khris
Senior Member
That's what I thought too, but maybe only until they move construction of the west side of Union over to the current GO area?
Toronto Union Subway Station: Second Platform and Concourse Improvements | ?m | ?s | TTC | IBI Group
drum118
Superstar
These are temporary stairs until the east concourse gets rebuilt.
They will replace the current entrance to the east while that area gets redevelop to the correct elevation for the new concourse that will not be ready until 2015.
raptor
Senior Member
According to this presentation (Page 7):
https://www.ttc.ca/PDF/About_the_TTC/Union_Subway_Station/Union_Subway_Station_Presentation_March_4_2011.pdf
The staircase is permanent.
nfitz
Superstar
It's permanent assuming that Union Station isn't rebuilt, surely ... it doesn't seem to show on the Union Station renders.
CDL.TO
Moderator
The stairs are temporary. The new lower level (shopping concourse) at Union will be at the same level as the subway concourse.
I used those stairs a couple weeks ago to get from the GO concourse out to the intersection of Bay and Front. The stairs that I would have normally used (right inside the doors to the Union Subway station, then to the right) were closed off. The stairs were metal, and looked and sounded like high school stadium bleachers, haha. They're most definitely temporary.
CDL.TO
Moderator
The discussion is about the cement stairs between GO Concourse and TTC concourse levels. Not the metal stairs between GO Councourse and street levels.
nfitz
Superstar
Though I do have to scratch my head why we are building temporary stairs out of concrete. I'm sure it was this way in the TTC plans, simply because there was no guarantee when the design was done, that anything would happen at Union Station. But if they aren't going to be there long, why pour concrete?
DSC
Superstar
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They do look VERY sturdy for temporary stairs and have rather nice handrails too. bOf course this is a VERY heavy traffic area and I assume that they will be there for over a year.
drum118
Superstar
The metal stairs are temporary until the Front St sidewalk is reopen.
There is a new concrete stair from Front St to the new concourse that will replace the current one and will remain just like the one it replace now to the west.
The new concrete stairs from the current level to the new platform concourse level are temporary due to safety issues. Once the east side currently being used is rebuilt along with the new station concourse, the temporary concrete stair will be remove and the whole area will be lower to match the new lower level. It also has to be done to deal with the accessibility issues that currently exist now and before the construction started.
There is a new concrete stair from Front St to the new concourse that will replace the current one and will remain just like the one it replace now to the west.
The new concrete stairs from the current level to the new platform concourse level are temporary due to safety issues. Once the east side currently being used is rebuilt along with the new station concourse, the temporary concrete stair will be remove and the whole area will be lower to match the new lower level. It also has to be done to deal with the accessibility issues that currently exist now and before the construction started.
nfitz
Superstar
In the moat? I don't see this on the renders for city's Union Station revitalization project.
Also go to the page with the videos - http://www.toronto.ca/union_station/video.htm
If you go to the bottom video, and play the first 20-25 seconds .... there are no stairs visible (though I'm not sure why this doesn't show a roof on the moat, while the static image above from the same site shows a roof.
drum118
Superstar
In the moat? I don't see this on the renders for city's Union Station revitalization project.
Also go to the page with the videos - http://www.toronto.ca/union_station/video.htm
If you go to the bottom video, and play the first 20-25 seconds .... there are no stairs visible (though I'm not sure why this doesn't show a roof on the moat, while the static image above from the same site shows a roof.
That can't happen until the current GO concourse is lower so it will match the new TTC one.
Once the west concourse opens up either is fall or early 2014, the current access and concourse will be close off to drop it to the new lower level.
Come 2016 when the east concourse is put back into service, those stairs and the moat area will be remove so that area will match the rest of the site at the lower level.
Its extra work and money to do this, but there is no way you can do it with out closing the current area off for 3 years as well TTC Union Station. Its acts as a bypass.
nfitz
Superstar
Agreed.
But if only for 3 years (or perhaps even 1 year until this area is closed for the Bay Concourse construction), why pour concrete steps, rather than just using steel and wood?
drum118
Superstar
Safety