unimaginative2
Senior Member
Thanks for the details, sikandar! This is a very useful project and it's less comically overbuilt (given its length) than the Richmond Hill Centre project. Good to hear about the direct mall connection.
Pickering Pickering GO Pedestrian Bridge | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | AECOM
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ShonTron
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This has great potential. It would be Pickering's signature gateway if built right, considering how most people pass through Pickering on the 401 or on a GO or VIA train rather than circulate through it or have Pickering as their origin or destination. The extension to the mall is brilliant and would finally integrate an important transit point with the artificial city centre (the real 'downtown' Pickering is actually in Ajax, go figure)
I would hope that a GO vending machine, at the very least (and platform/real-time train info display) , would be on the north side of the overhead bridge. A newstand or mall infodesk in Pickering Town Centre could suffice as a GO agency rather than a GO-staffed secondary ticket office.
I would hope that a GO vending machine, at the very least (and platform/real-time train info display) , would be on the north side of the overhead bridge. A newstand or mall infodesk in Pickering Town Centre could suffice as a GO agency rather than a GO-staffed secondary ticket office.
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Mongo
Senior Member
You can blame boundary changes for that. Ironically, the historic "Village of Pickering" is now part of Ajax, after Pickering east of Duffins Creek (Pickering's original central waterway) was transferred to that city.
toto
Active Member
Pedestrian bridge over 401
http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/photogallery.html?dataPath=/photogallery/regions/toronto/gallery_4298/xml/gallery_4298.xml&startImage=1
Just heard this bit of news on CBC this morning. Metrolinx is building a pedestrian bridge over the 401 in Pickering to service the Go Station.
http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/photogallery.html?dataPath=/photogallery/regions/toronto/gallery_4298/xml/gallery_4298.xml&startImage=1
Just heard this bit of news on CBC this morning. Metrolinx is building a pedestrian bridge over the 401 in Pickering to service the Go Station.
taal
Senior Member
Wow, they should consider some moving sidewalks on that beast!
This is great though - I'm surprised they're providing the money for this.
I do wonder though - the idea is about creating connectivity - it's such a long bridge I'm not sure it's really going to encourage that much in the way of increased walking activity ... again moving sidewalk
This is great though - I'm surprised they're providing the money for this.
I do wonder though - the idea is about creating connectivity - it's such a long bridge I'm not sure it's really going to encourage that much in the way of increased walking activity ... again moving sidewalk
guste
New Member
I'm surprised that no one has posted a picture of the construction so far... I mean the exterior of the building is done and they've started preliminary construction on the bridge. I'll see if I can't get a few pictures up this weekend, although I have no plans to drag my camera along. These will just be cell phone pictures.
sikandar
Active Member
Wow, spectacular design!
Although stated as a motive for building this bridge, I don't think it will do much to connect south Pickering to the downtown core per se, unless/until they turn those commercial units on the east side of the GO Station into condos, which suddenly makes a lot of sense.
What will provide the vast majority of foot traffic on this bridge will be
a) the employees of the office buildings and mall it's connecting to
b) GO passengers parking at those 500 spaces on the north side
c) people being picked/dropped at the GO Station. For those in north Pickering (like me) it is MUCH more appealing being able to pick/drop from the north side without having to go into south Pickering. On an average trip it saves me over 2km and 10 minutes total. If Pickering Transit changes their routes to end on the north side, it would also save an incredible amount of fuel and emissions.
d) Pickering Town Centre shoppers, especially in the warmer months
The bridge is long, but since it drops passengers off directly onto the platform, the total walking distance from car-to-platform could actually be shorter than if you parked in the current lot. Not to mention your car (and you) are completely enclosed now.. I have a feeling the north lot will be used to capacity almost immediately.
Although stated as a motive for building this bridge, I don't think it will do much to connect south Pickering to the downtown core per se, unless/until they turn those commercial units on the east side of the GO Station into condos, which suddenly makes a lot of sense.
What will provide the vast majority of foot traffic on this bridge will be
a) the employees of the office buildings and mall it's connecting to
b) GO passengers parking at those 500 spaces on the north side
c) people being picked/dropped at the GO Station. For those in north Pickering (like me) it is MUCH more appealing being able to pick/drop from the north side without having to go into south Pickering. On an average trip it saves me over 2km and 10 minutes total. If Pickering Transit changes their routes to end on the north side, it would also save an incredible amount of fuel and emissions.
d) Pickering Town Centre shoppers, especially in the warmer months
The bridge is long, but since it drops passengers off directly onto the platform, the total walking distance from car-to-platform could actually be shorter than if you parked in the current lot. Not to mention your car (and you) are completely enclosed now.. I have a feeling the north lot will be used to capacity almost immediately.
guste
New Member
I'm a bit late, but as promised, this threads first real (middling cell phone quality, unfortunately) pictures:
Southwest angle: It's hard to see in this pic, but the west facade of the building has a bowtie-like indent.
South facade:
This is where the southern end of the bridge will start:
Southwest angle: It's hard to see in this pic, but the west facade of the building has a bowtie-like indent.
South facade:
This is where the southern end of the bridge will start:
sikandar
Active Member
Pickering Bridge renderings
Some renderings taken from the CBC link:
Some renderings taken from the CBC link:
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
My question is....when will those sleek GO Trains arrive?
Red October
Senior Member
It looks like a giant snake (probably the point).
Quite the thing for people afraid of snakes to be driving under!
Quite the thing for people afraid of snakes to be driving under!
If this frightens ophidiophobes, I wouldn't want them on the road anyway.
(This won't frighten ophidiophobes.)
42
(This won't frighten ophidiophobes.)
42
landscapeurbanismTO
New Member
It's a great attempt to connect the two sides but the bridge is quite boring, the curvy perforated sheet metal looks like an after thought add-on on a square rigid frame. The design would have been better if the bridge wasn't straight but perhaps with a slight meander to give a bit more fluidity.
junctionist
Senior Member
I like it. The screen makes the otherwise mundane box-truss more interesting and the lighting looks great. This bridge may be a benchmark to measure the CityPlace bridge.
FAC33
Active Member
Not to mention the current lot is actually two lots and is overtaxed as it is. If you don't take an early train, you're parking in another postal code farther east. I can imagine this will be quite popular.
Now, if we can just get moving on the parking hell that is the Ajax lot....