Quote:
Originally Posted by adam-machiavelli
Will the underground transit station also open in 2011?
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No.
As I understand the sequence to come, it should be like this:
The intersection of Constellation and Baseline is finished, allowing the #118 bus to bypass the Baseline/Woodroffe intersection. This is why the #118 stops at the temporary station are on the sides they are; that bus will travel Baseline-Constellation-Navaho Extension-Station-College-Woodroffe-Navaho.
(I have no idea why they appear to be adding a new bus lane on the west of Woodroffe from Baseline to College.)
The Navaho Structure is then re-built and is used as the entrance for the Algonquin construction. Buses will not cross this bridge until after the Algonquin construction is finished.
As part of the Algonquin construction, the trench for the future Transitway/LRT Station will be dug and partly (maybe all) covered. The storm sewer under the trench will also be laid during that digging. The trench will only go from the Navaho structure to just north of College by the end of the Algonquin construction. During this time, the temporary station operation has remained the same.
Once all of the Algonquin construction is completed at the end of 2011, then the Navaho structure will be released to bus traffic. At this time, the #118 stops will be moved to their permanent location on (or beside) the Navaho structure. Thus, the #118 will travel Baseline-Constellation-Navaho. The rest of the buses will also be routed off College and that road will be closed.
The College structure and its associated bus transfer station will then be started, likely early 2012. This construction will also extend the Transitway/LRT Station trench to south of College. I expect it will take the City almost two years to finish the bridge and station, during which time, the temporary station will be in use, with buses accessing it via the temporary tail to Woodroffe at David (already in operation now) and Navaho.
Between now and then, the trench segment and station at Tallwood should be built; it is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
Once the College structure and station are completed, the buses will be re-routed to again use College to get to Woodroffe and the temporary tail will no longer be needed. Note that the temporary station is still in use at this time. Then the two segments of trench can be connected, allowing buses to flow from Norice through to the permanent Baseline Station, past the Tallwood station. Only then, in 2016, will buses be routed along the new section of Transitway and use the new College Structure station. Most buses from the south will turn at this station, but a few buses will continue through the tunnel to Lincoln Fields. Notice that the #118 stops are still 250 metres north on Navaho for your transferring convenience.
Just to let you know, the temporary Baseline Station was built to last seven years so that gives strength to my above sequence.
But, you asked specifically about using the "underground transit station" in 2011: From the way you worded it, I'm guessing that you are asking about the central-platform LRT station which will be in the tunnel. The answer is still no. That station will not be in use until the train gets to Baseline and I can't even guess when that might be. Maybe 2019-26?
Something to note, though, is that there are NO bus stops in the tunnel. Buses simply use the tunnel as a passage north from the bus station located on the south side of the College structure.