City Centre Transit Terminal

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by omro

If it is, will future LRT connection be considered in the current design?

Yes, it's likely part of the Metrolinx funding will include an expansion of the terminal for LRT.

[omro]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Yes, it's likely part of the Metrolinx funding will include an expansion of the terminal for LRT.

Cool, will it be on the A or B or both lines?

[SteelTown]

Both A and B-Line.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

the new building on the tracks looks great. Red brick to fit the neighbourhood. Also, I like the brick being used on the two new schools downtown - Queen Vic and the one by Ivor Wynne.

Completely unrelated to this thread, but I have to say I really dislike these schools. They're completely unoriginal (infact both schools are the exact same design -- hi, Brebeuf/OP/Churchill are all the same school too, and it's cheap. You get no sense of distinction. You can't say, "Wow I love my school b/c it has this, and your school doesn't". It was huge in building school spirit when I was in school. So I'm dissapointed, especially since I have to see the new 'Queen Vic' day in/day out.

I'm also certain they're sacrificing almost ALL free space to parking (out front) rather than Yard for students. But anyway...

[raisethehammer]

you're right on...I HATE the cookie-cutter design.
Compare this new crap with old beauties like Westdale or Stinson. Not even close.
I'm just stunned that they're building them 3-stories. I wonder if the school board had to bring someone in from Manhattan or Hong Kong to pull that off.

[SteelTown]

During the open house someone brought a sketch for a centralized transit terminal at TH&B Station. Here's the sketch.....

[matt602]

That's a LOT of reservations for car parking.

[FairHamilton]

Groan

[flar]

That would be the largest parking garage I've ever seen. It would also disgrace the TH&B building, which is one of the nicest buildings downtown. Also, why would a ramp have to go all the way to Augusta St? And why put it in a spot where it would have to destroy one of the last remaining houses on that block?

[adam]

I don't think anyone will take that drawing seriously. It looks like a grade school project. Also what does the phrase "NOT TO CHANGED" mean?

[geoff's two cents]

Originally Posted by flar

That would be the largest parking garage I've ever seen. It would also disgrace the TH&B building, which is one of the nicest buildings downtown. Also, why would a ramp have to go all the way to Augusta St? And why put it in a spot where it would have to destroy one of the last remaining houses on that block?

I agree that it's an eyesore, and I hope it doesn't get too much serious attention. The point of leveled parking, as I understand it, is to minimize the footprint and visual impact of parking facilities (which are, as long as we have the automobile, something of a grim necessity). With this in mind, why the long access ramps? Why envelop such an iconic building with this thing? The only thing I like about it is that it shows people are thinking of getting rid of the vast amounts of surface parking that currently plague the city.

[SteelTown]

The ramps are for the parking garage and HSR buses to the second level.

The person who made that sketch didn't intend to place 1500 parking space right away, think it would have 2 floors of parking so 4 storey instead of 6. When parking demand grows add more floors.

Usually when GO transit grows parking issue also grows with it.

Also I believe this sketch is from the 1980s when the Ontairo government was willing to fund LRT loop around Hamilton, you can see a monorail type of ramp from Catherine St to the GO Station. The author must have simply revised the drawing.

[flar]

Parking is definitely an issue, but there are much better solutions than this. I would say build a normal sized parking garage on one of the nearby surface lots, perhaps the one on Hughson right across the street from LIUNA headquarters.

[SteelTown]

I wouldn't mind a parking garage above the tracks, it would be convenient to users to have parking really close to the GO Station.

The only other spot I can see a convenient spot for a parking garage to the GO Station is the gas station at John St behind the GO Station, though I think Blue Line taxi has something to do with that gas station.

[flar]

I should have said Hughson across from the back of YMCA above. If you look at Google maps, there are several empty lots and parking lots within a one block radius of the GO Centre. I don't see why it really needs to be attached to the GO Centre, especially if it would detract from the building aesthetically.

[FairHamilton]

I really don't understand how this forum can be down on the car in many posts and then pro-parking garage.

Building a parking garage is in direct conflict to building the LRT.

[omro]

OK, cost aside, any reason why they can't create subterranean parking?

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by omro

OK, cost aside, any reason why they can't create subterranean parking?

Why should the government create any parking? I don't see how the government can preach public transit and then even consider building a parking garage. Spend the money on improving public transit not another subsidy to the car.

Can you tell I take the HSR to and from Hamilton GO Centre every working day?? And why not, it's convenient, inexpensive ($15/month on my monthly GO pass), and the current surface parking lots in the area of GO Centre are empty at 7:04am when the last train of the morning pulls out of the station which tells me car parking is not required. When the lots around the station are packed and charging $15/day to park then maybe perhaps consider more parking, but not now.

[SteelTown]

I would say a good majority of GTA commuters from Hamilton travel by car and not GO Trainsit. The best way to attract these riders is to have convenient parking at the GO Station and place a park and ride system.

Once you introduce non stop GO Train service to Hamilton watch the parking issue demand explode. GO Trainsit makes huge revenue from parking, I believe it's $20 million a year.

By the way I would say most here would pick a parking garage over a surface parking lot any day.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

I would say a good majority of GTA commuters from Hamilton travel by car and not GO Trainsit. The best way to attract these riders is to have convenient parking at the GO Station and place a park and ride system.

There is convenient parking at private lots close to the station new, and they are now empty when the GO trains leave in the morning. Are you saying people will change their commuter habits when the parking is run by GO instead of a private operator?

Once you introduce non stop GO Train service to Hamilton watch the parking issue demand explode.

I thought those trains were running out of the James N. station, not GO Centre? My understanding was GO Centre was going to be used exclusively for rush hour trains.

I thought that was GO Trainsit makes huge revenue from parking, I believe it's $20 million a year.

Parking at GO is free on a first come, first served basis. There is the ability to rent spot, but I highly doubt it generates $20M per year as you would need thousands and thousands of spots of reserved parking spaces (28,000 plus spots by my math), and they don't exist anywhere close to that number, http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/parking/parking.htm

By the way I would say most here would pick a parking garage over a surface parking lot any day.

Why a parking at all, most people on this board want to spend hundreds of millions on LRT. Wanting to provide more parking when there is no demand seems non-sensical to me.

And those now driving to Toronto who you hope to entice onto the GO train will either have to walk, or take TTC to get to work once they arrive in Toronto. If we can't get them to ride HSR what's going to make them want to ride the TTC, or walk 15 - 20 minutes on the other end?