Quote (RQQ) is to solicit proposals from Proponents for the provision of the Existing Stations Renovations (ESR) project, to complete the detailed design for the renovation of existing GO Rail Stations, as well as engineering services during construction (an option exercisable at the sole discretion of Metrolinx). The requirements are more particularly described in Scope of Work of this Request Document.

This project is to complete the detailed design for the renovation of existing GO Rail Stations across the GO Transit network, in order to improve accessibility, customer experience, safety and overall increased demand for the future. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to; parking lot, bus loop and PUDO expansion, accessibility improvements throughout the entire station footprint, platform works such as snowmelt and edge tiles, and all aspects of station building rehabilitation (electrical, HVAC, mechanical, interior renovation and one new station building structure). The project currently has a reference concept design completed, including Environmental, SUE and Geotechnical Due Diligence for all stations, except for Oakville GO, which can be used to progress the design efforts.

The objective of this Request to Qualify and Quote (RQQ) is to solicit proposals from Proponents for the provision of Design Consulting Services and optional engineering services during construction on an emergent basis over a two-year term, with three additional option years. The requirements are more particularly described in Scope of Work of this Request Document.

ELECTRONIC BID SUBMISSION will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. on March 23, 2022.

***NOTE: ELECTRONIC BID SUBMISSION
Your Submission for this opportunity must be sent to Metrolinx through the use of MetrolinxMERX EBS. Bidders shall be solely responsible for the delivery of their Submission using MetrolinxMERX EBS by the Closing, in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders.

Only Consultant who possess the following experience and qualifications will be considered for award of this Contract:
(A) The necessary resources to sustain and complete the Services to the satisfaction of Metrolinx;
(B) Fifteen (15) years of experience in design, construction support and project management of railway corridors;
I) Heavy civil works related to railway infrastructure
II) Station buildings
III) Architectural, landscape and structural design of transit facilities
IV) LEED Certified building facilities
(C) Ten (10) years demonstrated experience with construction projects undertaken on a live railway corridor which continues to operate during construction..

I didn't pay for the documents so can't detail which stations this applies to (except Oakville as it's specifically mentioned).