GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[drum118]

I would slightly disagree with you on the parking aspect. Often, accessing the Fairview GO station requires a car, there is no public transit north of the 407 in Burlington. Yes I could drive to the nearest bus stop, but where to park? I could ride my bike but that is a longish ride -although downhill going to the station. Even the GO Bus stops along the 407 include a parking function. My view would be that depending on location, there may be a higher of lower need for a parking. Garage parking, as opposed to acres of only surface parking lots. Fairview or Bloomington, or Oshawa would differ from Long Branch, Mimico, certainly a Parkside Station ( if built) ,

But I would also agree that many GO stations could be more cleverly integrated into their communities. Again, Fairview station on the south side , although with a Walmart next door, and good transit outside, and housing there and coming, could be a developing example, but sense of community or neighborhoods is probably not there yet. Fairview is still, in the main, a commercial core. But eliminate the surface parking on the Fairview side of the line, the south side, redevelop that portion of the property, and restrict parking to the northern side, which is comprised of an existing enormous surface lot, plus a parking garage, and flanked by employment lands. Also add the redevelopment of the neighbouring GM dealer on Fairview ( this can only be a matter of time) and you have more opportunities to create, plus you then link to the Garden Gallery development etc. etc.

Oakville station would also be a good test case. With all the development to come for ‘mid-town’ Oakville, almost surrounding the site. What vision will be employed to redevelop the very large parking landscape of this GO/VIA station?

I have a good friend in the planning industry and we argue about planning concepts all the time, usually a beer and dinner are involved, but it is all good.

There was a plan for the existing GO/VIA station over a decade or so ago with GO staying where it currently is or moving to the eastside of Trafalgar and no idea what happen to it. The land north of the station was also part of it up to the QEW. NO Frills had a large store across from the GO Station and close it about 10 years ago.

Burlington is not hot when it comes to transit when I used to go to it for a monthly meeting to the point I had a 50/50 chance getting the route 10 bus if my train was later arriving. Quality of service has pickup some what since I stop doing meetings there, but it fail to service areas that needs bus service, but the density and demand is not there to do it. Oakville is better than Burlington, but quality of service not there in many places to get folks from their home to/from a GO station. It also applies to other GO stations in the GTA. Car is the mold for people using GO to the station.

 

[just east of the creek]

Drum, with due respect, that No Frills, previously a Dominion Store, now an Asian Grocery (in part) is a hike from the train, it’s part of the redeveloped Home Depot plaza, with the remnants of that mall dating to the 50’s. So the other side of Cross Ave, closer to the QEW. And I believe part of redevelopment planning. As for the GO station moving to the east side of Trafalgar, you are quite right, and I remember seeing information on that. It fizzled for some reason, and with the addition of the parking garage and the operations building, plus the MidTown planning going on, I believe the idea is truly been vanquished.

Public transit in Halton is always going to be a compromise on service with the prevailing densities. We can hope for increasing densities along major transit routes, such as routes 10/1/2 in Burlington, that would then justify service improvements. But running a bus up and down Guelph Line, past the 408 to Lowville or Kilbride makes little or no sense .

 

[Metroscapes]

There is no need for any office buildings by GO stations for a long time. What js needed is housing and commercial retail near GO like Grocers, or daycares or heck even a dry cleaner and a cafe that’s not a Tim’s. Many European cities with good regional rail have many stores in their stations so people can do some errands to/from the station. The era of driving to the GO station should be over. Start with key stations like Rouge and Mimico, Long Branch and others like Aurora and expand from there.

I second the daycares. I am tied to a car because I have no GO service to get me to work, but also the daycare is on the way. If I could do daycare dropoff on my way to catch the train...

Why don't hotel chains look at constructing properties near GO stations?

Take the UP express to Union and then the GO train to your hotel.

Easy access to downtown without staying in downtown.

Make AirBnB build their own stock.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Updated Metrolinx capital program procurement pipeline document posted to MX website here. Lots of GO projects included, along with other rapid transit work. Something that caught my eye was:

• Oakville Existing Station Renovations: Upgrades including civil, mechanical, and utilities work, station infrastructure modernization, platform replacement, and construction of a pedestrian bridge

Lots of Guelph Sub works, and some Brampton stuff including prepping for 3rd track and Heritage layover. Nice to see some Metrolinx transparency (kinda)!

Please post anything you think is interesting

 

[tsm1072]

Oakville Existing Station Renovations: ... and construction of a pedestrian bridge

I assume this is from the parking structure straight across to the station building with stairs/elevators down the platforms. The only other place a bridge might exist would be over Trafalgar, which is a connection that will be needed eventually to connect to new development, but it seems early to pursue that now.

 

[chrisw]

Niagara Falls Layover Facility: Construction of a single-track layover facility for train storage, along with signals and track work.

Will this help for more service?

 

[crs1026]

Lots of Guelph Sub works, and some Brampton stuff including prepping for 3rd track and Heritage layover. Nice to see some Metrolinx transparency (kinda)!

Please post anything you think is interesting

I hadn't realised that the Georgetown layover tracks are being removed once Heritage Road is built. The timing of the Guelph Sub work seems pretty relaxed, I had hoped it would progress faster. Need to watch to see that these actually get awarded.

- Paul

 

[reaperexpress]

Will this help for more service?

Potentially. Allowing the train to lay over in Niagara Falls avoids two deadhead movements across the Welland canal, which could help negotiations for more in-service crossings instead. It also increases the overnight storage capacity on the Niagara branch from 4 trains to 5, which could allow an additional peak-period service.

 

[Allandale25]

Will this help for more service?

Kind of amazing it has taken this long to get a layover there given how relatively quick they are to build and how much space is available there.

 

[canarob]

Mount Joy Passing Track and Signals: Construction of passing track, a new side platform and associated infrastructure, and signals work.

Stouffville Existing Station Renovations: Upgrades to various existing. GO stations in the Stouffville corridor.

This is great to see! Hopefully this is to support eventual 30-minute service.

 

[just east of the creek]

I assume this is from the parking structure straight across to the station building with stairs/elevators down the platforms. The only other place a bridge might exist would be over Trafalgar, which is a connection that will be needed eventually to connect to new development, but it seems early to pursue that now.

A bridge connecting the north side platforms to the east side of Trafalgar exists presently. So your suggestion to add from an elevated section of the parking garage makes sense. Or a parallel bridge across Trafalgar from the south side tracks in anticipation of the developments to take place at that intersection.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

A bridge connecting the north side platforms to the east side of Trafalgar exists presently. So your suggestion to add from an elevated section of the parking garage makes sense. Or a parallel bridge across Trafalgar from the south side tracks in anticipation of the developments to take place at that intersection.

Space ready exists on the south rail bridge for a pedestrian crossing!

 

[Metroscapes]

Updated Metrolinx capital program procurement pipeline document posted to MX website here. Lots of GO projects included, along with other rapid transit work.

[...]

Lots of Guelph Sub works

I'm seeing the track work in Acton for RFP in Q3, but this makes it sound like they're going to start working with Waterloo Region to build the Mobility Hub at King Street in Kitchener?! Didn't think that was happening anytime soon.

I'm also hopeful the Georgetown Go works will include a mainline platform and finally streamline through operations!

 

[Fritter]

Am I too much of a pessimist, or is it just a sad truth? Over that last 5 years or so, Billions have been spent, incredible amounts of new infrastructure is in place or on the cusp of coming online, however it looks like GO Transit is not much further ahead than it was when work was started? To me it seems significant service improvement still requires one more major project to be completed before promised land is reached.
Even when that so called last major project hurdle is completed, there is always one more project to complete before frequent service can happen.
Again am I correct in this mindset, or am I being too negative and GO Transit has made great progress ?

 

[Northern Light]

Am I too much of a pessimist

No.

, or is it just a sad truth?

Yes

Over that last 5 years or so, Billions have been spent, incredible amounts of new infrastructure is in place or on the cusp of coming online, however it looks like GO Transit is not much further ahead than it was when work was started? To me it seems significant service improvement still requires one more major project to be completed before promised land is reached.
Even when that so called last major project hurdle is completed, there is always one more project to complete before frequent service can happen.

Correct.

Again am I correct in this mindset, or am I being too negative and GO Transit has made great progress ?

There is tangible progress to the infrastructure; but because of the bizarre, inefficient way Mx has tendered and scheduled work, very little service improvement has come online and indeed some sections of rail (Lakeshore) have gotten worse (Mid-day, weekday off peak from 15M to 30M).

As @reaperexpress and @crs1026 have regularly discussed, there all sorts of projects that have either been dragged out, or where one or more key additional projects has gone unstarted, never mind finished, such that the payoff has been moved to a future date TBD.

While, sometimes, this is unavoidable, one can't do everything all at once............over all this has been a bungle.

So much more could have been delivered now by focusing on finishing key items in any one corridor.

The lack of transparency aggravates things........as every project is billed as helping to deliver 15M, all-day service..... at some future point, with no explicit outcomes or hard in-service dates available to the public.