Kitchener King Victoria Transit Hub | ?m | 2s | Metrolinx | WZMH

[timio]

You read my mind! Was going to write some questions. haha
It doesn't seem like there is a crosswalk for the SB iON platforms which makes the walk to it longer than people would find acceptable. I see many people jaywalking as soon as they get down the stairs. It would be cool if they added a small pedestrian bridge over the road and down to the platform.

The SB Ion will be accessible by a bridge to be built alongside the rail overpass. The north platform will be accessible through a tunnel at Waterloo Street.

Source: site plan / traffic flow in the drawing package: https://www.engagewr.ca/king-victoria-transit-hub

 

[awaterwell]

Waterloo Region takes step towards closing Duke Street for transit hub

Permanent closure of street needed to accommodate 12-car GO trains

www.therecord.com

Highlights:

• A section of Duke St. will be transferred to the Region in anticipation of its eventual closure to motor traffic
• Metrolinx will put the new GO/VIA platforms out for tender this fall, start construction in spring, and open in summer 2023 (supposedly)
• Construction of "the rest of the transit hub" awaits funding

Full article text:

KITCHENER — Regional council took steps Wednesday that will lead to the permanent closure of a part of Duke Street near the future King Victoria Transit Hub.

The transit hub will be a central location to catch the LRT, Grand River Transit, intercity buses, GO and Via trains.

Metrolinx is moving ahead with its plans to move the GO train platform from the current train station at Weber Street to the new transit hub, as part of a larger project to implement two-way, all-day GO service between Kitchener and Toronto.

But GO trains, which are typically 12 cars long, need a platform 315 metres long. The only way to accommodate a platform that long is to have it extend across Duke Street, necessitating the closure of Duke Street. Extending the platform the other way, across King Street, would require the relocation of a spur line and the expropriation of several properties.

Regional council voted Wednesday for a short section of Duke Street, between the CN Rail tracks and Victoria Street, to be transferred from the City of Kitchener to the Region, with the aim of eventually closing that section.

Two other streets in the area, Ahrens and Waterloo streets, are already closed, and left turns are limited on King.

Residents have told regional officials at public meetings that they worry closing off a third street at the tracks will clog other nearby streets, and push more traffic onto Wellington Street, which has access to the expressway. They fear congestion will only worsen as several large developments such as the Google expansion and the multi-tower Station Park condo project come on-stream.

But regional official say a traffic study has determined there is enough capacity on nearby roads to carry traffic diverted by the Duke closure.

The closure won’t affect bike traffic or walkers. Maintaining convenient pedestrian and cycling access between the Breithaupt neighbourhood and downtown is “critical,” officials say, and the transit hub’s design will include a bike and pedestrian corridor, with direct access to the train platforms.

The actual closure of Duke will happen at a later date, after the Region passes a formal bylaw.

Metrolinx will be issuing a tender for construction of the new platforms this fall. Construction is expected to start next spring, with GO trains expected to start using the new platform by the summer of 2023.

Construction of much of the rest of the transit hub is on hold until the Region can line up funding for the $106-million project. The province has agreed to pay $43 million.

https://www.therecord.com/authors.thompson_catherine.html
Catherine Thompson is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on urban affairs for The Record. Reach her via email: cthompson@therecord.com

Not much action, but nice to hear something is happening!

 

[nfitz]

Not much action, but nice to hear something is happening!

Closing Duke from Breithaupt to Victoria was inevitable, once they moved the GO Train platform closer to King. However I'm surprised they want people to walk so far from the terminal, to the Ion LRT on King (Central Station stop). I assume they'd could squeeze it in between King and Waterloo Street, just north of Victoria.

It's fine on Duke for transfers to/from GO, with the length of the GO platform. But most transfers would be to Ion.

 

[reaperexpress]

Closing Duke from Breithaupt to Victoria was inevitable, once they moved the GO Train platform closer to King. However I'm surprised they want people to walk so far from the terminal, to the Ion LRT on King (Central Station stop). I assume they'd could squeeze it in between King and Waterloo Street, just north of Victoria.

It's fine on Duke for transfers to/from GO, with the length of the GO platform. But most transfers would be to Ion.

The original plan was indeed for the platform to stretch west across King Street, with vertical access on both sides of King. In fact they have already built that portion of the platform.

However, according to the report being discussed:

• Following assessment of technical requirements (including rail operations, grade crossing regulation and Transport Canada railway operating rules) and existing site conditions and constraints Metrolinx has determined the only viable relocation option is to shift the platform to the east side of the King Street West Rail Bridge. The typical GO train used along the line is 12 cars long and needs a platform approximately 315 metres long to accommodate access to those cars. By accommodating a platform of that size at the King/Victoria transit hub, the train would extend into the Duke Street right of way, as shown in Appendix B.
• An alternative alignment was considered that could have lessened the impact on Duke Street and would have seen the train pushed beyond King Street. However, locating the platform more westerly would force the realignment of a spur rail line adjacent to Victoria Park, and require property purchases that affect several homes. Ultimately this alternative alignment was screened out through the assessment process.

It's still possible that they may use the already-built platforms as a pedestrian path to access vertical circulation on the west side of King, similarly to how they shifted Milliken Station south compared to the original plans, but still kept the planned access from the north side of the underpass - connected by dual pedestrian bridges extending from the ends of the platforms.

But even then I don't understand why it needs to be shifted completely off the bridge. Surely the alignment on the bridge isn't going to change. Otherwise we'd be talking about how they need to replace a bridge which was built specifically with this station in mind.

If the new platforms were extensions of the existing platforms, a double-headed 12-car train would still probably block Duke Street, but at least the walking distance to the LRT platforms would be reduced, and the passenger distribution would be slightly less imbalanced.

To make matters worse, the locomotives are on the east end of the train, which means that it's the east end that is always used due to the position of the accessibility car (5th from the locomotive). So a 6-car train would only use the eastern half of the platform, nowhere near any of the main entrances.

 

[reaperexpress]

Not much action, but nice to hear something is happening!

Well don't expect much, because the project is on hold due to insufficient funding. They have currently secured $43M from the Province, but that is nowhere near the estimated $106M project cost. They are waiting to hear from an application they submitted to the feds for $73.1M from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

From the linked report:
"As outlined in report COR-FFM-21-04/COR-CFN-21-09 dated February 9, 2021, the overall KVTH Project is currently paused pending funding availability. Metrolinx is committed to moving forward with the work within the adjacent rail corridor to relocate their platform to the KVTH site as a critical part of the Kitchener Line expansion in preparation for two-way all-day GO service. As outlined in Report COR-FFM-21-09 dated June 22, 2021, some elements of the Region’s site design are moving forward in parallel with the Metrolinx design work in order to ensure that site circulation, parking, bus loop and passenger pick up and drop off area are coordinated and can be ready for use when Metrolinx is ready to move to the new platform (expected Summer 2023)."

I'm assuming that the "some elements" are the bare essentials which can fit within the $43M they have already secured.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I imagine the feds will give them the money. The project makes a lot of sense.

 

[reaperexpress]

I imagine the feds will give them the money. The project makes a lot of sense.

Yeah is it's a fantastic and absolutely necessary project in order for AD2W Kitchener service to succeed (and it would be a nice bonus for the LRT too). It's just so frustrating how it's been in and out of limbo for the past decade. If I recall correctly, the original plan was for it to open in 2015 along with the LRT (which itself was somewhat delayed but nowhere near by as much). Now the best-case scenario (time-wise) is that we have a bare platform with a ramp to a bus terminal and a surface parking lot in mid-2023.

 

[emphurent]

The sidewalk on the east side of King is closed, and the retaining wall was moved and dug out to add what seems to be a ramp or stairway, wondering if this has anything to do with a platform entrance on this side.

 

[reaperexpress]

The sidewalk on the east side of King is closed, and the retaining wall was moved and dug out to add what seems to be a ramp or stairway, wondering if this has anything to do with a platform entrance on this side.

That is indeed the location of a ramp up to the multi-use path which will head west along the south side railway, and connect to the south platform of the station via a new pedestrian bridge.

Here's the diagram from the June 2021 project update. Areas highlighted in purple are being built by the Region and areas in yellow are being built by Metrolinx, both with a planned opening date of Summer 2023. Areas highlighted in green are on hold due to lack of funding.

The path is on the left side labeled <5>, and the legend says "Proposed Multi-use trail connection to Iron Horse Trail". It's not highlighted at all, because I think it's being built as a separate project from the station itself. The pedestrian bridge is included in the scope which will be built by the Region for the initial opening.

Sidenote: I still don't get why they're putting the platform so far east, and don't make use of the platform segments which already exist on the King Street overpass. Many trains will likely be 6 cars, which means they won't extend west of Waterloo Street.

 

[smallspy]

Sidenote: I still don't get why they're putting the platform so far east, and don't make use of the platform segments which already exist on the King Street overpass. Many trains will likely be 6 cars, which means they won't extend west of Waterloo Street.

Metrolinx has said that signal sighting will be a concern if they use the entire length of the platform over King Street. The west end of the train will be close enough that reading the signals at Kitchener West will be difficult. This is also why they will be closing the level crossing at Duke.

Dan

 

[innsertnamehere]

Good to see the project moving forward, even if the primary station building won't be at this time. Hopefully funding can be secured soon.

 

[CanadianNational]

Some photos from around the proposed King St. Kitchener terminal site.
1) Looking south, King St. W on the right.
2) Looking north, King St. W on the left, Google Headquarters.
3) From Google Headquarters' west side, looking across railway overpass south down King St. W
4) Looking roughly south from west side of site, with King St. W on the right.
5) Looking east across the site from King St. W
6) Also looking east across the site from King St. W
7) aerial view of the proposed transit terminal lot.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Some photos from around the proposed King St. Kitchener terminal site.
1) Looking south, King St. W on the right.
2) Looking north, King St. W on the left, Google Headquarters.
3) From Google Headquarters' west side, looking across railway overpass south down King St. W
4) Looking roughly south from west side of site, with King St. W on the right.
5) Looking east across the site from King St. W
6) Also looking east across the site from King St. W
7) aerial view of the proposed transit terminal lot.

View attachment 388231View attachment 388232View attachment 388233View attachment 388234View attachment 388235View attachment 388237View attachment 388238

Great shots, thanks for sharing. Now, let’s get the station funded and built! It will really help create a “centre” for Kitchener.

 

[CanadianNational]

Thanks!
It amazes me that the city shuttered the existing, perfectly fine Charles Street terminal, without this one ready to open up.

 

[timio]

Thanks!
It amazes me that the city shuttered the existing, perfectly fine Charles Street terminal, without this one ready to open up.

"Perfectly fine" is open to interpretation.