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+--- Thread: GO Transit (/showthread.php?tid=12)
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RE: GO Transit - KevinL - 03-17-2017
I'm just guessing, but perhaps the new Fountain connection was agreed upon after this Metrolinx report was comissioned, thus it does not include it? In other words, it's still possible it will be built.
RE: GO Transit - nms - 03-17-2017
I did have to chuckle at this line:
Quote:It also factors in the anticipated loss of riders, as some existing upstream riders are anticipated to shift modes due to time travel delay resulting from the introduction of a Breslau Station.
I knew that Waterloo was a hub for theoretical physics research, but I didn't realize that time travel was an option.
I'm not familiar with Breslau (and Woolwich's) plan. What kind of limits are there on it urban boundary? Does it's "Settlement Area Boundary" abut Cambridge's to the south?
As an exercise, I wonder whether they even considered trying to put the station between Fountain and Woolwich Streets, or if that just had too many headaches involved (topography in particular).
RE: GO Transit - jwilliamson - 03-17-2017
It's pretty clear the reason for this station is to provide parking for people getting on the GO train from KW and Guelph. Even in that respect it's a terrible plan. Metrolinx is proposing spending $77 million dollars on capital costs to get 1000 parking spaces. I don't know how much structured parking in downtown Kitchener or Guelph costs, but I'll bet it could be built for less than $77,000/space.
RE: GO Transit - dunkalunk - 03-17-2017
I can understand GO's perceived restriction to a station in Breslau proper because of the massive amount of surface parking required, however there's plenty of space out by Victoria/Lackner for a station and would help solidify the intersection as a transfer node for services to Guelph and the townships. Heck, call it Bingemans and give them free advertising.
RE: GO Transit - darts - 03-18-2017
(03-17-2017, 05:11 PM)jwilliamson Wrote: It's pretty clear the reason for this station is to provide parking for people getting on the GO train from KW and Guelph. Even in that respect it's a terrible plan. Metrolinx is proposing spending $77 million dollars on capital costs to get 1000 parking spaces. I don't know how much structured parking in downtown Kitchener or Guelph costs, but I'll bet it could be built for less than $77,000/space.
Structured parking also has larger operating costs and capital repairs every 15 years, a surface lot is a lot cheaper.
RE: GO Transit - kps - 03-18-2017
(03-17-2017, 05:11 PM)jwilliamson Wrote: It's pretty clear the reason for this station is to provide parking for people getting on the GO train from KW and Guelph. Even in that respect it's a terrible plan.
Yes, it should be adjacent to Fountain, because that's the only road directly connecting to 7N, as well serving YKF and crossing 401 into Cambridge. The more you slow people down with a stupid maze, the more they decide they're better off just staying on the highway.
Second best would be Shantz Station Rd (with the end of Speedsville connected). The could even call it… Shantz Station.
RE: GO Transit - SammyOES2 - 03-18-2017
Greenhouse Road is going to become a major road with the new subdivision. I don't really see the big deal with buses coming down it instead of coming down the other road that the cars come in on. It'll be a trivial difference in time.
There should absolutely be a connection to Fountain street and I suspect it'll be built, although possibly not right away. I believe its ultimately suppose to connect with the Ottawa street extension over the Grand River (which I think is nothing more than a line on a map drawn by a consultant at this point).
Putting it on Shantz Station road would likely require Shantz Station road to be improved/expanded significantly. Not cheap or easy. Putting it next to Fountain isn't really realistic with the terrain/environment. There's also the matter of expropriating land. I believe the proposed location is in the new development land and not on existing agricultural land.
I think the need to have trains slow down between Waterloo/Guelph, is actually really shitty. But I also don't think its a good idea to try to build massive parking in downtown Kitchener or downtown Guelph to handle a big influx of ridership. I suspect there are lots of people willing to do the relatively easy drive to an area with lots of parking that wouldn't be willing to drive downtown to catch the train.
RE: GO Transit - Canard - 03-18-2017
...and that's exactly it. Pick a weekday morning and drive by the GO/VIA station after all 4 morning trains have left. There are cars crammed into every possible space in that tiny, tiny lot - there is nowhere else to go.
So, if you're a commuter to Toronto who was even thinking about taking the GO train... you're not going to do it, because you've got nowhere to park. If you happen to live close enough to walk or bike to the station, that's great - but draw a circle a kilometre or so around the station and that's about as far as people are willing to hike it at 5am, I'd bet.
Now, put a lot and station just East of the city, and suddenly, you can capture thousands of potential riders from the edges of town in all those new big subdivisions. Sure, "we" don't like that kind of development... but it's there, and it exists, and people like living there.
RE: GO Transit - tomh009 - 03-18-2017
(03-18-2017, 02:36 PM)Canard Wrote: So, if you're a commuter to Toronto who was even thinking about taking the GO train... you're not going to do it, because you've got nowhere to park. If you happen to live close enough to walk or bike to the station, that's great - but draw a circle a kilometre or so around the station and that's about as far as people are willing to hike it at 5am, I'd bet.
You do have a point. Now, if we only could get an LRT built in this city, that might make a difference ...
RE: GO Transit - MidTowner - 03-18-2017
Nobody "happens" to live somewhere- they make residential choices, and part of the choice involves the transportation options available. Infrastructure funds should (in part) be spent making the right and efficient choices easier.
The lot at the Via station isn't going to accommodate the commuter traffic generated by four trains (it's also oversubscribed because it's cheap). But we're about to build a new transit hub- it should have parking for people who choose to drive to the train or bus. As jwilliamson pointed out, you can build a fair amount of parking for $77,000,000...without slowing down the service between Kitchener and Guelph.
RE: GO Transit - Canard - 03-18-2017
(03-18-2017, 03:23 PM)MidTowner Wrote: Nobody "happens" to live somewhere
Respectfully 100% disagree. You don't know everyone's personal circumstances.
RE: GO Transit - jamincan - 03-18-2017
I'm not inherently opposed to a station in Breslau, however, it does seem like a missed opportunity because having the Transit Hub be the destination for all GO users would be a boon for development at King and Victoria as that is when a lot of people will opt to do their errands. That said, the station at King & Victoria will be better positioned for most people in Kitchener and Waterloo, so perhaps that opportunity still exists.
RE: GO Transit - darts - 03-18-2017
(03-18-2017, 03:07 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(03-18-2017, 02:36 PM)Canard Wrote: So, if you're a commuter to Toronto who was even thinking about taking the GO train... you're not going to do it, because you've got nowhere to park. If you happen to live close enough to walk or bike to the station, that's great - but draw a circle a kilometre or so around the station and that's about as far as people are willing to hike it at 5am, I'd bet.
You do have a point. Now, if we only could get an LRT built in this city, that might make a difference ...
Doesn't it still take an hour to go from cambridge to charles/via?
RE: GO Transit - tomh009 - 03-18-2017
Sure. But it'll be quite a drive from Cambridge, too -- probably more convenient driving to Milton anyway.
In the downtown-uptown corridor, though, it'll definitely add to the convenience.
RE: GO Transit - SammyOES2 - 03-18-2017
The transit station in Breslau has little overlap with the downtown development imo. They're serving different groups of people with realistically little overlap.
As for 'choosing where to live', we're experiencing large growth in this area and it has to go places. The whole point of building a go station in Breslau is to encourage more sustainable growth in these areas where growth is inevitable.
Note, this is another reason to put the station where it's being proposed instead of on fountain or on Shantz station. It's going to be a lot easier to collect non-drivers from the immediate surrounding sub division that is going to be built.