Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

[junctionist]

Shouldn't it be closer to Caledonia? Or does that not bother anyone else?

Yes, that seems strange. The station looks more focused on connecting with the future GO station rather than Caledonia Road, its namesake. Just the bus loop at the east end of the station is two blocks from Caledonia. The secondary entrance seems unrefined, lacking a walkway to Eglinton in the site plan and having too many flights of stairs. I'm not a fan of the form of the interior spaces, either. One should be able to see at least one level down as one moves towards the platform; it can make navigation easier. One may hope that the pavilion architecture and landscaping is a lot better than what's shown in these preliminary presentations, because the glass boxes as shown aren't very interesting and lack placemaking potential.

 

[EnviroTO]

My dumb question - If this is just an lrt line, why do the stations all need concourses? Can't people walk over the tracks like they do at Queens Quay and in Boston? Wouldn't that save a ton of money?

There is talk of automated operation within the tunnel at some point and with trains of 6 cars the speed reductions required would be noticeable. They probably would avoid the Queens Quay design if possible but with the high water table and sharp curve south of the station slowing the speed of the streetcars anyways it probably just didn't make fiscal sense.

 

[ShonTron]

I guess they chose that location because they can build the station box there without disrupting the road? I suppose the connection to the shopping centre could be useful, but not if it's just a huge staircase as shown.

It looks like the main entrance will have east and west entries, so I imagine all traffic will use the main station box (which is designed well for the GO connection). It looks to me that the secondary entrance - required due to fire codes - will be merely an emergency exit. Not a bad circulation plan, actually, just an unusually deep station.

 

[car4041]

It looks like the main entrance will have east and west entries, so I imagine all traffic will use the main station box (which is designed well for the GO connection). It looks to me that the secondary entrance - required due to fire codes - will be merely an emergency exit.

Don't think so -- they refer to it as an "entrance", not an emergency exit, and the floorplan shows a fare gateline. (Though yes, I imagine that anyone who knows how many stairs there are will avoid it and use the main entrance.)

 

[Voltz]

Don't think so -- they refer to it as an "entrance", not an emergency exit, and the floorplan shows a fare gateline. (Though yes, I imagine that anyone who knows how many stairs there are will avoid it and use the main entrance.)

Well really they need two separate pathways from the platform to the surface, since the secondary pathway has to be built anyway then they might as well allow people to use it as an entrance/exit, instead of just in emergencies. The other stations have more useful secondary entrances, due to their respective locations.

 

[smallspy]

Don't think so -- they refer to it as an "entrance", not an emergency exit, and the floorplan shows a fare gateline. (Though yes, I imagine that anyone who knows how many stairs there are will avoid it and use the main entrance.)

Except that because of the topography of the area the secondary entrance is a decent amount - almost 20 feet - closer to the platform depth than the main entrance.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[andrewpmk]

There is talk of automated operation within the tunnel at some point and with trains of 6 cars the speed reductions required would be noticeable. They probably would avoid the Queens Quay design if possible but with the high water table and sharp curve south of the station slowing the speed of the streetcars anyways it probably just didn't make fiscal sense.

If the Eglinton LRT is ever upgraded to full subway specifications (which I suspect it may need to be, 20 years down the road), building proper subway stations is necessary.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Shouldn't it be closer to Caledonia? Or does that not bother anyone else?

I thought that the secondary entrance was so that the elderly at residences near it could access the Caledonia station. But the "passenger circulation" panel shows that the secondary entrance has no elevator, just the main entrance. There are, however, 11 flights of stairs. Some are short, but there had better be a second elevator at the secondary entrance.

In fact, I think that ALL the underground stations (light rail or heavy rail) should have two elevators, in case of maintenance or out-of-service problems.

The station looks fairly deep. No doubt because it is located at the top of the hill going east from Keele Street.

 

[car4041]

Except that because of the topography of the area the secondary entrance is a decent amount - almost 20 feet - closer to the platform depth than the main entrance.

Closer, but still requires climbing 5 storeys worth of stairs. I imagine the escalators and elevator at the main entrance will be much more popular.

(Not saying there's anything wrong with making the second entrance available, just that it's not particularly useful, unless they add an elevator.)

 

[nfitz]

In fact, I think that ALL the underground stations (light rail or heavy rail) should have two elevators, in case of maintenance or out-of-service problems.

I have to agree there. If the things are supposed to be accessible, you need redundancy. We've never designed a station with only a single escalator, with no back-up stairs for those who can walk.

 

[Johnny Au]

Regarding the secondary entrance, there should be an elevator. Buying groceries should not be an endurance event. Good luck carrying many bags of groceries from FreshCo to Caledonia Station and not be exhausted at the station platform.

 

[nfitz]

Regarding the secondary entrance, there should be an elevator. Buying groceries should not be an endurance event. Good luck carrying many bags of groceries from FreshCo to Caledonia Station and not be exhausted at the station platform.

I don't disagree that there shouldn't be an elevator on the secondary exit.

But isn't Freshco a lot closer to, if not adjacent to, the primary entrance?

 

[W. K. Lis]

Who needs a CN Tower to climb steps up, when we will have the secondary entrance at Caledonia for the elderly.

Since Caledonia is on top of a "hill", why don't they just dig a tunnel straight westwards from there. It would eventually pop out at the side of the hill. Actually, it would be a little too long, but they could incline it upward so that there would be less stairs.

 

[Dan416]

I guess they chose that location because they can build the station box there without disrupting the road? I suppose the connection to the shopping centre could be useful, but not if it's just a huge staircase as shown.

If it was instead located east of the GO line, it could have entrances at the GO station and at Caledonia itself, and the Lansdowne bus wouldn't have to make a little jog over to the station and back, which is going to add running time. The station would be more evenly spaced between Keele and Dufferin too. But oh well...I'm sure they considered all of this in their choice.

That sounds like it would have been a better option.

I'm not familiar with the area, I just feel like having the station located at the street it's named for makes sense--unless they plan to change the name of the station to something else.

 

[nfitz]

I'm not familiar with the area, I just feel like having the station located at the street it's named for makes sense--unless they plan to change the name of the station to something else.

It's certainly happened before. Look at Greenwood station.

Easiest thing to do is rename the station, if it's an issue.