GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[TOareaFan]

This is just an idea of mine, but what if SmartTrack Stations had paid parking, while regular GO and RER stations didn't. There should be a way to balance it out so that one wouldn't be compelled to drive further to get a lower fare or no parking fee. Although, this might promote taking local transit or carpool/drop off.

you don't think this is happening already?

I live in Brampton....in order of "closeness" to me the stations are 1) Brampton, 2) Mount Pleasant 3) Bramalea.....i regularly see neighbours (one in particular but not just one) getting on and/or off at Bramalea....when I asked him about it he says his reasons are 1) cheaper GO fare (the guy does not hurt for money but it is the principle) 2) more available parking at Bramalea (which is only true compared to Brampton) 3) slightly better/more service at Bramalea.

 

[hw621]

This is just an idea of mine, but what if SmartTrack Stations had paid parking, while regular GO and RER stations didn't. There should be a way to balance it out so that one wouldn't be compelled to drive further to get a lower fare or no parking fee. Although, this might promote taking local transit or carpool/drop off.

I am not sure about local transit, unless there is a co-fare between YRT and TTC. The current yrt and TTC fares together equal to the GO fare.

 

[crs1026]

It's interesting - so Del Duca pushed for Highway 7, Kirby and Park Lawn. Only Kirby (the one with the most abysmal IBC) gets through.

Park Lawn needs political interference given Metrolinx's inability to plan and continued intransigence.. I don't like to see it lumped in with the other questionable stations.

It's frustrating to see the baby thrown out with the bathwater. When the Ben Spurr article appeared, Peter Milczyn (MPP for Humber Bay) was quick to start tweeting about how progress was being made in working with ML and they were more amenable to Humber Bay than in the past. Thanks to Spurr's article, anyone who argues for Park Lawn seems to be tarred with "going against the experts" or being a DD shill.

I don't agree with political interference, but neither do I believe that ML will always get its studies and analyses right. Nor do the technocrats get to rule. The Park Lawn rationale was particularly grating, especially in a study whose criteria and yardsticks weren't much better than a ouija board. I guess it's up to the local community to keep pushing on this one. Never thought I'd want to climb in bed with Mark Grimes, but here we go.

- Paul

 

[Filip]

It's frustrating to see the baby thrown out with the bathwater. When the Ben Spurr article appeared, Peter Milczyn (MPP for Humber Bay) was quick to start tweeting about how progress was being made in working with ML and they were more amenable to Humber Bay than in the past. Thanks to Spurr's article, anyone who argues for Park Lawn seems to be tarred with "going against the experts" or being a DD shill.

I don't agree with political interference, but neither do I believe that ML will always get its studies and analyses right. Nor do the technocrats get to rule. The Park Lawn rationale was particularly grating, especially in a study whose criteria and yardsticks weren't much better than a ouija board. I guess it's up to the local community to keep pushing on this one. Never thought I'd want to climb in bed with Mark Grimes, but here we go.

- Paul

I had an interview as part of the community association with Ben Spurr - we told him - do not lump Park Lawn with the other stations as (take a look around you) they are not comparable. But of course let's use this case to show how politicians don't listen to the 'experts', while there are plenty of opportunities to show how Metrolinx consistently gets it WRONG.

Metrolinx's intransigence boils down to 'our employees like the convenience of getting off at Mimico to access Willowbrook'. If they'd just be forward about it, people would be less annoyed.

 

[Leo_Chan]

I am not sure about local transit, unless there is a co-fare between YRT and TTC. The current yrt and TTC fares together equal to the GO fare.

Which may be less than what parking will cost.

 

[toaster29]

If we have to pretend like we are happy with Park Lawn getting "split" service in order to get a station, then so be it. Although a train stopping at Park Lawn only once every hour at off peak times isn't ideal, once the ridership numbers confirm it will in fact be quite busy, I'm sure it will be favoured. If anything, have every train stop at Park Lawn, and every 2nd train stop at both Mimico and Park Lawn.

 

[ssiguy2]

ST to Bramalea? Since when was ST going north of Eglinton little alone to Bramalea? Actually I think it's a great idea as the original plan of stopping it at Eglinton never made any sense to me as extending north would have cost next to nothing due to GO/RER infrastructure already being there and it will serve hundreds of thousands of potential new customers in the area and lot of major employment/education centres. Still, when was this decided?

As far as the other 3 stations, Kirby definitely seems to make the least amount of sense and conversely Park Lawn the most.

 

[mdrejhon]

Fantastic news about Park Lawn! I think GO's corridor deserves it.

Metrolinx Town Hall under way. Some useful nuggets in livestream:
https://livestream.com/accounts/7089549/events/7965030

They were committed to answering the Top10 online questions at metrolinxengage.com and my question came in #7. They answered my Hamilton communications question (expanding Metrolinx's website with improved Hamilton GO construction information, upon my request -- keeping an eye).

If we have to pretend like we are happy with Park Lawn getting "split" service in order to get a station, then so be it. Although a train stopping at Park Lawn only once every hour at off peak times isn't ideal, once the ridership numbers confirm it will in fact be quite busy, I'm sure it will be favoured. If anything, have every train stop at Park Lawn, and every 2nd train stop at both Mimico and Park Lawn.

Every half hour.

From my understanding, there is electrified 15-minute GO RER when Park Lawn is finished.

 

[Filip]

Quelle surprise. It’s positive now.

 

[aquateam]

Quelle surprise. It’s positive now.

With the fast acceleration and deceleration times of EMUs, wouldn't the addition of a Park Lawn stop be roughly the same as the pre-electrified travel times? I mean, the existing GO guidelines are based on diesel double-deckers, with RER I would expect the standard to change for what constitutes acceptable stop spacing.

 

[Filip]

With the fast acceleration and deceleration times of EMUs, wouldn't the addition of a Park Lawn stop be roughly the same as the pre-electrified travel times? I mean, the existing GO guidelines are based on diesel double-deckers, with RER I would expect the standard to change for what constitutes acceptable stop spacing.

The way I see it, let's first get the station built - switching service levels after the fact shouldn't be such a tall order.

Ridership numbers will speak for themselves - I can see Mimico becoming very lightly used to the point they may even consider closing it. But, at this point let's just get Park Lawn built, Mimico will be dealt with down the road.

 

[Filip]

Some light reading for you guys...

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...n RER New Stations Business Case Analysis.pdf

Interesting on updated ridership stats, based on what I'm seeing Park Lawn will likely be one of the busier stations on the GO network. I'm wondering if they've done a similar analysis to show how far ridership is likely to fall at Mimico. Maybe they should look at significantly culling investments into that station.

 

[gweed123]

The way I see it, let's first get the station built - switching service levels after the fact shouldn't be such a tall order.

Ridership numbers will speak for themselves - I can see Mimico becoming very lightly used to the point they may even consider closing it. But, at this point let's just get Park Lawn built, Mimico will be dealt with down the road.

Honestly, my preference would be to have Park Lawn, close Mimico, and build a new station at Kipling on LSW. It would still give GO employees access to their yard, but would actually be walkable from Lake Shore. Based on Google Maps it would be about 2.3 km from Long Branch, which is nearly double the distance between Mimico and Park Lawn.

 

[Filip]

Honestly, my preference would be to have Park Lawn, close Mimico, and build a new station at Kipling on LSW. It would still give GO employees access to their yard, but would actually be walkable from Lake Shore. Based on Google Maps it would be about 2.3 km from Long Branch, which is nearly double the distance between Mimico and Park Lawn.

Now that would just make a ton of sense wouldn't it?

Plus the added bonus of serving the nearby Lakeshore campus of Humber.

 

[gweed123]

Now that would just make a ton of sense wouldn't it?

Plus the added bonus of serving the nearby Lakeshore campus of Humber.

You could even relocate the TTC's Kipling Loop to the new station, offering a direct streetcar connection to the GO network at 3 points in Etobicoke (assuming Park Lawn gets a connection). The streetcar would in essence function as a feeder to the GO network for downtown-bound passengers.