GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[crs1026]

Are you suggesting a decade or two to fix the Milton line. Yup that makes sense. And let’s add another decade because of cost increases and playing political football.

*sigh*. This is getting a little tiring. Despite many opinions to the contrary, it's abundantly clear that Milton was left out of the GO Expansion plan. For the reasons outlined in the Business Case document. ML may have been right, they may have been wrong, but it is what it is.

Federal and provincial governments have made soothing noises about correcting that course, but nothing concrete has been said or agreed to. And concrete is definitely required.

So, yeah, whether anyone likes it or not, a few things will have to happen before Milton gets attention
- conclusive negotiation with CPKC (note how quickly and easily that happened with Bowmanville, and with CN on the Halton)
- completion or addition to whatever may already be in the files in terms of a TPAP (hint: consultations and local politics)
- new funding actually inserted in budgets (hint: there is no room for new funding either federally or provincially until a bunch of the existing projects have been paid for)
- design, procurement, and construction (hint: Ontario's construction sector is pretty much maxed out already)

So yes, whether anyone thinks this is good news or an outrageous travesty, it will be at least 15 years to see 2WAD to Milton. complaining and/or grinding axes will not speed it up.

- Paul

 

[sixrings]

*sigh*. This is getting a little tiring. Despite many opinions to the contrary, it's abundantly clear that Milton was left out of the GO Expansion plan. For the reasons outlined in the Business Case document. ML may have been right, they may have been wrong, but it is what it is.

Federal and provincial governments have made soothing noises about correcting that course, but nothing concrete has been said or agreed to. And concrete is definitely required.

So, yeah, whether anyone likes it or not, a few things will have to happen before Milton gets attention
- conclusive negotiation with CPKC (note how quickly and easily that happened with Bowmanville, and with CN on the Halton)
- completion or addition to whatever may already be in the files in terms of a TPAP (hint: consultations and local politics)
- new funding actually inserted in budgets (hint: there is no room for new funding either federally or provincially until a bunch of the existing projects have been paid for)
- design, procurement, and construction (hint: Ontario's construction sector is pretty much maxed out already)

So yes, whether anyone thinks this is good news or an outrageous travesty, it will be at least 15 years to see 2WAD to Milton. complaining and/or grinding axes will not speed it up.

- Paul

Hold on. It’s tiring hearing about it. That’s a rough life. Try living with it.

 

[crs1026]

Try living with it.

I do, a couple times a week, on the 401, both ways. Will that make it happen faster?

- Paul

PS: The other days I ride the 501 streetcar. To meet friends who are coming in from the east end, where there used to be an SRT. Mississauga is not that "special".

 

[sixrings]

I do, a couple times a week, on the 401, both ways. Will that make it happen faster?

- Paul

PS: The other days I ride the 501 streetcar. To meet friends who are coming in from the east end, where there used to be an SRT. Mississauga is not that "special".

Yes but that SRT is being replaced with a subway. It’s hard for me to feel bad for a group of people who have drills already in the ground. I’m speaking as a former resident of Scarborough. Also the same people who were arguing that all they needed was the extension once it was funded went full force into why they deserve a full blown Sheppard extension.

These business cases are all a joke. There was no business case to why the university line should be underground. There was a business case for why the srt should be converted to lrt. A new mayor and suddenly the business case radically changes. This is all politics. So I do think complaining makes a difference. That’s how these decisions are made. Appealing to a base. I despise trump but that’s what got him elected. Listening to a base. That’s why trudeaus about to be gone. Not listening to a base. This is why ford became mayor promises to a base. And I’ve sent a letter to the new mayor and councillor expressing my frustration. This is all residents can do. Write letters and complain. Not just in one place but everywhere. If I could I’d just build the dang thing myself. But I can’t. So here we are. As you said. It is what it is.

 

[nfitz]

It's worth going back to the GO Expansion Business Case before we start assuming increases (which, as noted, have been drawn from noise and other studies whose baselines are by design more conservative than the actual ML plan)

Note the ridership changes that ML is projecting. This does not seem to argue for any all- day enhancement of the Richmond Hill line

View attachment 615334

Also note the commentary.

View attachment 615333

The point being..... we can all argue our individual opinions, but if this is ML's plan, this is all they are going to build. Maybe in a decade or two....

- Paul

Looking at that document, at how small the dot for Bloomington is ... and how big that parking garage is. I'm not sure why they couldn't have just built a parking lot similar to the one Acton (which was already there, and grossly underused on weekdays). I'm just realising now that ridership was never projected to be that high at all!

 

[innsertnamehere]

It's worth going back to the GO Expansion Business Case before we start assuming increases (which, as noted, have been drawn from noise and other studies whose baselines are by design more conservative than the actual ML plan)

Note the ridership changes that ML is projecting. This does not seem to argue for any all- day enhancement of the Richmond Hill line

View attachment 615334

Also note the commentary.

View attachment 615333

The point being..... we can all argue our individual opinions, but if this is ML's plan, this is all they are going to build. Maybe in a decade or two....

- Paul

The scope of GO expansion has changed significantly from the business case from my understanding after the proponent was selected.

It would not surprise me if the proponent identified the potential for significant increases in service levels on the Richmond Hill line, when before Metrolinx had largely been identifying it as "out of scope" of the project.

At the time of the business case, I believe Metrolinx viewed the RH line as remaining more or less in stasis at current service levels.

Bloomington was always intended to try to relieve parking pressure on Aurora GO - but it struggles as the RH line has much more limited service and is also significantly slower than the Barrie Line at getting downtown.

 

[sixrings]

Everyone just remember how much were supposed to obey these business cases and not question them when they conclude that bike lanes produce more traffic and hurt the economy therefore they need to go.