Hairball
Active Member
Have tickets ever included free GO? That's the first time I've heard of that, and I've been a long time Blue Jays fan.
Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited
Have tickets ever included free GO? That's the first time I've heard of that, and I've been a long time Blue Jays fan.
mdrejhon
Senior Member
Not for Blue Jays, but I have heard some events (e.g. concerts) turn your concert tickets into a free GO ride the same day. A concert last year made your concert ticket a free GO fare, and Metrolinx tweeted it too. And for other upcoming events such as PanAm/ParaPanAm Games.
I presume Metrolinx gives a discount fixed rate to the event organizers (maybe $1 or $2 per event ticket), as a transit advertising opportunity, as not every single attendee would take GO anyway. Maybe Metrolinx does this for free sometimes as a quid pro quo from time to time (as GO advertising cost, while event organizers have a promotion opportunity) -- or as a test case, to see how it affects adoption. Either way, it seems to be a tactic that's happening for several events nowadays.
Also PanAm games this year -- if you have a PanAm ticket to any event, all your rapid transit and commuter rides GTA-wide (GO, TTC, MiWay, etc) are free for the whole day of the ticket. Have my tix to the Cirque du Soliel opening ceremony and gold medal soccer game (soccer playing 1km from my home in Hamilton, but will take GO to the opening ceremony). Although the Games itself are somewhat controversial, I love the idea that my PanAm ticket gives me free fare all day long on both GO and TTC -- and it might even pay off by attending one the cheaper PanAm events (e.g. boonie bleachers for a minor event, and/or support the disabled athletes of a ParaPanAm game) just to take advantage of free GTA-wide transit rides in both directions, and also enjoy being in Toronto for other reasons.
All the free transit rides for one day, can actually cost more than some of the cheaper PanAm tickets! The event ticket printout is all you need to show the fare inspector, and hopefully even introduces a few new car users to GO, etc.
It's a great idea, really -- reduce car traffic to downtown during major events.
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TOareaFan
Superstar
Both, TFC and the Toronto Rock have had trials on this. I know the TFC one was your ticket included free GO home from the match and you still had to pay to get there....so, essentially, they paid half your fare. I think the Rock experiment was the same.
TFC included GO trains from the Exhibition stop and buses from the Union bus terminal.
I also believe that MLSE paid a fee to GO for this.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Yes...as I noted when I first posted about this, the walking outside experience is a much better experience now than it was back in the day....that said, I was talking about when the weather is not so nice (like the middle of a summer rain/thunderstorm )
Komiksulo
Active Member
Yeah, I was thinking that too. But when the weather is not so nice...
Komiksulo
Active Member
On another note, somewhere in the recent announcements, I could have sworn that someone said that all four UPX stations have, or will have, platform screen doors. That's not true, is it? It's just Union and Pearson stations?
drum118
Superstar
Haven/t seen any screens at Weston and Bloor yet
mdrejhon
Senior Member
Yep, just Union and Pearson. I think the attraction of indoor comfort (airplane door all the way to Union+PATH) was more the rationale than safety.
nfitz
Superstar
Though if you tap in at Exbibition less than 3 hours after your initial tap-on to get to the match, it's considered the same trip, and the return leg is almost free (or is free if you just go to Union).
Personally, to Danforth, that offer saved me 14¢ that day.
TOareaFan
Superstar
I don't think I have ever done the trip within the 3 hour window........I like to get to the match about 1/2 hour before kickoff (hang around the club, say hello to a few people, watch the warm ups) and I never leave to rush to the first train wb (mainly because the crush loads through that tunnel have just gotten terrible - and will only be worse this year) so 1/2 before match + bout 2 hours for the match and pause/delay to avoid tunnel...I think the shortest time I am tapping back on is around 3 1/2 hours (plus I think the clock starts ticking on that first tap at Long Branch)......quit often longer if we have a bit of lunch or dinner in the area.
nfitz
Superstar
Pretty easy from Danforth. Tap on at 4:25 to catch 4:27 train that arrives Exhibition at 4:50, giving time to get to match, grab a beer, sausage, before kickoff at 5:07 (though kickoffs seem to be later this year on away games ... I'm curious what we are going to see at BMO). Match ends about 6:55 to 7:05 depending on how much extra time. Lots of time to get back to tap on before 7:25, and catch 7:30 train (no tunnel to worry about heading easbound!). With no extra time, I've caught 7:00 train on occasion (used to catch it all the time when I was sitting in 104 - less so from south end.
If I'm by myself, I'll head to a pub before or after. But if I've got the 2-year old with me, it's smoother to get in and out quickly - and that's when I tend to get free returns.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Yep...huge difference for the folks heading East after the match....those heading west can take upwards of 15 minutes to get through tunnel.
wopchop
Building Toronto
Indeed. I do the same thing and wait like you do.
salsa
Senior Member
Bloor UPX station, as seen from the Railpath:
Amare
Senior Member
Metrolinx/The City really need to think of a way to improve security around this area to reduce the amount of Graffiti and tagging that happens in this area. The new platforms will be riddled with stuff in 6 months at this rate.