Deez
New Member
Credit River Bridge
Anybody know if the twinning of the Georgetown Line Credit River Bridge is complete/in operation?
Anybody know if the twinning of the Georgetown Line Credit River Bridge is complete/in operation?
|
|
|
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
FAC33
Active Member
I realized no one has posted about the preparations for the new garage at the Ajax station. The north half of the north lot closed three or four weeks ago, meaning parking is once again insane in the Ajax lots (cars at the end of rows nearly blocking driveways, cars on grass, etc.) In the meantime, a fence has gone up around the site and there is a single tractor-mounted crane and a few assorted bits and bobs on the site so far--no ground has been broken (not sure why they closed it off if nothing was going to happen for a month). The new garage is supposed to bring about 1000 new parking spaces and be done in 2012--the GO website still says spring 2012, but I believe it's actually now fall 2012.
DavidH
Senior Member
A construction trailer/office has appeared on the site in the past few days. I agree, though, that if they weren't going to start until September, they should have kept the additional parking spaces available for longer instead of plunging us into the overcrowned mess that Ajax GO has now become.
Do the lots in Whitby or Pickering have any excess capacity? Maybe when the new bridge over the 401 opens at Pickering some of the overflow will be parking on the north side.
Jonny5
Senior Member
The Wal-Mart and the adjacent vacant property were actually fully developed with retail llong ago. IIRC there used to be two now dead regional chains there; "The Barn" and "White Rose". The land sat empty for years as Wal-Mart fought a protracted zoning battle with the city of Burlington (also IIRC). I believe the remaining empty space is privately owned as it is often used by a local car dealership to store surplus inventory.
Last edited:
drum118
Superstar
The whole area was used as a farm after the "The Barn" and "White Rose".
The car dealership setup house where Wal-Mart is now after framing stop.
The rest of the land remain vacate since the farming stop.
I would not be surprise if GO owns that vacant land now.
I know GO can add 2-3 more floors to the parking structure that is 75% full most of the time these days.
GO, like a lot of developers don't want to build underground parking spots due to their extra cost, but this is one area that it can be done.
What goes above it becomes an issue since there is no great demand for condos or office space in Burlington these days.
It has taken years to get the Stratahttp://urban.davidfisher.biz/Burlington/Strata/Strata.html Condo built on Mapleview that is close to the mall. The Ironstone Condos off Appleby Line is just getting underway, that started selling years before the Strata Condo.
An condo/apartment with retail at the base with a floor or 2 for office would be the way to go, but it will take years to do it. GO could have a level or 2 of underground parking under this complex that has a price to park there. Since parking is underground, various riders would pay the price to park there since they don't have to deal with the weather for their car. How tall it will be is another issue, since 25 floor seams to be the current height level.
Thanks for the background. I agree that underground parking isn't very viable, which is why I was proposing retail on the ground floor, and 2 or 3 levels of parking above it. A 3-4 storey structure wouldn't be too out of character for the area, and it would add some retail uses, as well as expand parking capacity.
FAC33
Active Member
Whitby has their garage (relatively new) and this was one of GO's suggestions if you can't find parking at Ajax (the others being take transit, walk, bike, etc.). I know if I rode a later train I would sure as heck check it out (I ride early enough that I can park in a real space). It's too bad they can't sublet the empty car dealership (beside the Hyundai dealership, last used for a Christmas warehouse sale and before that for a movie shoot) and let folks park there.
Pickering does not have excess capacity (which is the reason behind the bridge--the lot at Pickering Town Centre usually has space to spare).
GTS
Active Member
Does anyone know when that pedestrian bridge to the Pickering GO Station is scheduled to open? Hopefully it adds more walk-in traffic for both the GO trains as well as the businesses at Pickering Town Centre.
canarob
Senior Member
The Centennial parking garage looks like it will open sometime in the next month.
Markster
Senior Member
Construction seems to be nearing completion on the rail siding in Kitchener:
The North Main Line is closest to the camera, and then the two sidings branch off.
Linked without any permission at all from Gord Spence's Flickr. You'll find many more pictures there.
The North Main Line is closest to the camera, and then the two sidings branch off.
Linked without any permission at all from Gord Spence's Flickr. You'll find many more pictures there.
vegeta_skyline
Senior Member
^^^ thanks for that photo
other news from the grapevine;
-Kitchener service to begin at the start of January.
-CTC(signaling) to be completed on the Uxbridge sub/Stouffville line in March. Meaning all day service and decreased interval's between rush hour trains will be possible.
-CTC(signaling) Work will than commence on Newmarket sub/Barrie line, it seems as though it won't begin until the Uxbridge is done. So that line won't be ready for increased service until later on in the year. (not sure if this accurate though... why only do them one at a time?)
-Current number of engineer in training; 13. Who should be Qualified in about 5 months (February)
-The GO RTC/dispatching center will be located in Oakville. Once this is complete, several years from now, GO will be able to control the dispatching priority (over freights and even VIA trains) on territory they own; Lakeshore East, Stouffville, Barrie, and about half of the Kitchener/Georgetown, Lakeshore West and Richmond Hill lines.
other news from the grapevine;
-Kitchener service to begin at the start of January.
-CTC(signaling) to be completed on the Uxbridge sub/Stouffville line in March. Meaning all day service and decreased interval's between rush hour trains will be possible.
-CTC(signaling) Work will than commence on Newmarket sub/Barrie line, it seems as though it won't begin until the Uxbridge is done. So that line won't be ready for increased service until later on in the year. (not sure if this accurate though... why only do them one at a time?)
-Current number of engineer in training; 13. Who should be Qualified in about 5 months (February)
-The GO RTC/dispatching center will be located in Oakville. Once this is complete, several years from now, GO will be able to control the dispatching priority (over freights and even VIA trains) on territory they own; Lakeshore East, Stouffville, Barrie, and about half of the Kitchener/Georgetown, Lakeshore West and Richmond Hill lines.
Last edited:
Great news on all counts, especially the new engineers (aka the biggest drawback to all-day service on more than just Lakeshore).
canarob
Senior Member
I wonder if that means new trains on the Stouffville line with the spring schedule change? Or maybe we'll have to wait until next fall? It would be nice to have an express train from unionville that doesn't leave before 6 AM and an express train north in the afternoon as a start.