GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[DKsan]

TTC should be providing service to Toronto residents to destinations in Toronto.

I keep hearing this moronic statement all over UT and CPTDB. Transit and other types of planners (including Metrolinx's team and the people behind the Places to Grow Act) are trying to build a REGIONAL transit system, acknowledging that TTC riders, may want to travel to the other cities in the GTA. Crossovers will HAPPEN. Everybody needs to suck it up and stop saying "X system should only be in X city and not go into Y city at all, even for transfers."

 

[RedRocket191]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

The environment, the economy and our quality of life doesn't care about Steeles.

 

[Dan416]

I keep hearing this moronic statement all over UT and CPTDB. Transit and other types of planners (including Metrolinx's team and the people behind the Places to Grow Act) are trying to build a REGIONAL transit system, acknowledging that TTC riders, may want to travel to the other cities in the GTA. Crossovers will HAPPEN. Everybody needs to suck it up and stop saying "X system should only be in X city and not go into Y city at all, even for transfers."

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

The environment, the economy and our quality of life doesn't care about Steeles.

Agree on both counts.

We're trying to get away from the petty municipal bickering.

 

[smallspy]

Agree on both counts.

We're trying to get away from the petty municipal bickering.

While I too agree, until such a time that local transit is not solely funding by the municipalities we're going to be stuck in this rut of running buses to an arbitrary line drawn on a map and people having to transfer to a differently coloured bus.

What is desperately needed is for the Provincial Government to step up with some level of regular operating funding for all of the transit systems in Ontario.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[gweed123]

While I too agree, until such a time that local transit is not solely funding by the municipalities we're going to be stuck in this rut of running buses to an arbitrary line drawn on a map and people having to transfer to a differently coloured bus.

What is desperately needed is for the Provincial Government to step up with some level of regular operating funding for all of the transit systems in Ontario.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

It would be interesting to, just as a test, see Metrolinx take over and run a municipal transit system, just like they took over GO. I would think a good place to try this would be in a small to medium sized suburban community that is heavily centred around GO use. It would be interesting to see what types of enhanced integration and scheduling they could come up with. Also, with increased funding, it would be interesting to see how much transit usage rises. I'm thinking somewhere like Milton or Newmarket would be a good place to try it.

 

[doady]

I keep hearing this moronic statement all over UT and CPTDB.

I never said "TTC should only be providing service to Toronto residents to destinations in Toronto." I was pointing out the fact that MT is providing a service along Eglinton within Toronto for Toronto residents that arguably the TTC should be providing.

I never implied TTC should cut back service. In fact, I was suggesting that the TTC extend service further out, as I have many times in the past (e.g. 36 to Westwood). Honestly, I find your reply baffling.

There is ... not much though. I can't imagine it would generate that many trips. And all are within walking distance of the Orbitor and Spectrum Transitway stations. Instead of having TTC run an extra 4 km of service on the Eglinton bus, it seems it would make a lot more sense to (finally) come to a suitable arrangement between the various agencies for passengers to use each other's system.

Even if TTC did run the one bus every 30 minutes that demand in this area may justify, then I'd expect most passengers to simply walk to the Transitway anyway.

Well, passengers have no choice to walk to the transitway to take the TTC bus. There is no park-and-ride. And even if there was park-and-ride, park-and-ride only works for trips at home. Unless, you are suggesting everyone should bike to the transitway instead? I don't get it.

 

[nfitz]

Well, passengers have no choice to walk to the transitway to take the TTC bus. There is no park-and-ride. And even if there was park-and-ride, park-and-ride only works for trips at home. Unless, you are suggesting everyone should bike to the transitway instead? I don't get it.

The TTC bus would only go to Renforth. I'd assume that passengers walk to a closer Transitway station such as Spectrum and then take a very frequent bus to Renforth to change to TTC, rather than TTC running an extra 4-km of duplicate service.

 

[doady]

The TTC bus would only go to Renforth. I'd assume that passengers walk to a closer Transitway station such as Spectrum and then take a very frequent bus to Renforth to change to TTC, rather than TTC running an extra 4-km of duplicate service.

Even under the current proposal, TTC riders would have to walk to a transitway station to take the TTC bus anyway, considering that the 32 and 112 will use the transitway. I don't understand what would change if the 32 were extended to Spectrum.

 

[nfitz]

Even under the current proposal, TTC riders would have to walk to a transitway station to take the TTC bus anyway, considering that the 32 and 112 will use the transitway. I don't understand what would change if the 32 were extended to Spectrum.

I don't understand why you'd want to extend it. There isn't enough demand in Toronto currently to run along Eglinton past Renforth. So why would demand exist in the future?

The only reason to extend it, would be if there was enough demand from those living and working in Mississauga rather than Toronto. And if that was the case, why not simply let Mississauga Transit service Mississauga?

 

[BMO]

is it just me or is the Renforth gateway project seem to be extremely complicated for what it is?

 

[leopetr]

It would be interesting to, just as a test, see Metrolinx take over and run a municipal transit system, just like they took over GO. I would think a good place to try this would be in a small to medium sized suburban community that is heavily centred around GO use. It would be interesting to see what types of enhanced integration and scheduling they could come up with. Also, with increased funding, it would be interesting to see how much transit usage rises. I'm thinking somewhere like Milton or Newmarket would be a good place to try it.

Durham Region or Barrie Transit would seem like better choices than Newmarket. Not sure about Milton.

Newmarket's transit is a pretty integral part of York Region Transit. There's a street median BRT under construction on Davis Drive right now, so it's neither dinky nor easily separable from the rest of the system.

You need to assimilate a system whole for an experiment like that.

 

[gweed123]

Durham Region or Barrie Transit would seem like better choices than Newmarket. Not sure about Milton.

Newmarket's transit is a pretty integral part of York Region Transit. There's a street median BRT under construction on Davis Drive right now, so it's neither dinky nor easily separable from the rest of the system.

You need to assimilate a system whole for an experiment like that.

You're right. I forgot Newmarket was served by YRT, oops. Halton Region's municipalities all have their own transit systems, so it may make sense to start there. Take for instance Burlington Transit. It's very clearly centred around 3 things: downtown, the malls, and the GO stations. Integrating that as part of Metrolinx would be an interesting experiment to see how well it works.

 

[Dan416]

You're right. I forgot Newmarket was served by YRT, oops. Halton Region's municipalities all have their own transit systems, so it may make sense to start there. Take for instance Burlington Transit. It's very clearly centred around 3 things: downtown, the malls, and the GO stations. Integrating that as part of Metrolinx would be an interesting experiment to see how well it works.

I'm sure some of those smaller cities (Milton for example) would love to have transit taken off their hands.

 

[aleesia]

is it just me or is the Renforth gateway project seem to be extremely complicated for what it is?

With two loops for just one station, spread-out waiting areas for local buses, and several local routes serving more than one of the local bus stops other than the BRT station, it is indeed confusing.

And, I noticed that MT's 17 Timberlea is off the diagrams... Did GO forget it or will it be swallowed by either an extension of 50 or a new 51 branch (51B)?

 

[gweed123]

I'm sure some of those smaller cities (Milton for example) would love to have transit taken off their hands.

Exactly. With a city that is that small, they can't effectively deliver transit (I think I remember reading a while ago that Milton had to cut back service on one of the 3 or 4 bus routes that it actually has). Even if Milton still paid the Province a bit of money to run it, having it as part of an integrated system I think would be a win-win. If that experiment goes well, I suspect that smaller municipalities across the GTA will be lining to be integrated, especially if it means helping them with a budget crunch when it comes to transit.

EDIT: I would expect that there would be some cost savings as well, because integrating them with GO would reduce some duplication of services. For example, if Burlington and Oakville both became part of Metrolinx, they wouldn't need separate admin staff, separate garages, etc. That amalgamation wouldn't happen over night, but over time I think it would reduce those types of expenses. Not to mention the removal of some duplication of service.