Pedestrian underpasses

[tomh009]

Who says that pedestrian underpasses have to feel like "nightmares?"  This is one example of using stone, aluminium and lighting to make an interesting pedestrian environment under a fairly wide set of railroad tracks.  (Near Shiodome in Tokyo.)

[notmyfriends]

I like the part of underpass park in Toronto with the mirrors on the ceiling. Or, we could always go all out and Bethesda Terrace up the joint, that'd be something.

[tomh009]

Checking the underpass at Weber today, I really found it quite reasonable.  The bridge is narrow (only two sets of rails?) so the underpass is not long; traffic is somewhat below the level of the sidewalks; there are nice aluminium railings; and there is green space immediately next to the underpass.

Now, maybe the underpass at King will be longer, but I think still much shorter than the Tokyo one above (which goes under, as I recall, three or four sets of rails -- i.e. three or four train lines, each with two pairs of rails).

[Canard]

there are nice aluminium railings on one side, and an ugly temporary fence on the other side

I fixed that for you.

[tomh009]

I'm assuming (dangerous, I know) that both sides will end up having the same type of railing.

[Canard]

It's been over a year, though, since any construction people were on site there. I really have a bad feeling that they got one side up, and someone went "ah ah ah..." and found the railing was in contravention of the building code or something like that.

I'll take a picture one day and tweet it at the Region - stir the pot a little and find out what's up.

[KevinL]

 The bridge is narrow (only two sets of rails?)

For now. A third span can easily be inserted, and could well be when GO service increases.

[GtwoK]

There are also still signs stuck to the Victoria St side of the bridge saying "Safety glasses must be worn beyond this point". Don't enter Midtown without your safety glasses, I suppose.

[Canard]

LOL, I think about that every time I drive under it.

[Smore]

the non-matching rail was explained by Tom Galloway a month (or so?) ago on CBC.  I forget the specifics, but generally, it wasn't in compliance with the project specs (i see to recall premature rust?) and that the contractor was to replace with appropriate barrier.  I think the intention was to replace with the same design IIRC...

[Canard]

Yeah, the side they finished (East) looks quite bad. Almost all of the supports have corroded significantly. The visual design of the barrier is good, but the paint job or plating on the weldments that support the horizontal running ropes has not held up to the weather at all. I hope they finish it off soon. I'm not optimistic, though, based on the lack of movement on it over the past year.