AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
As an aside, raptor has kindly pointed out that Metrolinx has some new photos on their Flickr account of the Union Station project - including an interior shot of the NW PATH tunnel.
AoD
AoD
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- Thread starter interchange42
- Start date
L Tower has an underground connection to Backstage which will have a PATH connection on the rail bridge that crosses Yonge to the current Go Bus Terminal.
raptor
Senior Member
That NW PATH tunnel is so frustrating. Without its second phase (tunnel on York st.), this short stub of a tunnel is useless. Does anyone know if the tender for phase 2 has been awarded? what are timelines on the construction like?
Skeezix
Senior Member
The tunnel has some use, leading to a pavilion on the other side of Front Street, but you are correct that its use is quite limited until Phase 2 up York is complete.
Timetable for Phase 2 seems to be a state secret on the City's website (and elsewhere for that matter). Having trouble finding information, which itself is concerning. Last time I checked, staff were reporting to Council in 2013 that design work was underway, with construction expected to start in 2015. I'm going to guess they are not meeting those timelines.
Timetable for Phase 2 seems to be a state secret on the City's website (and elsewhere for that matter). Having trouble finding information, which itself is concerning. Last time I checked, staff were reporting to Council in 2013 that design work was underway, with construction expected to start in 2015. I'm going to guess they are not meeting those timelines.
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Skeezix
Senior Member
This March 2015 report says that the increased cost of the northwest PATH was one of the items that for which the City sought funding from Queen's Park (in this case, they asked that Metrolinx, which is paying 50% of the cost of the NW PATH, also pay 50% of the expected $40 million budget increase). Province said no. The report states that the refusal will cost the City $20 million for the capital expenditure budgets in 2016 and 2017, implying that the NW PATH will be constructed in those years.
That's more information than the City has on its own page dedicated to the NW PATH, which doesn't appear to have been updated since 2008. Quite shameful.
That's more information than the City has on its own page dedicated to the NW PATH, which doesn't appear to have been updated since 2008. Quite shameful.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
That page is there because of the EA process - once that's over, it's dormant.
Agree, but I am glad that they at least undertook the initial phase of the project now and not having to rip up Front again.
AoD
Skeezix
Senior Member
Of course. God forbid they do anything to keep residents informed once the regulatory obligation expires.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Agreed - even for such a large project like Union Station, the amount of publicity is almost nil. I swear their entire model of public participation is haphazard, subject to the whims of the local councillor and frankly all rather last century (just look at their website and how visual materials are presented). One thing that drives me nuts is how reports are always divided into poorly distilled, sub-megabyte chunks of PDFs. By all means do that if ones' intention is to improve accessibility for those without fast connections - but offer the option of downloading the complete report as well, for crying out loud.
AoD
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TOareaFan
Superstar
the real value of the first phase of the NW path extension (IMO) will be to get people past that intersection easier....I think people who plan to walk above ground will still prefer to go under that mess of a corner than navigate the roads/crossings/traffic there. Sure would be better if it as a true path connection but I am sure that will come.
WislaHD
Superstar
This is one of my bigger gripes with city government. They really strive to make all their documents inaccessible, difficult to read and outright boring to all but lawyers or the biggest policy wonks. It could be different and more engaging, and I would even go as far as to suggest that our city is at its finest when there is a high level of civic engagement.
DSC
Superstar
You sound like some sort of tree-hugging (PATH-hugging? - communist :->
WislaHD
Superstar
Nope, just read Jane Jacobs like the rest of you.
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I recently saw these pictures in one of the articles on the home page: Pic 1 & Pic 2
I take it that it is an accurate depiction of the Bloor-Yonge PATH network? Are the filled in red boxes street-level connections to the PATH? If so, I will try to reflect it on my map .
And according to the image, 1 Bloor W has a northern connection to Holt Renfrew Centre and a western connection will run diagonally northeast to Hudson Bay Centre?
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DSC
Superstar
The pedestrian tunnel between L-Tower and Backstage is there so that L-Tower residents can access their parking in Backstage. It is not a public tunnel. The Link across Yonge Street from Backstage to 141 Bay Street ( where the GO bus station now is) will only be built when 141 Bay is built. (That must wait u=until the bus station moves to 45 Bay.) There is a section of the (future) PATH in Backstage - in the interim it will be used as public exhibition space of some kind.
DSC
Superstar
One of my neighbours asked the City's PATH Manager about this diagonal PATH on the map and received the following response: "The owner of Maple Leaf Square has requested the city to show the PATH route as a diagonal across the square as their building contains the PATH network at street level and on the 2nd floor. They want the pedestrians to use both of their entrances. The PATH map is meant to be conceptual and not the exact route."