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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

Megaton327 said:
At that point I think they can easily terminate 65 and 68 buses as you said except for late at night like lakeshore. Depending on the timeline you're talking about, you may be forgetting that Innisfil GO should be built by the time RER is live--at that point Holland Landing is the only sizable area serviced by buses but not trains, so it's not worth maintaining the 68 as YRT is much more suitable for that, they already have the 52.
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The proposed Innisfil GO would be located south of Alcona, which would be too far away from any of the existing bus stops along Yonge Street, including those in the communities of Stroud, Churchill and at the Town Hall / Rec Centre at Innisfil Beach Road. Ridership is not high at these stops, but there are many who depend on this lifeline to commute to/from Newmarket or Barrie. I find it unlikely that GO would scrap 68 unless Simcoe County takes over the route.

Megaton327 said:
Regarding 66, cutting 65 and 68 (which feeds it some passengers) might make it dubious as a lone wolf GO bus service out of that terminal given the Downsview Park subway connection...I'm not sure how much ridership there is on it today, with TYSSE and no 68 it may reach the point that they can tell the handful of riders to pay the extra TTC fare via downsview park to yorkdale (many of those riders are probably already boarding the TTC out of yorkdale, anyhow).
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Getting rid of 66 would mean no transit service at 400/9, and a much slower journey on the 165 bus from 400/Major MacKenzie. Also keep in mind that Yorkdale is a major GO bus hub for the Hwy 401 services, and some people may be transferring to/from another GO bus to Mississauga/Brampton or Pearson Airport, for example.
 
djsurflfs said:
With more off-peak trains coming, I hope YRT will consider diverting some Yonge buses to Aurora GO. A good candidate would be the 22A bus, which runs parallel to the train line and will soon have weekend service. The walk from Yonge/Wellington to Aurora GO is 650m/8 min and not very pleasant on a rainy or snowy day, or for anyone with reduced mobility.
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Agree. It's not realistic to suggest folks take a bus to Yonge/Wellington and then walk to the GO station. Sure, it can be done. But I imagine in reality, people will just see it as a(nother) poorly interconnected service, and a further reason to get behind the wheel.

I wonder how YRT would feel about sending a Viva Yellow bus down the 404 from Davis and then across Wellington to meet trains?

djsurflfs said:
Barrie Line trains will likely replace all Route 65 buses except during late night, similar to the Lakeshore lines, so the bus terminal will be mainly used by YRT. I don't see why Route 66 would be cancelled anytime soon. Route 68 service through Innisfil will probably survive even after all-day train service extends to Barrie, but I can see GO wanting Simcoe County Transit to take it over, like when YRT took over the York U-Newmarket and Keswick GO buses.
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Megaton327 said:
At that point I think they can easily terminate 65 and 68 buses as you said except for late at night like lakeshore. Depending on the timeline you're talking about, you may be forgetting that Innisfil GO should be built by the time RER is live--at that point Holland Landing is the only sizable area serviced by buses but not trains, so it's not worth maintaining the 68 as YRT is much more suitable for that, they already have the 52.

Compared to the problematic train implementation in Markham, the complaints there are more to do with the bus connection for all passengers north of Unionville--hourly trains to Allandale won't create an added connection and in fact remove a connection vs 68+65 buses, so no problem there, good tradeoff for hourly vs half-hourly; and the trip time savings Allandale-Aurora are pretty good, especially considering Barrie usually gets pretty nasty snow in the winter. Regarding 66, cutting 65 and 68 (which feeds it some passengers) might make it dubious as a lone wolf GO bus service out of that terminal given the Downsview Park subway connection...I'm not sure how much ridership there is on it today, with TYSSE and no 68 it may reach the point that they can tell the handful of riders to pay the extra TTC fare via downsview park to yorkdale (many of those riders are probably already boarding the TTC out of yorkdale, anyhow).
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Based on the comments here, the 66 and 68 provide service that isn't easily replaced by trains (service along the 400 and connections to the 401 services, and to the communities along Yonge Street, respectively). The weekday 65 provides similar service along Yonge, along Wellington and at the Wellington Carpool lot (particularly valuable when parking at Aurora GO is full-up). But I doubt that will be enough to save the 65 once weekday 2WAD service launches.

If ML replaces 30-minute bus service with 60 minute train service (as I suspect they will): Yes, it is an improvement for passengers commencing journeys on the 68 today. But since trains are turning at Aurora: For folks used to 30-minute service from East Gwillimbury (and points southward), it will not be seen as an improvement (just like the Stoufville line). Worse, passengers at East Gwillimbury and Newmarket will now need to transfer at Aurora.
 
Megaton327 said:
The addition of the new Bradford-Union morning/evening peak last train indicates that the Bradford siding is good to go, as I imagine they're storing that train there overnight. And, of course, the long term plan once RER actually happens is for hourly trains Allandale-Union.
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A track for storage does not necessarily a passing siding make.

There are numerous improvements that need to be done before the Bradford siding can be used for having trains pass, the most important at this point being the signalling.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
Elite People said:
Best idea. A BOWMANVILLE LINE!
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I've proposed in past that service to Bowmanville should just be an extension of the planned GO Midtown line, forgoing the need to have an overpass at all. Problem is some of that rides upon getting CP on a freight bypass, and doesn't fit within political promise timelines.

FUkPmSx.png
 
micheal_can said:
Are they not normally parked on sidings? So, they only one one train during off peak, and then run the rest back up..
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They're parked in a yard, sure...but what you are suggested would only allow for maybe 2 trains to run to-and-from Barrie. There aren't enough locations to allow trains to pass each other and maintain an hourly headway.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
So on the subject of yards...

Lakeshore East has the new East Rail Maintneance Facility...
Stoufville has...nothing that I know of...but midday service...
Richmond Hill has a layover facility, but no service and none planned outside of rush hour.
Everyone is hot for all day two way on Barrie, but no layover yard that I know of...
Kitchener is to have layover yard at Breslau...not sure where this stands...
Milton...no yard...
Lakeshore Westbis home to Willowbrook...and for good measure Lewis Road is already up and running.

What gives with this wierd distribution of facilities? Richmond Hill has a large layover facility and no plan for service putside of rush hour, but Barrie has no yard for a line that is soon to have all day, evening and weekend and is a electrified RER candidate.
 
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