nfitz
Superstar
That was in reference the $1.50 fare when transferring - not the $3 fare. At least in how that announcement was worded.
The $1.50 was already implemented, and is still in place. So Ford didn't axe all the programs.
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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
The $1.50 was already implemented, and is still in place. So Ford didn't axe all the programs.
TransitBart
Senior Member
Pretty crazy actually.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/n...x-very-pleased-with-early-niagara-go-figures/
Of the 12 people who boarded in Niagara Falls at 5:19 AM, how many are new customers, and how many simply switched over from the pre-existing 5:19 bus which took exactly the same amount of time despite serving tons of local stops and including a 15-minute transfer at Burlington?
Assuming it's a 10-car train (1500 seats), those figures mean that between NF and St C, each passenger gets 125 seats to themselves, and between St C and Hamilton, each passenger gets 47 seats to themselves.
This impractical Niagara train schedule is purely a political tool so the "Government of the People" can publish headlines about bringing GO Train service to Niagara without actually spending any money on track improvements or even adding a train to the line. It's basically just using taxpayer money to get the Conservative party votes, without providing any actual benefit to said taxpayer.
Of the 12 people who boarded in Niagara Falls at 5:19 AM, how many are new customers, and how many simply switched over from the pre-existing 5:19 bus which took exactly the same amount of time despite serving tons of local stops and including a 15-minute transfer at Burlington?
Assuming it's a 10-car train (1500 seats), those figures mean that between NF and St C, each passenger gets 125 seats to themselves, and between St C and Hamilton, each passenger gets 47 seats to themselves.
This impractical Niagara train schedule is purely a political tool so the "Government of the People" can publish headlines about bringing GO Train service to Niagara without actually spending any money on track improvements or even adding a train to the line. It's basically just using taxpayer money to get the Conservative party votes, without providing any actual benefit to said taxpayer.
steveintoronto
Superstar
It's farce on 'steal' wheels. If the Libs did this, can you imagine the howls in QP?
This is indeed The Gravy Train! (Leftover gravy nobody else wants)
reaperexpress
Senior Member
Yeah, at least when the Wynne government was shamelessly buying votes near the end of its term, at least the things it was spending money on actually provided some benefit in themselves in addition to the political points.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Wynne was throwing money willy-nilly, agreed, but at least in many cases, things were moving toward a goal. I wouldn't have done it that way, it was very inefficient, but progress was being made.
With the present regime, they're adding whitewalls, racing stripes and rumble seats, but the thing isn't moving any faster or any further. But it does run to the soda shop at an odd hour for a drink hardly anyone wants.
Meantime everyone awake during normal hours is dying of thirst, and Yurek and Yokels say: "See how good we are! We're keeping our promise For the People!".
crs1026
Senior Member
Pretty much.
ML is clearly about to stop spending. I’m not sure many in the organization realise that yet.
In the big picture sense, I support the PC’s taking that tack, as the excesses of Wynne and Horwath were reckless and not sustainable. Cutting taxes however is equally reckless.
The thing that makes Ford worse than Harris is he won’t come out and declare himself - the cuts are hidden. Like him or not, Harris ran the gauntlet of public opinion and did what he promised to do. Ford is more slippery.
The upcoming budget will be interesting. Will Ford come out and say, we aren’t building anything in Niagara, and that one oh-dark-hundred milk run is all you’re getting? Or will he promise better things coming in
Twenty-twenty-mumble?
The media pundits have their work cut out for themselves, IMHO
- Paul
WillTo
Senior Member
steveintoronto
Superstar
It's an odd thing. There's been no actual announcement that things are going to grind to a halt fiscally, but every sense indicates it. They're turning off the irrigation spigot, but don't have the fortitude of character to tell people to brace for famine.
Meantime, they allow the preliminaries for projects they know they're not going to follow through on to continue. The best example of this for me, since it's just a block away, is the Davenport Diamond:
https://www.toronto.com/news-story/8356363-davenport-diamond-overpass-plans-coming-together/
Some posters are easily strung along by a number of these projects, but all that's happening is that the spigot is dripping. It isn't turned on. Crosslink is obviously well underway, and the contracts long ago signed and binding. Ford can't touch that and those. But what's not already legally unstoppable (without massive consequence) is....[...sound of crickets chirping...].
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Allandale25
Senior Member
reaperexpress
Senior Member
The frustrating part is that people always forget that it takes many years to get from planning, to construction, to completion of infrastructure projects. So even when they halt spending on new infrastructure improvements, there will still be in-progress projects which get completed, such as the Stouffville Line double tracking which will allow improved off-peak and counter-peak service within the next couple years. So the Government of the People gets to claim that although they cut spending, they are still providing results, and the People are too ignorant to realize that the results were due to previous spending and the current infrastructure spending was actually going to provide benefit in the future, not immediately. Then four years later when there hasn't been any new infrastructure started and no further service improvements are possible, it becomes the next government's problem, who now looks terrible because they have to find lots of money for infrastructure and can't provide any immediate service improvements to show for it.
This sort of Deferred Maintenance (or in this case Deferred Investment) scam was championed by the Harris government, leaving us with a backlog of infrastructure issues we are only just now getting ourselves out of.
steveintoronto
Superstar
And thus: "Metrolinx ‘very pleased’ with early Niagara GO figures ".
What you see, folks, is pretty much all you're going to get. Of course, Yurek (Your Wreck) will be claiming that "Our Glorious Leader's Gov't For the People and the wonderful, socially progressive partners at CN, continue in our magnificent walk together down the path of sharing and understanding. An announcement is about to come in...errr...four years on the next improvement".
reaperexpress
Senior Member
The new Kitchener Line schedule still isn't on the website yet, which is unsurprising given the change was sprung on GO by politicians outside of the normal planning cycle, to fix an issue most likely caused by politicians springing half-baked ideas on GO outside of the planning cycle.
Anyway, if the 16:50 train is reinstated on its previous schedule, there will be reliability problems because the new 16:35 train is literally in its way. The express train is supposed to be 12 minutes faster than the local, which means that if it departs 15 minutes later, it will arrive at Bramalea only 3 minutes behind. At which point even the slightest delay to the 16:35 will cascade onto the 16:50. Ideally the trains should be spread further apart if there are slots available to do so in the USRC, perhaps shifting the 16:35 to 16:30.
And on an unrelated note, the current schedule has the 17:40 VIA overtaking the previous GO train at Malton at 18:00 (previously they met at Brampton), which is probably a good idea given that it simplifies operation on the CN segment. But the VIA is scheduled to stop at Malton, which makes it quite difficult to overtake the previous train within the relatively short segment of double track between Bramalea and Pearson Junction. I think Malton should be dropped from the VIA trip since hardly anyone ever gets on there anyway, there's plenty of GO service to carry people from Malton to Brampton where they could pick up the VIA, and stopping the VIA train makes the schedule quite tenuous.
If the new schedule does in fact mean a 6th train runs to Kitchener, then there should presumably be a 6th train coming back eastbound. My votes are either to provide a new express trip during the 30-minute gap in the peak period, or to extend the first off-peak trip (which currently deadheads from downtown anyway), to replace a bus trip which currently gets stuck in rush-hour traffic and extend the service hours toward the realm of reason for people who aren't commuting to an office in downtown Toronto.
Anyway, if the 16:50 train is reinstated on its previous schedule, there will be reliability problems because the new 16:35 train is literally in its way. The express train is supposed to be 12 minutes faster than the local, which means that if it departs 15 minutes later, it will arrive at Bramalea only 3 minutes behind. At which point even the slightest delay to the 16:35 will cascade onto the 16:50. Ideally the trains should be spread further apart if there are slots available to do so in the USRC, perhaps shifting the 16:35 to 16:30.
And on an unrelated note, the current schedule has the 17:40 VIA overtaking the previous GO train at Malton at 18:00 (previously they met at Brampton), which is probably a good idea given that it simplifies operation on the CN segment. But the VIA is scheduled to stop at Malton, which makes it quite difficult to overtake the previous train within the relatively short segment of double track between Bramalea and Pearson Junction. I think Malton should be dropped from the VIA trip since hardly anyone ever gets on there anyway, there's plenty of GO service to carry people from Malton to Brampton where they could pick up the VIA, and stopping the VIA train makes the schedule quite tenuous.
If the new schedule does in fact mean a 6th train runs to Kitchener, then there should presumably be a 6th train coming back eastbound. My votes are either to provide a new express trip during the 30-minute gap in the peak period, or to extend the first off-peak trip (which currently deadheads from downtown anyway), to replace a bus trip which currently gets stuck in rush-hour traffic and extend the service hours toward the realm of reason for people who aren't commuting to an office in downtown Toronto.
jordanmkasla2009
Active Member
I honestly doubt they will run a 6th in-service train from Kitchener in the morning.
steveintoronto
Superstar
And one has to wonder: Who takes the rap this time around? It's obviously just a matter of time (literally) until this goes terribly wrong. I even have to question whether the CTC allows a five minute headway at GO speeds along that stretch of track anyway?
Maybe 'Your Wreck' could tell us all again how things are being worked out with CN as to how the Missing Link or even the simpler Freight Bypass was all a needless ruse by the Liberals and their evil minions? I love conspiratorial fantasies....
Well, credit to Yurek, his efficiencies allow for Laurel and Hardy in one person! Think of the savings...I'm sure they're going to do wonders with the subway.