Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

[rbt]

I don't even want it to be finished....it'll be weird at this point.

Most major stations like Union are never finished; merely between phases.

Next up is platform restructuring and electrification of the corridor.

 

[nfitz]

No pissers, temporary shed building, unfinished additions for a decade, bottleneck underpass? We don't need another one, though they'd make nice bookends to the perpetual construction in between.

Even before the Ontario Line, the plans for Exhibition were to add 2 extra tunnels; and there'll be a washroom somewhere, as the Ontario Line terminus.

We haven't seen detailed station designs for either location. I expect at the end of the day, they'll be relatively equivalent.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Hey Sunrise, you're a handy fella; and it turns out no matter how much the City forks over, we can't seem to get Union done.

Why don't you pitch to the City to assume the contract.

No, no consortium, just you.

At triple your normal rate, you'd still be 95% cheaper than past contractors; and bonus...........there's a good chance you'd finish something in the next year.

Pretty sure that's bonus territory. (err, a change order, since the original tender won't actually require that you to finish anything)

Doubt you'd need any help, but on the off chance, it would surely just be for physical labour...........so you could partner with a gym, take 3/4 of the monthly fee and just give someone a workout moving stuff where you need it!

Sounds legit! My hourly rate is only 170$ which is probably a bargain when it comes to public works projects which I know are always overpriced.

The thing is, I don't want it to be finished.

I'd rather be hired to destroy the Gardiner....and that I'd do gratis!

 

[SunriseChampion]

Even before the Ontario Line, the plans for Exhibition were to add 2 extra tunnels; and there'll be a washroom somewhere, as the Ontario Line terminus.

I know and that's my point....I've been dealing with an incomplete/UC/wank/bottleneck tunnel Exhibition Station for 14 years.

 

[DSC]

In December I reported that I had written to Mayor about the damned Jersey Barriers at Union. They forwarded it to 311 for Transportation and (after asking what was happening) I got this reply today:

"Notes on file state the following - Inspection Notes: There is no short term plan to remove the barriers for now. However the City does have a a plan to revitalize the front of Union Station and this section of Front St. No further information is available at this time."

What a useless lot! Though I really doubt they are necessary at all, I understand why barriers of some kind are there but most civilised places use large planters or heavy benches or ??? Jersey barriers are really so ugly and NOT hard to replace. Anyone want to email the Mayor, again. Mayor Tory <Mayor_Tory@toronto.ca>

There is some $$ in 2021 budget for 'improvements' but .....

 

[Northern Light]

In December I reported that I had written to Mayor about the damned Jersey Barriers at Union. They forwarded it to 311 for Transportation and (after asking what was happening) I got this reply today:

"Notes on file state the following - Inspection Notes: There is no short term plan to remove the barriers for now. However the City does have a a plan to revitalize the front of Union Station and this section of Front St. No further information is available at this time."

What a useless lot! Though I really doubt they are necessary at all, I understand why barriers of some kind are there but most civilised places use large planters or heavy benches or ??? Jersey barriers are really so ugly and NOT hard to replace. Anyone want to email the Mayor, again. Mayor Tory <Mayor_Tory@toronto.ca>

There is some $$ in 2021 budget for 'improvements' but .....

Good effort @DSC

How Frustrating!

 

[Amare]

In December I reported that I had written to Mayor about the damned Jersey Barriers at Union. They forwarded it to 311 for Transportation and (after asking what was happening) I got this reply today:

"Notes on file state the following - Inspection Notes: There is no short term plan to remove the barriers for now. However the City does have a a plan to revitalize the front of Union Station and this section of Front St. No further information is available at this time."

What a useless lot! Though I really doubt they are necessary at all, I understand why barriers of some kind are there but most civilised places use large planters or heavy benches or ??? Jersey barriers are really so ugly and NOT hard to replace. Anyone want to email the Mayor, again. Mayor Tory <Mayor_Tory@toronto.ca>

There is some $$ in 2021 budget for 'improvements' but .....

Typical Toronto bureaucracy. To get a permanent solution for something as simple as replacing jersey barriers takes years, if not decades. Meanwhile places such a London UK apply permanent changes in less than 6 months.

Toronto governmental affairs is a clown show.

 

[nfitz]

Typical Toronto bureaucracy. To get a permanent solution for something as simple as replacing jersey barriers takes years, if not decades. Meanwhile places such a London UK apply permanent changes in less than 6 months.

Toronto governmental affairs is a clown show.

Not defending Toronto ... but I always felt capital works in the UK seem glacial, even for minor projects, compared to Ontario. I drove past one project for years ... and in the end, it was only an electronic information sign beside the motorway for traffic. But somehow this involved earthworks, retaining walls ... and years.

At the same time, I can see why there is little desire to fix this, given the current pedestrian restrictions with the pandemic, and the ongoing Union Station construction.

 

[Amare]

Not defending Toronto ... but I always felt capital works in the UK seem glacial, even for minor projects, compared to Ontario. I drove past one project for years ... and in the end, it was only an electronic information sign beside the motorway for traffic. But somehow this involved earthworks, retaining walls ... and years.

At the same time, I can see why there is little desire to fix this, given the current pedestrian restrictions with the pandemic, and the ongoing Union Station construction.

I cant comment on all of the capital infrastructure affairs in the UK, as i'm not privy to them.

But with respect to the issue of simple barriers, it's clear which jurisdiction has its house in order on the issue. Toronto is a mess on this matter; the ongoing construction at Union has very little to do with why the city cant replace the barriers with a permanent solution. Nor does the current Covid restrictions. They've had dozens of months to come up with a simple solution, but have failed on every single level imaginable.

It's really not difficult to place a couple dozen of bollards around the station. Only Toronto would find a way of making it seem like it's an impossible endeavor.

 

[Northern Light]

I cant comment on all of the capital infrastructure affairs in the UK, as i'm not privy to them.

But with respect to the issue of simple barriers, it's clear which jurisdiction has its house in order on the issue. Toronto is a mess on this matter; the ongoing construction at Union has very little to do with why the city cant replace the barriers with a permanent solution. Nor does the current Covid restrictions. They've had dozens of months to come up with a simple solution, but have failed on every single level imaginable.

It's really not difficult to place a couple dozen of bollards around the station. Only Toronto would find a way of making it seem like it's an impossible endeavor.

There's no excuse for dilly-dallying by the City on this file.

But don't over-reach.

Toronto is far from the only urban jurisdiction that moves slowly to address needs large and small.

The thing is; it's perfectly possible to accept that others make a hash of this type of thing too; and to equally hold that not one of them is excused for so doing.

 

[allengeorge]

There is no short term plan to remove the barriers for now.

Well - why? What’s involved in this, and what’s so onerous that it takes multiple years to get this fixed? Mark my words: it’ll be a decade after their arrival and we’ll still be complaining about them.

 

[Undead]

Maybe one day our jersey barriers will become another city "landmark" like the Toronto sign

 

[AHK]

Maybe one day our jersey barriers will become another city "landmark" like the Toronto sign

Cue up Heritage Preservation Services....

 

[Northern Light]

Cue up Heritage Preservation Services....

Wait til you find out this idea turns out to be prescient, when the Premier moves to put a building directly over the Union Station moat and Front Street through an MZO; the designation of the Jersey Barriers will thwart his evil plan; when it turns out the province didn't submit a fulsome heritage assessment on them to the City!

 

[Amare]

There's no excuse for dilly-dallying by the City on this file.

But don't over-reach.

Toronto is far from the only urban jurisdiction that moves slowly to address needs large and small.

The thing is; it's perfectly possible to accept that others make a hash of this type of thing too; and to equally hold that not one of them is excused for so doing.

Toronto is far from the only example, but nevertheless it is one of the most prominent examples unfortunately.