GO Niagara

[EnviroTO]

GO Transit should go to Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Guelph and perhaps try to set up a commuter service in Ottawa because the budget for GO Transit is also set by political will. While there will be more projects competing for the same money, there will also be more money to spend because people in Ottawa, K-W, Guelph will support spending money on GO. The more an agency is Toronto only, the less the rest of the province (and the federal government) wants to give that agency money.

 

[Kiwi]

Notice of PIC #2

http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/docs/ea/niagara/NiagaraPeninsulaPIC2_web.pdf

Date: Tuesday, May 11
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Sheraton Hotel
116 King Street West
Hamilton, ON

Date: Thursday, May 13
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Market Square
91 King Street
St. Catharines, ON

Date: Monday, May 17
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: MacBain Community Centre
2525 Montrose Road
Niagara Falls, ON

Date: Wednesday, May 19
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Casablanca Winery Inn
4 Windward Drive
Grimsby, ON

 

[MisterF]

GO/Metrolinx isn't strictly a Toronto commuter service anymore. It's a provincial body that's starting to provide service all over southern Ontario. It can supplement VIA routes between cities, run regional buses, and provide frequent regional rail. Just like with land use planning, the province is becoming a larger player in regional transit and reducing the fragmentation that's become a problem in Ontario. Hopefully what we've seen so far is only the start.

I know nothing--and I mean nothing--about transit in Niagara so I have to ask: is Niagara another Durham when it comes to transit?

Two important differences: Durham has a regional transit body and buses go between the different cities. For Niagara, the former may not be essential, but the lack of the latter is inexcusable. Even Cobourg and Port Hope have regular transit between them.

 

[cfloryan]

Wow... they're actually seriously considering a GO train to Niagara? That's so, dare I say, ambitious.

One note of advice though, I see they have the route ending in old downtown Niagara. They should really extend this all the way to the falls/hotel area... no one goes to Niagara's old downtown. Ending it there will render this line semi-useless

 

[kEiThZ]

I think regular GO service to Niagara makes sense. Would anybody think that commuter service for that much of a distance is out of place anywhere in Europe?

I think this is good for VIA. They can focus on the rest of the corridor.

 

[RedRocket191]

Wow... they're actually seriously considering a GO train to Niagara? That's so, dare I say, ambitious.

One note of advice though, I see they have the route ending in old downtown Niagara. They should really extend this all the way to the falls/hotel area... no one goes to Niagara's old downtown. Ending it there will render this line semi-useless

There are no tracks to the Clifton Hill tourist area anymore, and the City of Niagara Falls had fought long and hard for decades to have them removed when they did exist. The better investment is to built Niagara Falls' upgraded people-mover proposal (supposed to be LRT or monorail or something), in my opinion. Serving the old downtown is the key to revitalization and will make people want to go there. From my perspective, I'd rather spend money in old downtown than on Clifton Hill, but that's just because Clifton is to cheesy for my taste.

 

[Kiwi]

There's rumours that GO Train will stop at St. Catharines and than you'll have to take the GO bus to Niagara Falls, this is because of the Welland Canal.

Guess we will know for sure on May 11th.

 

[TOareaFan]

I think regular GO service to Niagara makes sense. Would anybody think that commuter service for that much of a distance is out of place anywhere in Europe?

I think this is good for VIA. They can focus on the rest of the corridor.

If the two cities at either end had significant numbers of commuters it would make sense on any continent......I just don't think there are significant numbers of commuters on that route.

 

[kEiThZ]

If the two cities at either end had significant numbers of commuters it would make sense on any continent......I just don't think there are significant numbers of commuters on that route.

There are commuters along the way. And sufficient tourist traffic to have service make sense.

 

[TOareaFan]

There are commuters along the way. And sufficient tourist traffic to have service make sense.

We'll see, I guess.....I don't think there is, you do....time will tell.

 

[MisterF]

We'll see, I guess.....I don't think there is, you do....time will tell.

If there weren't sufficient traffic they wouldn't be planning a mid-penninsula highway. Any corridor that can support two freeways can support seriously upgraded passenger rail. And considering ridership last year was more than triple the projections, I'd have to agree with kEiThZ. Imagine the potential if the tracks were upgraded for higher speeds. There's a huge amount of untapped potential for rail travel in this province.

 

[Justin10000]

There are no tracks to the Clifton Hill tourist area anymore, and the City of Niagara Falls had fought long and hard for decades to have them removed when they did exist. The better investment is to built Niagara Falls' upgraded people-mover proposal (supposed to be LRT or monorail or something), in my opinion. Serving the old downtown is the key to revitalization and will make people want to go there. From my perspective, I'd rather spend money in old downtown than on Clifton Hill, but that's just because Clifton is to cheesy for my taste.

The Niagara Falls people-mover system is going to be a bus-based system. Would have been nice if it was a guideway system. The last time I visited Downtown Niagara Falls, the area was in bad shape.

 

[RedRocket191]

Indeed it is in bad shape (not as bad as other places in Ontario)... I'd rather support it's rejuvenation than bypass it because it's pretty crummy in May of 2010.

 

[kettal]

The Niagara Falls people-mover system is going to be a bus-based system. Would have been nice if it was a guideway system. The last time I visited Downtown Niagara Falls, the area was in bad shape.

A visit to Niagara Falls NY would change your mind

 

[MisterF]

Downtown Niagara Falls is actually revitalizing. A company has bought a lot of the properties along Queen St and is turning the area into an arts district. It has a long way to go, but it's working.