GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[robmausser]

Fair enough allandale, but why not just give CN the 350 million for the 4th Bramalea track for now? Del Duca needs to get it together.

http://www.bnn.ca/ontario-auditor-accuses-cn-rail-cp-rail-of-overcharging-transit-agency-1.620439

This is why.

Metrolinx is being very cautious working with them now.

 

[TOareaFan]

He isn't. I'm complaining too.

Brampton undoubtedly lost some credibility on the transit file when they for-goed on their part of the Hurontario-Main LRT. Also didn't represent themselves well when they went to the Feds? or Province? (I forget which) to advocate for a stop on any high speed rail project.

1. Brampton did not for-go their part of the HMLRT.....they are participants in the project with the MSF being in Brampton and the stretch north of there to Steeles. All they did was have the temerity of holding a local vote on the final stretch of the project and the majority on counsel chose to not support the province's route (again, for the umpteenth time, I am not giving my position here because my problems with HMLRT were not with the route and I believe if the thing was to be built the province's route made the most sense)......Brampton was certainly not the first municipality to provide local input into a provincial project.....but other munis not only were not shunned forever from the transit trough....they were rewarded with bigger, more expensive, versions of the project at hand;
2. They approached the Minister of Transportation about the stop on the HSR.....yes that minister of transport who feels reports are just suggestions in his riding.....he famously (infamously?) replied to the mayor and the members of council at the meeting "have you read the reports" (referring to the Collinette report).

 

[TOareaFan]

I second the view that @TOareaFan, both here and on Twitter, isn't the only one demanding more transit service for Brampton. He's been particularly forceful and dedicated in bringing up the off-peak GO train situation and those following this thread will have seen it. There are local people in Brampton also doing advocacy but it just might not get the same attention as what happens in Toronto for various reasons.

I just want to comment and make clear that at no time did I suggest that I alone was vocal on this subject. Not sure where someone got that I idea and I do apologize to those who are discussing the matter.....some far more than I.

TOareaFan will probably disagree with @cbrown2009's assertion on the credibility connect to the HMLRT as he feels the numbers never justified LRT in the first place and Council made the right call to avoid it (but he'd disagree with the alternative study for LRT since it shouldn't be LRT and should be BRT, in his view).

My problem with HMLRT was never the route...it was the chosen tech.....but once that ship sailed then I had no problem with the route....straight up Main was/is the best route.....that said I do have problems when people suggest

1. Brampton shunned the idea of connecting it's GO station to the HMLRT....every single other route (whatever their problems were/are) ends at the Brampton GO Station (well, except that one that suggested just going East at Steeles to the Bramalea station);
2. That voting down of the province's preferred route on HMLRT should, somehow, put Brampton in the penalty box forever.
   1. that is not how other municipalities have been treated
   2. it is an incredible act of immaturity by a senior level of government to do that.

In terms of others in Brampton "making a stink", the issue of all-day, two-way GO service has been mentioned by Brampton Mayors, Councillors, business groups, resident groups, etc for many years. The bypass for CN freight traffic has more progress now than at any point since GO came to Brampton in 1974. Some would argue it's still not enough, we still haven't seen enough 'real' action. The latest updates are in the GO Construction thread or the Missing Link thread.

To prelude what TOareaFan would argue, he's concerned that these discussions and studies on the Bypass will prevent/delay/distract/let CN/GO/Queen's Park off the hook for off-peak until it's built, even trains to Bramalea and using the fourth track stub. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, TOareaFan.

It is very clear to me from my most recent exchanges with people (or, in the case of the mayor and my mpp, attempted exchanges) that all discussion of additional rail service to Brampton is off the table pending the completion of the bypass. You have what you have.

All of this is to say it's a bit of a complex and detailed situation, rather than a generalized impression no one in Brampton cares.

To go full circle, I am actually going to try and back away from this issue.....so I will be far from the only one complaining

For me it has been about a 30 year "fight" from discussions and correspondence with Gary McNeil (I think that was his name...I'd have to dig up dusty boxes) through to today. I have heard/seen ever moving goal posts on what it would take to get trains to Brampton at times other than peak times and still here we are. To be perfectly frank, I just don't care anymore. It is tiresome that gov't after gov't continues to force more population into a town and is unwilling to provide the services necessary to serve that population. I don't know what is in the water in Brampton but whatever it is breeds a situation where people are willing to accept sub-standard provincial services and elect people who will also accept sub-standard provincial services. My wife and I are now empty nesters, when we married right after university (well, she still had 1 year left) we spent one year living outside of our home town and moved back "knowing" that as Brampton grew it's level of services would also grow. We are now in the early stages of retirement planning....picking where we will spend our golden years.....to quote the Who ...."we won't be fooled again".......betting on a city of over 600k (and growing fast) with such lousy connections to the region it depends on and having less than half of the provincial average bed to population hospital ratio just seems like a lousy, losing, sucker bet. We are not quite sure where we are going to end up (although we have it roughly mapped out) but it won't be Brampton....that much has been decided.....so I will try and gracefully step aside and let a younger generation fight for the Brampton they want!

 

[Megaton327]

Has GO stopped providing GOtracker.ca? I've tried it on desktop and on mobile and it doesn't seem to be working. I swear I saw it active a few weeks ago.

When I posted that, the desktop version was down for me but the mobile version worked. I just tried now and both desktop and mobile are working. Seems they had a problem or were upgrading something. I've seen their twitter team link it to someone asking about delays/platforms within the past couple of days.

 

[Allandale25]

^ @TOareaFan thanks for the additional postings. Tried my best accurately recall and summarize your views in response to @cbrown2009

 

[Admiral Beez]

Alrighty, took the GoTrain from Union to Port Credit this morning, starting with my first time Bikeshare use. You might have seen me on the bike, I was the guy with the stupid grin. Got to Union, first two docks were full, found a third with an open spot on the corner. Next time I'll use the app to find the open docks.

So, with mins to spare I rushed into the station, asked info guy where to get GoTrain to Port Credit, rushed up to platform 7 and jumped on train as doors about to close. Then start looking around for the Presto scanner..... oops. So, one free ride later arrived at Port Credit, walked to the office. I think I'm hooked. And now I know to scan my Presto before I board.

 

[LNahid2000]

Alrighty, took the GoTrain from Union to Port Credit this morning, starting with my first time Bikeshare use. You might have seen me on the bike, I was the guy with the stupid grin. Got to Union, first two docks were full, found a third with an open spot on the corner. Next time I'll use the app to find the open docks.

So, with mins to spare I rushed into the station, asked info guy where to get GoTrain to Port Credit, rushed up to platform 7 and jumped on train as doors about to close. Then start looking around for the Presto scanner..... oops. So, one free ride later arrived at Port Credit, walked to the office. I think I'm hooked. And now I know to scan my Presto before I board.

What was the time difference between driving and taking the train?

 

[Admiral Beez]

What was the time difference between driving and taking the train?

It was about the same, 45-50 mins. I lost time figuring out things, for example, I needed 5 mins to discern how to unlock the Bikeshare bike with the keypad, then I lost about 3-4 mins looking for an empty dock at Union Station, and then at Port Credit I exited on the south instead of north doors, and then got turned around, losing another 5 mins or so. So, I think I can shave at least 5 mins off my time.

Best of all was sitting on the train, looking at the gridlock on the Gardiner that I was missing. Downside, I was a sweaty mess when I got on the train from the hurried bike ride. Thankfully the train's AC was on full so I dried off by the time I got to Port Credit. Next time I'll put my coat in the carrier instead of wearing it. I was weird to ride without a helmet on, so I may stick that in my satchel.

 

[Allandale25]

Peak service is mentioned in this Globe and Mail interview with the new Metrolinx CEO.

 

[mdrejhon]

Alrighty, took the GoTrain from Union to Port Credit this morning, starting with my first time Bikeshare use. You might have seen me on the bike, I was the guy with the stupid grin. Got to Union, first two docks were full, found a third with an open spot on the corner. Next time I'll use the app to find the open docks.

What time did you arrive at the bike docks?
Are you coming from the east or west of Union?
Did you board via the teamway or via York Union Concourse?
Surprised, but maybe they restocked the docks full for the later morning commuters,

Yes, a good app with clearer graphics is must. I like Spotcycle. Others exist. One tap to launch and I instantly know in 3 seconds, which station to bike to.

And now I know to scan my Presto before I board.

Don't forget to tap out after you disembark.
Otherwise, you get charged almost 12 bucks (full trip to Hamilton).

helmet

Depends on the route. 50kph arteries with no bike lanes like Jarvis, sure. But don't bother on the Sherbourne bike lanes.

Bikeshare is slow/safer/heavy bikes forces high head on swivel -- very low injury statistics, and for a long time, there was zero bikeshare deaths worldwide until it boomed so much. To date, there has never been a bikeshare death in Canada.

If you want a bike lane to Union, and coming from the west, go via Simcoe. Then turn your bike on this secret hidden "Station street" (not as good as Sherbourne, but the nicest lane for north-south towards Adelaide/Richmond lanes if your first mile is west of Union), the Simcoe green line is the north-south bike lane with knockdown poles. Feels calm compared to Bay and Yonge.

 

[TOareaFan]

Peak service is mentioned in this Globe and Mail interview with the new Metrolinx CEO.

In terms of speaking with customers he notes that

a) he has not spoken to customers on trains at peak times....just at Union.
b) but he has spoken to customers on trains at off peak.....so safe to assume he has ridden some Lakeshore trains and found people happy with frequency....thus the focus (mentioned several times since he was appointed) on getting wifi on trains!

 

[mdrejhon]

So Metrolinx now intends level boarding for GO trains at Union.
That's big.

Utah Frontrunner style? (25 inch: Same level as bottom deck of a Bombardier BiLevel)
Or UPX style? (48 inch: VIA, UPX, HSR) -- requires new EMUs

(CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0, flickr credit)

A GO train with level boarding! (Really exists; this is a Bombardier BiLevel)

This to me, is a discussion, I have started in the Great Platform Height Debate.

The Great Platform Height Debate

 

[SaugeenJunction]

So Metrolinx now intends level boarding for GO trains.
That's big.

Utah Frontrunner style? (20 inch: Same level as bottom deck of a Bombardier BiLevel)
Or UPX style? (48 inch: VIA, UPX, HSR) -- requires new EMUs

I'd put my money on 20 inch/ level for the Bombardier BiLevels. There is no way that they'd abandon that fleet, due to its sheer size.

 

[mdrejhon]

Yep.

Oops. Correction, 25 inch. Edited my original reply, and added a photo!

 

[Fritter]

Don't forget to tap out after you disembark.
Otherwise, you get charged almost 12 bucks (full trip to Hamilton).

All depends if there is a default trip programmed on the card. You can have a set default trip set on the card between two destinations, ie Union-Port Credit, and therefore only need to tap "on" your trip. Without defaults, then yes, you are required to tag on and off each GO Trip. Without the tag off, then yes you will be charged to the furthest point from where you tag on, which tagging on at Union would mean being charged to Kitchener because that is the furthest one could travel from Union.