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I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but I was on a bus for the first time since Christmas yesterday and noticed that least some of them now have the permanent driver shield installed vs the makeshift one.
Not sure if it was mentioned already, but looks like the Conestoga Mall terminal is getting a reconfig. RFP has been issued.

Trips at the station in 2019 were up to 10,000/day, from 6,000 pre-LRT. The roadway and sidewalk capacity is insufficient, and much more pedestrian thru-traffic exists now due to ION.

Design to consider:

  1. Improvements to the pedestrian amenities/facilities including, sidewalks, crosswalks, street furniture (i.e. benches, trash receptacles, and bicycle parking racks) etc.
  2. Illumination Improvements;
  3. Signage Improvements throughout the station;
  4. Coordination involved as part of potential utility relocations as well as electrical and communications servicing for lighting and bus shelters
  5. Landscape enhancements where feasible;
  6. Couple other things that aren't as important
The 21/31 platform and Ion station are out of scope and will remain as-is.
(02-23-2021, 03:56 PM)Nextasy Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure if it was mentioned already, but looks like the Conestoga Mall terminal is getting a reconfig. RFP has been issued.

Trips at the station in 2019 were up to 10,000/day, from 6,000 pre-LRT. The roadway and sidewalk capacity is insufficient, and much more pedestrian thru-traffic exists now due to ION.

Design to consider:

  1. Improvements to the pedestrian amenities/facilities including, sidewalks, crosswalks, street furniture (i.e. benches, trash receptacles, and bicycle parking racks) etc.
  2. Illumination Improvements;
  3. Signage Improvements throughout the station;
  4. Coordination involved as part of potential utility relocations as well as electrical and communications servicing for lighting and bus shelters
  5. Landscape enhancements where feasible;
  6. Couple other things that aren't as important
The 21/31 platform and Ion station are out of scope and will remain as-is.

Do you have more details on the specific improvements. There are several clear deficiencies (like, should have been career ending for the engineers designing it, deficiencies) in the design of the station. Specifically access to the bus station from the ION station is nearly 150 meters for pedestrians, to cover a distance of only about 50 meters as the crow flies.

And that's leaving aside the unnecessary but intentionally dangerous slip ramp into the mall, that I'm sure is outside the scope of the Bus station, and the lack of a pedestrian crossing across King to provide any access to the businesses on the other side of King. Good God I forgot how pedestrian oppressive that area is.

Fun fact I just realized looking at the map. That station is effectively grade separated. Maybe not a full height but the mall is clearly significantly lower.
(02-23-2021, 03:56 PM)Nextasy Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure if it was mentioned already, but looks like the Conestoga Mall terminal is getting a reconfig. RFP has been issued.

Trips at the station in 2019 were up to 10,000/day, from 6,000 pre-LRT. The roadway and sidewalk capacity is insufficient, and much more pedestrian thru-traffic exists now due to ION.

Is this a regional RFP, for GRT? Or a city RFP, for the sidewalks and roads? I'm not clear whose responsibility this is.
(02-23-2021, 05:49 PM)tomh009 Wrote: [ -> ]
(02-23-2021, 03:56 PM)Nextasy Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure if it was mentioned already, but looks like the Conestoga Mall terminal is getting a reconfig. RFP has been issued.

Trips at the station in 2019 were up to 10,000/day, from 6,000 pre-LRT. The roadway and sidewalk capacity is insufficient, and much more pedestrian thru-traffic exists now due to ION.

Is this a regional RFP, for GRT? Or a city RFP, for the sidewalks and roads? I'm not clear whose responsibility this is.


It's a regional RFP
(02-23-2021, 04:39 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: [ -> ]
(02-23-2021, 03:56 PM)Nextasy Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure if it was mentioned already, but looks like the Conestoga Mall terminal is getting a reconfig. RFP has been issued.

Trips at the station in 2019 were up to 10,000/day, from 6,000 pre-LRT. The roadway and sidewalk capacity is insufficient, and much more pedestrian thru-traffic exists now due to ION.

Design to consider:

  1. Improvements to the pedestrian amenities/facilities including, sidewalks, crosswalks, street furniture (i.e. benches, trash receptacles, and bicycle parking racks) etc.
  2. Illumination Improvements;
  3. Signage Improvements throughout the station;
  4. Coordination involved as part of potential utility relocations as well as electrical and communications servicing for lighting and bus shelters
  5. Landscape enhancements where feasible;
  6. Couple other things that aren't as important
The 21/31 platform and Ion station are out of scope and will remain as-is.

Do you have more details on the specific improvements. There are several clear deficiencies (like, should have been career ending for the engineers designing it, deficiencies) in the design of the station. Specifically access to the bus station from the ION station is nearly 150 meters for pedestrians, to cover a distance of only about 50 meters as the crow flies.

And that's leaving aside the unnecessary but intentionally dangerous slip ramp into the mall, that I'm sure is outside the scope of the Bus station, and the lack of a pedestrian crossing across King to provide any access to the businesses on the other side of King. Good God I forgot how pedestrian oppressive that area is.

Fun fact I just realized looking at the map. That station is effectively grade separated. Maybe not a full height but the mall is clearly significantly lower.

Not more than that for now. I think this is just to get the consultants on board, who will no doubt come up with a more detailed plan. My impression is that there will be a greater emphasis of pedestrian paths through the station, rather than just being a collection of bus bays, but that might be optimistic considering its private land. I'm not even sure this will involve an increased area honestly.
Yeah, I doubt the station's area will change, just the configuration of space within it.
GRT Northfield Facility is really coming along.  Pretty massive building.  This one photo doesn't justify the size of it.

March 6, 2021

[attachment=7634]
(03-16-2021, 01:35 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: [ -> ]More EasyGO billing issues...

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...ansit.html

I would consider it a lack of QA (Quality + Testing). But let's face it. It's really just incompetence at the Management Level for letting this happen. (ie. Lack of resources, propery training,etc)
(03-16-2021, 01:35 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: [ -> ]More EasyGO billing issues...

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...ansit.html
Grr. They owe me $2.96!
The UWaterloo transit station is coming along well. Lots of space for double decker buses under the canopies. I'm not sure how much protection the riders will get from the weather while they wait.
I really hate those modernist, unenclosed designs that are rider-hostile, just so they can also be homeless-hostile.
(03-17-2021, 11:12 AM)Bytor Wrote: [ -> ]I really hate those modernist, unenclosed designs that are rider-hostile, just so they can also be homeless-hostile.

Very much agree. I think my pet peeve about missing porticos may be related.

On campus I happen to think that indoor waiting areas should be built into adjacent campus buildings. Basically just a space off a hallway with a window that looks out where people can see the bus coming far enough away to easily get through the doors to the stop in time.
[attachment=7692]

I think if they really hurry this might be finished this year.