GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[CapitalSeven]

CBC Marketplace aired a piece on the subject of sketchy cash grabs masquerading as improvement taxes in Niagara Falls, and taxing people who stay overnight to pay for transit for those who don't want to doesn't seem like the most obvious path.

 

[wopchop]

CBC Marketplace aired a piece on the subject of sketchy cash grabs masquerading as improvement taxes in Niagara Falls, and taxing people who stay overnight to pay for transit for those who don't want to doesn't seem like the most obvious path.

Those weren't taxes being mandated and collected by the government (they already have a municipal accommodation tax).
They are line items being added being the owners, with names like "improvement tax' or "tourism fee", etc.
This could definitely be regulated and cracked down on if the government cared to do so.

 

[crs1026]

Having had time to check the "reintroduced" Barrie/Stouffville service against the timetable.... it is certainly not full restoration of hourly service.... there are still gaps, although it is much improved. One wonders whether ML was finally able to scrape a few more crews together.

Weekend service restoration is certainly welcome. Again, I'm sure more work blocks will be announced.... but certainly this means more crews are available.

I really wonder about the West Highland Creek bridge.... without that missing link, all the capital work on the Stouffville line is for naught. More seems to be happening on the Barrie line, but who knows if everything that is needed is falling into place as planned.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

I really wonder about the West Highland Creek bridge.... without that missing link, all the capital work on the Stouffville line is for naught. More seems to be happening on the Barrie line, but who knows if everything that is needed is falling into place as planned.

- Paul

Why don't you nag them about Paul?

 

[crs1026]

Why don't you nag them about Paul?

Yeah, I actually have several such questions - that's one to put in.

Stay tuned

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

Yeah, I actually have several such questions - that's one to put in.

Stay tuned

- Paul

I look forward to it.

You're good at causing trouble!

So am I of course, but I think its your turn!

 

[Allandale25]

Yeah, I actually have several such questions - that's one to put in.

Stay tuned

- Paul

Urban Toronto gets action!

 

[Mr Finish Line]

Having had time to check the "reintroduced" Barrie/Stouffville service against the timetable.... it is certainly not full restoration of hourly service.... there are still gaps, although it is much improved. One wonders whether ML was finally able to scrape a few more crews together.

Weekend service restoration is certainly welcome. Again, I'm sure more work blocks will be announced.... but certainly this means more crews are available.

I really wonder about the West Highland Creek bridge.... without that missing link, all the capital work on the Stouffville line is for naught. More seems to be happening on the Barrie line, but who knows if everything that is needed is falling into place as planned.

- Paul

I thought @reaperexpress did an analysis that showed they could run trains every 1/2 hour with the second meeting point being south of West Highland Creek bridge where the double tracking is basically complete all they way to Kennedy. At least that part would get used, and the upgraded stations would feel more worth it, despite the 2nd platform only being used at Unionville. For me 1/2 hour service is the game changer I've been waiting for.

 

[anb]

I thought @reaperexpress did an analysis that showed they could run trains every 1/2 hour with the second meeting point being south of West Highland Creek bridge where the double tracking is basically complete all they way to Kennedy. At least that part would get used, and the upgraded stations would feel more worth it, despite the 2nd platform only being used at Unionville. For me 1/2 hour service is the game changer I've been waiting for.

30 min service on both Kitchener and Stouffville lines was something to dream about happening in September, both can more than handle it. Considering that I was basically 90% right for the return of Barrie and Stouffville off peak and weekend coming back this same year, hopefully the same is done for the 30 min service part as well.

 

[stanko]

Hate to use this thread for complaining about transit experiences but my god, at least 4 times this past month someone on the GO Train has wrongly hit the yellow tape and I doubt it's ever resulted in a fine for that person. How come I've never had this issue on the TTC?

 

[crs1026]

^30 minute service might be achievable with the available track IF conditions were suitable.....but so long as there is construction going on, it would be a challenge to manage the Rule 42 flagging for that many trains and keep everyone on schedule. Really, we need a complete double track with no further construction activities under way before we can run 30 minute headways in both directions.

- Paul

 

[anb]

Hate to use this thread for complaining about transit experiences but my god, at least 4 times this past month someone on the GO Train has wrongly hit the yellow tape and I doubt it's ever resulted in a fine for that person. How come I've never had this issue on the TTC?

That exact yellow tape is a thing that exists within the 905 agencies to request to stop, along with the yellow line and the more usual stop button. Zum buses for example have both yellow tape and the button as stop requests in both their 40 and 60ft buses. Don’t know why they made the tape have 2 different meanings in the GTA but that’s a close enough reason as to why people mistake the yellow tape maybe as a way to request to stop instead of thinking as it for emergencies only.

 

[Willybru21]

That exact yellow tape is a thing that exists within the 905 agencies to request to stop, along with the yellow line and the more usual stop button. Zum buses for example have both yellow tape and the button as stop requests in both their 40 and 60ft buses. Don’t know why they made the tape have 2 different meanings in the GTA but that’s a close enough reason as to why people mistake the yellow tape maybe as a way to request to stop instead of thinking as it for emergencies only.

Which came first though? The yellow emergency strip was installed on GO decades ago

 

[T3G]

Didn't all of GO's MCI coaches come with yellow strips to request stops? If GO didn't even bother standardizing their passenger experience, how can we blame other agencies for the same?

 

[smallspy]

That exact yellow tape is a thing that exists within the 905 agencies to request to stop, along with the yellow line and the more usual stop button. Zum buses for example have both yellow tape and the button as stop requests in both their 40 and 60ft buses. Don’t know why they made the tape have 2 different meanings in the GTA but that’s a close enough reason as to why people mistake the yellow tape maybe as a way to request to stop instead of thinking as it for emergencies only.

That same tape strip, and in approximately the same location, is also used as an emergency alarm on all but the latest subways.

Considering how infrequently it is mistakenly used on the subway, I would suggest that the issue may be more of location or protection in GO's application rather than people simply not knowing any better.

Dan