Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Capital Shaun

It's interesting how Blair will be one of the few stations that will see significant parts of the previous TransitWay station as part of the new station.

Here is an artist rendition of the station:


Notice the door to nowhere on the right. Not sure if it will be locked or used and an emergency exit. That whole stairwell certainly isn't useful as you have the 174 westbound on ramp on one side and tracks on the other. Unless they plan to put a busway platform there, I can't see how it would every be useful.

[p_xavier]

I still can't believe that the stations won't be weather proof. Have they not learned anything from the Transitway stops?! Meanwhile, the Montreal REM stations will be fully enclosed with AC/heating.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

I still can't believe that the stations won't be weather proof. Have they not learned anything from the Transitway stops?! Meanwhile, the Montreal REM stations will be fully enclosed with AC/heating.

It's in RTG's interest to design stations that minimize the amount of weather-related wear-and-tear (salt corrosion and such), as RTG is responsible for maintaining the stations until 2048, at a rate already decided as part of the contract. For example, the stations will have heated flooring, as RTG calculated that the additional capital cost of building heated floors is cheaper than the cost of cleaning snow and slush off the platforms for the next 30 years. We saw something similar with the bridge at Bayview. RTG actually chose to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch despite the city's original construction plan not accounting for that, because RTG must have considered that paying for maintenance costs for 30 years, on a bridge that's already about 30 years old, is prohibitive enough to justify just rebuilding it now.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by d_jeffrey

I still can't believe that the stations won't be weather proof. Have they not learned anything from the Transitway stops?! Meanwhile, the Montreal REM stations will be fully enclosed with AC/heating.

Nope. And worse than that, they won't be very comfortable places in summer sun and humidity. More glass ceilings. Greenhouses for commuters. Transit designed by drivers.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

It's in RTG's interest to design stations that minimize the amount of weather-related wear-and-tear (salt corrosion and such), as RTG is responsible for maintaining the stations until 2048, at a rate already decided as part of the contract. For example, the stations will have heated flooring, as RTG calculated that the additional capital cost of building heated floors is cheaper than the cost of cleaning snow and slush off the platforms for the next 30 years. We saw something similar with the bridge at Bayview. RTG actually chose to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch despite the city's original construction plan not accounting for that, because RTG must have considered that paying for maintenance costs for 30 years, on a bridge that's already about 30 years old, is prohibitive enough to justify just rebuilding it now.

But they have no incentive to enhance passenger comfort.

[MoreTrains]

Originally Posted by acottawa

But they have no incentive to enhance passenger comfort.

Passenger comfort is expensive... and subjective. So no.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by acottawa

But they have no incentive to enhance passenger comfort.

Nope. That's the city job.

The way the contract works, is RTG has full freedom to design stations within the requirements set by the city. The city requirement presumably includes enclosed spaces and accessibility standards, but not enclosed stations.

That said, headways on the LRT are so short that it's not a huge deal if the stations are exposed to temperatures... it's more of a problem if snow and slush is on the platforms (which the heated flooring deals with).

It's the bus transfer areas that really need enclosure with heating and cooling, as they're the spots where people will actually possibly be waiting for a fair amount of time. I have no idea if they're enclosed/climate controlled or not.

The trains themselves have heating and cooling; one of the city requirements was that the manufacturer provide trains that are capable of "normal operation" and "acceptable passenger comfort" down to -38C, which is a little ridiculous as temperatures that low have literally never been recorded in Ottawa, ever, and we don't really come close either (the last time it was ever less than -30C in Ottawa was five years ago).

[johnfowler]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Notice the door to nowhere on the right. Not sure if it will be locked or used and an emergency exit. That whole stairwell certainly isn't useful as you have the 174 westbound on ramp on one side and tracks on the other. Unless they plan to put a busway platform there, I can't see how it would every be useful.

The two reused stairwells will actually be completely walled-off and used only for maintenance, because the lower level will be inside of the paid area, the middle level will go nowhere as you noticed, and the upper level will be outside the paid area. I agree it is sort of a odd architectural design to keep the existing stair towers that don't match the rest of the station.

[The Hammer]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Here is an artist rendition of the station:


Notice the door to nowhere on the right. Not sure if it will be locked or used and an emergency exit. That whole stairwell certainly isn't useful as you have the 174 westbound on ramp on one side and tracks on the other. Unless they plan to put a busway platform there, I can't see how it would every be useful.

That door may be part of a rough-in for a side platform in a Spanish solution setup, though I can't imagine Blair getting enough traffic to justify it.

Other than to support the overpass, there's no reason to keep the stairwell;
but there's no justification besides aesthetics to replace it either, so odds are it stays.

It could be used for secure bike parking, but getting a bike there would be cumbersome, and I doubt there's sufficient demand.

I'd love to see the enclosed grassy area turned into some sort of speakeasy beer garden. Wonder what the password would be.

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

The contrast between the white LRT station and the tacky red of the Transitway bridges doesn't look that great... I hope the city at least repaints the old Transitway infrastructure from red to white.

I don't mind the red...

[Kitchissippi]

They must be so close to breaking through between the two sections of tunnel. Seems like they progressed about ~20 meters a week and there was roughly 50 m left pre-sinkhole. Rideau Station is now 100% excavated, is Crocodile Rouge continuing to do a bit of running tunnel?

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

That said, headways on the LRT are so short that it's not a huge deal if the stations are exposed to temperatures... it's more of a problem if snow and slush is on the platforms (which the heated flooring deals with).

Actually, it kinda is a huge deal. There will be delays. There will be times of day/week where the headways are much less generous. Passenger comfort is NOT a frill, especially not as the climate heats up.

The trains themselves have heating and cooling; one of the city requirements was that the manufacturer provide trains that are capable of "normal operation" and "acceptable passenger comfort" down to -38C, which is a little ridiculous as temperatures that low have literally never been recorded in Ottawa, ever

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa#Climate

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Actually, it kinda is a huge deal. There will be delays. There will be times of day/week where the headways are much less generous. Passenger comfort is NOT a frill, especially not as the climate heats up.

Climate change will actually make the problem easier as our winter cold is much more of a concern than our fairly tame summer heat. Furthermore, summer heat is much easier to deal with as simple shading reduces much of its impact whereas cold is kind of everywhere.

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa#Climate

Huh, I sit corrected. I could have sworn the all time record low was -36C.. perhaps the source I originally read it from was a different weather station.

That temperature was probably recorded at 3 in the morning, when trains wouldn't run anyway. In any case, actual temperatures below -30C are very, very rare in Ottawa.

[rocketphish]

Pimisi LRT station at LeBreton a tribute to Algonquin people

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 23, 2016 | Last Updated: June 23, 2016 6:36 PM EDT

A warm June sun beat down on the drummers who welcomed dignitaries Thursday to the site of a future LRT station intended to acknowledge and celebrate the Algonquin people.

When Ottawa’s $2.1-billion Confederation line opens in 2018, Pimisi, the first stop west of downtown, will connect riders to everything from government offices in Gatineau to the Canadian War Museum to future housing and entertainment developments at LeBreton Flats and along the Ottawa River.

Here are five things to know about the new station now under construction.

1, The name

The Algonquins of Ontario chose the name Pimisi, which means eel in the Algonquin language. Eels have a sacred significance as a source of spirituality, medicine and food. They were an essential part of the traditional Algonquin economy and were often smoked so they could be kept over winter, said Chief Kirby Whiteduck of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn,

Renderings revealed Thursday show a statue of an eel placed in an aqueduct adjacent to the train platform.

2, The symbolism

Coming on the heels of National Aboriginal Day, Whiteduck says the Algonquin-inspired naming of the LRT station is “very important.”

“It’s very symbolic of an emerging relationship with the city and also with the other partners. For us, it is a growing relationship, a positive one and we think it is on the path of reconciliation that has been talked about so much recently,” he said.

3, The look and feel

Pimisi is situated beneath and to the west of the new Booth Street Bridge, where bus service will be available.

A trio of escalators will bring riders down to and up from the platform and, on the north side, a plaza will overlook the heritage aqueduct. Reclaimed ash wood will be used as roof soffits and benches.

Public artworks will be created by Algonquin Anishnabe artists, including a mosaic by Doreen Stevens.

4, The connection to the LeBreton Flats redevelopment

The winning bidder, RendezVous LeBreton, wants to cover the LRT line through LeBreton Flats to make sure the rail corridor doesn’t divide the site. It’s one of the big reasons why the team won the negotiation rights to develop the site.

The city, however, hasn’t said much about how constructing above and around the rail line would affect LRT service, which begins in spring 2018. Shovels aren’t expected to go into the ground at LeBreton Flats until after the transit line opens.

Mayor Jim Watson said Thursday he’s pleased the redevelopment will be accessible by two nearby LRT stations — Pimisi and Bayview — but was adamant the city won’t be doing any extra work.

“If there are any changes that are going to take place, it will have to be done after the station is built and the cost will have to be borne by the developer, not the taxpayers,” he said.

5, The absence of bike lanes on Booth Street

Pimisi station, Booth Street and the surrounding area will soon become one of Ottawa’s key connection points. It’s where people travelling to and from Chinatown, Little Italy, Gatineau or the new Zibi development will collide with those travelling between downtown and all points west.

But for those on two wheels, Booth Street might feel lacking. The section of road between Albert and Wellington is being rebuilt as part of this project, yet the plan for the road includes no specific cycling amenities.

There will be two lanes in each direction with “the one lane being a wider, shared cycling lane,” explained Steve Cripps, head of the city’s LRT office.

The station will, however, connect up with new and existing multi-use pathways, he said.

[email protected]
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/pimisi-lrt-station-a-tribute-to-algonquin-people

[rocketphish]

Engineer's approval will dictate sinkhole intersection reopening, city says

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: June 23, 2016 | Last Updated: June 23, 2016 4:27 PM EDT



The city isn’t guaranteeing that the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Avenue will reopen before North American leaders descend on Ottawa next week for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Closed for more than two weeks after a massive sinkhole opened up on Rideau Street, just to the east of the intersection, the area has been abuzz with round-the-clock activity as workers repair damaged infrastructure and utilities, and finish filling in the five-metre-deep hole. Service has been restored to all affected businesses.

“The reconstruction is progressing very well and we expect the construction to be winding down this weekend and it should be complete early next week,” said Steve Cripps, head of the city’s light rail implementation office.

But the intersection can’t reopen until engineers have inspected it and given their sign-off, he added.

Whether that happens before U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto arrive in town for the annual Three Amigos summit remains unknown.

“Our target is to open it as soon as we can, but of course safety is our priority,” Cripps said.

The city’s initial estimate for reopening the roads was one to two weeks.

Meanwhile, workers continue to pump water out of the LRT tunnel directly below where the sinkhole swallowed a large swath of the street.

After the collapse, the water was as deep as about 2.5 metres. The tunnel is about five metres in diameter. The level decreased moving westward toward Elgin Street, around which the water was about five centimetres deep, Cripps told Postmedia earlier this month.

On Thursday, he said a roadheader used to dig out the tunnel would have been at least partially submerged in water, but crews haven’t reached it yet to assess whether it was damaged.

Rideau Transit Group, which is building the $2.1-billion Confederation LRT line and is overseeing the reconstruction efforts, owns two other roadheaders.

There was only about 50 metres of tunnel left to excavate at the time of the road collapse.

[email protected]
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...inkhole-intersection-reopening-city-says

[1overcosc]

At first I was annoyed at the choice of the name "Pimisi" for the station at Booth. But in the context of the new Lebreton plans it's lot less ridiculous. The new Lebreton will be oriented around both Pimisi station & Bayview station... so naming just one of them "Lebreton" would have created confusion. Furthermore, the RV bid proposes developing Lebreton as a series of distinct areas.. the neighbourhood closest to Pimisi station will be called Pimisi.. which will result in the name making more sense.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Climate change will actually make the problem easier as our winter cold is much more of a concern than our fairly tame summer heat.

Ottawa's summer heat is NOT TAME.

Furthermore, summer heat is much easier to deal with as simple shading reduces much of its impact whereas cold is kind of everywhere.

That's just it, though: there is absolutely no indication from the renderings so far that shade is a design value that has been taken seriously into consideration. Quite the opposite: WE ARE STILL BUILDING DAMN TRANSIT STATIONS WITH DAMN GLASS ROOVES.

That temperature was probably recorded at 3 in the morning, when trains wouldn't run anyway. In any case, actual temperatures below -30C are very, very rare in Ottawa.

I think the demand that -38 be used as a design benchmark is a good call.

[zzptichka]

I love Pimisi as a station name. I think it's great, symbolic (eel = train, get it?) and weird in a good way.

The fact that there are no bike lanes on Booth is ridiculous. If I live in Zibi or Chinatown, biking down Booth to the station is a great last mile connection option, even in January.

Why there was no public consultation on Booth street design?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Climate change will actually make the problem easier as our winter cold is much more of a concern than our fairly tame summer heat. Furthermore, summer heat is much easier to deal with as simple shading reduces much of its impact whereas cold is kind of everywhere.



Huh, I sit corrected. I could have sworn the all time record low was -36C.. perhaps the source I originally read it from was a different weather station.

That temperature was probably recorded at 3 in the morning, when trains wouldn't run anyway. In any case, actual temperatures below -30C are very, very rare in Ottawa.

I remember the year mercury thermometers froze, at -39C and there was wind chill on top of that. It was totally frigid. It lasted two or three days before it finally moderated.

[DarthVader_1961]

Wonder if the sinkhole stuff will be resolved for Canada day?