Urban Sky
Senior Member
As far as I am aware, they are legally required to be technically limited to that speed while in Quebec…
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Intercity Bus Services
- Thread starter Jonny5
- Start date
reaperexpress
Senior Member
Section 68.1 of the HTA requires all commercial vehicles to have an active speed limiter per "the regulations".
Current Highway Traffic Act
The regulations are HTA Reg 587 sections 12 through 18. Section 13 lists exemptions from the requirement:
HTA Reg 587:
But just because a law exists does not necessarily mean that everyone obeys it. The law also states that no vehicle may exceed the posted speed limit, for example. I have definitely seen trucks exceed 105 km/h. I would assume that trucks from outside ON/QC are more likely to not have correctly set limiters, since the driver might enter the province and not bother to stop and set it.
Canadian Chocho
Active Member
Speaking of Flix, they were involved in a crash in upstate NY.
www.thestar.com
Person killed in upstate New York bus crash was a Canadian citizen, Global Affairs Canada says
Two Canadians were also injured after a bus travelling from Montreal to New York City crashed in upstate New York. New York state police reported that 11 people were injured in total.
www.thestar.com
reaperexpress
Senior Member
When I took Megabus from Ottawa to Toronto a couple weeks ago, I was surprised at how busy the Kingston Coach Canada bus terminal was. While we were stopping over there, so were two other Megabuses. The terminal was surprisingly well equipped, with proper washrooms, a convenience store and a ticket counter. Which doesn't sound like much, but it's far more than you get from any of the other operators, whose Kingston stops are in parking lots or on sidewalks.
So I dug through the Megabus website to descipher what their bus timetable looks like on the routes through Kingston.
Here is the timetable with all of the stopping patterns, many of which only run a few days per week.
Here is the timetable on Mondays, which is the highest-frequency day of the week, featuring hourly service to Montreal and 4 buses per day to Ottawa.
Here is the timetable for Tuesday to Thursday, which only has 2 buses per day to Ottawa.
It appears that people could use the Kingston Terminal to transfer from the Pearson-Kingston local service to a Toronto-Ottawa or Toronto-Montréal service, for example to get from Belleville to Montréal. But if you try to actually book such a ticket on the Megabus website, it tells you it isn't possible, because the trip planner can't handle transfers.
Yes I did try the Fare Finder, and it only gave me the destinations on the Pearson-Kingston local bus.
So I dug through the Megabus website to descipher what their bus timetable looks like on the routes through Kingston.
Here is the timetable with all of the stopping patterns, many of which only run a few days per week.
Here is the timetable on Mondays, which is the highest-frequency day of the week, featuring hourly service to Montreal and 4 buses per day to Ottawa.
Here is the timetable for Tuesday to Thursday, which only has 2 buses per day to Ottawa.
It appears that people could use the Kingston Terminal to transfer from the Pearson-Kingston local service to a Toronto-Ottawa or Toronto-Montréal service, for example to get from Belleville to Montréal. But if you try to actually book such a ticket on the Megabus website, it tells you it isn't possible, because the trip planner can't handle transfers.
Yes I did try the Fare Finder, and it only gave me the destinations on the Pearson-Kingston local bus.
tsm1072
Active Member
Kingston does need to sort out their transferring and transit options for intercity travel. The current state of affairs with the train station, bus station, and other operator stops all at different locations makes it difficult to coordinate good transit for those travelling to and from Kingston. There is a lot of travel due to the universities, government offices, and Kingston's location between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, but the transfer when I'm Kingston to try and get to your final destination without a car is pretty poor.
Most bus service to the stations is either 30 minute or 60 minute service, with some trips requiring long walks to get to the correct bus stop (try and travel downtown from the Via Station in bad weather).
I would suggest one of 2 options:
1. Build a bus terminal as part of the VIA station renovation. There is plenty of land and good road infrastructure around the station to make this happen, and I believe the plan is to build some layover tracks and facilities at the station to allow for improved intercity commuter service. Kingston transit would then need to run 15-30 minute service along John Counter and divert the non-express princess Street buses to serve the station. 10-15 minute service along Princess should be justifiable considering the existing development and ridership on that corridor.
2. Build a new combined VIA and Bus Station at division street. This would provide better highway access for buses and faster transit access to downtown. I think this would be more expensive, but would be a good option if expansion of the existing VIA station faces challenges due to the marshland area it is located in.
None of this is would be cheap, but funding could be split between the city, provincial government, and federal government along with some funding from new development around the station area (more applicable to the division site). Overall, I think it can serve as a good model for integrating various transit services in mid-size communities in Ontario to allow for greater mobility. Communities like Brantford, St. Catherine's, Belleville, and Cornwall would also benefit from similar schemes.
Most bus service to the stations is either 30 minute or 60 minute service, with some trips requiring long walks to get to the correct bus stop (try and travel downtown from the Via Station in bad weather).
I would suggest one of 2 options:
1. Build a bus terminal as part of the VIA station renovation. There is plenty of land and good road infrastructure around the station to make this happen, and I believe the plan is to build some layover tracks and facilities at the station to allow for improved intercity commuter service. Kingston transit would then need to run 15-30 minute service along John Counter and divert the non-express princess Street buses to serve the station. 10-15 minute service along Princess should be justifiable considering the existing development and ridership on that corridor.
2. Build a new combined VIA and Bus Station at division street. This would provide better highway access for buses and faster transit access to downtown. I think this would be more expensive, but would be a good option if expansion of the existing VIA station faces challenges due to the marshland area it is located in.
None of this is would be cheap, but funding could be split between the city, provincial government, and federal government along with some funding from new development around the station area (more applicable to the division site). Overall, I think it can serve as a good model for integrating various transit services in mid-size communities in Ontario to allow for greater mobility. Communities like Brantford, St. Catherine's, Belleville, and Cornwall would also benefit from similar schemes.
Bordercollie
Senior Member
What happened to the GO transit pilot project to bring service to Cobourg?
Integrating PRESTO would likely increase ridership.
Cobourg GO Bus Pilot to Continue – Cobourg News Blog
www.cobourgblog.com
lenaitch
Senior Member
I'm not that close to it anymore but one complicating problem is the MTO doesn't have suitable technology to access and prove the speed limiting device. The one they were using was found to be both inaccurate and incompatible with some engine management systems so they dropped it and I haven't heard that a replacement has been found. Obviously, police and MTO enforcement can still lay a charge of speeding over the posted limit. There is also a 'deeming provision' in 68.1(9) that says a truck is deemed not to have an operating limiter if it is founding speeding (duh). This could be actioned against the driver or owner.
ShonTron
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What happened to the GO transit pilot project to bring service to Cobourg?
Integrating PRESTO would likely increase ridership.
Cobourg GO Bus Pilot to Continue – Cobourg News Blog
It’s still there. The Commuter Connect program is partially supported by Metrolinx. However, the Campbellford route is gone.
Ride With Us - Commuter Connect
Ride With Us Commuter Connect offers bussing services Monday - Friday connecting riders to the Oshawa GO Station. For your convenience the shuttle schedules offer connections for seamless travel. NEW connection to Toronto Pearson Airport from Pickering GO Station via Bus 94. Learn more.Where do...
commuterconnect.ca
Bordercollie
Senior Member
4 trips a day is not bad but it would be nice to see weekend trips for the family so they don't have to drive to Oshawa.It’s still there. The Commuter Connect program is partially supported by Metrolinx. However, the Campbellford route is gone.
Ride With Us - Commuter Connect
Ride With Us Commuter Connect offers bussing services Monday - Friday connecting riders to the Oshawa GO Station. For your convenience the shuttle schedules offer connections for seamless travel. NEW connection to Toronto Pearson Airport from Pickering GO Station via Bus 94. Learn more.Where do...
APTA-2048
Senior Member
According to a friend who spoke with a TOK driver today, another company has picked up these routes and plans to run them with smaller buses.
ShonTron
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Updated my intercity map after taking another bus trip to London.
seanmarshall.ca
Another bus to London
There are now five bus operators between Toronto and London. I tried out the newest operator on the scene and updated my Ontario intercity map.
seanmarshall.ca
Bordercollie
Senior Member
I thought someone took over the route that Can-ar served along highway 35. It would be nice if it met with a service from Huntsville to Ottawa Through Algonquin park. Currently there is no bus service to Algonquin park.Updated my intercity map after taking another bus trip to London.
Another bus to London
There are now five bus operators between Toronto and London. I tried out the newest operator on the scene and updated my Ontario intercity map.
Also instead of 5 companies doing London to Toronto, why doesn't anyone pickup highway 26 from Barrie to Owen sound?
ShonTron
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What? Four transfers on three different agencies isn’t good enough?
Bordercollie
Senior Member
Well from Toronto, one transfer will get you to Collingwood but after that you are on your own. Plus there is no service on weekends.
I'm surprised that the municipalities of Collingwood, Medford, Thornbury and OwenSound collectively fund the Linx Bus to their municipalities? Seems like a no brainer.
Collingwood 22k
Thornbury 19k
Medford 10k
Owen Sound 26k
77k people should be enough to support hourly bus service 7 Days a week. Not including tourists. I'm not gonna suggest a bus going to Tobermory because there is almost nothing between Tobermory and OwenSound.
I'm sure a lot of these people commute to Barrie to go to the mall or doctors appointments.
lenaitch
Senior Member
Linx is funded and operated by the County of Simcoe. Thornbury, Meaford and Owen Sound (as well as Blue Mountain) are in Grey County. I suspect the taxpayers of Simcoe County would expect the taxpayers of Grey County to kick in.