Latest news with #pedestrianTunnel
CBC
19-06-2025
- CBC
Tunnel connecting UP Express to TTC's Dundas West station under construction after long delay
Metrolinx has begun construction on a pedestrian tunnel linking UP Express Bloor Station to the nearby Dundas West subway station, nearly a decade after it was announced. The project was originally announced soon after the UP Express – the train linking Union Station and Pearson Airport – first opened in 2015. Cameron MacLeod, executive director of transit advocacy organization CodeRedTO, told CBC Toronto 10 years is not a reasonable time frame to build a relatively short tunnel. "Years ago, Metrolinx said that the tunnel connection was moving forward," he said. "They were going to get started. It's only about 50 metres of tunnel, so that's probably the slowest tunneling speed we've ever had in Toronto." Currently, the fastest way for UP Express riders to transfer to the TTC is to exit the station and walk along Bloor and Dundas streets to Dundas West Station. On its website, Metrolinx says that walk takes around five to eight minutes, depending on street traffic and weather conditions. Add to that, many travellers coming from Pearson Airport are new to the city and carrying luggage. In an email to CBC Toronto, Metrolinx said it doesn't have a set opening date for the tunnel yet, but "construction continues to move forward, with such work as elevator shafts and staircases well underway, and major excavation to begin in the coming months." The new tunnel will allow travellers to make the transfer in around two minutes, it added. Transfer signage is unclear, travellers say On Monday, several travellers at UP Express Bloor Station told CBC Toronto that transfer signage was unclear. "It's kind of confusing getting out," said Joshua Jose, a Brampton resident using the station for the first time. "So I mean, if there's an underground tunnel? Yeah, that'll be super convenient. You don't [have] to worry about the traffic or whatever. And in the winter, it would be really nice too because you can stay warm." That sense of confusion is a common complaint about the current set-up, MacLeod said. "It's very challenging. It's not clear if you're unfamiliar with the neighborhood," he said. "You're competing with all sorts of road traffic and other sidewalk users, and you're not really sure where you're going if you haven't done it before." But the overall timing of the project is his biggest concern. "It's really unfortunate because it should be something that we are able to pull off in a little less than 10 years," MacLeod said. Part of the delay is due to ongoing negotiations with the Crossways retail and residential complex that sits between the two stations, he said. UP Express ridership increased by millions in first 10 years Now that those negotiations are settled, MacLeod said the last he heard about the tunnel is that it was set to be completed in spring or summer of 2026, but no official announcements have been made. Meanwhile, Metrolinx provided CBC Toronto with ridership figures to mark 10 years since the UP Express officially opened. The provincial transit agency said over 27 million trips have been recorded since the line was launched. That includes 4,303,797 riders between June 2024 and May 2025. That's up from 1,115,989 from June 2015 to May 2016, Metrolinx said.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
Pedestrian tunnel under construction to link two Ann Arbor parks
A pedestrian tunnel will link two public parks later this year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the city has shared updates on the efforts during recent days. The north side of Bandemer Park is back open to the public, but the tunnel area itself remains closed to access until the fall. There are some parking areas and pedestrian detours around what remains an active construction site. "Avoid work areas & follow signs," the City of Ann Arbor posted on its social media. The Barton-Bandemer pedestrian tunnel in Ann Arbor is under construction and scheduled to open fall 2025. City of Ann Arbor The tunnel will go under a Michigan Department of Transportation railroad to connect Bandemer Park and Barton Nature Area near North Main Street and M-14. It will be one of the links in the Washtenaw County Border to Border trail. Without such a tunnel, there has been "no safe and legal connection for pedestrians and bicyclists," the city said on the project's website. "Many pedestrians and bicyclists choose to illegally cross the railroad tracks at this location, showing that it is a highly desired route." Plans for the park upgrades began in 2019 with a feasibility study. Construction on the tunnel began in March and will finish in the fall. A two-day railroad track outage needed to complete some of the work took place Tuesday and Wednesday. A public art space will finish up the tunnel feature. This project is jointly funded by the City of Ann Arbor, the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and the non-profit Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative. The project's timeline and closure maps can be found on the city's website. The Barton-Bandemer pedestrian tunnel in Ann Arbor is under construction and scheduled to open fall 2025. City of Ann Arbor
