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GO 2020

isittimetomoveyet

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I thought this might deserve a thread (as I haven't seen one), but if anyone could post a link to the actual report it would be appreciated.

TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2008 /CNW/ -

<<
What: GO Transit Chairman Peter Smith and the GO Board of Directors
will meet tomorrow for the monthly Board meeting at GO's Head
Office at 20 Bay Street, Suite 600 in downtown Toronto. The
GO Strategic Plan - GO 2020 - will be presented for the first
time. Jim Bradley, Minister of Transportation,
will attend the meeting and address the Board about the new plan.

GO 2020 presents GO Transit's strategic direction to the year
2020, including its vision, objectives and goals, and service
strategy. This document is the most comprehensive blueprint of
GO Transit's future plans that has ever been developed. It will
be used to guide the organization in continuing to deliver fast,
convenient, and reliable transit services.

Media are welcome to attend and observe this public meeting.
Interviews and media questions will be accommodated following
the meeting.

When: Friday, December 12, 2008
10 a.m.

Where: GO Transit Head Office
20 Bay Street, Suite 600
Toronto, ON M5J 2W3
>>
 
So there will be train service to Cedar Valley (???) but... no train service to Waterloo Region and Niagara Falls?
 
You think that the Niagara Region would have been included in these expansion plans since our provincial transportation minister, Jim Bradley, is from St. Catharines.
 
You think that the Niagara Region would have been included in these expansion plans since our provincial transportation minister, Jim Bradley, is from St. Catharines.

I hadnt given it much thought, but I always presumed GO expansion from Toronto, through to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls would automatically picked up in the RTP. I guess not.
 
I believe the plan is to have a GO Station at Stoney Creek within a decade (electrification) and have GO Bus from the Niagara Region to the Stoney Creek station.
 
I hadnt given it much thought, but I always presumed GO expansion from Toronto, through to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls would automatically picked up in the RTP. I guess not.

The GTTA Act does not authorize Metrolinx to plan outside of it's operating area.

I believe the plan is to have a GO Station at Stoney Creek within a decade (electrification) and have GO Bus from the Niagara Region to the Stoney Creek station.

Personally, I think Niagara and Waterloo Region are best served with VIA Rail trains and some sort of fare arrangement. It's simply a comfort issue in my mind.
 
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That's one of the biggest problems I have with some of the plans. Why not extend GO service to Niagara. Why does everyone think of moving people to Toronto. Why not give people some options from getting between Hamilton and St Catherines to alleviate some of the pressure on the QEW. I also think adding go service between the downtowns of St Catherines, Niagara, and Hamilton might also encourage some positive developments to these downtowns.
 
That's one of the biggest problems I have with some of the plans. Why not extend GO service to Niagara. Why does everyone think of moving people to Toronto. Why not give people some options from getting between Hamilton and St Catherines to alleviate some of the pressure on the QEW. I also think adding go service between the downtowns of St Catherines, Niagara, and Hamilton might also encourage some positive developments to these downtowns.

It's definitely needed. One of the reasons why there is such a need for regional rail is for trips that aren't headed to or from Downtown Toronto.

Unfortunately, the CN line on the Niagara Peninsula manages to completely avoid the downtown cores of Hamilton and St. Catharines, and misses the main developed part of Niagara Falls. This does raise some questions about how much such a plan could possibly help revive downtowns.

In the long run, upgrading the CN-CP connector line in East Hamilton might be a worthwhile use of funds so that all trains could serve the downtown core.
 
In the long run, upgrading the CN-CP connector line in East Hamilton might be a worthwhile use of funds so that all trains could serve the downtown core.

I think that would be very disrupting to the neighbourhoods. The right-of-way is less than 10 metres wide at some points, with houses on both sides. Also, there is no east-to-south connecting track, and building one would require property acquisitions.

There's no question that it is a constraint on service to downtown, but perhaps using the Red Hill Valley corridor might be a better option?
 
A new GO Station at James St North will be the station connecting to a future Stoney Creek station, which will also connect to the Niagara Region.

The Hunter GO Station will have rush hour GO Train service and GO Bus. By the end of 2009 Hamilton will end up with two GO Stations.
 
A new GO Station at James St North will be the station connecting to a future Stoney Creek station, which will also connect to the Niagara Region.

The Hunter GO Station will have rush hour GO Train service and GO Bus. By the end of 2009 Hamilton will end up with two GO Stations.

There's only one other city in North America that I know of that has two major separate railway stations on separate track corridors with trains that both end up at the same destination - an Union Station, in fact.

Name this city and get a gold star. Hints: Like Hamilton, it is also a second-string city, but very independent, in a large combined megalopolis and has its own 'charm'.
 
I think that would be very disrupting to the neighbourhoods. The right-of-way is less than 10 metres wide at some points, with houses on both sides. Also, there is no east-to-south connecting track, and building one would require property acquisitions.

There's no question that it is a constraint on service to downtown, but perhaps using the Red Hill Valley corridor might be a better option?

Of course. Using the connector would be difficult and would probably require sinking the corridor or tunnelling. What route is taken doesn't really matter.

The fact of the matter is that having the most services at a James North station probably won't offer the same benefits to downtown Hamilton.
 
There's only one other city in North America that I know of that has two major separate railway stations on separate track corridors with trains that both end up at the same destination - an Union Station, in fact.

Name this city and get a gold star. Hints: Like Hamilton, it is also a second-string city, but very independent, in a large combined megalopolis and has its own 'charm'.

Hmm... Baltimore? San Jose?
 

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