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But right now it takes 30min from the Gardiner to the bus terminal, what would you rather?
Sometimes I wonder if it would make sense for MX to run a 6 coach train back & forth between Union and Oriole throughout the day. Quick and easy access to the 401 for P&Rer's and the Sheppard line. It would definitely make more sense if MX were to purchase the Leaside Spur.
Many bus companies have already left Union station due to the traffic congestion. Of course we've noticed GO cutting service on bus route to Union such as the 21 Milton and 16 Hamilton Express, but intercity operators are doing the same. TOK Coachlines abandoned Union Station altogether, now terminating their Port Elgin route at Hwy 407 terminal.
No space for extra lanesMany bus companies have already left Union station due to the traffic congestion. Of course we've noticed GO cutting service on bus route to Union such as the 21 Milton and 16 Hamilton Express, but intercity operators are doing the same. TOK Coachlines abandoned Union Station altogether, now terminating their Port Elgin route at Hwy 407 terminal.
Most Ontario Northland buses now terminate at Yorkdale with an intermediate stop at 407 terminal. Here's the current southbound schedule for Ontario Northland. The only buses going downtown are the ones that are going to the garage there anyway or the ones that are heading there anyway to start a northbound overnight trip.
This is definitely a mitigation but I don't think it's a solution. As others noted, it can take a long time to get downtown from some of the peripheral terminals so their success depends on there being all-day GO Express trains. Subways or local GO trains aren't as competitive.
That said, given that trains can become pretty competitive in the forseeable future I don't think there's a rationale for a busway downtown. The more cost-effective solution would just be bus lanes on Lakeshore Blvd for a couple blocks on either side of the bus terminal.
There is a passing track at York Mills, and another at the bottom of the Don. So there is more than enough trackage if you time it right.
If there are no operating bottle necks between mimico and Rouge Hill you could run a Express shuttle between those stations. L3 consist would suffice. But again a faster connection to the 401 is what we really need. The DVP is a parking lot almost the whole day, and line 1 isn't without it's problems.
I wasn't talking about taking over lanes on the Gardiner. There are not enough buses to justify that, nor will there ever be given the planned increases in train service.
That doesn't solve the problem in getting to the bus terminal in the first place.I wasn't talking about taking over lanes on the Gardiner. There are not enough buses to justify that, nor will there ever be given the planned increases in train service.
I am suggesting that we introduced targeted bus priority measures in the immediate vicinity of the USBT as suggested by @ShonTron in this blog post. Most importantly widening the road to extend the bus lane further east:
Image by @ShonTron, marked up by me
This extension is actually explicitly contemplated in the 2017 Lower Yonge Precinct EA:
I vote for a larger font. Approaching my mid 50's (ack!), I like being able to read without fumbling for or adjusting glasses
Move the next train info onto the right side of screen. It can then display multiple train trips.
