Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by downtown_eddie_brown

they don't want bums hanging out in them.

It isn't that difficult to kick them out. The stations will be closed at night and busy during the day so won't be that attractive as an alternative homeless shelter.

[downtown_eddie_brown]

Originally Posted by roger1818

It isn't that difficult to kick them out. The stations will be closed at night and busy during the day so won't be that attractive as an alternative homeless shelter.

they also don't want to pay for station security. effectively, leaving them exposed to the elements is a cheap built-environment method to discourage loitering, and it also 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Arcologist

I like the idea of having art in the LRT stations, but maybe they could have used the money to fully enclose the stations instead!?! I really don't understand how we ended up with stations that are only partially enclosed with glass in a northerly climate famous for snowstorms and icestorms?!?

Worst of both worlds: not enclosed enough for cold, damp weather, and too much frickin' glass during hot, humid weather.

It's almost as if the people designing the transit system don't use transit.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Who said anything about "exposure"?

My complaint is on quality and value for money. I see failure on both fronts. I don't even mind them spending double or even triple what they spent if they actually put up stuff that was decent.

Look at what they have for Cyrville. I'm not impressed that I'll have to see that every day. And even less impressed that it cost them $300k. They could have saved the $300k and it wouldn't have made a difference to me. If you're going to put up art, make sure it's decent enough that it actually adds noticeable value to the user experience.

I still think the art should be paid for by patrons. Surely there's some blue-hairs in Rockcliffe or on Clemow who'd be willing to sponsor a station.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I still think the art should be paid for by patrons. Surely there's some blue-hairs in Rockcliffe or on Clemow who'd be willing to sponsor a station.

If we want to live in a first class city, spending money on public art is the price we need to pay. By all means, encourage the wealthy to contribute to public art but usually this will be for specific projects. At the same time, our municipal bureaucracy makes it difficult to have private donations of public artwork. I know, I was involved in a small project and it almost defeated me.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by roger1818

It isn't that difficult to kick them out. The stations will be closed at night and busy during the day so won't be that attractive as an alternative homeless shelter.

So they'll have night buses for 24 hour service that the 95 and . . . 61(?) provide now?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Beedok

So they'll have night buses for 24 hour service that the 95 and . . . 61(?) provide now?

Unlike the Transitways, the Confederation Line will not operate 24 hours a day. During down time, buses will operate on a parallel route.

[J.OT13]

I have nothing against spending money on art for stations, and 10 million dollars on a 2.1 billion dollar project is a drop in the bucket. There are much bigger wastes of money at all levels of government.

I take issue with the total lack of consultation on this. The City made a call for proposals, looked through the submissions behind closed doors and picked the winners themselves before finally revealing what we'll be stuck with.

The City did the same with the train set livery; they drafted a few options in secret, chose the one they wanted and then (sort of) made the options public after the decision was already made. In Calgary and Montreal, and many other places around the world no doubt, they put up a website displaying the different options and citizens were able to vote for their favourite design through an online poll. The same was done with the (Liberal's version of the ) Victims of Communism Memorial, and the Lord Stanley Monument. Hey, even the NCC let the people voice their opinions on LeBreton Flats!

[J.OT13]

As for people complaining about the open air stations, take a look at Edmonton and Calgary where they have big, fancy enclosures but frig-all to protect people actually standing on the platforms.






I'm pretty damn happy with our stations.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I still think the art should be paid for by patrons. Surely there's some blue-hairs in Rockcliffe or on Clemow who'd be willing to sponsor a station.

The rich don't stay rich by donating. They only make donations which boost their profile. And they aren't concerned about virtue signalling with the working class who ride transit everyday.

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

If we want to live in a first class city, spending money on public art is the price we need to pay.

Very few are complaining about paying. I'd have been happy if they spent double. If they actually did stuff I liked.

[mykl]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Didn't sens the sarcasm; I though you literally did not realize that was the theater.

Video playing was this, only on the screen, not the side walls;



Hologram was the only part of the production that was kinda of cool. The rest was a little random and underwhelming (grocery store plastic curtains with the strobe light, the jungle room). And I think 2 months of this is a little much. A month would have been sufficient so they can get moving on the station's completion.

that video/projection was NOT playing when i was there. it was just a room to scan yourself and nothing else going on. i guess that's where the confusion was for me. first video i saw was in the little room a few minutes into the thing.

[mykl]

As for the station art, complaints about money being spent on art are irrelevant because the 1% bylaw is in effect whether you like it or not, and is built into every project. Complaints about the quality of the art chosen are valid... I wish they would provide more realistic renderings of how some of the pieces will look.

On a personal note, as a Douglas Coupland fan and someone who is part of his future 3DCANADA project, I'm thrilled to see such a bright and bold piece coming to Parliament station!

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

If we want to live in a first class city, spending money on public art is the price we need to pay. By all means, encourage the wealthy to contribute to public art but usually this will be for specific projects. At the same time, our municipal bureaucracy makes it difficult to have private donations of public artwork. I know, I was involved in a small project and it almost defeated me.

I know, I know. Ottawa really doesn't make things easy, and even makes making-things-easy hard!

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

The rich don't stay rich by donating. They only make donations which boost their profile. And they aren't concerned about virtue signalling with the working class who ride transit everyday.

You'd be surprised.

Very few are complaining about paying. I'd have been happy if they spent double. If they actually did stuff I liked.

Or, you're not hearing many of the people who are complaining. Not quite the same thing.

I'm not finding $7-million worth of aesthetic pleasure out of this art, and really think the public-art setaside should neither be mandatory for all projects, nor as high as it is.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by mykl

As for the station art, complaints about money being spent on art are irrelevant because the 1% bylaw is in effect whether you like it or not

You're right; once City Council passes something, it can never, ever, ever be undone.

To be clear: I think this is a dumb by-law and a dumb policy which only serves to incentivize mediocre art.

[Multi-modal]

http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/construction/construction-update-134/

Latest LRT Constuction update is up as per usual. That view from Bayview is gorgeous.

[eltodesukane]

I get the "Your Weekly O-Train Confederation Line Update" in my email,
but the images are so very small, it's ridiculous.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

I get the "Your Weekly O-Train Confederation Line Update" in my email,
but the images are so very small, it's ridiculous.

You have to check the updates on the website and open full screen. Then you can click on one of the pictures and go through them to see a descent size.

[rocketphish]

St. Laurent transit station needs better pedestrian, cycling access, councillor says

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: July 30, 2017 | Last Updated: July 30, 2017 4:09 PM EDT

Making it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate St. Laurent Shopping Centre and reach the adjacent transit station once the Confederation LRT Line opens next year is crucial to light-rail’s ultimate success, says Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Tobi Nussbaum.

The two-level St. Laurent transit station — with a surface-level bus loop and underground train platforms that are currently under construction — is located between the large regional mall and Highway 417.

Reaching it from neighbourhoods to the north means crossing vast parking lots that offer little in the way of sidewalks or bike lanes. Cutting through the mall when it’s open softens the experience for pedestrians, but they still need to cross the parking lot to enter the mall.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” Nussbaum said.

And from the sounds of it, he and the city have a willing partner in Morguard Investments, the mall’s owner.

A Morguard representative recently toured the site on foot with Nussbaum, city staff and members of the Overbrook Community Association, including president Rawlson King. “If they’re going to increase the number of passengers and the capacity, it obviously makes sense to have better ground connections to the station,” King said.

Among the issues raised was the feasibility of the city’s installing a new pedestrian crosswalk on Coventry Road. The spot where the road bends connects to a footpath that leads to Hardy Avenue and acts as a bridge between the mall and Overbrook.

Painted bike lanes or a new multi-use path, continuous sidewalk and good lighting are among the improvements contemplated for the parking lot.

There is also talk of OC Transpo and Morguard potentially reaching an agreement for access to the mall after hours, so passengers wouldn’t have to walk around it when they are arriving on or catching the train.

“We have to ensure that’s a connection. It makes the trip that much safer, easier and convenient,” Nussbaum said.

No formal discussions have begun, but Morguard’s senior vice-president of development expressed her company’s openness.

“We get it and we’re going to continue to work with the city,” said Margaret Knowles, adding the company already works closely with the city and LRT contractor Rideau Transit Group at downtown’s Parliament station (Morguard owns some property above it).

Knowles said Morguard is still a few years away from completing a new master plan for its St. Laurent property, which could include the addition of residential or office space and expanded retail on the site.

“Transit is critical to that vision,” she said. “Everybody wants this to be a safe, obstacle-free, best path forward.”

She agreed a new crosswalk on Coventry is a good idea, and explained that making any physical changes to the mall’s parking lot in the interim, such as painting bike lanes on the asphalt, modifies the current site plan and requires the company to consult with its anchor tenants.

King said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the collaborative spirit of the discussions with Morguard.

“It sounds like they’re really open to listening to the community’s concerns and we commend them for that,” he said.

Previously, there were similar concerns about safely reaching the Ottawa train station from Overbrook by foot or bike, but a new pathway near RCGT Park connects directly to the Max Keeping Bridge that spans the 417.

Connectivity is a critical ingredient to the LRT’s success, Nussbaum said. “In neighbourhoods where people can, we want them to walk or cycle to an LRT station.”

[email protected]
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...edestrian-cycling-access-councillor-says

[lrt's friend]

Long overdue. Access to St. Laurent station from surrounding areas on foot is inadequate. The station to date provides access to the shopping centre itself and to local buses.