GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[TOareaFan]

Sure ... but there's a difference between slow and an extra 20 minutes, and AM rush hour.

Though I'd be surprised if there was that much before 11 AM or so.

don't usually drive it on weekends...so I have one sample and that was thanksgiving monday (which I presume would have travel patterns similar to a weekend) and when I compare it to my more typical rush hour commute...I did not see a whole lot of difference...even the "time to Yonge" sign was displaying a very typical 30 minutes....kinda assumed we were going to see an accident up ahead or some other disruption...but did not.

 

[nfitz]

What time was that on Monday?

 

[robmausser]

Some reason I never liked the look of GO Trains.

I don't like the octagonal shape where they taper off at each connection. Gives it some sort of weird "human centipede" vibe to it.

 

[AlbertHWagstaff]

Humber Bay. Certainly backs up to the river on a bad day.

Definitely, but the actual construction zone only starts at Jameson. The backup eastbound in the late afternoon goes right past the Humber Bay if there is anything going on downtown. I often see inbound GO buses using Lake Shore to avoid the backup. How much discretion do GO bus drivers have to detour from a regular routing if traffic is really bad? Do they "call in" and await approval to avoid traffic tie-ups?

 

[TOareaFan]

What time was that on Monday?

just around mid day (maybe 11:45 or so)....was taking daughter back to her apartment....delivering and setting up some furnture and was back in Brampton (using a route not called the Gardiner homebound) in time to watch the Jays game....so it was around mid day.

 

[mdrejhon]

Kitchener evening service isn't scheduled to begin until the April change of card. On the bright side, the weekend Barrie service is supposed to become permanent next summer.

Any rumors about Niagara summer weekend service becoming a year-round weekend service?

How much discretion do GO bus drivers have to detour from a regular routing if traffic is really bad? Do they "call in" and await approval to avoid traffic tie-ups?

I've seen my GO bus driver detour from their regular routing before. For example, avoiding a packed freeway at rush hour and taking the arteries between GO stops instead.

 

[mdrejhon]

In more relevant news, apparently Bombardier is mandated their contract with GO to provide 3 additional crews per quarter. Seems there's lots of interesting little details in the contract. Unfortunately the contact is not publicly available, so in order to glean more information from it a freedom of information request would be required. Anyhow apparently they're slightly ahead of that target right now and the word is evening service on the Kitchener line will be the next service increase.

Any rumors about an expanded Niagara GO service from your end, as well?

 

[nfitz]

Any rumors about an expanded Niagara GO service from your end, as well?

That seems very unlikely. Evening service in the Kitchener line, along with weekend service on the Barrie line were all part of that 5-year package of improvement that the government announced this spring. There was no mention of any additional Niagara Falls service.

 

[Megaton327]

How much discretion do GO bus drivers have to detour from a regular routing if traffic is really bad? Do they "call in" and await approval to avoid traffic tie-ups?

I've seen my GO bus driver detour from their regular routing before. For example, avoiding a packed freeway at rush hour and taking the arteries between GO stops instead.

My understanding is that they do not have discretion, however GO has a very active bus operations centre that handles traffic monitoring and informs drivers to make a certain detour if necessary. That's to the best of my knowledge, someone please correct me if that's incorrect.

They seem to really be on the ball--no need for driver discretion when the best they can do is make a best guess, vs. the hard data/traffic maps+cameras that operation has access to. On the Newmarket/Aurora 65 Express down 404 to Union, we would sometimes take the westbound 401 and southbound Leslie/eastbound York Mills/southbound Don Mills back to DVP, and very frequently, almost more often than not, we'd get off the Gardiner well before Bay, sometimes even take Queen's Quay as a detour to Lake Shore. We always seemed to take the best route--if traffic wasn't present or was only slightly problematic we'd stick to the route, if it was terrible we'd go off route and on route exactly where necessary. Good work out of that group.

 

[DavidH]

They seem to really be on the ball--no need for driver discretion when the best they can do is make a best guess, vs. the hard data/traffic maps+cameras that operation has access to. On the Newmarket/Aurora 65 Express down 404 to Union, we would sometimes take the westbound 401 and southbound Leslie/eastbound York Mills/southbound Don Mills back to DVP, and very frequently, almost more often than not, we'd get off the Gardiner well before Bay, sometimes even take Queen's Quay as a detour to Lake Shore. We always seemed to take the best route--if traffic wasn't present or was only slightly problematic we'd stick to the route, if it was terrible we'd go off route and on route exactly where necessary. Good work out of that group.

I regularly have drivers on the 96 eastbound go west on the 401 from Yonge and turn around via Avenue, solely to get in the express lanes sooner. Thing is, if this is all centrally controlled do certain drivers seem to consistently do it while others don't? And why would the 92 trip operating minutes earlier often take the other option?

Then there is the ONE driver I had a few years ago who would get off the 401 w st kind in the morning and run along Huntingwood, every single day? I've never had another do that except in exceptional cases.

Seems that there is more to the story.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Someone finally captured an image of the show train.

http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=21137

 

[nfitz]

Good find. Can't resist dropping it in.

 

[cplchanb]

I see already a burnt out headlight bulb.... more QC issues from Bbr?
On a negative note....the 725 Richmond Hill train got delayed by about 40 min this morning due to a track safety incident. Anyone know what happened?

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

I see already a burnt out headlight bulb.... more QC issues from Bbr?

It could have been photographed as the bell was ringing, the headlights alternately flash on and off, do they not?

 

[vic]

My understanding is that they do not have discretion, however GO has a very active bus operations centre that handles traffic monitoring and informs drivers to make a certain detour if necessary. That's to the best of my knowledge, someone please correct me if that's incorrect.

They seem to really be on the ball--no need for driver discretion when the best they can do is make a best guess, vs. the hard data/traffic maps+cameras that operation has access to. On the Newmarket/Aurora 65 Express down 404 to Union, we would sometimes take the westbound 401 and southbound Leslie/eastbound York Mills/southbound Don Mills back to DVP, and very frequently, almost more often than not, we'd get off the Gardiner well before Bay, sometimes even take Queen's Quay as a detour to Lakeshore. We always seemed to take the best route--if traffic wasn't present or was only slightly problematic we'd stick to the route, if it was terrible we'd go off route and on route exactly where necessary. Good work out of that group.

If you sit at the front of a GO bus, you can hear all of the chatter with the operations centre. Drivers reporting slowdowns/incidents, ops people suggesting alternate routes, etc...

I've been on many buses from Hamilton that have taken detours. Not uncommon to switch to Lake Shore once in Toronto. But I've been on a few that have detoured up the 407-403 and back down Dixie to the QEW! Also 0nce ended up on the 401 to DVP to get downtown....I'd love to know if hat one actually saved time.