GO Transit is working to make it easier to walk and bike to five key GO stations.
The five stations are just the start, as improvements for pedestrians and cyclists are in the future of many more stations and transit hubs.
Much of it comes after public feedback that found some people who live within a short distance of GO stations are choosing not to walk or cycle due to a lack of comfortable, safe and direct routes from their houses to the GO station. This is especially true during bad weather.
To address this, a Five Station Blitz project was started by Metrolinx Planning and Stations Operations to make it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to access GO stations. The focus was on quick win solutions that could be quickly implemented to connect cycling and walking routes through the station.
“The Five Station Blitz was a great collaboration by several teams at Metrolinx to quickly deliver small but important safety improvements for our customers who are walking and cycling to our stations,” said Allen Hand, Metrolinx project manager for Program Management Delivery.
The five GO stations
Oakville, Ajax, Mount Pleasant, Aurora and Long Branch GO Stations were chosen based on existing ridership levels, all day train service, connectivity and safety risks, as well as the number of customers currently walking and cycling to the station.
At the five stations, improvements included updating and implementing pavement markings for walkways and bike routes, installing bollards to create protected pathways, placing dome mirrors at low visibility corners and installing additional way finding signage.
“While small in scale, these upgrades can make a big difference for the experience and safety of customers walking through our parking lots to reach their train,” said Hand.
Some examples of the improvements made during the Five Station Blitz include:
- A reconfigured walkway at Long Branch to provide proper access to the bike shelter and safer crossing conditions on station.
- Freshly painted pavement markings at Mount Pleasant GO Station creating a safer walking route through the parking lot to the station platform.
- Freshly painted crosswalk at Oakville GO Station providing a safer walking path through the parking lot.
- Bike racks relocated at the Ajax GO Station to provide easier access and increased shelter.
