GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[afransen]

I'm curious if they can design a diversion to MCC while maintaining Cooksville GO. But with the complication of trying to divert Milton, that's why I think a subway might be easier/more feasible. But it would require a detailed analysis and of course both options would run into cost overruns, as all projects in the GTA now do.

It seems to me that upgrading Milton Line with dedicated track all the way to Milton GO, electrifying it, and even adding a 2-3km tunnel + 1-2 stations at MCC as a diversion, and new single-level EMU rolling stock (for easier tunneling) would still be cheaper than the going rate $1B/km as an extension of Line 2 from Kipling to MCC (12km = $12B). The whole GO expansion program is supposed to cost $13.5B-$16B, though Metrolinx hasn't been transparent with cost figures as plans have been evolving.

This makes Milton line effectively a subway, and much more useful for regional trips than a Line 2 extension would be, since that wouldn't provide any benefit to Milton or NW Mississauga, and be a much slower trip to Kipling GO. With fare integration, people should stop fixating on a $3 ride from MCC to downtown. Folks should be transferring to GO and freeing up capacity for local trips on Line 2/Line 1.

 

[sixrings]

The GO tunnel from the Milton line to MCC (as a spur) was part of one of the province's Transportation Plans in the post-25 year period (about 20 years ago )

Nice in 5 years we will have a tunnel. Awesome. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[nfitz]

I'm curious if they can design a diversion to MCC while maintaining Cooksville GO.

I don't see that building a spur to MCC would impact Cooksville (or any of the stations further east). I can't see re-routing the entire line as an option. The only thing I've ever seen GO publish on the subject, did have the service to MCC passing through Cooksville - but how they'd achieve that I don't know, unless the entire thing was in a tunnel with a portal east of Cooksville. Though it's not even on the more recent long list of projects.

If you were to get GO to MCC (be it a spur, or continuing along the 403 west to the existing line), I'd think you'd follow the alignment of the TTC's 2001 proposed Line 2 extension from Kipling to MCC, diverging grom the existing GO track half-way between Cawthra and Hurontario, with a new station near Central Parkway.

 

[sixrings]

I don't see that building a spur to MCC would impact Cooksville (or any of the stations further east). I can't see re-routing the entire line as an option. The only thing I've ever seen GO publish on the subject, did have the service to MCC passing through Cooksville - but how they'd achieve that I don't know, unless the entire thing was in a tunnel with a portal east of Cooksville. Though it's not even on the more recent long list of projects.

If you were to get GO to MCC (be it a spur, or continuing along the 403 west to the existing line), I'd think you'd follow the alignment of the TTC's 2001 proposed Line 2 extension from Kipling to MCC, diverging grom the existing GO track half-way between Cawthra and Hurontario, with a new station near Central Parkway.

View attachment 607406

look we already have a plan. Just take out the Eglinton drill and move it down here when done and we’re all good.

 

[Willybru21]

The GO tunnel from the Milton line to MCC (as a spur) was part of one of the province's Transportation Plans in the post-25 year period (about 20 years ago )

Interested in reading about this, do you know where this would be still available to read?

 

[nfitz]

Interested in reading about this, do you know where this would be still available to read?

Doesn't go into detail, but if you go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Move and go to the archived reference https://web.archive.org/web/2016030...hebigmove/Docs/big_move/TheBigMove_020109.pdf and look at Section 5.4 (page 79 of the PDF).

 

[Willybru21]

Doesn't go into detail, but if you go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Move and go to the archived reference https://web.archive.org/web/2016030...hebigmove/Docs/big_move/TheBigMove_020109.pdf and look at Section 5.4 (page 79 of the PDF).

Appreciate that thank you!

 

[Dan416]

I took the GO bus to the airport for the first time (from Square One). The Mississauga Transitway is pretty barren of passengers from the looks of it. But the GO bus itself was well used. TBH I don't get the difference between routes 40 and 94, and somehow even I found it confusing which direction the buses were going. Clearly someone else did too because like 3 people had to deboard after realizing they had boarded a bus going the wrong direction.

 

[81-717]

The central section of the Ontario line downtown as subway may have made sense, but don't forget the plans for it are epic, from Burlington to Oshawa - and all that makes more sense overground.

But why? The distance from Burlington to Oshawa is nearly 100 km as the crow flies. That's what GO is for. That's not a distance you ride on local transit.

 

[Bojaxs]

I took the GO bus to the airport for the first time (from Square One). The Mississauga Transitway is pretty barren of passengers from the looks of it. But the GO bus itself was well used. TBH I don't get the difference between routes 40 and 94, and somehow even I found it confusing which direction the buses were going. Clearly someone else did too because like 3 people had to deboard after realizing they had boarded a bus going the wrong direction.

It doesn't really connect to anything useful.
They should extend the transitway westward to Trafalgar/407 in Oakville; and north alongside the 410 so buses can merge into the 407 while avoiding the 403/410.

 

[Dan416]

It doesn't really connect to anything useful.
They should extend the transitway westward to Trafalgar/407 in Oakville; and north alongside the 410 so buses can merge into the 407 while avoiding the 403/410.

Well I wouldn't say the Airport isn't useful...but aside from that, I think it's a major issue that it doesn't connect to the subway directly.

 

[afransen]

But why? The distance from Burlington to Oshawa is nearly 100 km as the crow flies. That's what GO is for. That's not a distance you ride on local transit.

You mean you don't want a ride the Ontario Line for 3 hours from Burlington to Oshawa?

 

[81-717]

You mean you don't want a ride the Ontario Line for 3 hours from Burlington to Oshawa?

I'd rather ride line 2 for 12 hours to Mississauga, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and all the way to New York City, with a direct connection to the NYC subway!

 

[T3G]

I'd rather ride line 2 for 12 hours to Mississauga, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and all the way to New York City, with a direct connection to the NYC subway!

Then they can extend it eastward via Quebec and the Maritimes all the way to Europe and Japan!

 

[ARG1]

But why? The distance from Burlington to Oshawa is nearly 100 km as the crow flies. That's what GO is for. That's not a distance you ride on local transit.

Its meant to be a modern interpretation of the Northern branch of GO-ALRT. Sure you could use it to go from Burlington to Oshawa, but the main goal is be a circumferential line that allows you to make regional trips that aren't downtown oriented (not requiring you to go through Union).