299 bloor call control.
Senior Member
Allandale GO station good idea: report
February 10, 2009
A GO train station at Allandale would be profitable from the get-go, a Barrie report says.
A business case prepared for the city and GO Transit projected a second station in the city would immediately attract 140 new riders - and ticket revenue from those would more than cover the costs of installing a basic station and having the four daily commuter trains travel to the new station.
The plan for the station calls for a $5.7-million station featuring 12-car train platform, seven bus bays for local and regional transit, a 17-car kiss-and-ride lane, and on-street parking for 150 cars along Gowan Street.
"The business case says already a station would be profitable for GO. On top of that are other very important reasons (to support it), such as building transit-oriented developments and improving access to transit. It's a very strong case," said Ward 2 Coun. Jeff Lehman, an economist.
Since GO train service returned to Barrie Dec. 17, 2007, ridership has exceed GO's expectations. Initially, GO projected 280 daily riders from the south-end station, with an increase to 408 daily riders in 2021; ridership last April exceeded that, with 550 riders each day.
The south-end station at Mapleview Drive has already had its parking lot expanded to more than 600 spaces and it has gone from having only automated ticket dispensers to having a service trailer and finally a new permanent building, which offers extended hours for ticket and pass sales.
According to the city's analysis of the business case, city growth is expected to continue to drive increasing ridership; with every 1,000 new residents, 14 more daily riders emerge.
Barrie also has been pegged as Ontario's only Urban Growth Centre north of the GTA.
"The Allandale GO Station will play a pivotal role in the redevelopment of the station site which will act as a gateway into the Barrie Urban Growth Centre. In addition, it would encourage the redevelopment of the adjacent areas into a more pedestrian and transit-oriented community," Barrie's senior project engineer Leonard Borgdorff said.
"GO Transit rail service at Allandale Station would have an environmental benefit by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,320 tonnes annually. Furthermore, it would reduce pressure to develop greenfields by encouraging the redevelopment and intensification of the Allandale community."
Barrie has almost $1.9 million budgeted for the project, through various aspects of the project in its capital budget.
Lehman said the provincial and federal governments may pitch in on the project, given the strong business case and the three-way partnership that resulted in the return of commuter train service in 2007.
http://barrieadvance.com/barrieadvance/article/128512
February 10, 2009
A GO train station at Allandale would be profitable from the get-go, a Barrie report says.
A business case prepared for the city and GO Transit projected a second station in the city would immediately attract 140 new riders - and ticket revenue from those would more than cover the costs of installing a basic station and having the four daily commuter trains travel to the new station.
The plan for the station calls for a $5.7-million station featuring 12-car train platform, seven bus bays for local and regional transit, a 17-car kiss-and-ride lane, and on-street parking for 150 cars along Gowan Street.
"The business case says already a station would be profitable for GO. On top of that are other very important reasons (to support it), such as building transit-oriented developments and improving access to transit. It's a very strong case," said Ward 2 Coun. Jeff Lehman, an economist.
Since GO train service returned to Barrie Dec. 17, 2007, ridership has exceed GO's expectations. Initially, GO projected 280 daily riders from the south-end station, with an increase to 408 daily riders in 2021; ridership last April exceeded that, with 550 riders each day.
The south-end station at Mapleview Drive has already had its parking lot expanded to more than 600 spaces and it has gone from having only automated ticket dispensers to having a service trailer and finally a new permanent building, which offers extended hours for ticket and pass sales.
According to the city's analysis of the business case, city growth is expected to continue to drive increasing ridership; with every 1,000 new residents, 14 more daily riders emerge.
Barrie also has been pegged as Ontario's only Urban Growth Centre north of the GTA.
"The Allandale GO Station will play a pivotal role in the redevelopment of the station site which will act as a gateway into the Barrie Urban Growth Centre. In addition, it would encourage the redevelopment of the adjacent areas into a more pedestrian and transit-oriented community," Barrie's senior project engineer Leonard Borgdorff said.
"GO Transit rail service at Allandale Station would have an environmental benefit by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1,320 tonnes annually. Furthermore, it would reduce pressure to develop greenfields by encouraging the redevelopment and intensification of the Allandale community."
Barrie has almost $1.9 million budgeted for the project, through various aspects of the project in its capital budget.
Lehman said the provincial and federal governments may pitch in on the project, given the strong business case and the three-way partnership that resulted in the return of commuter train service in 2007.
http://barrieadvance.com/barrieadvance/article/128512
