Hospitals in KW

[creative]

https://www.wrhn.ca/waterloo-regions-new...pital-site

“As part of the site planning due diligence process, architects did a “test-fit” to ensure the building of the new hospital could be accommodated on the site in different phases.
It is important to note that we will engage internal and external partners to decide the final layout of the new hospital. This is a conceptual layout, or first draft, and many elements may change during planning.”

The project will not be completed for at least ten years. So many things could change and happen during this time. Did any of those concerned about transit to this site participate in any of the community engagement sessions? If you have concerns then reach out to someone who can affect change. It has been clearly stated that this is only a conceptual layout to see if everything could be accommodated. Has anyone here asked why it was not located closer to the ION station?

[tomh009]

I don't see why it would not receive good bus service, whether it's through an extension of an existing route or a completely new route: in addition to the patients, the hospital will probably have more than 5,000 employees, many of whom will use transit. Why would GRT ignore the new hospital in their route planning?

They will definitely not ignore it. It will doubtlessly up getting some transit service. Why not good service? Because it is not truly on the way between any other destinations, and will require a detour.

Why can the hospital not be the destination? Why do we need to assume that the route map in 2030 looks the same as it does today?

[nms]

I think it's been discussed before, but I think one of the criteria was how close the hospital would be to the main intersection of Westmount/Bearinger/Northfield for fastest ambulance arrival time. I'm not sure how much more it adds to the trip if the ambulance were to need to get further into the R+T park.

I'm also not an expert in hospital design, but it sounds from the description from WRHN as if the plan if for a modular construction approach where departments are added over time the same way that they have been to KW Hospital and Cambridge Memorial. Perhaps funding and other resources don't allow for a once-and-done massive building.

While we're talking about wish lists, Hagey Blvd and Wes Graham Way could serve as a useful return loop for any buses that traveled north along Fisher-Hallman Rd or east along Northfield Drive before returning along their journey. A little rearrangement around the R+T Park station could make space for some connecting bus bays. The London Victoria Health Sciences Centre has 4-5 bus stops that surround the campus.

[MidTowner]

They will definitely not ignore it. It will doubtlessly up getting some transit service. Why not good service? Because it is not truly on the way between any other destinations, and will require a detour.

Why can the hospital not be the destination? Why do we need to assume that the route map in 2030 looks the same as it does today?

It can be, but it won't generate as many trips as multiple destinations. It will be able to justify some amount of service, but that amount will be less than if the same route serving this destination could also serve others.

The route map will look different in 2030, but basic principles will be the same. Direct routes with higher density of trips are better than circuitous routes with lower density, and the latter will warrant less service.

[danbrotherston]

I don't see why it would not receive good bus service, whether it's through an extension of an existing route or a completely new route: in addition to the patients, the hospital will probably have more than 5,000 employees, many of whom will use transit. Why would GRT ignore the new hospital in their route planning?

They will definitely not ignore it. It will doubtlessly up getting some transit service. Why not good service? Because it is not truly on the way between any other destinations, and will require a detour.

But I guess it depends what we mean by "good" service. Cambridge Memorial Hospital (a smaller hospital but still a major trip generator) has 20-minute weekday frequency from the 206 and half-hourly from the 50. That's not too bad. But part of the reason that can happen is because the hospital is on a logical direct route from Sportsworld through downtown Preston to downtown Galt. If it was the only thing on Coronation, and the bus diverted from Hespeler Road, I bet the service would be worse.

There’s no betting needed. A bus that has to make a detour is by definition worse transit because it is slower and takes more time.

[danbrotherston]

They will definitely not ignore it. It will doubtlessly up getting some transit service. Why not good service? Because it is not truly on the way between any other destinations, and will require a detour.

Why can the hospital not be the destination? Why do we need to assume that the route map in 2030 looks the same as it does today?

If the hospital is the destination then where is the origin? The point of being on a route is that it is connected efficiently with many other destinations. 

As for the route map, that may change but the road network, urban planning, conservation area, and central transit corridor won’t. There are no other high density trip generators in the area to connect to that aren’t served by the LRT. This is why the area already only has a low frequency slow local bus service even though it is close to major transit trip generator (UW and Laurier campuses)

[ac3r]

So I've been working on this project and a lot of the details should become public soon. I think most people will like it and with the partnership with the university it'll become a very prestigious hospital.

It's a multi-phase hospital that looks rather nice and is well, logically designed. The first phase is expected to be done sometime early 2030 (2032 specifically, but delays...). Staff at the hospital have been touring cardboard models of rooms (all will be private, much larger, utilizing modern hospital design standards) and their feedback is so far good.

I don't have all my work available right now but I will try to get a list of key points and potentially any floor plans and renderings that I'm able to share publically.

It's too bad they are doing it in phases since we needed this finished yesterday, but that's PPPs for you.

Re transit: obviously the hospital isn't a destination and it's vicinity to the LRT or bus routes was not prioritized. But there is of course room for route alterations. Plus, this facility is intended to be the primary hospital for the next half century or more. In time, an expansion of LRT (a new line, potentially) or new high efficient bus routes can be added. But, transit wasn't really a main topic during planning and generally speaking hospitals aren't thought of as destinations or take transit into strict consideration.

[neonjoe]

So I've been working on this project and a lot of the details should become public soon. I think most people will like it and with the partnership with the university it'll become a very prestigious hospital.

It's a multi-phase hospital that looks rather nice and is well, logically designed. The first phase is expected to be done sometime early 2030 (2032 specifically, but delays...). Staff at the hospital have been touring cardboard models of rooms (all will be private, much larger, utilizing modern hospital design standards) and their feedback is so far good.

I don't have all my work available right now but I will try to get a list of key points and potentially any floor plans and renderings that I'm able to share publically.

It's too bad they are doing it in phases since we needed this finished yesterday, but that's PPPs for you.

Re transit: obviously the hospital isn't a destination and it's vicinity to the LRT or bus routes was not prioritized. But there is of course room for route alterations. Plus, this facility is intended to be the primary hospital for the next half century or more. In time, an expansion of LRT (a new line, potentially) or new high efficient bus routes can be added. But, transit wasn't really a main topic during planning and generally speaking hospitals aren't thought of as destinations or take transit into strict consideration.

I appreciate the update and tidbits of insight.

[panamaniac]

Is funding in place yet for the new hospital?

[ZEBuilder]

Is funding in place yet for the new hospital?

No, the only funding that has been provided so far has been to advance design works, that's not to say there isn't talks about funding happening (and not the only large project doing so). As ac3r mentioned you have HDR and KPMB both working on design who both produce great work.

[westwardloo]

Thanks for the update. 

I was not a huge fan of the massing model presented to the public a couple months ago, but I am hopeful that the hospital can be one of the best in the country. 

my biggest disappointment is the sea of surface parking that is planned for this site. I really wish for the billions of dollars that they are going to spend that they would compress the parking into one or two parking garage structures.

[danbrotherston]

Thanks for the update. 

I was not a huge fan of the massing model presented to the public a couple months ago, but I am hopeful that the hospital can be one of the best in the country. 

my biggest disappointment is the sea of surface parking that is planned for this site. I really wish for the billions of dollars that they are going to spend that they would compress the parking into one or two parking garage structures.

I'd be happy with surface parking if we just made the damn place accessible by transit. I know people don't care about paving an environmentally sensitive area, but building it on a site next to a light rail station but putting the facility as far away from that station as possible seems almost intentionally hostile.

[ac3r]

The parking is expected, since hospitals see a lot of visits from people with cars and lots of staff at WRHN come from the suburbs, townships and in some cases even further, parking is added and future proofed for more. Parking at the current hospital sucks, with many staff having to park off site so this is good.

But yeah transit could be better, but a big factor was finding space to build the facility. Not much land exists for such a large building and parking. Plus, they wanted it near the university for the research and education aspect. But as mentioned, this is going to be here a long time so I am sure transit will improve. The two other hospitals will remain and St. Mary's will close (potentially, it's owned by someone else and they are undecided on what to do with it). The existing main hospital has the LRT and Freeport is a different kind of hospital. So time will tell with what the region can do for transit over the next few decades.

[neonjoe]

With the location we can only hope that it becomes a teaching hospital or research hospital which would allow UW to start offering programs for physicians.