King-Victoria Transit Hub

[danbrotherston]

Hopefully they at least build a staircase or ramp from the SB iON to the bridge to allow it to be used as  pedestrian bridge to the station...even if its not a platform. This will at least shave a few minutes off the transfer and not require the riders to cross King at grade.

That’s the absolute minimum. Personally, I consider it a travesty if LRT riders, residents of Station Park, or workers at Google have to go outside to get to the trains. But then, I’m just a big technology enthusiast — specifically, the technologies of roofs, walls, windows, and central heating!

I think that's a bit much, you have to go outside at Union Station to get a train, I'd be happy if there was a roof.  But I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't.

I do hope there is a station building however, it's cold in the winter waiting for a train.

[ijmorlan]

That’s the absolute minimum. Personally, I consider it a travesty if LRT riders, residents of Station Park, or workers at Google have to go outside to get to the trains. But then, I’m just a big technology enthusiast — specifically, the technologies of roofs, walls, windows, and central heating!

I think that's a bit much, you have to go outside at Union Station to get a train, I'd be happy if there was a roof.  But I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't.

I do hope there is a station building however, it's cold in the winter waiting for a train.

As to the train platform, I’m OK with what Union Station has for most tracks, which is that they are covered. Expecting a heated train shed (presumably with garage doors at each end that open only when a train is entering or exiting) is going too far, even for me. Although in a new build it might be worth considering platform edge doors. We only need one platform to start, with a second one eventually (at the point where GO service extends west of Kitchener, or where we have GO twice an hour plus some Via service on top of that). Of course making platform edge doors compatible with both GO and Via (both door placement and height) would be challenging…

I’m really talking more about getting from Station Park or Google (or UW Pharmacy, for that matter) to the train station building, where I will fall off my chair if I learn that even a rain-protected covered link (never mind fully enclosed) is to be built. This city simply doesn’t do that; and the only existing such links I know of (two bridges in downtown Kitchener) regularly get slagged as useless and unattractive.

[KevinL]

I don't know of any intercity train station that doesn't have the platforms at least partially open to the elements; even stations in tunnels will lack full temperature control.

But we can give climate control through much of the remaining structure, generally.

[panamaniac]

I think that's a bit much, you have to go outside at Union Station to get a train, I'd be happy if there was a roof.  But I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't.

I do hope there is a station building however, it's cold in the winter waiting for a train.

.....

I’m really talking more about getting from Station Park or Google (or UW Pharmacy, for that matter) to the train station building, where I will fall off my chair if I learn that even a rain-protected covered link (never mind fully enclosed) is to be built. This city simply doesn’t do that; and the only existing such links I know of (two bridges in downtown Kitchener) regularly get slagged as useless and unattractive.

Although that's only because they are ugly and unattractive .... 

[MidTowner]

They really are probably pretty useless, but not because of what they are, but what they're connecting. A struggling shopping centre (or whatever it is now) is not going to generate much foot traffic from a hotel that doesn't seem to be too thriving, either.

I'm not generally a fan of elevated walkways, or subterranean pathway-shopping malls (I am with you 100% on porticos, however). Foot traffic at street level is desirable. That having been said, this seems like a good application for protected walkways.

[panamaniac]

They really are probably pretty useless, but not because of what they are, but what they're connecting. A struggling shopping centre (or whatever it is now) is not going to generate much foot traffic from a hotel that doesn't seem to be too thriving, either.

I'm not generally a fan of elevated walkways, or subterranean pathway-shopping malls (I am with you 100% on porticos, however). Foot traffic at street level is desirable. That having been said, this seems like a good application for protected walkways.

Really?  I hadn't heard that before, although the restaurant seems to have zero buzz.  That overpass has been closed for decades, has it not?

[plam]

Really?  I hadn't heard that before, although the restaurant seems to have zero buzz.  That overpass has been closed for decades, has it not?

Maybe there should be another thread on hotels. Certainly I don't perceive the Crowne Plaza to be a good hotel and the Delta and new Walper renovation have upped the game. There hasn't really been a lot of upscale hotel options in this region in general. Looking at Google there seem to be two price tiers in this market: $150 for the Delta and Walper and $100 for the Inn of Waterloo and Crowne Plaza.

[MidTowner]

They really are probably pretty useless, but not because of what they are, but what they're connecting. A struggling shopping centre (or whatever it is now) is not going to generate much foot traffic from a hotel that doesn't seem to be too thriving, either.

I'm not generally a fan of elevated walkways, or subterranean pathway-shopping malls (I am with you 100% on porticos, however). Foot traffic at street level is desirable. That having been said, this seems like a good application for protected walkways.

Really?  I hadn't heard that before, although the restaurant seems to have zero buzz.  That overpass has been closed for decades, has it not?

I don't know how long it's been closed; I have been in the Delta/Crowne Plaza only a handful of times, and never would have had occasion to use the overpass. My perception of the Crowne Plaza is that it is not hugely busy (this formed from extremely unscientific observations like I never seem to see groups going in and out when I pass by), but I also know from people who sometimes have to put visitors up that it is down on their list of choices.

Anyway, I don't think it's very bold to say that an overpass from Breithaupt Block to the transit hub would generate a lot more traffic than an overpass between the hotel and Market Square is ever likely to.

[urbd]

The two preferred design options have been confirmed, open house on January 27th, 4 to 7 pm.



https://calendar.regionofwaterloo.ca/Cou...2#page=102

   

[KevinL]

Notably, both designs show a pedestrian underpass at Waterloo Street...

[panamaniac]

I don’t get the second one at all.

[taylortbb]

I don’t get the second one at all.

At first I didn't either, but I think it's hard to see in the small picture on the forum. The second design is basically a station with a green roof, and a huge slope down to Victoria St creating an outdoor space. Most of the station is under the grassy area that appears in the middle, and gets light from the glass on either side.

That said, I think both designs are absolutely terrible and represent complete failure of this process. Neither is as large or as bold as this project was supposed to be, nor are they designed enough for integration with later phases. I'd rather we build nothing and wait a few years until we can do it right than build either of the options presented.

[white_brian]

Very disappointing. I hope they hold off and either the Zehr Group can partner up with some other group once the Garment district is built

[clasher]

I think they could have built the original plan they had and just leave a pre-built base for a mixed use tower. Both these designs seem kind of stupid since they don't cover the tracks; what is so hard about a train shed?

[Rainrider22]

Brutal and soooooo short sighted