Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited
SubHuman
Active Member
If I understand this correctly, this is a change that has gone into effect today.
http://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/fares/fare-changes
This is an annoying change for me, because I can walk to the Bloor GO station in about 15 minutes. Whenever I was travelling through Union on GO Transit to Oshawa or Hamilton, the portion of the trip between Union and Bloor essentially was a free add-on, with the charge for it eventually being deducted after the end of the entire trip to or from Oshawa or Hamilton, because Union and Bloor are both in GO's fare Zone 2.
http://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/fares/fare-changes
For at least the last couple of years, GO has been specifically instructing people travelling between Union and Bloor (or Weston) on the UPExpress to use the GO devices to tap on and off. They told me to not tap off and on at Union when going between trains, as long as I wasn't going to or from the airport.
This is an annoying change for me, because I can walk to the Bloor GO station in about 15 minutes. Whenever I was travelling through Union on GO Transit to Oshawa or Hamilton, the portion of the trip between Union and Bloor essentially was a free add-on, with the charge for it eventually being deducted after the end of the entire trip to or from Oshawa or Hamilton, because Union and Bloor are both in GO's fare Zone 2.
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Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Heard the announcement made yesterday coming back from the Leafs game. I'm ok ('ish) with this as UP should be for airport trips, however GO needs to prioritize this corridor for All Day Two Way service now that GO is no longer leaning on UP to provide public transit.
mrxbombastic
Active Member
This is going to make transit worse for people at Bloor and Weston stations. I ride the UP daily because GO is not as frequent and I was expecting this to save me about $3 per day. Now ill be paying out an addition $3 per day if I want to use the UP.
A round trip UP/GO+TTC co-fare trip from Weston would have cost $5.30 with the fare reduction applied versus the now UP cost of $5.02+ $3 TTC fare. Tonnes of casual riders will be confused.
In the evening the last GO train from Union is at 18:50, I often work later than that. This really hurts in the longer term accumulated extra costs I have to pay versus someone else.
The UP in the morning and after-work times turned into a vital commuter service for residents in the area. It's a net cost differential of $6. This really is not fair.
Not pleased....
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Notice i said that GO needs to prioritize this corridor for all day two way service.
rbt
Senior Member
The $1.50 TTC transfer discount still applies AFAIK; so it should be $5.02 + $1.60 which is very similar to what it cost before April 1st (up 10 cents).
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mrxbombastic
Active Member
Completely agree with you. We should have had ad2w to Bramalea by now and that fault lies with the previous government who didn't move quickly enough to do it. I'm hopeful (though very skeptical) that it gets done in this term.
It's one thing though for the government to say okay we are nolonger further matching subsidized UP fares because 15 minute ad2w is in place and we need capacity for airport travellers. I think everyone would understand that.
It's another thing entirely to say you can no longer have that cofare and can't get the same discount unless you use an inferior service than what has already been provided. Especially when there is spare capacity on the UP in the morning and afternoon rush hours to carry this load and provide that service.
Hell if they time limited this to only receiving the subsidy+cofare during rush hour peaks I wouldn't care as much.
It's just a reduction of transit service to communities who have been starved for rapid access for so long, and who have now filled a gap in capacity loading to run the trains full rather than empty. When I have taken the GO in the morning ,usually because I miss the up and the schedule is staggered so it's about a 5 minute wait for the GO train , the GO trains are only standing room and sometimes it hard to get on. I have trouble seeing how another ~100 people will squeeze into the trains now. The UP platforms at Weston and Bloor are packed each morning.
We were given transit service at a cost which was already premium above TTC service and we paid that Gladly because it was a much better service.
mrxbombastic
Active Member
Only for airport<--->union customers does the Cofare apply now. See below from the FAQ on the policy change from the UP website https://www.upexpress.com/CustomerSupport/CustomerSupport
"Will I still get a discount on UP Express when connecting to the TTC?
UP customers travelling to or from Pearson Airport will continue to get the discount when connecting with the TTC. Customers traveling between Union, Bloor and Weston stations who wish to take advantage of the discount when connecting with TTC, have the option of taking GO Transit."
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
Your interpretation doesn’t seem right. It seems like Pearson <—> Weston/Bloor/Union allows for $1.50 TTC (not just Pearson <—> Union), while Weston/Bloor <—> Union doesn’t.
hw621
Senior Member
This part could have been the west leg of SmartTrack no?
mrxbombastic
Active Member
That's a fair reading of it. I agree with your interpretation. Still doesn't make it better for us commuters going to/from union!
crs1026
Senior Member
In theory, the enhanced GO line as far as Mount Dennis station (not yet built) and the Eglinton West LRT as far as Renforth, were in fact Smarttrack lines.
More recently, Ford muddied the water by taking ownership of the Eglinton LRT extension - which suggests he may fund this line in part, where in Wynne's days it was to be city-funded.
- Paul
mrxbombastic
Active Member
It will be by de facto since ad2w is implied in smarttrack, which would see trains at least going to Bramalea to turn back. All SmartTrack station/service trains would be travelling to Weston as well.
Allandale25
Senior Member
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
Shouldn’t the answer be pretty straight forward? The UPX is a fast connection from Pearson to the Rapid Transit lines (and Weston). The reason why commuters use the service is because it is the fastest mode and the similar alternative, GO Kitchener Line, is not frequent enough.