GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[kv1990]

Not sure if people have seen this yet, but Metrolinx recently added a new section under Future Transit Planning related to improving access to Go stations (transits, bikes, walking etc.)

GO Rail Station Access

Exploring future transportation options and amenities to help make access to GO stations easier.

www.metrolinx.com

 

[Northern Light]

Not sure if people have seen this yet, but Metrolinx recently added a new section under Future Transit Planning related to improving access to Go stations (transits, bikes, walking etc.)

GO Rail Station Access

Exploring future transportation options and amenities to help make access to GO stations easier.

www.metrolinx.com

From the above:

After that it does the above station by station through the network, with targets and with a list of proposed changes to achieve them. Its not practical to post all of those, but very much worth a look, I'll post one as an example.

 

[Coolibop]

I missed the graphs thanks for posting. I caught a few missed opportunities to improve bike connections at Pickering to the north side of the 401 (via future planned bike infra on pickering Pkwy and Liverpool Rd). It would be a shame to have bike infrastructure only to be cutoff by the 401. One could always walk across the ped bridge I suppose.

 

[kv1990]

Also found this in this report https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/...ment_B_-_GO_Rail_Station_Access_EN_jbce3i.pdf

Interesting to see they are planning a decrease in parking at most Lakeshore W/E stations

 

[nfitz]

Also found this in this report https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/...ment_B_-_GO_Rail_Station_Access_EN_jbce3i.pdf

That's part of the same report (12 of the 315 pages - specifically pages 270 to 281)

My biggest surprise is that they forecast ridership drops at all the Richmond Hill Corridor, other than at at Langstaff, and a slight increase at Old Cummer. I'd have thought that with the extension of Line 1 to Langstaff, there'd at least have been growth north of Langstaff. And with moving Oriole station close to the subway (which is still in this plan) that there'd be growth not shrinkage.

Even Langstaff sees a slight drop in those using it who live nearby.

Bad news for those wanting more service on this line, or Line 1 extended up the Richmond Hill line.

In particular, the forecast 2041 ridership at Bloomington is pathetic. Only 225 people (half boarding, presumably in the morning, and half alighting in the evening). The only comparable station in 2041 is Old Elm, which has similar ridership (and surprisingly about a 30% drop from what it is now). The next lowest stations (in 2041) are Niagara Falls and Acton - both about 3 times higher than Bloomington). Heck, Acton is higher now ... so why is the new Bloomington station much, much, much bigger than the current Acton station?

A reminder that Bloomington GO opened recently. The station cost about $82 million and has 998 parking spots. Even though they forecast 125 users in 2041. That's $656,000 per passenger.

It would be nice for the Auditor General to review the construction of Bloomington.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

I was unaware that Etobicoke North is being planed to be decommissioned. That's a significant service gap (~11Km) between stations (Weston to Malton) in a region that has a ton of higher order roadway access (427, 27, 409, 401) and very little in terms of public transit. I realize that there are new stations in the hopper (Mt Dennis, and Person transit hub) but I can't believe that they can't find a business case for a station located off of either Islington/Kipling/Martin Grove, which are major N/S routes for the TTC in the West end.

 

[nfitz]

I was unaware that Etobicoke North is being planed to be decommissioned. That's a significant service gap (~11Km) between stations (Weston to Malton) in a region that has a ton of higher order roadway access (427, 27, 409, 401) and very little in terms of public transit. I realize that there are new stations in the hopper (Mt Dennis, and Person transit hub) but I can't believe that they can't find a business case for a station located off of either Islington/Kipling/Martin Grove, which are major N/S routes for the TTC in the West end.

The decommissioning would be in concert with the opening of the GO station on Highway 27, near the new Woodbine racetrack - hopefully intersecting a short Line 6 extension. Hopefully they can find a better name than Woodbine GO, given the existence of the TTC Woodbine station.

This is noted in the report:

 

[crs1026]

^ I went hunting and couldn't find, but I am sure I remember, some politician committing that Etobicoke North would not be closed until Woodbine is opened.

Personally I don't think that is a sensible trade, Etobicoke North is not in a perfect location, but in the Woodbine site study there was a lot said to the effect that Woodbine was a better spot for bus and car connectivity, so somebody must have data on that.

- Paul

PS - The Woodbine station commitment was celebrated by Ford as an early win for transit-oriented development in partnership with private interests. If the private developers are now dragging their feet, that's a fail for the Ford approach, and ML ought to fess up on that failure.

 

[afransen]

I live 2 km north of Square One. Except for people within 1 km of Square One, everyone else will still a bus or a car.

One could also say that they were built so large to accommodate future demand. With GO expansion, traffic on GO is expected to rise multifold. But we can't expect multifold improvement in local transit. People will still need to drive their cars and in next 10 years, there will be a lot more of them.

It's still better to have people drive 5 km to GO than having them drive 30 km to their workplace. Downtown is already congested, we don't want to see more cars there.

Frankly, inside 10 years I expect rideshare (robotaxi) to supplant a lot of parking. Especially if GO charged for parking on a cost-recovery basis. There are robotaxis in service today in Phoenix and SF.

2km is nothing for cycling. With decent cycling facilities, 2 km is an 8 minute bike ride at a very casual 15 kph.

 

[nfitz]

PS - The Woodbine station commitment was celebrated by Ford as an early win for transit-oriented development in partnership with private interests. If the private developers are now dragging their feet, that's a fail for the Ford approach, and ML ought to fess up on that failure.

To be fair, Rob Ford was on crack when he said the Woodbine redevelopment was an early win.

 

[Deadpool X]

Frankly, inside 10 years I expect rideshare (robotaxi) to supplant a lot of parking. Especially if GO charged for parking on a cost-recovery basis. There are robotaxis in service today in Phoenix and SF.

2km is nothing for cycling. With decent cycling facilities, 2 km is an 8 minute bike ride at a very casual 15 kph.

Cycling isn't always feasible - snow, rain, too sunny, wearing clothing not appropriate for cycling, no bike lanes (yet), cars driving at 70-80 next to you, etc.

I thought we were Can-ada, not Can't-nada?

lol, I am being practical over optimistic.

 

[drum118]

^ I went hunting and couldn't find, but I am sure I remember, some politician committing that Etobicoke North would not be closed until Woodbine is opened.

Personally I don't think that is a sensible trade, Etobicoke North is not in a perfect location, but in the Woodbine site study there was a lot said to the effect that Woodbine was a better spot for bus and car connectivity, so somebody must have data on that.

- Paul

PS - The Woodbine station commitment was celebrated by Ford as an early win for transit-oriented development in partnership with private interests. If the private developers are now dragging their feet, that's a fail for the Ford approach, and ML ought to fess up on that failure.

ML has stated the Etobicoke Station will remain open until the new Woodbine GO Station can open, when every that will be these days. Timeframe has come and gone for Woodbine caused by either the P3 hasn't got off the ground, waiting for the new operation team to come up with a timetable to build it or lack of fund to do it, Then what is going to happen for an GTTA Hub that will be service by both direction?? So many questions, but very few answers.

Cycling plays a small part for getting ppl to a GO or transit station these days, but not for most ppl to do it.

 

[afransen]

Cycling isn't always feasible - snow, rain, too sunny, wearing clothing not appropriate for cycling, no bike lanes (yet), cars driving at 70-80 next to you, etc.


lol, I am being practical over optimistic.

It doesn't cost much to put in cycling infra, compared to Garage Mahals. The point being is that it is not a law of the universe that only park and ride can deliver passengers to a GO station. In fact, we can never build enough parking to support the kind of ridership a frequent 2WAD service can drive.

 

[Bordercollie]

They are full length, ~300m platforms:

But this station is so close to exhibition

 

[Deadpool X]

It doesn't cost much to put in cycling infra, compared to Garage Mahals. The point being is that it is not a law of the universe that only park and ride can deliver passengers to a GO station. In fact, we can never build enough parking to support the kind of ridership a frequent 2WAD service can drive.

What about all other elements I mentioned? Can we also put a thermostat in the sky and control weather? I don't see myself cycling 4 km in snow and ice.