GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Hipster Duck]

Just to be clear, you're suggesting that Toronto-London trains should head into Hamilton James, turn around, and continue onto either London or Toronto? Interesting. It makes sense from a connectivity point of view, but I don't know if it would be practical from a rail operations point of view.

There would be an operator in the front and rear cab. When you get to Hamilton James street, the other operator would take over and the train would "back out" on the same set of tracks. It's not unlike what already happens with GO trains at the ends of lines already. It might add 15 minutes to the London-Toronto travel time, but allows riders from Toronto to take an express to Hamilton without changing trains at Aldershot, or riders from Hamilton to take an express to London, also without changing trains.

 

[smallspy]

There would be an operator in the front and rear cab. When you get to Hamilton James street, the other operator would take over and the train would "back out" on the same set of tracks. It's not unlike what already happens with GO trains at the ends of lines already. It might add 15 minutes to the London-Toronto travel time, but allows riders from Toronto to take an express to Hamilton without changing trains at Aldershot, or riders from Hamilton to take an express to London, also without changing trains.

...Except for the 10 or so minutes required to perform a brake check...

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[gweed123]

In terms of trip generators, I think Malton, Brampton, Georgetown, Guelph, Kitchener, Stratford and St. Mary's combined is greater than Long Branch, Aldershot, Brantford, Woodstock and Ingorsoll. All of the major trip generators on the Brantford alignment already have 30 minute GO service, whereas the Brampton alignment just has peak service.

Assuming that Lakeshore from Hamilton to Union had the same level of GO REX service as from Mt. Pleasant to Union though, which routing for long distance service to London do you think is preferable?

There would be an operator in the front and rear cab. When you get to Hamilton James street, the other operator would take over and the train would "back out" on the same set of tracks. It's not unlike what already happens with GO trains at the ends of lines already. It might add 15 minutes to the London-Toronto travel time, but allows riders from Toronto to take an express to Hamilton without changing trains at Aldershot, or riders from Hamilton to take an express to London, also without changing trains.

Hamilton to Toronto riders would already have an express option though: the Niagara Falls line (this wasn't mentioned earlier, so I apologize). The only trip that wouldn't be served by having those two lines split at Aldershot would be the London-Hamilton route.

 

[TFC]

Assuming that Lakeshore from Hamilton to Union had the same level of GO REX service as from Mt. Pleasant to Union though, which routing for long distance service to London do you think is preferable?

Based on your original question asking which option provided more trip generators, I'd pick the north main line via Brampton, Guelph etc.
The reason for my choice is that I believe that the stations on the north main line have greater catchment areas than that of the Brantford line. Stations like Malton, Brampton, Guelph and Kitchener have a greater collective catchment area than Aldershot, Long Branch and Brantford. If Oakville was included as a station, I could see the catchment area increase significantly.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Took a visit to Pickering GO today, here are some Iphone pics. The bridge to the garage isn't finished yet, and the first 2 levels roughly seem to fill up currently. I parked on the 3rd level after driving through all 5 to check it out.


Something is wrong with the parking counter, I am somehow doubtful there are 5535 spots on the third level:

From the main station building:

Eastbound Platform:

Walking back to my car, the view through the window in the stairwell:

Elevator lobby, right after exiting the stairwell:

View from the elevator lobby. Anyone know what is going to go in the space getting its roof put on in the pic? impaired and electric parking spots or something else?

Inside the garage:

Bonus pic of the first urban commercial plaza in Seaton. It even has street fronting retail! (but no sidewalks.. I presume those will go in this year) its a 3 floor office building, there is another billboard on the other side of the street for a 5 or 6 floor office building.

 

[doady]

That garage is massive. It's like the Erindale garage, It's jsut as massive and to add insult to injury sits on a hill above Burnhamthorpe, and so it just dominates the street. It's just gross, I hate that. Transit should reduce parking, not increase parking demand. Seeing these giant parking garages just pisses me off.

 

[Hipster Duck]

I wonder what percentage of GO trips involve single occupancy car driving? Even many GO bus riders who transfer onto GO trains are likely to have driven from their home to some rural park and ride at the beginning of their journey.

From an environmental standpoint, GO does almost nothing because much of the tailpipe pollution comes from starting your cold car, rather than the length of the trip you take.

From a congestion standpoint, GO certainly reduces the number of cars coming into the downtown core, but it just shifts congestion to the suburbs, with thousands of drivers driving from their suburban homes to the suburban GO train stations.

 

[salsa]

From an environmental standpoint, GO does almost nothing because much of the tailpipe pollution comes from starting your cold car, rather than the length of the trip you take.

From a congestion standpoint, GO certainly reduces the number of cars coming into the downtown core, but it just shifts congestion to the suburbs, with thousands of drivers driving from their suburban homes to the suburban GO train stations.

So if an Oakville resident chooses to drive to the GO station, it's almost as bad as driving all the way downtown? As long as developers keep building unwalkable neighbourhoods, there's always going to be congestion in the suburbs no matter what, whether it's at the GO stations or at the 401 on-ramps.

 

[Hipster Duck]

So if an Oakville resident chooses to drive to the GO station, it's almost as bad as driving all the way downtown?

OK, I checked, and cold starts don't account for most tailpipe emissions, but certainly account for a disproportionate share of emissions. Specifically, 25% of VOC, 19% of NOX and 26% of CO comes from the engine starting and the first few minutes of driving. That pollution is, of course, entirely localized within Oakville twice (because two cold starts occur in Oakville - one leaving home, and one leaving the GO station).

On a given weekday, cold starts of a typical vehicle produces 7.7 grams of VOC (25 percent of the typical daily emissions), 88 grams of CO (26 percent of the typical daily emissions), and 5 grams of NOx (19 percent of the typical daily emissions). Running exhaust accounts for another 7.8 grams of VOC, 251 grams of CO, and 20.2 grams of NOx.

VOC are also emitted through fuel evaporation. For example, parking the car all day produces 4.3 grams of VOC.

link

As long as developers keep building unwalkable neighbourhoods, there's always going to be congestion in the suburbs no matter what, whether it's at the GO stations or at the 401 on-ramps.

It's not so much the poor walkability of the suburbs, but the fact that GO doesn't really have good fare integration with local transit providers, and the fact that parking is free. Driving will always be a big part of GO's operations, but there should be a disincentive to drive and an incentive to take local transit.

 

[innsertnamehere]

$0.65 fares if you connect to go is pretty good. It's more of an issue of low density housing and really crappy frequencies. It's also not nearly as bad.. You are ignoring the fact that the 1,500 cars in this garage would otherwise be sitting on the 401 emitting the entire time all the way from Pickering to Toronto. Emissions wise the deisel haulers GO uses aren't exactly great either.

 

[smallspy]

I wonder what percentage of GO trips involve single occupancy car driving?

The last set of numbers I saw were from about 4 or 5 years ago, but they were well in excess of two-thirds of the ridership at most stations.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[TFC]

The last set of numbers I saw were from about 4 or 5 years ago, but they were well in excess of two-thirds of the ridership at most stations.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Hence the introduction of carpool spaces right near the entrances to the platforms (me thinks).

 

[innsertnamehere]

Depends on the station as well. Stations like Stouffville and Markham are going to have very low car use percentages, (likely below 50%) while stations like Lincolnville, in the middle of nowhere, are going to have 100% car access trips.

 

[drum118]

March 17
After a meeting, I waked across to the Erindale GO Station to see what new since I haven't been back since it open as well hitting No Frills. Landscaping is the only thing outstanding. That nice plaza are is a weate as no one will use it even in the good weather. There is cover walkway to the south entrance from the north as well the south.

Lots more up on site.

 

[Allandale25]

Drum I noticed in the 2nd picture that there's a third track installed. Is it ever used by GO? I think I saw in another thread that a third track is installed for most of the Union to Mississauga route but CP is insisting on four to add more GO service.