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GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx

Reecemartin said:
Has someone kept note of exactly what has been promised with regard to GO expansion?
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Right - i assumed but he also said he will maintain current funding. Lets hope he does not cancel electrification as living by the rail tracks I am very concerned about health impact of diesel trains
 
Reecemartin said:
Did he actually say that or are you just assuming thats implied when they say 2 way service to Kitchener and Niagara?

Has someone kept note of exactly what has been promised with regard to GO expansion?
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Here's what Global's Alan Carter tweeted out here on May 30th. With respect to GO service:

Two-Way GO/Regional Transit Projects - Will maintain current funding as detailed in Ontario's previous transportation and infrastructure budget
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Also there was this article and this one which notes Niagara.

As a reminder, latest quarterly report from Metrolinx (next meeting June 27th):

2JNkOtp
 
hw621 said:
Make sure you tell your MPP elect about this...
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The **one** good thing about so many PC MPPs being elected is that GO RER will impact many of their ridings. Transit, at least for your average resident has become an important issue across party lines. Due to the long planning process of these projects, I'd assume it is politically prudent to continue GO RER. I was at the Transport Futures debate in Toronto, and was actually quite impressed by the PC candidate Rod Phillips (former chair of Civic Action). I'm hoping he becomes Minister of Transportation as he seems to have a good grasp of the currently proposed transit projects, and their positive impacts.
 
^ The PCs also supported the Liberals approach of using AFP for transit projects so one would assume the timeline wouldn't change. That's separate from the budget issue and if they'd continue the funding envelop as noted in my 1:31PM post, but as @alexanderglista there could be some hopeful signs.
 
alexanderglista said:
The **one** good thing about so many PC MPPs being elected is that GO RER will impact many of their ridings. Transit, at least for your average resident has become an important issue across party lines. Due to the long planning process of these projects, I'd assume it is politically prudent to continue GO RER. I was at the Transport Futures debate in Toronto, and was actually quite impressed by the PC candidate Rod Phillips (former chair of Civic Action). I'm hoping he becomes Minister of Transportation as he seems to have a good grasp of the currently proposed transit projects, and their positive impacts.
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Although not betting 100% by mine and others' terms, Phillips was impressive in The Agenda's transportation special:
https://tvo.org/transcript/2502779/...teve-paikin/the-ontario-transportation-debate

Agreed on the 905 and RER. It's their best bet. That being said, if anyone wants to get really ahead of the game, the Bypass should come first, and hold almost everything else until it does.
 
^ They could probably move ahead with the EA for the Bypass and GO RER for the lines they've already noted (IE Union to Burlington, Bramalea, etc as listed here). I personally don't see how the EA for the Bypass would interfere with finishing the RFQ and then RFP for GO RER/electrification, unless CN is providing further obstacles that haven't been made public.
 
alexanderglista said:
I was at the Transport Futures debate in Toronto, and was actually quite impressed by the PC candidate Rod Phillips (former chair of Civic Action). I'm hoping he becomes Minister of Transportation as he seems to have a good grasp of the currently proposed transit projects, and their positive impacts.
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I personally hope he does not, he doesnt seem to have a strong grasp as to the future needs of local transit. Case in point: Waterfront transit in Toronto is apparently not a priority at all according to him. With that example in hand he would wipe out any chance of funding for that. GO RER (regional transit) and local transit are 2 separate beasts, but both need to be treated with the same level of urgency.
 
Amare said:
I personally hope he does not, he doesnt seem to have a strong grasp as to the future needs of local transit. Case in point: Waterfront transit in Toronto is apparently not a priority at all according to him. With that example in hand he would wipe out any chance of funding for that. GO RER (regional transit) and local transit are 2 separate beasts, but both need to be treated with the same level of urgency.
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We're presented with a rather limited choice, something to do with an election just past. Who do you think is better (least bad) than Phillips? I've heard a couple of names mentioned, and if it were not for an election, Phillips would not be my choice. But alas...reality intercedes. Who would be more apt?
 
Amare said:
I personally hope he does not, he doesnt seem to have a strong grasp as to the future needs of local transit. Case in point: Waterfront transit in Toronto is apparently not a priority at all according to him. With that example in hand he would wipe out any chance of funding for that. GO RER (regional transit) and local transit are 2 separate beasts, but both need to be treated with the same level of urgency.
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Trust me, I'm a cynical liberal partisan and the PC view on light rail isn't ideal. On the Waterfront LRT I got the sense that it was his party telling him it wasn't a priority, rather than him saying it wasn't. I'm hoping John Tory's PC connections can help save the project, or that Trudeau steps up and funds the provincial and federal share (I understand that isn't how the federal infrastructure program works however).
 
steveintoronto said:
We're presented with a rather limited choice, something to do with an election just past. Who do you think is better (least bad) than Phillips? I've heard a couple of names mentioned, and if it were not for an election, Phillips would not be my choice. But alas...reality intercedes. Who would be more apt?
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I honestly don't know the answer to that question, most of these PC MPP-elect seem less than promising. It's probably more of a matter of choosing the one who is the most sane and has common-sense (and I dont mean Mike Harris style common sense).

It's a good thing they dont have candidates like Minnen-Wong or Granic-Allen to choose from, because that would be a real disaster in the making and they would have been likely options.
 
steveintoronto said:
Anyone care to flesh this out?

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/board_agenda/20170628/20170628_BoardMtg_RER_Report_EN.pdf
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That June 2017 slide deck doesn't really provide any new information beyond what's been posted and discussed here before.

The most recent news was in April 2018 when just before the election the government announced a Technical Advisor would be hired for the bypass EA.

Ontario is moving ahead with two environmental assessments (EAs), which are required to provide faster, electrified, two-way, all-day train service on the Kitchener line. One EA is to provide electrified service between Georgetown and Kitchener, and the other EA is the next step for the freight bypass to provide unrestricted rail access for passenger trains between Toronto and Kitchener. To help guide this work and deliver a near-term increase in service and faster travel times for customers, the province is hiring a technical advisor.
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alexanderglista said:
Trust me, I'm a cynical liberal partisan and the PC view on light rail isn't ideal. On the Waterfront LRT I got the sense that it was his party telling him it wasn't a priority, rather than him saying it wasn't. I'm hoping John Tory's PC connections can help save the project, or that Trudeau steps up and funds the provincial and federal share (I understand that isn't how the federal infrastructure program works however).
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[ I'm hoping John Tory's PC connections can help save the project, or that Trudeau steps up and funds the provincial and federal share] The tripartite funding is contingent on each partner contributing. Minus one leg, the table falls. In the event, the City's share is probably less than a third, but if QP decides not to support appropriation for that line, it ain't gonna happen. You are right though, the Waterfront line wasn't on any of the PC lists, even before Ford...("b-Ford"?)
 
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