GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[APTA-2048]

There’s like 120 bikes on some Kitchener trains, if every lower level was a bike coach that would be removing at least 288 seats on a 6 car consist

I don’t have an in depth understanding of GO’s operations, but my question is: why are they still running six-car trains?

 

[micheal_can]

There’s like 120 bikes on some Kitchener trains, if every lower level was a bike coach that would be removing at least 288 seats on a 6 car consist

Then make it a longer consist.... I have seen 12 cars. Instead of complaining about the problem, we should be wanting a solution that does not include banning bikes.

 

[crs1026]

Having a bike park is not going to satisfy this clientele unless it has charging ports.... these are mostly ebikes.

The invective against the bike owners is not appropriate. This is a situation that ML has inadvertently drifted into. ML needs to extricate itself without attaching "blame".

At the end of the day, no transit jurisdiction hauls bikes in large numbers. In the Netherlands, a bike ticket costs 10 euros... about $18 per ride. The bike coaches that were ok for Niagara tourist trains are not really ok for more mundane commuter trains.

- Paul

 

[Richard White]

Having a bike park is not going to satisfy this clientele unless it has charging ports.... these are mostly ebikes.

The invective against the bike owners is not appropriate. This is a situation that ML has inadvertently drifted into. ML needs to extricate itself without attaching "blame".

At the end of the day, no transit jurisdiction hauls bikes in large numbers. In the Netherlands, a bike ticket costs 10 euros... about $18 per ride. The bike coaches that were ok for Niagara tourist trains are not really ok for more mundane commuter trains.

- Paul

Perhaps they can issue specialized bike tickets i.e. 20 bucks a bicycle each way?

 

[afransen]

There is a bike storage facility of some kind behind Union Chicken near York Concourse but I don’t know anything about it. I have seen a few bike couriers hanging out in there though.

However, a lot of the bike couriers are reliant on their bikes as transport to and from stations in Brampton, hence the need to bring them on board.

The way the Netherlands handles this is by having decent bike parking at the station.

I think the problem is ebike charging. You can leave your ebike downtown but providing infrastructure to charge (potentially dodgy) ebikes sounds a lot more complicated.

Maybe we could resolve this by developing a list of approved/UL validated ebike manufacturers for parking and charging in a public lot.

 

[Richard White]

I think the problem is ebike charging. You can leave your ebike downtown but providing infrastructure to charge (potentially dodgy) ebikes sounds a lot more complicated.

Maybe we could resolve this by developing a list of approved/UL validated ebike manufacturers for parking and charging in a public lot.

Indeed.

All you need is one dodge e-bike to go kaboom and set off a chain reaction.

 

[micheal_can]

Having a bike park is not going to satisfy this clientele unless it has charging ports.... these are mostly ebikes.

The invective against the bike owners is not appropriate. This is a situation that ML has inadvertently drifted into. ML needs to extricate itself without attaching "blame".

At the end of the day, no transit jurisdiction hauls bikes in large numbers. In the Netherlands, a bike ticket costs 10 euros... about $18 per ride. The bike coaches that were ok for Niagara tourist trains are not really ok for more mundane commuter trains.

- Paul

Requiring an additional fare for a bike makes sense.

 

[afransen]

Perhaps a better solution is to develop a system like the below, but for ebike battery swapping. This is for electric scooters and popular in Taiwan. Perhaps a smaller form factor could work for ebikes.

World's Largest Battery Swapping Network

Accelerating the shift to cleaner, smarter and safer urban transportation.

www.gogoro.com

 

[WB62]

Then make it a longer consist.... I have seen 12 cars. Instead of complaining about the problem, we should be wanting a solution that does not include banning bikes.

I’m personally not calling for the outright banning of e-bikes, there must be a middle ground solution somewhere.

I fully agree with running 12 car trains, it’s more than overdue at this point, and while it wouldn’t really make a dent in the bike issue; it would make a slight difference.

 

[T3G]

I don’t have an in depth understanding of GO’s operations, but my question is: why are they still running six-car trains?

There's a big problem with transit operators, and politicians, failing to accurately recognize, and plan for, demand, especially in the post-pandemic era.

I can probably count on one hand the number of TTC bus routes which are accurately calibrated to their ridership demand, especially on weekends.

 

[Allandale25]

I’m personally not calling for the outright banning of e-bikes, there must be a middle ground solution somewhere.

I fully agree with running 12 car trains, it’s more than overdue at this point, and while it wouldn’t really make a dent in the bike issue; it would make a slight difference.

The future Heritage Road Layover may help. In the meantime, I wonder if there are any other barriers to 12-coach trains on the weekend?

 

[micheal_can]

I’m personally not calling for the outright banning of e-bikes, there must be a middle ground solution somewhere.

I fully agree with running 12 car trains, it’s more than overdue at this point, and while it wouldn’t really make a dent in the bike issue; it would make a slight difference.

I am talking regular bikes. Let's start with that.

 

[dowlingm]

can’t wait for Metrolinx to advise their board that their ability to add service is limited as infra improvements come on line, because they are running L12 on services normally only needing L10 or even L6 for basically no additional revenue, and forgoing the ability to run additional service L6s where they would pick up net new riders, because people on the internet thought it was mean to not underwrite the business model of Skip The Dishes and similar apps, whose delivery workforce seemingly (according to those posters) almost entirely consisting of a student cohort that the feds are threatening to significantly downsize in the rest of the 2020s.

 

[micheal_can]

can’t wait for Metrolinx to advise their board that their ability to add service is limited as infra improvements come on line, because they are running L12 on services normally only needing L10 or even L6 for basically no additional revenue, and forgoing the ability to run additional service L6s where they would pick up net new riders, because people on the internet thought it was mean to not underwrite the business model of Skip The Dishes and similar apps, whose delivery workforce seemingly (according to those posters) almost entirely consisting of a student cohort that the feds are threatening to significantly downsize in the rest of the 2020s.

New riders? Maybe not, but more revenue? Yes.

 

[lenaitch]

Maybe we could resolve this by developing a list of approved/UL validated ebike manufacturers for parking and charging in a public lot.

A far as I know ebikes are already subject to UL/CSA certification.