SkyTrain Station Renovations

[officedweller]

Also found this showing the concourse layout at Burrard Station.
You can see where a passage to Park Place would have been located extending past the retail space.

I wonder what the corridor next to the 3 escalators is for? Fire exit?
That space could maybe be used for a 4th escalator?


http://sitings.ca/translink-projects...ion-translink/

[WarrenC12]

Is Translink the landlord for these retail units?

Skytrain is perfectly situated for this type of stuff, with outdoor accessible stations that will obviously see a ton of foot traffic in busy areas. Unlike the poorly thought out CRUs that are failing in Canada Line stations, hidden away and behind fare paid zones.

[officedweller]

Yes, I think TransLink would be the landlord.

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I wonder what the corridor next to the 3 escalators is for? Fire exit?

It looks like a corridor to SkyTrain employee bathrooms and break room. Transit Police might be in there too from what I remember from the RFP for station improvements.

[cganuelas1995]

Is there any word on Vancouver City Centre station renovated? Every time I exit the station, literally everyone leaving the train, even those who rode in the rear of the train, funnels into the one escalator, completely ignoring the stairs. There was once a guy sauntering to the escalator while staring at his phone and I almost made the decision to smack it out of his and onto the ground.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by Meraki

It looks like a corridor to SkyTrain employee bathrooms and break room. Transit Police might be in there too from what I remember from the RFP for station improvements.

I believe Burrard is one of "HQ" stations for the attendant staff, so it has a supervisor office and probably a larger break room for staff starting/ending their shifts.

[logicbomb]

Can anyone tell me why these renovations are always so delayed and grossly over budget?

2012- Metrotown renovations set to cost 37 million with completion in summer 2016

2015- Metrotown renovations set to cost 58 million and to be done in 3 phases with first phase being completed in spring 2017 and phase 3 being completed in 2018

Today I overheard rumblings that phase 1 will not be completed until winter 2017 with phase 3 perhaps not being completed until 2019. Cost of the project may near a staggering 100 million dollars before all is set and done.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Meraki

It looks like a corridor to SkyTrain employee bathrooms and break room. Transit Police might be in there too from what I remember from the RFP for station improvements.

There seems to be alternate access from the north side
- I wonder if that corridor was originally envisaged as expansion space for the escalators?

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

Can anyone tell me why these renovations are always so delayed and grossly over budget?

2012- Metrotown renovations set to cost 37 million with completion in summer 2016

2015- Metrotown renovations set to cost 58 million and to be done in 3 phases with first phase being completed in spring 2017 and phase 3 being completed in 2018

Today I overheard rumblings that phase 1 will not be completed until winter 2017 with phase 3 perhaps not being completed until 2019. Cost of the project may near a staggering 100 million dollars before all is set and done.

I quite honestly think this is what happens when you hire unionized contractors. Whoever's paying them should quit being a wuss factory and tell them it needs to be done at the set deadline and it will not be moved.

[officedweller]

I think the original plan was for a full station closure.
The current plan is to keep the station operating, which would lengthen the construction period and increase costs.

[dpogue]

Originally Posted by officedweller

There seems to be alternate access from the north side
- I wonder if that corridor was originally envisaged as expansion space for the escalators?

That corridor also seems to be the way for staff to get in to the station when the grilles are down overnight.

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Is Translink the landlord for these retail units?

Skytrain is perfectly situated for this type of stuff, with outdoor accessible stations that will obviously see a ton of foot traffic in busy areas. Unlike the poorly thought out CRUs that are failing in Canada Line stations, hidden away and behind fare paid zones.

are they all still open? i don't go to all the stations but some of them seem to have been closed up. a juice place was a dumb idea to get the exclusive rights to open up in there.

the little store inside granville station is handy at least. Lougheed's retail is inside the fare gates area. They seem to always have people using the, when i go past.

[Meraki]

Outside facing the bus loop (like the Joyce one) seems like the best option. In my years living here I've only gone to the Granville shop once, because generally inside the station I'm trying to get somewhere, be it a bus or train.

At Joyce, I've frequently gone to the pizza place and convenience store across the street after getting off the SkyTrain waiting for my bus connection.

It probably depends on station. I wouldn't bother with the Downtown stations, because all the buses and trains are frequent enough you aren't hanging around. You're more likely to buy something from a shop while you wait for your <every 15-20 minute> bus connection.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I quite honestly think this is what happens when you hire unionized contractors. Whoever's paying them should quit being a wuss factory and tell them it needs to be done at the set deadline and it will not be moved.

Did Kevin O'Leary get an account here?

They should be fixed bid contracts, not sure how they are getting written but construction contracts like this should have penalties for schedule delays and strict change order approval processes.

[SpongeG]

I agree, but considering the location inside granville i always see people in there, i used to grab gum a lot there. or buy fare saver tickets as i usually had used my last one getting in there. its convenient. ditto the one at stadium, i used to use that one a lot too.

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I agree, but considering the location inside granville i always see people in there, i used to grab gum a lot there. or buy fare saver tickets as i usually had used my last one getting in there. its convenient. ditto the one at stadium, i used to use that one a lot too.

Downtown stations (Granville particularly) is an example of having so much around it, who knows what will survive inside. There are 2 convenience stores inside competing against 7-11 outside. Tim Hortons and Starbucks were inside as well. Starbucks closed but the Tims is doing fine.

[SpongeG]

a general convenience type store is better than jug o juice or whatever the ones are inside of some of the Canada Line Stations. Tim hortons should have won that contract over the juice place. I don't even know which ones are open now, I think some of the opened and closed within the first year.

And yes the locations on the canada line are not very accessible to the greater public, having to rely on commuters is a tough one.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by dpogue

That corridor also seems to be the way for staff to get in to the station when the grilles are down overnight.

That should be easy to work around (i.e. door in the grille / raising the grille / keyed elevator access).

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by logicbomb

2015- Metrotown renovations set to cost 58 million and to be done in 3 phases with first phase being completed in spring 2017 and phase 3 being completed in 2018

Today I overheard rumblings that phase 1 will not be completed until winter 2017 with phase 3 perhaps not being completed until 2019. Cost of the project may near a staggering 100 million dollars before all is set and done.

I think what annoys me the most about this is that:

* Phase 1 (the Centre Stationhouse) is only partly completed and had to be opened because...
* Phase 2 (the new West Stationhouse) is not ready - I'm not even sure how much has been done on it, and
* Phase 3 (the East Stationhouse) is closed and being taken apart - despite that it was not supposed to close until at least one of the other phases was finished and open.

Shouldn't they be concentrating on the first two phases before moving on to the third phase?

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

I quite honestly think this is what happens when you hire unionized contractors. Whoever's paying them should quit being a wuss factory and tell them it needs to be done at the set deadline and it will not be moved.

Unionized contractors are used by everyone in the construction industry and most dont have a problem hitting schedule and budget.

Renovating existing and operating buildings is extremely difficult. Most likely translink and their GC did not properly understand and provision for the risks involved.