SkyTrain Station Renovations

[dpogue]

Does anyone know details of the renovations at Nanaimo? There's no info on TransLink's website, but someone asked on Twitter and they said it was part of planned station upgrades.

[Millennium2002]

Nanaimo appears to be a simple re-paint of the steel structure.

The RFP for it was done probably earlier this year by TransLink... I recall seeing it on their website.

No upgrades thus far appear to be publicly planned for that station... And given the lack of development around it thus far, it might stay that way for some time.

[red-paladin]

I wish there were updates on all stations being worked on. There is barely anything new on Translink's site. But yea, Nanaimo is just being repainted, like Patterson was a few years ago.

[cabotp]

The only stations that I am aware of that are getting a major upgrade are Main, Broadway, Metrotown, and I believe Joyce.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I wish there were updates on all stations being worked on. There is barely anything new on Translink's site. But yea, Nanaimo is just being repainted, like Patterson was a few years ago.

The area has been closed off for months. The glacial pace of these projects is unbelievable.

[Millennium2002]

I just noticed this sneak peek:



It kind of disappoints me though that this station house is going to look completely different from the original...

EDIT: And also this:



I think Burnaby won with the re-jig to an on-street exchange... but I really would have preferred a new, separate, and enclosed bus station vs all the other options.

[MIPS]

It kind of disappoints me though that this station house is going to look completely different from the original.

Weather or not we liked the original beige panelling and green painted triangular tube steel girders was simply not in any of the plans for the rebuild. The people in charge these days consider it "dated" and "tacky" or "ugly", mind you what we lose in a very unique style specific to a time when BC was trying to make a name for itself we gain in "how generic can we make it?"

I really liked the design style Architektengruppe U-Bahn decided on in terms of how each station is modular and used interchangeable parts. I'll have to go over the station end to end with my camera before the renovations begin like I did with Main Street to archive what it used to look like.

[Jebby]

I'm glad the stations are being rebuilt. I don't like the original design at all.

[Large Cat]

Originally Posted by allan_kuan

I just noticed this sneak peek:



It kind of disappoints me though that this station house is going to look completely different from the original...

EDIT: And also this:



I think Burnaby won with the re-jig to an on-street exchange... but I really would have preferred a new, separate, and enclosed bus station vs all the other options.

Metrotown is going to be fantastic once they finish it. As a cyclist I will especially appreciate:

-split pedestrian and bike paths along Beresford
-secure bike parking facility
-two elevators
-ability to take bikes on Skytrain from the new station (instead of going to Patterson)
-possible one-laning of Central (even better for pedestrians!)

[MIPS]

I stand by what I said previous.
These new stations are extremely ugly and disprespectful to the heritage of the system.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I stand by what I said previous.
These new stations are extremely ugly and disprespectful to the heritage of the system.

why are the renovating the stations? i thought they were making them longer. since they arent, why are they even bothering to re-clad them etc? why not just add an elevator and bam be done with it? it seems like a waste of money since they aren't making them longer. plus all those pieces not lined up is horrible.

[GeeCee]

I strongly prefer something functional to one that 'respects the heritage of the system'.

[red-paladin]

The main reason that Scott Road and Main St. are being renovated is to so they are accessible on both ends and they can handle the increased traffic that exists now. The main reason New West is being reno-d is to fit in better with Plaza88 and for accessibility and capacity improvements. The main reason that Broadway is being upgraded is capacity and traffic flow related to existing demand and the Evergreen Line's demand. Metrotown has no East stationhouse as has far more demand than it was designed for on both ends, it will be upgraded for capacity and accessibility. None of this is about lengthening the platforms for 6 car trains, but it does help prepare the stations to run 5 car trains that would fit on the existing platforms, without capacity upgrades, that would be impossible.

I do think we should preserve certain stations to be in the original expo 86 architecture, and when Metrotown gets redone, I hope that the components and tube trusses are saved so that Nanaimo and Patterson can use the components to extend the covered area, like Broadway's south end was extended.

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

I strongly prefer something functional to one that 'respects the heritage of the system'.

I don't mean "leave it all as-is for good". Metrotown and others still badly need the upgrades but I mean the disposal of the "cream and green with a screen" with bland city "white and grey with glass" makes them seem a lot less...well, colorful. Main Street still had a lot of stainless steel, bare concrete and glass panelling like a later Millenium Line station but at least it had red handrails to indicate it was a downtown station but now even that is missing on the reopened half of the platform. The green tube steel girders (or at least green square frames vertically wrapped around the station in the same manner, plus hold the windows across the tracks) should be integrated into the new designs to at least respect and indicate why the "Expo" Line got its name plus add style to what otherwise will be a bunch of elevated glass boxes.

I do think we should preserve certain stations to be in the original expo 86 architecture, and when Metrotown gets redone, I hope that the components and tube trusses are saved so that Nanaimo and Patterson can use the components to extend the covered area, like Broadway's south end was extended.

That would be great if all the other stations reused the parts to complete their overhangs. Now that we regularly run six car MK I's and four car Mk II's it makes complete sense to finish them all because when it rains the current platforms are even more packed with people trying to get out of the weather. In most cases you would be able to let crowds spread out at least another fifty feet on one end.

[nname]

New information boards are posted for:

Commerical-Broadway Station
Joyce-Collingwood Station
Metrotown Station

For Metrotown seems like a new overhead walkway will be built closer to Station Square, to connect to a new centre station house.

The open house for Joyce station would be today at 2-6:30pm, Wednesday for Metrotown and Thursday for Commercial Broadway

[officedweller]

Thanks for the info.

The drawings show the original Expo era trusses remaining in place at Metrotown and at Joyce-Collingwood.

For Metrotown, the drawing says "Central Passerelle built by partners" (i.e. Ivanhoe Cambridge & Anthem / Beedie) -

I wonder if Metropolis will move a mall corridor to be closer to the passerelle?

The current mall map even suggests it.
A new corridor would cut through what was originally Eaton's.
The Eaton's store would have forced the original passarelle to be further east.


http://metropolisatmetrotown.com/mall-map

[red-paladin]

I really support the current design for the rebuilt Metrotown station.
I like that they are adding 2 more hoop trusses to complete the expo design, and referencing the trusses with the roof elements on each new station house.
I was worried there would be no passerelle at all, so this makes be feel a lot more confident.

However, They are not adding more hoop trusses at Joyce, they are adding a clashing design
I would have no problem if they completely removed all of them, but a mismatch is not good.

[officedweller]

The strange thing about the Metrotown project is that the platform looks to be staying the same size, and the "holding areas" are at grade. They will have more escalators to clear the platform, but that may also bring more passengers to the platform faster, too.
You'd think they'd do what they did at Main Street and lengthen the platform as a holding area (maybe that's too expensive?)

[red-paladin]

They are slightly lengthening at each end.
The main problem before is that there was no west station house, and just one elevator in the middle. So 99% of people went through the under capacity east stationhouse. It was always full of people going every direction.
Now the mall traffic will be directed over the passarelle to the centre station house and both ends will be greatly improved. So it's really going from one main entrance to three.
Since there are a few metres added on each side, and since instead of so many people clustered at the current east end will be diluted around the three exists, I think it will be a massive improvement. To say nothing of how much better it will meet the street.

[Kisai]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I really support the current design for the rebuilt Metrotown station.
I like that they are adding 2 more hoop trusses to complete the expo design, and referencing the trusses with the roof elements on each new station house.
I was worried there would be no passerelle at all, so this makes be feel a lot more confident.

However, They are not adding more hoop trusses at Joyce, they are adding a clashing design
I would have no problem if they completely removed all of them, but a mismatch is not good.

I was wondering what they were going to do when Station Square was torn down. Like that entire walkway that leads to where the proposed Passerelle is, they refurbished... and then put a wall in front when they started gutting Station Square. But I'm concerned that this is making the Metrotown hike a bit lengthy, though it's less awkward than where the existing Passerelle is since the exiting one goes right on top of the bus loop, not into the mall. It's like you cross it and are greeted with the A&W.

Though If I was Ivanhoe-Cambridge (the owners of the mall) I'd probably reconfigure that entire exterior wall of the mall to be 24hr type of establishments, so people can do something while they wait for the mall to open, or wait for the bus or Skytrain. It's already getting a Chipotle beside the A&W. Those stores could be "pass-thru" entrances to the mall if designed right, though it might be pretty obnoxious to have a store that all the Skytrain passengers use as a shortcut into the mall.