News   Apr 24, 2024
 689     1 
News   Apr 24, 2024
 891     1 
News   Apr 24, 2024
 559     0 

Toronto Pearson International Airport

They have signage saying you can sit there and don't have to buy food/drinks!

I find the ipads glitchy but am happy to use the free wifi and chargers on my own device!

C'mon we all know how the herd mentality works. I don't think it takes much of a stretch to see the psychology of seeing a table with a bunch of tablets and sub consciously looking for an alternate place to sit, even if there is a sign saying you can sit.

It was such a big mistake for the GTAA to put these tablets and restaurants around the outer perimeter of the terminal. This is where people should be able to sit close to their gate and wait for boarding, not dodge diners etc.
 
The new document isn't due until (end of?) December.

I asked about the date discrepancy between the banner page and the actual content. I received back what looks like a form letter on the overall process.

cleardot.gif

Dear Rod Taylor,
Thank you for your interest in Toronto Pearson.

Toronto Pearson’s 2017-2037 Master Plan is a planning document that outlines how the airport will respond to growth over a 20 year timeframe. The formal planning document is submitted to the Minister of Transport for the Government of Canada every 10 years with the next submission due in December 2017. However, key components of the Master Plan – the land use plan, noise management programs, and key initiatives to accommodate regional growth, such as ground transportation and collaboration with other airports – are the focus of ongoing consultation. Information about these initiatives can be found at torontopearson.com under the “About Pearson” tab.

Throughout the summer, the GTAA hosted five public workshops in the surrounding communities of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville and North York, attended by 535 residents. Attendees were asked to help shape the airport’s growth plan, as well as our approach to managing and mitigating noise. At the workshops, Toronto Pearson presented the key components of this Master Plan, including demand forecasts to 2037, the land use plan and key initiatives to accommodate regional growth, including the Southern Ontario Airports Network (SOAN) and the planned regional transit centre on airport property. Following that the presentation, attendees participated in facilitated conversations to provide feedback on key questions relevant to the development of the Master Plan.

To see the slide deck presented to these groups, as well as feedback summaries, visit: https://torontopearson.com/conversations/#
More information on the regional transit centre and SOAN can be found here: https://www.torontopearson.com/regionalgrowth/#
We hope that you find this information helpful.

Kind regards,

Sarah, Senior Representative Customer Service
Greater Toronto Airports Authority | Customer & Terminal Services
P.O. Box 6031, 3111 Convair Drive, Toronto AMF, Ontario, L5P 1B2
www.TorontoPearson.com
 
The rendering of the airport looks clearer than I've seen before. Though still not clear where the expressway could be vanishing too - and how can a GO line be running along it - on the wrong side of the highway to access the transit. Also, it doesn't match the plan-view shown - seems like an early concept, and they keep including it because it looks cool, not because it is current.

Here's the plan view. I haven't seen this before. So many questions. Given the figure is called "Regional Transit Centre and New Terminal Project Site, presumably the new terminal is the replacement for the currently Terminal 3 satellite (gates B1 to B5).

Those walkways/etc. from the new hub to the gates, now appear to be tunnel. I'm not sure what the plans are, parked along Airport Road and along (uh, under) Silver Dart. Is that just parking? Or is there a long-term plan to put gates along there as well.

So many questions. Particularly, why start the new T1, with a long term plan to extend it, and extend towards/include T1, and then make much of that redundant? It looks like a decent-enough plan, but starting again, is going to cost - and while it's all nice, they've got this massive revenue stream from the airport charges - would we be better off using the existing facilities and having lower charges. Part of me feels this looks like the existing staff trying to justify their existence - which may not be necessary as expansion and renovations end.

You could still have the transit-hub concept - and simply use it to shuttle people into the existing terminals, etc. Though give that the hub would include the location of the existing Viscount station, that's likely still part of the initial phase. Ah, yes, page 23 "transfer to existing LINK train". "LINK train, Viscount Parking Garage, and ALT Hotel are still operational.

I suppose the key question, is what is the entire initial configuration, and what is the time frame/configuration/capacity for the in-between and ultimate phases.

upload_2017-10-12_5-54-17.png
 

Attachments

  • upload_2017-10-12_5-54-17.png
    upload_2017-10-12_5-54-17.png
    645 KB · Views: 2,646
Pearson wants to handle 80 million pax a year by 2031. The current terminal layout (with all expansions) won't get you there. By eliminating landside roads/parking and moving processor functions to the new building - you open up the existing terminals for passenger functions (retail, seating, entertainment, etc) - and you get dozens of new widebody gates without having to build expensive super structures. Remember, demolishing and renovating is a lot cheaper than building.
 
Ugh. I can't believe they are going through with this plan... It will be an interesting 2 decades.

I just don't understand why they wouldn't continue with the current T1 expansion as initially planned. Connect the the two terminals. AND then build the passenger processing terminal.

And what is with the aircraft parked facing airport rd. Are people going to board from the sidewalk? I mean I get that it's a concept but did they just decide "Let's throw a few more aircraft over here. Who cares if it makes no sense." "you get an aircraft and you get an aircraft, and you get an aircraft!"
 
Last edited:
I am also assuming and hoping there's a people mover built in there. That'll be a lot of walking from the new processor building to any of the far flung gates.
 
The rendering of the airport looks clearer than I've seen before. Though still not clear where the expressway could be vanishing too - and how can a GO line be running along it - on the wrong side of the highway to access the transit. Also, it doesn't match the plan-view shown - seems like an early concept, and they keep including it because it looks cool, not because it is current.

Here's the plan view. I haven't seen this before. So many questions. Given the figure is called "Regional Transit Centre and New Terminal Project Site, presumably the new terminal is the replacement for the currently Terminal 3 satellite (gates B1 to B5).

Those walkways/etc. from the new hub to the gates, now appear to be tunnel. I'm not sure what the plans are, parked along Airport Road and along (uh, under) Silver Dart. Is that just parking? Or is there a long-term plan to put gates along there as well.

So many questions. Particularly, why start the new T1, with a long term plan to extend it, and extend towards/include T1, and then make much of that redundant? It looks like a decent-enough plan, but starting again, is going to cost - and while it's all nice, they've got this massive revenue stream from the airport charges - would we be better off using the existing facilities and having lower charges. Part of me feels this looks like the existing staff trying to justify their existence - which may not be necessary as expansion and renovations end.

You could still have the transit-hub concept - and simply use it to shuttle people into the existing terminals, etc. Though give that the hub would include the location of the existing Viscount station, that's likely still part of the initial phase. Ah, yes, page 23 "transfer to existing LINK train". "LINK train, Viscount Parking Garage, and ALT Hotel are still operational.

I suppose the key question, is what is the entire initial configuration, and what is the time frame/configuration/capacity for the in-between and ultimate phases.

View attachment 124026
I agree with what you said. Entire plan fails to explain what happens to expensive T1, T3 and long-term parking garages and the 2 hotels (T3 hotel and ALT hotel). No matter how good the transit system is, there would be people who still need to drive and park somewhere. The infrastructure they propose to demolish is only 10 (long term parking, ALT hotel, T1 parking) to 25 (T3 garage and hotel) years old.

Also, imagine the distances people will have to walk from the transit terminal to the processing facilities to the actual gates. Even if there some sort of underground train, it would still require a lot of walking. It maybe fine for most people, but there are a lot of people with mobility issues.

Entire project looks like a fantasy created to justify existence of a few people.

There are large parcels of land currently being used as surface parking lots right near the airport (including lands near long-term parking garage). Instead of demolishing everything, why not use that instead for a transit facilities. Add piers and expand central processing facilities as was initially planed in 2008 Master Plan. They also have infield terminal that has been sitting dormant. It could be rebuilt to add more gates. According to their own 2008 Master Plan, just adding Pier G and H should take them to 54 mln capacity. Removing current T3, and expanding T1 would take them well past 80mln. Runway system (even with proposed expansion) cannot support more than that according to their own reports.
 
Personally, I would oppose turning the terminals into islands because that would be extremely expensive to do and it will require complicated construction process. Also when being constructed, it's impossible to get to the airport.

Process of construction seems far more straight forward than when they built T1. Building T1 required building new facilities for nearly every aspect of support operations to make room to build the terminal. They moved fuel storage, fire station, de-icing facilities, changing taxi configuration twice, etc.

1. Build new transit terminal (with security/customs), parking, and bridges to existing terminals.
2. Remove pre-existing streets/parking and convert to gates.


The alternative for handling that capacity is building Pickering Airport and splitting operations between the 2 locations.
 
There are large parcels of land currently being used as surface parking lots right near the airport (including lands near long-term parking garage). Instead of demolishing everything, why not use that instead for a transit facilities.

Perhaps the answer to that would become clearer if a title search was conducted......it is difficult in this country to build stuff on land you don't own. ;)
 

Back
Top