mpd618
Active Member
- The line doesn't have strong transit connections, so the demand will likely be predominantly park-and-ride. But outside of rush hour, park-and-ride isn't so attractive since you could drive to your destination faster and at a lower cost.
Barrie is a long drive to Toronto, and at the end of that drive, you have the cost and hassle of parking and traffic (even on weekends). I think plenty of people would rather do park-and-ride.
When the Georgetown Line was extended to Kitchener, there was similar media coverage and public excitement, but almost everyone was disappointed about the service itself because it's slow, infrequent and impractical. In the end, people tended to just dismiss the service, continuing to take the bus or car.
People were mostly disappointed because of how limited the service is qualitatively - it doesn't run on weekends, and it doesn't run in the reverse direction. Though the length of the trip is a factor too. Based on survey data I collected before GO began service, there is more demand for weekend service from Kitchener to Toronto than there is for weekday commuting.