GTHA Transit Fare Integration

[toaster29]

And less need for building new highways, or widening existing highways. Also provides alternatives to the use of petroleum fuels.

They should be doing all they can to get people riding GO trains, billions of dollars of infrastructure sitting virtually empty in a (post)COVID world. Even going forward, people will continue working from home, might have to commute 1x / week (if that). Nobody is going back to spending $$ on high GO/Presto fares every day, when they've become accustom to spending nothing on transit for 2-3 years. If they are going in to the office 1-2x per month, they can pay to park. The province is going to need to do a lot more than integrating local transit to get people on these trains.

 

[W. K. Lis]

They should be doing all they can to get people riding GO trains, billions of dollars of infrastructure sitting virtually empty in a (post)COVID world. Even going forward, people will continue working from home, might have to commute 1x / week (if that). Nobody is going back to spending $$ on high GO/Presto fares every day, when they've become accustom to spending nothing on transit for 2-3 years. If they are going in to the office 1-2x per month, they can pay to park. The province is going to need to do a lot more than integrating local transit to get people on these trains.

Two things. ONE — The price of petroleum may not drop after the Putin War. TWO — Employers are ordered, requesting, asking, etc. employees to return to the office.

Ontario Public Service employees must return to in-person work by April 4​

See link.

 

[Undead]

I've been looking for work in recent months and most employers are moving to a hybrid 2-3 day in office model. So I don't think transit will sit empty.

Besides, with the Feds having upped population growth policies once again, transit use will probably grow beyond pre-COVID levels eventually, even if most people switch to a hybrid work model.

 

[Northern Light]

They should be doing all they can to get people riding GO trains, billions of dollars of infrastructure sitting virtually empty in a (post)COVID world. Even going forward, people will continue working from home, might have to commute 1x / week (if that). Nobody is going back to spending $$ on high GO/Presto fares every day, when they've become accustom to spending nothing on transit for 2-3 years. If they are going in to the office 1-2x per month, they can pay to park. The province is going to need to do a lot more than integrating local transit to get people on these trains.

I'm well acquainted with several large businesses based downtown that are currently beginning or about to begin 'Return to Office'.

I don't know any that are offering 1-2 days per month.

Most are making 3 days per week mandatory, sometime beween now and mid-April.

The odd one is less (2 days), but more than that are at 4 days or a full-return. (5-days per week).

Ridership on many routes is already spiking.

 

[44 North]

Ridership on many routes is already spiking.

Interesting dynamic shaping up. When Covid hit the belief (at least for me) was that the car would reign supreme for awhile. People aren't confined to a public space, roads with less traffic. But with supply chain issues new/used cars were hard to obtain, and now gas is extremely expensive. Could see a massive surge in riders going into the future. Hard to predict these things.

 

[ssiguy2]

Besides the obvious cost savings, another great benefit is the simplicity of the fares. Now you don't need a math degree, a calculator, or spend half an hour on the Metrolinx website trying to figure out your fare as you go from one jurisdiction to another. Now all your have to know is the GO fare and voila it will get you to where you want to "GO". except in the city of Toronto.

This means it can become a true regional connector that is not just focused on Toronto commuters but people going from one suburb to another which now is the bulk of transit riders. It also means that it is far easier for occasional riders who may not know how much it takes to get from one place to another. It entices these occasional riders to use transit and especially in non-peak times by making it more affordable and convinient which is what GO has been trying to accomplish.

 

[Mr Finish Line]

Besides the obvious cost savings, another great benefit is the simplicity of the fares. Now you don't need a math degree, a calculator, or spend half an hour on the Metrolinx website trying to figure out your fare as you go from one jurisdiction to another.

Isn't that what Triplinx was for?

 

[44 North]

This means it can become a true regional connector that is not just focused on Toronto commuters but people going from one suburb to another which now is the bulk of transit riders.

Not disputing this, but am interested in the source. GO's train/bus mode split is about 4:1, and Union as a quasi foci sees ~75k/day pre-Covid for rail (approx 35% of rail total). Then there's TTC. It alone carries more riders than all the local agencies in the GTHA combined, by a multiple of like five. Can't really see how suburb-suburb is the bulk of riders.

 

[Undead]

Can't really see how suburb-suburb is the bulk of riders.

IIRC, GO RER business case docs claimed that the single largest category of mobility demand is for suburb to suburb trips. This included auto trips, not just transit. I think the OP might be referring to that.

 

[44 North]

IIRC, GO RER business case docs claimed that the single largest category of mobility demand is for suburb to suburb trips. This included auto trips, not just transit. I think the OP might be referring to that.

Ok well ssriguy said transit. But yeah general commuter flow is something else. I've posted this before cuz I just looove these kinds of maps, and huge credit to the fellow Anthony Smith who made it. But it's GTHA commuter flow, mapped. From the 2016 Census. Not sure how to insert twitter stuff but he had a tweet, and these are the images. With Toronto and w/out.

Again huge credit to Anthony Smith at HealthyCityMaps.

 

[Mr Finish Line]

Ok well ssriguy said transit. But yeah general commuter flow is something else. I've posted this before cuz I just looove these kinds of maps, and huge credit to the fellow Anthony Smith who made it. But it's GTHA commuter flow, mapped. From the 2016 Census. Not sure how to insert twitter stuff but he had a tweet, and these are the images. With Toronto and w/out.

View attachment 384256
View attachment 384257
Again huge credit to Anthony Smith at HealthyCityMaps.

Thanks for sharing. Hadn't seen this before. Does it include all modes of transportation?

 

[44 North]

Thanks for sharing. Hadn't seen this before. Does it include all modes of transportation?

Yes should commuting for all modes, between place of residence and work (i.e no shopping and dropping kids off etc).

 

[ssiguy2]

You have to remember that these {really cool} graphs are for COMMUTER traffic. The whole point of all this GO expansion is to take GO from an exclusively commuter rail system to a true regional rail connector that is a viable, affordable, frequent, and reliable service for all times of the day at all days in the week, for all destinations.. If all we were to worry about was moving commuters then current GO service would be fine but for RER it certainly isn't.

 

[Mr Finish Line]

Really shows you which cities/suburbs are bedroom communities and which ones actually have a decent amount of employment. The difference between Markham and Richmond Hill is pretty striking, especially since they're next to each other.

 

[blaixx]

The difference between Markham and Richmond Hill is pretty striking, especially since they're next to each other.

Can you elaborate? Markham and Richmond Hill seem pretty similar on those charts when you take into account Markham being 60% more populous and sharing a border with Toronto.