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King-Victoria Transit Hub
Was not the Region suppose to update to the public the plans this fall?
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(11-06-2019, 03:24 PM)Square Wrote: Was not the Region suppose to update to the public the plans this fall?

There is still a month and a half left!
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(11-06-2019, 04:06 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
(11-06-2019, 03:24 PM)Square Wrote: Was not the Region suppose to update to the public the plans this fall?

There is still a month and a half left!
Feels like winter to me haha  Big Grin
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Not sure if anyone has seen this. Looks like they have to change the location of the platforms, which will close traffic at duke st. Obviously still very preliminary design, I am not a huge fan of what this transit hub is turning into. I feel like the region is looking too small on this one compared to what they were previously imagining. a large surface parking lot downtown at a major transit hub is a joke.

[attachment=6604]
[attachment=6605]
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(11-29-2019, 10:26 AM)westwardloo Wrote: Not sure if anyone has seen this. Looks like they have to change the location of the platforms, which will close traffic at duke st. Obviously still very preliminary design, I am not a huge fan of what this transit hub is turning into. I feel like the region is looking too small on this one compared to what they were previously imagining. a large surface parking lot downtown at a major transit hub is a joke.

Looks like the platforms (hopefully those are for intercity buses only) actually oppose Waterloo St., not Duke. I am hoping that this design is for the transit portion of the project only, which I think the region is moving forward with on their own. The surface lot already exists.

I'd like to see more detailed plans, a surface lot absolutely should not be part of the long term plans.
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(11-29-2019, 10:36 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(11-29-2019, 10:26 AM)westwardloo Wrote: Not sure if anyone has seen this. Looks like they have to change the location of the platforms, which will close traffic at duke st. Obviously still very preliminary design, I am not a huge fan of what this transit hub is turning into. I feel like the region is looking too small on this one compared to what they were previously imagining. a large surface parking lot downtown at a major transit hub is a joke.

Looks like the platforms (hopefully those are for intercity buses only) actually oppose Waterloo St., not Duke. I am hoping that this design is for the transit portion of the project only, which I think the region is moving forward with on their own. The surface lot already exists.

I'd like to see more detailed plans, a surface lot absolutely should not be part of the long term plans.
Sorry should have attached the Record article. 

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/9744277-waterloo-region-transit-hub-will-force-duke-street-closure/

I
 agree that the surface parking is probably not part of the long term vision. I just feel like if underground parking is not a component of initial plan, inevitable people will complain that parking is being taken away when the parking site is redeveloped.
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According to Google Maps 315m along the track west from the edge of the Duke St. sidewalk is about 1/3 of the way across the King St overpass (about in line with the LRT tracks). The spur that goes through Victoria Park starts 100m further west, so I'm not sure what the trouble is.
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Am I correct in assuming that the render shows a train/transit terminal fronting King St, with the rest of the site left for future development?  I do like the larger plaza that seems to result at King and Victoria.
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(11-29-2019, 12:49 PM)EdM Wrote: According to Google Maps 315m along the track west from the edge of the Duke St. sidewalk is about 1/3 of the way across the King St overpass (about in line with the LRT tracks). The spur that goes through Victoria Park starts 100m further west, so I'm not sure what the trouble is.

Not just that, but previously they clearly showed that the platforms would extend across King St.

It’s bad enough that they botched the Waterloo St. situation so that apparently a tunnel under the tracks connecting the “1 below” level just north of the tracks with ground level just south of the tracks is infeasible, but now they’re proposing to close Duke St. as well?

Although I note that the render doesn’t show any bridge. Are they planning to use only one track initially? For current and even proposed level of service that should be fine — I don’t think there is any live proposal for more than one train per hour — but previously I thought the plan was to have 1 Via track and 2 GO tracks.

One more problem: I see no sign of any sort of cover over the tracks. We need a cover over the tracks more than a fancy-looking terminal building as shown in the renders. A ticket booth or whatever can be tucked in under the cover.
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(11-29-2019, 01:18 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: Although I note that the render doesn’t show any bridge. Are they planning to use only one track initially? For current and even proposed level of service that should be fine — I don’t think there is any live proposal for more than one train per hour — but previously I thought the plan was to have 1 Via track and 2 GO tracks.

Even super tiny Swiss stations have 3 platforms... yet here we are.
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As someone who lives in the hood I posted to a local exchange but I think wanted to reiterate it here. The closure of Duke is a good thing for here. As long as pedestrian access is maintained (it basically has to be as the platform is double sided), this is a net benefit to the neighbourhood helping to close another through traffic loop.
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I agree that the Region piecing out this project, and doing a two platform station is so underwhelming. We need to make this a landmark facility that we can be proud of, think big !!!
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(11-29-2019, 01:18 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: Not just that, but previously they clearly showed that the platforms would extend across King St.

It’s bad enough that they botched the Waterloo St. situation so that apparently a tunnel under the tracks connecting the “1 below” level just north of the tracks with ground level just south of the tracks is infeasible, but now they’re proposing to close Duke St. as well?

Although I note that the render doesn’t show any bridge. Are they planning to use only one track initially? For current and even proposed level of service that should be fine — I don’t think there is any live proposal for more than one train per hour — but previously I thought the plan was to have 1 Via track and 2 GO tracks.

One more problem: I see no sign of any sort of cover over the tracks. We need a cover over the tracks more than a fancy-looking terminal building as shown in the renders. A ticket booth or whatever can be tucked in under the cover.
I have to agree the track should be covered. This is a great opportunity for region to be bold and make a further statement that we take transit infrastructure seriously.  I would rather this project be delayed by a couple years and the region come up with something that will be future proofed. 

The platform should also be over top of the king st overpass to accommodate the LRT in both directions. 

I feel like region is really dumbing down their vision for this site from the original plan. Does anyone have any more detail as to why the region decided to build the hub on its own? 

I will say i like the idea of a public square in front of the station.
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Wasn't the whole point of building the King St overpass the way it was built so that it could function as the station platform? They put all that money into building it as the station platform, and are now deciding, "actually, let's move it 10 metres to the right for no discernable reason. That way, all the money we spent on a new platform was wasted, and we will be able to create something much less convenient and higher cost"

What the hell?
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(11-29-2019, 01:18 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: It’s bad enough that they botched the Waterloo St. situation so that apparently a tunnel under the tracks connecting the “1 below” level just north of the tracks with ground level just south of the tracks is infeasible, but now they’re proposing to close Duke St. as well?

Part of the botch on Waterloo St was allowing Grandlinq to put the TPSS there instead of across King as originally specified; the part that doesn't have the TPSS on it has electrical vaults under it. The other part — assuming no TPSS — was not putting in concrete box culverts before piliing the new tracks on top.
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