GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[TOareaFan]

The VIA $20 fare Brampton-Union is based on the minimum fare VIA charges. There are some who take the Brampton-Union trip, but most are either on commuter passes, those VIA-GO paks (I've used these sometimes) or are connecting to other trains. I've rode VIA on that trip with the paks (it was partly to boost my VIA Preference standing and save time, and they worked with GO student 10-rides and passes too!). I believe Georgetown is the same fare, though Guelph is somewhat higher. Also consider that VIA is subsidized (as is just about any mode of travel one way or another). Another benefit I found was that the train coming into Toronto in the morning also had the VIA 1 car open to coach passengers.

Yes, when I ride VIA it is always with one of the GO-VIA packs......it still makes the VIA train roughly double (+/-) the cost of GO and still shows that all services have a cost/comfort/convenience relationship matrix built into their pricing.

I don't think that VIA's minimum fare (which is not designed to attract close-range commuters, it is just part of their national price structure) is the same case as Blue 22 and isn't really comparable. At least there's also the option of GO from Brampton, something that your beloved Blue 22 won't have competing against it.

Not sure where you got the idea that Blue 22 is my "beloved".....all I have said in the past (and continue to say) is that as I understand the current proposal it is not a bad compromise.

That is that there are multiple options for getting to the airport and each will have its own cost/comfort/convenience matrix to consider:

1. Cabs/Cars.....most expensive, most comfortable, most convenient.......least predictable travel time.

2. Blue 22.....next expensive, direct, comfortable and very predictable travel time

3. GO Transit....next expensive, direct to a connector station (woodbine or Malton) with connector (like others I see no reason not to experiment with this now by extending the rail service to Malton with awaiting GO buses into the terminals).

4. TTC.......current service by bus has many more stops, less comfortable and less predictable travel time (due to mingling with cars/traffic) but significantly cheaper (+/- half of #3, 10% of number 2)

Of course there are others (non ttc/GO buses, GO buses from Yorkdale/York Mills, walking) and you could fit them in above.....also VIA but their frequency is pretty low on this line but they would fit between 2 & 3 above.

The point is "my beloved" (as you call it) Blue 22 will always have to compete on a cost/comfort/convenience (ie. value) basis with other methods of getting to the airport.....as it should.

 

[CDL.TO]

GO KW PIC #2 display boards

Fascinating. Thank you. Kudos to GO for including a good amount of detail (track maps, etc...).

 

[urbanfan89]

You have to give them thumbs up when they're serious!

 

[Dan416]

So it looks like the extension will have four stations: Acton, Guelph, Breslau and Kitchener.

 

[ShonTron]

Greg Ashbee is one of GO's nicest and most competant people. I got some of the basics going to one of the Georgetown/Airport PICs, but the detail here is quite good. I really am looking forward to the Kitchener extension. GO has come a long way in a few years since their "salad" days.

The long term plan of the King Street station to connect with GRT and its LRT is great. I like having the downtown stations in Guelph and Kitchener.

 

[drum118]

G. AWARD ADVICE
1. Contract No. IT-2008-GT-006
Oakville GO Station – Phase 3 Platform Improvements
Lakeshore West Rail Corridor
Awarded to lowest price of all compliant bids.

H. APPROVALS – CONTRACTS AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS
1. Contract No. IT-2006-ED-065
Amendment No. 5
Purchase of Additional Buses
Approval to purchase up to twenty (20) lift-equipped buses.


2. Purchase Order to City of Mississauga
Mississauga Transitway BRT East, GO Segment
Detailed Design and Construction Administration
Approval of a purchase order to City of Mississauga for the
detailed design, tender documents and construction
administration for the GO portion of the Mississauga BRT East.


3. Purchase Order for TTC
Kipling Mobility Hub – TTC East Entrance
Approval of a purchase order to TTC for costs associated with the
new TTC East Entrance as part of the Kipling Mobility Hub
Development.

7. Contract Amendment Report
Contract RFP-2005-GT-005
Georgetown Rail Corridor
Contract amendment to address additional engineering services
required for the environmental assessment and preliminary design
for the Georgetown/Weston Rail corridor service expansion and
an express transportation link from Lester B. Pearson
International Airport to Union Station.


8. Contract Amendment Report
Contract No. RFP-2007-EN-025
Whitby Parking Structure
Contract amendment to address the design and installation of a
roof for the parking structure.

 

[waterloowarrior]

GO Transit gets $500M boost TheStar.com -
February 17, 2009
Robert Benzie, Rob Ferguson
Queen's Park Bureau

In a bid to get the ailing economy back on the rails, Ottawa and Queen's Park are boosting investment in GO Transit.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty today announced that up to $500 million will be spent to improve a dozen GO station parking lots and upgrading rail lines to increase service reliabiliity.

The funding will be divided equally between the provincial and federal governments.

Harper and McGuinty made a theatrical arrival at the GO yards in Mimico aboard a locomotive to disclose the news. .

"This investment will create jobs for local construction workers in communities throughout Southern Ontario," said Harper.

McGuinty said such investments "give us a more competitive economy in the longer term."

"When transit is more convenient, more people leave their car at home. That means a better quality of life for our families and a cleaner, stronger and more beautiful province," the premier said.

Today's funding is a part of the previously announced $3.09 billion Ontario will receive from Ottawa's Building Canada program.

from another soruce:

The funds will create 6,800 parking spaces creating 5,000 jobs.

Stations getting upgrades are Rouge Hill, Pickering, Stouffville, Oakville, Erindale, Cooksville, Unionville, Centennial, Bramalea, Mount Pleasant and Barrie South.

also another news release today

GO extends trips for Lakeshore West and Stouffville customers

TORONTO, Feb. 17, 2009 /CNW/ - Customers will have more travel choices
during the morning rush when GO Transit extends two of its trips - an existing
weekday morning train will start in Hamilton and an existing weekday morning
bus will begin in Uxbridge.
On Monday, March 2, the 7:32 a.m. weekday eastbound train from Aldershot
GO Station will now start at the Hamilton GO Centre, leaving at 7:17 a.m. This
trip will make all regular stops from Hamilton to Oakville and then operate
express to Union Station.
Also, beginning Monday, March 2, the 4:55 a.m. weekday southbound bus
trip from Lincolnville GO Station to the Union Station GO Bus Terminal will
now start in Uxbridge, leaving at 4:35 a.m., make a stop in Goodwood at 4:48
a.m., and make all regular stops to Union.
GO is also making some other minor schedule updates to better reflect the
typical arrival times at Union Station. For detailed train and bus times, the
public can call 416.869.3200, 1.888.GET ON GO (438.6646), or 1.800.387.3652
TTY, or check the Schedules section at gotransit.com.

 

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/news/Product.asp?ProductID=2865

IMPROVING GO TRANSIT

Infrastructure investment stimulates economic growth, creates jobs, supports a cleaner environment and enhances the overall prosperity of Ontarians.

In the summer of 2008, Ontario signed the Building Canada Plan Framework Agreement with the federal government. Under this agreement, Ontario receives $3.09 billion as part of the Building Canada Fund. Ontario’s matching contribution results in a $6 billion investment towards revitalizing the province’s infrastructure.

The Building Canada Fund is divided into two components:

* The Communities Component, where the federal and provincial governments work in partnership with municipalities in communities with 100,000 or fewer residents – each contributing to project funding on a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 share basis, and;
* The Major Infrastructure Component for larger strategic projects of national and regional significance.

Improving Go Transit

The federal and provincial governments have agreed to take action to upgrade and revitalize the GO Transit infrastructure and provide up to $500 million to support major GO Transit infrastructure projects. Canada will provide up to $250 million to a maximum of 50% of eligible costs of approved projects that meet eligibility and approval requirements under the Building Canada Plan and the signing of a contribution agreement with the Province.

For example, the 200,000 GTA commuters, who rely on the GO Transit system to and from work every day, will benefit from 12 GO Transit parking stations projects as part of this investment. Providing more parking will ensure that GO Transit can adapt to expected growth of ridership associated with a rising population in the GTA. This includes:

Region 	Station 	Imp. Projects 	$
Central 	Ajax 	Parking Structure 	$30,200,000.00
Central 	Aurora 	Building Rehab/Parking Rehab 	$1,250,000.00
Central 	Mount Pleasant 	Parking Expansion 	$1,100,000.00
Central 	Bramalea 	Parking Expansion 	$1,350,000.00
Central 	Centennial 	Parking Structure 	$14,000,000.00
Central 	Unionville 	Parking Expansion 	$1,500,000.00
Central 	Cooksville 	Parking Structure 	$30,500,000.00
Central 	Erindale 	Parking Structure 	$30,000,000.00
Central 	Oakville 	Parking Structure 	$30,500,000.00
Toronto 	Markham 	Parking Expansion 	$700,000.00
Toronto 	Pickering 	Parking Structure 	$30,500,000.00
Toronto 	Rouge Hill 	Parking Expansion 	$1,500,000.00

The investment also includes the $75.5 million Hamilton Junction Project: a rail-to-rail grade separation project that will increase reliability and improve GO train service.

 

[kEiThZ]

30 million dollar parking structures? wow. I hope they start charging for parking to recover at least some of that. And I also hope they work towards improving security at those stations.

 

[Kiwi]

Oh $75.5 million for Hamilton. What does "rail-to-rail grade separation" mean?

 

[Disparishun]

30 million dollar parking structures? wow.

Anyone know what these will look like?

 

[DavidH]

Anyone know what these will look like?

From what I know, they haven't even been designed yet. I'm not sure how this counts are useful stimulus spending.

 

[Northern Light]

Rail to Rail Grade Separation

Someone asked what this is.

A Rail to Rail grade separation refers to altering a junction where 2 different trains lines cross each other, so that they no longer do so at grade.

To put this in other words, they will make an east-west line pass underneath or over a north-south line or vice versa.

The intention of this is so that trains that go in one direction do not hold up trains going in the other.

There has been a recent grade separation on the Barrie GO line at the CN York Subdivision, where the two cross.

They have just started on massive separation at the West Toronto Diamond which will separate CN and CP tracks (north-south and East-West) respectively, from each other.

**

As to Hamilton Junction, its part of the WYE of tracks on the western edge of Burlington.

 

[ShonTron]

Yea! More parking! That's what's needed to improve GO Transit!

 

[DavidH]

Yea! More parking! That's what's needed to improve GO Transit!

Well, there IS a parking problem at a great many stations, so that's a legitimate issue. The question is whether this is the best way to solve the problem.

To me, it smacks of giving into the "driving to the local station" mentality instead of working to change it.