King-Victoria Transit Hub

[Spokes]

I think a street wall along King might be tough due to the grade separation. Depending on how you do it of course.

[Square]

Thank you for the replies. I thought it had something to do with the ground? Was Kitchener a swamp long time ago? I guess I'm jealous of Waterloo with all the 25 story buildings ,lol

[DHLawrence]

Looks like we might be up to a full eight VIA trains a day again soon.

Via Rail eyeing morning train from Toronto to Waterloo Region

Via Rail is considering a morning train from Toronto to Waterloo Region, according to Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, Via's president and CEO.

The news comes after Via announced it would add a new weekday train from Stratford to Toronto leaving at 6:30 a.m. and another train departing from Toronto's Union Station at 4:30 p.m.

"Obviously one of the big issues for us here in Waterloo Region is to also see a commuter train coming in from Toronto in the mornings, and that's something we continue to advocate strongly for," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. 'If you look at the numbers we have essentially about the same number of people commuting into Waterloo Region from the GTA as we do have commuting into the GTA area."

Combined with the two GO trains, KW will now have five trains a day in each direction. Still a far cry from the twenty we were supposed to have by now, but we're on our way.

Don't know if it's been asked but will the Stratford train lay over there or will it deadhead from London?

Interesting news elsewhere in the corridor; according to Blackburn News, Sarnia will be gaining a new train to Toronto via the south mainline and "two-car commuter trains running between Windsor, London and Sarnia." What do you think, RDCs coming back from the dead or new builds?

[ijmorlan]

In June 2012 three proposed concepts were put forth:

And none of them feature a weather-free transfer between the LRT and the mainline train platform. I don’t expect every building within 100m of the LRT to be linked to a fully-enclosed LRT station but not to take the opportunity of building a new LRT line and a new transit hub at the same time with fully protected links between the different modes simply makes no sense.

[Drake]

In June 2012 three proposed concepts were put forth:

And none of them feature a weather-free transfer between the LRT and the mainline train platform. I don’t expect every building within 100m of the LRT to be linked to a fully-enclosed LRT station but not to take the opportunity of building a new LRT line and a new transit hub at the same time with fully protected links between the different modes simply makes no sense.

+1

[Canard]

And none of them feature a weather-free transfer between the LRT and the mainline train platform. I don’t expect every building within 100m of the LRT to be linked to a fully-enclosed LRT station but not to take the opportunity of building a new LRT line and a new transit hub at the same time with fully protected links between the different modes simply makes no sense.

I don't think that's correct. I distinctly remember seeing plans that showed the platforms extending over top of King (trains would actually stop over top of King, on the overpass), and there were steps down to the platforms which are under the overpass. So you'd be completely sheltered the entire time you walked off of one vehicle and onto another.

[mpd618]

Don't know if it's been asked but will the Stratford train lay over there or will it deadhead from London?

Layover in Stratford is the plan:

He said a number of details still need to be worked out, including obtaining permission to park the train in the Stratford rail yard overnight, securing the equipment, and co-ordinating access to the tracks between here and Toronto with freight operators.

[notmyfriends]

No matter the option, they are going to front Victoria very nicely... and really make the Kaufman parking lot look like such a waste...

[white_brian]

I prefer the look of the first two towers in option three but I would like to see 4 towers total. The offset of the first two towers is what I like best.

[ijmorlan]

And none of them feature a weather-free transfer between the LRT and the mainline train platform. I don’t expect every building within 100m of the LRT to be linked to a fully-enclosed LRT station but not to take the opportunity of building a new LRT line and a new transit hub at the same time with fully protected links between the different modes simply makes no sense.

I don't think that's correct. I distinctly remember seeing plans that showed the platforms extending over top of King (trains would actually stop over top of King, on the overpass), and there were steps down to the platforms which are under the overpass.  So you'd be completely sheltered the entire time you walked off of one vehicle and onto another.

I hope you’re right. I agree about the mainline platforms and their accesses, and suspect that I’ve seen the same tentative plans you have. However, if you look at where the apparent LRT shelters are in the renderings titled “Concept 1” (and 2, 3, and in the larger ground-level view below those renderings), they look to me like they are South/East of the actual grade separation. Fixing this might be as simple as having the LRT stop under the bridge (although I’m not sure if the bridge itself is wide enough; some dedicated LRT shelter structure might still be needed to extend the full length of the vehicles).

[Spokes]

In June 2012 three proposed concepts were put forth:

And none of them feature a weather-free transfer between the LRT and the mainline train platform. I don’t expect every building within 100m of the LRT to be linked to a fully-enclosed LRT station but not to take the opportunity of building a new LRT line and a new transit hub at the same time with fully protected links between the different modes simply makes no sense.

I never really thought about it that way, but you're right.  And it does make no sense.

[chutten]

And none of them feature a weather-free transfer between the LRT and the mainline train platform. I don’t expect every building within 100m of the LRT to be linked to a fully-enclosed LRT station but not to take the opportunity of building a new LRT line and a new transit hub at the same time with fully protected links between the different modes simply makes no sense.

I never really thought about it that way, but you're right.  And it does make no sense.

I imagine there'll be a hub-and-spoke semi-covered approach similar to the Charles St terminal's pedestrian overpass. There's certainly not been a lot of attention paid to winter weather in previous designs, so why start now simply because the proposed building would create higher wind conditions?

[nms]

Does anyone know the reasons that Kitchener doesn't have buildings higher than 19 stories?

This is just a speculation, but another limiting factor could be what, if any, expertise the local fire department has in high-level firefighting.

On the subject of what the station looks like, I would prefer something that looks like a station at the ground level rather than an office or residential building with some doors on the side leading to a station.

[chutten]

On the subject of what the station looks like, I would prefer something that looks like a station at the ground level rather than an office or residential building with some doors on the side leading to a station.

This. Very this.

Though I wonder what a station _should_ look like. In the LRT's favour is that the rails are above-ground, so there'll be obvious surface-level train stuff happening. The CN lines will be even higher up, lending at least a note of 'What is that?' if not confirmation that it is a train station. (Subway stations are difficult to spot, even if you know how to recognize the TTC's heraldry or the opening maws of the Paris Metro.)

[tomh009]

On the subject of what the station looks like, I would prefer something that looks like a station at the ground level rather than an office or residential building with some doors on the side leading to a station.

You would not like most Tokyo train stations.