GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[ShonTron]

The DVP was not closed for "Run for Cure", though a whole bunch of other roads were. It is closed only for that idiotic "Ride for Heart" and some sort of triathlon and for annual construction. The DVP closure for construction was last weekend.

The sooner John Tory can convince council to cancel the vast majority of the silly events that shut down DVP, Gardiner, Lake Shore, King St, etc. the better. This has got to be by far the easiest way to improve the terrible traffic in this city and costs the city absolutely nothing (probably saves them a bit of money for policing costs, etc.). I do not care if it is "For Heart" or "For Cure" or whatever, closing major roads must cost the economy millions, far more than the amount those silly events raise. Also I would really like it if John Tory could figure out how to do the Gardiner/DVP closures at night rather than on weekends. Provincial highways are almost never closed for an entire day or two on weekends for construction.

You'll notice that the 400-series highways generally have wide shoulder lanes; the 427 and 400 also have collector lanes. A few years ago, the 401 had alternating express and local lane closures on weekends. The bi-annual DVP and Gardiner closures allow for a lot of maintenance to take place at once, on freeways built to standards that are not up to modern designs.

Why aren't you whining about the semi-regular subway closures too?

 

[wopchop]

Doing the annual maintenance at night will cost more than closing it for the weekend. It is as simple as that.

You basically have to perform eight open and closings of the highway to accomplish the same thing at night as you can accomplish with one opening/closing for a weekend.

 

[andrewpmk]

T

Doing the annual maintenance at night will cost more than closing it for the weekend. It is as simple as that.

You basically have to perform eight open and closings of the highway to accomplish the same thing at night as you can accomplish with one opening/closing for a weekend.

The weekend closures of the DVP/Gardiner are hugely disruptive. People can tolerate repeated closures between midnight and 6am, but closing the highway for an entire weekend causes traffic chaos. The subway closures would be less of a problem if Toronto built more subway lines.

Charities are going to have to find a different way of raising money that does not involve closing major roads and causing chaos. I can't think of any other city which closes major highways like the DVP and Gardiner for silly events.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Perhaps drivers are going to have to find another way of getting downtown that doesn't involve using said highways instead? I can't think of any other city that would call fundraising for cancer, however inconvenient, "silly events".

AoD

 

[Mariner35]

T


The weekend closures of the DVP/Gardiner are hugely disruptive. People can tolerate repeated closures between midnight and 6am, but closing the highway for an entire weekend causes traffic chaos. The subway closures would be less of a problem if Toronto built more subway lines.

Charities are going to have to find a different way of raising money that does not involve closing major roads and causing chaos. I can't think of any other city which closes major highways like the DVP and Gardiner for silly events.

Not sure what your vendetta against charity races has to do with GO service but road closures are nothing new in any city for events like this. I live above the Gardiner and the traffic on Lakeshore on Sunday from 2am-2pm (time it was closed) was barely worse because of the Ride for Heart closing the Gardiner.

 

[wopchop]

T


The weekend closures of the DVP/Gardiner are hugely disruptive. People can tolerate repeated closures between midnight and 6am, but closing the highway for an entire weekend causes traffic chaos. The subway closures would be less of a problem if Toronto built more subway lines.

You said that it costs the city absolutely nothing to switch from closing the DVP/Gardner on weekends to closing it overnight on multiple nights. You are wrong. It will cost more.

It would take a week or more of overnight closures to accomplish the same work overnight as can be accomplished in one weekend, simply because you have added so many more mobilization/demobilizations to the same basic job. This will clearly cost more.

 

[drum118]

You said that it costs the city absolutely nothing to switch from closing the DVP/Gardner on weekends to closing it overnight on multiple nights. You are wrong. It will cost more.

It would take a week or more of overnight closures to accomplish the same work overnight as can be accomplished in one weekend, simply because you have added so many more mobilization/demobilizations to the same basic job. This will clearly cost more.

To add to your comment, you need a full week of night closure to do the work of one weekend. Cost to rent floodlights for nighttime will cost 5 times as much as a weekend. Then you have to do a daily setup and tear down to close and open the DVP compare to 1 each for a weekend. Crews can't start working until there no traffic on the DVP and that cuts into the hours to do the work at a faster unsafe maunder. Overtime is a killer as well finding the manpower in the first place. Then there the weather effect.

Weekends are the way to go since you can do more work in a shorter time frame than nightly closure. This even applies to TTC Subway system.

 

[interchange42]

Celebrate Blue Jays playoffs safely with GO Transit

TORONTO: October 7, 2015 – Metrolinx staff have been busy planning for our Toronto Blue Jays playoff games! With the first games now scheduled, we want to help our customers get to and from the game safely. We’ll have all hands on deck this Thursday and Friday—transit safety officers, GO Transit ambassadors, ticket sales, station and operations staff—to help ensure customers get to where they need to go.

Both Thursday and Friday’s games are scheduled for the afternoon and will finish during rush hour. Crowds of happy fans are expected to arrive at Union Station during peak hours from Rogers Centre. Friday is also one of our busiest travel days with many students and commuters eager to get home for the holiday. We will be monitoring our ridership and will do our best to accommodate everyone to get them home safely.Here are a few tips to help make your commute safe during the playoffs:

·Consider adjusting your travel plans during playoff games so that you are not arriving and leaving during peak hours (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

·Load your PRESTO card ahead of time

·When leaving the game, consider staying downtown until rush hour is over (Toronto has so many great restaurants!)

·When arriving at Union Station, look for GO staff if you need assistance or directions

·If you are arriving at Toronto Pearson to see the game, UP Express will get you within a 5 minute walk to the Rogers Centre with trains running every 15 minutes for the 25-minute trip (and it’s only $19 with your PRESTO card)

We’ve waited 22 years for this so please continue to be patient when waiting for trains and buses before and after games. Remember: safety is always our first priority.

GO Jays GO!

 

[TOareaFan]

Celebrate Blue Jays playoffs safely with GO Transit

TORONTO: October 7, 2015 – Metrolinx staff have been busy planning for our Toronto Blue Jays playoff games! With the first games now scheduled, we want to help our customers get to and from the game safely. We’ll have all hands on deck this Thursday and Friday—transit safety officers, GO Transit ambassadors, ticket sales, station and operations staff—to help ensure customers get to where they need to go.

Both Thursday and Friday’s games are scheduled for the afternoon and will finish during rush hour. Crowds of happy fans are expected to arrive at Union Station during peak hours from Rogers Centre. Friday is also one of our busiest travel days with many students and commuters eager to get home for the holiday. We will be monitoring our ridership and will do our best to accommodate everyone to get them home safely.Here are a few tips to help make your commute safe during the playoffs:

·Consider adjusting your travel plans during playoff games so that you are not arriving and leaving during peak hours (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

·Load your PRESTO card ahead of time

·When leaving the game, consider staying downtown until rush hour is over (Toronto has so many great restaurants!)

·When arriving at Union Station, look for GO staff if you need assistance or directions

·If you are arriving at Toronto Pearson to see the game, UP Express will get you within a 5 minute walk to the Rogers Centre with trains running every 15 minutes for the 25-minute trip (and it’s only $19 with your PRESTO card)

We’ve waited 22 years for this so please continue to be patient when waiting for trains and buses before and after games. Remember: safety is always our first priority.

GO Jays GO!

Maybe I am too sensitive to these things, I don't know, but GO tips their hand ocassionally that, in their minds, they really are just offering a Lakeshore Line service with ocassional inconveniences of having to run trains elsewhere.

Telling people in a blanket statement that staying downtown until (for some of them) after the last train leaves is a way to improve their travel experience on Thursday and Friday is a bit absurd!

 

[crs1026]

Maybe I am too sensitive to these things, I don't know, but GO tips their hand ocassionally that, in their minds, they really are just offering a Lakeshore Line service with ocassional inconveniences of having to run trains elsewhere.

Telling people in a blanket statement that staying downtown until (for some of them) after the last train leaves is a way to improve their travel experience on Thursday and Friday is a bit absurd!

You aren't too sensitive. A more positive statement would have been to remind game attenders that the last train on the other lines is conveniently late in rush hour - anywhere from 18:45 (Barrie) to 19:40 (Richmond Hill). Which would actually encourage ridership - instead of making it sound like the system is too full to handle them and the times don't work anyways, there's plenty of time after the game to have a bite or a drink after the game and still get home in decent time.

Heaven forbid that they take some peak trains after their evening LSE runs and add a later turnback run up any of the "other" lines for this event. It's not like these trains don't pass through Union while heading for Willowbrook.

- Paul

 

[Jonny5]

UP Express will get you within a 5 minute walk to the Rogers Centre

I'd like to see someone step out of a UPX train door and into the Rogers Centre door in under 15 minutes. I doubt most could even do it in 20.

 

[drum118]

I'd like to see someone step out of a UPX train door and into the Rogers Centre door in under 15 minutes. I doubt most could even do it in 20.

Depends on what door you are going to, what is the crowd flow like, are you a fast, average or slow walker. 5 minutes will get you to the walkway bridge north west area, but not any Rogers doors.

Got to push the white elephant to get some money.

 

[Amare]

·Consider adjusting your travel plans during playoff games so that you are not arriving and leaving during peak hours (4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

·Load your PRESTO card ahead of time

·When leaving the game, consider staying downtown until rush hour is over (Toronto has so many great restaurants!)

·When arriving at Union Station, look for GO staff if you need assistance or directions

Despite Metrolinx's warnings,people will do exactly the opposite of all this because when it comes to commuting for many around the GTA, things go in through one ear and out the other.

Friday is going to be an absolute disaster around Union, there's no doubt about that. Rush hour crowd+Blue Jays playoff game+Thanksgiving weekend crowd+closed Bay concourse = Sardine style Union Station.

 

[drum118]

Despite Metrolinx's warnings,people will do exactly the opposite of all this because when it comes to commuting for many around the GTA, things go in through one ear and out the other.

Friday is going to be an absolute disaster around Union, there's no doubt about that. Rush hour crowd+Blue Jays playoff game+Thanksgiving weekend crowd+closed Bay concourse = Sardine style Union Station.

What........what are You Trying To Say..........Oh!!.....Had my music headset on to loud or was lost in phone conversation with my headset on. You better put something in front of me so I can read it.............Wait.............You can't do it as I am either reading my messages or sending one.

I'm too busy to listen to the noise of GO PA System that doesn't work haft the time and only look at the screen just before my train/bus arrive to make sure where to go to get it.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

Maybe I am too sensitive to these things, I don't know, but GO tips their hand ocassionally that, in their minds, they really are just offering a Lakeshore Line service with ocassional inconveniences of having to run trains elsewhere.

Telling people in a blanket statement that staying downtown until (for some of them) after the last train leaves is a way to improve their travel experience on Thursday and Friday is a bit absurd!

Yeah that statement was much ado about nothing but on the other hand there's not much they can do, they can't add more trains since the system is already at or near maximum capacity during rush hour.