Tunney’s Pasture Station; the latest plan (July 14, 2011):
Tunney’s Pasture’s Station is planned to be the terminus for the buses from the west and south-west and the terminus for the LRT from the east. This station will likely have up to 10,000 people per hour passing through it in the peak periods; most transferring between the trains and buses.
The current plan is for a side-platform rail station in the trench and a bus loop north-west of that. It is hoped that bus lay up space can be found just west of the station’s bus loop.
From: July 14 Presentation to City Council: Station layout
In the above image, the bus lay up area (under discussion) is shown in dark red. The bus movements are not yet finalized, but a previous version of the Tunney’s Pasture Station had a more developed bus facility. In that previous design, however, buses were to have a lay up along Yarrow. Unfortunately, Yarrow is a one-way street, making it hard for buses to get back into the station. Moving the lay up area to west of the bus loop provides direct access to the bus loop and storage space for more buses.
Buses arriving from Scott, via the new bi-directional lane (which will effectively be a continuation of Goldenrod), or from the Transitway will likely drop off passengers along the south leg of the bus loop and pick up passengers along the north leg. There will be a restraint around the east end of the loop to prevent people from cutting across the roadway. There is no covering along the bus platforms aside from the individual shelters. However, there will be a covered walkway leading toward the Government Buildings which will provide some shelter for the few metres from the east end of the bus loop into the station. [Personal opinion: Frankly, for the short duration that this covering will provide protection for the majority of people, it is not worth the extra cost.]
It does not appear that passengers will make the transfer between buses and trains within one ‘Fare-paid’ zone; they will need to show proof of payment for each vehicle they board.
The rail portion of the station has been developed to a slightly higher degree, as presented to City Council. This is planned to be a side-platform station.
From: July 14 Presentation to City Council: The Concourse Level, showing pedestrian access
The dashed blue lines show the roof outline, indicating that there will be no roof over the trains in the center of the station. It also shows that there is a ‘notch’ in the roof over the east entrance, providing poor coverage for people coming to and leaving the station. [Personal opinion: I believe that the roof should be complete to reduce the affects of the weather, both along the station platforms, where snow will blow in, and over the entrance.] The west entrance is well protected by the station’s roof and walkway cover.
Interestingly, the architecture is such that people enter through the fare control in the middle of the station and then must chose to descent on either the right or left side to a platform. During peak periods, the train frequency is expected to be every 3 minutes and 15 seconds so trains will alternate between the two platforms. Apparently there will be signage to let people know which train is to leave next.
The vast majority of pedestrian travel through this station will be via the west-end stairs and escalators. Staff has chosen to put the escalators (presumably UP only) in the busiest end of the station and just stairs in the east end. [Personal opinion: I don’t know which has a higher through-put, stairs or escalators, but the west end will need to be designed for high through-put.] Since there are transfers in both directions, to trains and to buses, the west-end of the station will have the most congestion and interference between customers. That includes the people who get half-way to a platform to see their train leaving and must re-ascend to go to the other platform. There are two sets of stairs, one (UP) escalator, and two elevators per platform. [Personal opinion: It might be possible to replace the elevators with long, switch-back ramps along the side walls; this would reduce the operating and maintenance costs. Also, because it is only about 5.7 metres (less than 2 stories) in height, it might be practical to use only stairs with no escalators; further reducing costs.]
From: July 14 Presentation to City Council: The Platform Level
The stairs direct customers to a platform area of roughly 45 metres by 5 metres near the center of the trains. [Personal opinion: The narrow ‘neck’ (2 metres wide) that people and wheelchairs must go through to get to/from the end of the platform will not be inviting.] [Personal opinion: I don’t understand why the widths of the platforms are constricted in the center. Since this station is a transfer station and therefore will have higher pedestrian movements than others, it doesn’t make sense to me to narrow the platforms to the ‘standard’ widths.]
Tunney’s Pasture Station; an alternative:
Tunney’s Pasture Station could be designed as a central-platform station. This would reduce the number of sets of stairs, escalators and elevators required; lowering the construction and operating costs. Also, with a central platform, customers descend to the platform and board which-ever train is departing next; removing the ‘wrong platform cross-over’ traffic on the stairs/escalators. There are also fewer wall surfaces within reach of ‘taggers’ and graffiti artists.
Rearranging the diagrams presented by staff to City Council on July 14, 2011, a central-platform station could look like this:
Modified from: July 14 presentation to City Council: The Concourse Level
Modified from: July 14 presentation to City Council: The Platform Level
In the illustrations, the escalators have been removed and replaced with more stairs, but this is not a requirement. Also, the stairs have been simply moved into the center and remain in the same place along the platform, which might still pack people into the central portion of the platform. It might be possible, and probably desirable, to move the stairs closer to the ends of the station; creating more usable space on the platform.
The ‘gap’ between the west and east concourse sections has been filled in and the elevators have been moved to the center of the concourse and platform; this should help everyone feel included and safer.
In place of all the little auxiliary rooms on the Platform Level of the Staff Plan, there is a large area at the west end of the platform. Also, the ‘nooks’ on the other side of the trains from the platform can still be used as mechanical rooms.
One of the arguments that have been used by staff against configuring Tunney’s Pasture Station with a central platform is the existing double box culvert which runs along under the Transitway. The only staff diagram available showing the culverts is from an older design but the change in the roof-line is immaterial in the diagram since it shows that side platforms put the trains running directly over the culverts.
Modified from: May 14 presentation to PTAC: Tunney’s Pasture end-on profile
In the above diagram, the trains have been moved to the sides (red trains) and off the culverts. This would leave only the relatively light platform over the culverts. Also, there appears to enough space beside the culverts (to the left in the picture) for columns to be added should something be built over the station.
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