Sunnyside-Queen West Mobility Hub

[dunkalunk]

I am just putting this out here, but what do people think the feasibility of placing a major transfer station for Streetcar, Train, Subway, and Coach Bus passengers at the base of Roncesvalles?

As many may know, there was a train station that existed on this site until 1971, and as such, the Northern and Southern tracks are separated by a grass median that was once a platform. More can be found on this Wikipedia page:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnyside_railway_station

I mainly want to gauge whether or not a multi-modal station here would be technically feasible (track curvature, clearance, cost, ect) and how well it would be used by varying modes (would bus operators actually use a roadside stop on the Gardiner?, Can this station be justified without WWLRT or DRL?) In addition, what are the contracts surrounding the landscaped company logos on the embankment and would that land be potentially usable?

 

[SGHA504]

It would make perfect sense to me, as an elbow in a DRL alignment, wherein 'Sunnyside' station would be the bending point north to Dundas West. It could also act a terminus to a revised 507/WWLRT route, rather than head all the way down Queen or to Union through the Ex.

 

[gweed123]

Agreed. Especially with the increased importance of GO from a regional sense, the intersection there of GO, a WWLRT, a Queen LRT, and maybe even a DRL would be a big deal.

 

[andrewpmk]

Agreed. Especially with the increased importance of GO from a regional sense, the intersection there of GO, a WWLRT, a Queen LRT, and maybe even a DRL would be a big deal.

It looks like it would be a tight squeeze fitting in railway platforms between the Gardiner and Queensway while retaining 4 tracks. Presumably this station would only have "local" GO trains stopping while "express" trains would skip it. It would be useful though as a western terminus of a DLR running along Queen Street though, with a transfer to GO and streetcars.

 

[Hipster Duck]

An interesting idea. If the new LRV facility makes Sunnyside Yard redundant, they could redevelop the area as a TOD but keep some of the tracks to form a proper station. This would mean that 504 cars would have to turn off Roncessvalles behind Hotel Edgewater and then loop back again, and 501 cars would have to make a similar turn off the Queensway, but I don't think you'd need to lay new track.

 

[Inkarnate]

No objections here, seems rather sensible.

 

[unimaginative2]

I've always thought the Roncesvalles hub was one of the most useful parts of the DRL project. It would combine streetcars along the Queensway, a regional rail station, and a subway downtown. That way, people could ride the 501 on the relatively fast Queensway section and then switch to the subway for the onward journey downtown. It would be a massive time-saving for people in Mimico.

On the other hand, you could have the same effect by building the Waterfront West LRT to the Exhibition. Some streetcars along Roncesvalles could even be re-routed into the private right-of-way along the Gardiner. Then your transfer to the subway and regional rail would take place at Exhibition instead. It's a trade off that would allow you to have a subway stop at the rapidly-growing West Queen West area. If we had regional rail, though, a Parkdale station would serve that area adequately, making a subway along Roncesvalles more attractive.