Toronto BMO Field Renovations | ?m | ?s | MLSE | Gensler

wopchop said:
The fact that the current Exhibition GO Station renovations do NOT include a tunnel and second entrance further west on Manitoba is idiotic. With the crowding that this station handles, this should be a top priority for Metrolinx and the City of Toronto, but if I'm not mistaken, it doesn't seem to even be on the radar.

What is so frustrating is that this should NOT be a surprise to them. The tunnel was an issue even before the expansion. We are now 2 seasons past the opening of the stadium expansion, and the situation has gotten worse, and still no word on another tunnel.
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During an open house a month ago, Mike Layton and a senior planner from the city mentioned that the City and Metrolinx are looking at a second tunnel as part of new New Liberty St design work.
 
Here is an article that I just found about it from Global ... It even quotes posts on this forum (including mine) from ages ago.

The regional transit agency said it’s working on a permanent fix, which might include options such as a wider tunnel or an additional access way.

“We’re looking at all of that to make it easier for people,” said Aikins.

But before Metrolinx does that, the agency said its’ priority is electrifying that stretch of the GO rail line. Aikins said work to alleviate the strain on the Exhibition GO station tunnel will begin some time after that.
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Alleviate the tunnel AFTER electrification? If I remember correctly, Lakeshore West RER is supposed to be online by 2023 or 2024? What a joke.
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
and if it is it's not like they can do much about it between now and January. It's not like they can build as second tunnel or take down the fence and have poel walk across four tracks to get across them.
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no where in my post did I suggest it could be fixed before the classic....my post was a criticism of the situation (one I have leveled before) and a warning to anyone here planning on using the tunnel on January 1 (a whole bunch o of new folks who have never been to BMO will be introduced to it that day).
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
and if it is it's not like they can do much about it between now and January. It's not like they can build as second tunnel or take down the fence and have poel walk across four tracks to get across them.
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That's not the point. This is not a surprise. The stadium expanded 2 years ago. The Centennial Classic was planned ages ago. They screwed up and they should hear about it.
 
wopchop said:
I happen to agree, but I'm curious as to why you think it would be a mistake.

As awesome as more seating in the south end would be .... We still have a ways to go with regular game ticket sales before we can consider another expansion.
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Both of the main users of the stadium are far from needing the seats on a regular basis and creating even less "scarcity" will not help them. Before a permanent south end expansion is considered the existing seats have to be scarce enough to drive up prices (particularly in the south end) to create the economics that would make upward expansion in the south viable.


wopchop said:
It is only a matter of time before something happens in this tunnel. Yesterday's game and the match against Montreal were downright terrifying. At the very least, they should consider building a temporary bridge over the tracks, ala what they do for the Indy.

The fact that the current Exhibition GO Station renovations do NOT include a tunnel and second entrance further west on Manitoba is idiotic. With the crowding that this station handles, this should be a top priority for Metrolinx and the City of Toronto, but if I'm not mistaken, it doesn't seem to even be on the radar.

What is so frustrating is that this should NOT be a surprise to them. The tunnel was an issue even before the expansion. We are now 2 seasons past the opening of the stadium expansion, and the situation has gotten worse, and still no word on another tunnel.
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Totally agree.....and their current "stop gap" solution of having officers (Toronto Police and GO) take up space inside the tunnel to warn folks and observe is making it worse even....people standing still in what is already a very limited "flow through" area does not help.


wopchop said:
Disagree. A huge, huge percentage of people going through the tunnel are NOT headed to the GO Train. Ignoring all the people who go to bars before and after the game, there are also a lot of people parking in Liberty Village and making the walk to BMO Field. The Centennial Classic will be no different.
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Once again....agree.
 
wopchop said:
Here is an article that I just found about it from Global ... It even quotes posts on this forum (including mine) from ages ago.



Alleviate the tunnel AFTER electrification? If I remember correctly, Lakeshore West RER is supposed to be online by 2023 or 2024? What a joke.
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When we make it really bad by offering way more service in the future....we will put our minds to fixing it.
 
TOareaFan said:
When we make it really bad by offering way more service in the future....we will put our minds to fixing it.
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My mind is blown. If Atkins actually said that to that reporter ... that is such a negligent position for Metrolinx to take on the issue.
 
All that said, there may be some short term relief coming (but it seems to be taking a long time)......when the tunnel north end finally opens up it may allow those headed to Liberty Village to go straight through while those heading for the trains to turn right or left and go up the stairs to the platform....this may make the way too many folks in there, at least, flow better. That green hoarding at the north end of the tunnel, though, seems to have been there for 3 or 4 years....that must be a very complicated bit of construction ;)
 
There's nothing stopping MLSE from paying for/building a bridge over the tracks, or second tunnel. Doesn't make sense for Metrolinx to prioritize something that will benefit such few people for such a short portion of the year.
 
Tuscani01 said:
There's nothing stopping MLSE from paying for/building a bridge over the tracks, or second tunnel. Doesn't make sense for Metrolinx to prioritize something that will benefit such few people for such a short portion of the year.
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a few thing actually they don't own the land on either side of the track or the tracks , plus they only lease the stadium from the city it's not the same as the air canada centre where they own it out right.
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
a few thing actually they don't own the land on either side of the track or the tracks , plus they only lease the stadium from the city it's not the same as the air canada centre where they own it out right.
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Yes, but the fact that they don't fully own the stadium didn't stop the stadium from being built for them. They don't need to own anything to offer to pay for/build a bridge, just like they didn't need to own the land to get the stadium.
 
Tuscani01 said:
Yes, but the fact that they don't fully own the stadium didn't stop the stadium from being built for them. They don't need to own anything to offer to pay for/build a bridge, just like they didn't need to own the land to get the stadium.
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I think they paid half the cost of the stadium the rest was covered by the government's. I would guess they would pay for a bridge or improvement to the tunnel if they were asked but I don't see them volunteering to do it. Plus Metrolink is currently rebuilding Exhibition go station right now anyway.
 
The stadium is owned by the city.......and managed by MLSE....if you total up the contributions to the original construction and the recent expansion, MLSE has paid for far (far) more than half of it.....you could say the majority has been paid by MLSE.....but that was not my original point.

Sure, MLSE could build an improved tunnel....and they may have if "forced" to do it to get their expansion approved......but that would have cost money and it may have led to them wanting a different funding formula for the expansion (ie. asking the owner of the stadium to kick in more $$$ which, in effect, would have meant the city paid for the additional crossing)....but when the person applying for the building permits (the owner of the stadium) is the same person issuing the building permits (the owner of the stadium) it somehow got built without much attention being paid to things like access/egress and safety. I highly doubt if the owner of the stadium was a private entity the city would have been so cavalier about this matter.

And if you think this "only" affects the "few" (nearly a million a season is a few now?) people who go to soccer matches....you are wrong.....anyone attending other events at the Ex (hockey, trade shows, concerts at the ampitheatre, etc) and residents of the Liberty Village area are also affected....I always feel bad for those people trying to get from their apartements to an EB train after a soccer match or other event....they are fighiting against a crush of people going the other way.
 
TOareaFan said:
and residents of the Liberty Village area are also affected....I always feel bad for those people trying to get from their apartements to an EB train after a soccer match or other event....they are fighiting against a crush of people going the other way.
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I was one of those people... outside of TFC games and the ex, the tunnel really wasn't that bad. Like I said, it only created issues during a small period of the year. I never had any issues outside of those two events.

Considering that the Ex and TFC are the main cause of congestion in the tunnel, perhaps they should be the ones footing the bill for another access point? At the end of the day, they are the two groups with the most to gain from this, especially if its a matter of people simply using the tunnel (GO Infrastructure) to cross from LV to the Ex without actually using GO services.
 
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