GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[nfitz]

And yet, the EA for the Barrie Line has never been publicized....

It was publicized. It's mentioned on the GO Transit website at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/environmentalassessments.aspx and a newspaper ad appeared last year about it starting at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/PN-4331-GO_V3.pdf with a contact listed to obtain further information.

Not very publicized though ...

 

[flyinggoats]

Any idea when construction might start? I assume there will be a 6 to 12 month detailed engineering phase coming, similar to what the Barrie line is tendering now.

I think the detailed engineering is underway. About a year ago, a bid was awarded to Aecom for "ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR STOUFFVILLE RAIL CORRIDOR EXPANSION 2ND TRACK SCARBOROUGH JUNCTION TO UNIONVILLE GO STATION" according to http://www.metrolinx.com/tenders/en/BidAwardResults/RQQ/RQQ%20April%201,%202013%20to%20March%2031,%202014.pdf

 

[smallspy]

It was publicized. It's mentioned on the GO Transit website at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/environmentalassessments.aspx and a newspaper ad appeared last year about it starting at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/PN-4331-GO_V3.pdf with a contact listed to obtain further information.

Not very publicized though ...

Sorry, I should have worded that better.

They publicized that it was starting. And then.....nothing. No consultations. No meetings. And certainly no announcement of its completion.

And yet, they are tendering for the work that was expected that they would need done upon completion of the EA: http://www.metrolinx.com/tenders/en...istings/Bid Takers List - IT-2014-ERC-021.pdf

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[nfitz]

Sorry, I should have worded that better.

They publicized that it was starting. And then.....nothing. No consultations. No meetings. And certainly no announcement of its completion.

And yet, they are tendering for the work that was expected that they would need done upon completion of the EA: http://www.metrolinx.com/tenders/en...istings/Bid Takers List - IT-2014-ERC-021.pdf

Looking into it more. Maybe the EA was never completed. Looks like they were tending for a consultant to do feasibility study, EA, design, and construction supervision a few weeks ago - http://www.merx.com/English/Supplie...nm&searchtype=&hcode=VlDpl8gV40SmS+iUliSA9w==

Presumably the grading, etc., doesn't require an EA.

 

[reaperexpress]

It was publicized. It's mentioned on the GO Transit website at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/environmentalassessments.aspx and a newspaper ad appeared last year about it starting at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/PN-4331-GO_V3.pdf with a contact listed to obtain further information.

Not very publicized though ...

I received a copy that newspaper ad in the mail along with a brief covering letter, so I assume Metrolinx mailed them to all residents within at least 700 metres of the line.

I emailed the provided contact person inquiring about how this particular double-tracking segment (Steeles to Rutherford) fit in with the other ones, but received no reply.

 

[mpd618]

the problem here is how to connect these locations. Ideally they will extend the BRT from Cambridge with limited stops and some limited priority lanes all the way to downtown Brantford.

But the bigger (and more interesting) issue is reserving a ROW to ensure a potential rail solution. There is a very successful rail to trail conversion between downtown Cambridge and downtown Brantford. It also goes through Paris. Will the province recommend converting this back to a transit route? Or will they propose an expensive expropriation process? How will the environmentalists react to a proposal that gives them transit but takes away a trail?

Keep in mind that the study I linked says it's about the Brantford to Cambridge transportation corridor, but it's really a Highway 24 by-pass study. We can still hope that they address intercity transit between those two cities, though someone would need to step up to operate it and to fund it.

 

[innsertnamehere]

I can see a GO bus route operating in the corridor, GO transit is increasingly becoming a southern Ontario bus service instead of just a GTA bus service. its a convenient way for MTO to implement transit on its corridors.

 

[drum118]

I received a copy that newspaper ad in the mail along with a brief covering letter, so I assume Metrolinx mailed them to all residents within at least 700 metres of the line.

I emailed the provided contact person inquiring about how this particular double-tracking segment (Steeles to Rutherford) fit in with the other ones, but received no reply.

Can't remember where, when or what about seeing an expansion to doubling track from the double track bridge over CN to Wilson with a new GO Station for Sheppard as well keeping the current University one.

Keeping the University should happen and moving it closer to Steeles. Shepperd was plan for the subway when it open in 2016/17

Under the old EA Act, anything over X distance change the Ontario EA to a Federal EA which has more teeth in it, longer to do and one reason the Blue22 EA was broken up as 3 different EA's. When the new one came into effect, not sure what happen for distance and one reason why you are not getting answers to your email as well mind on the expansion.

In the next year or 2, 1 or 2 EA will surface for the Dupont Grade Separation and a station at St Clair and Eglinton. One can say that the line will be double track from south of Dundas to Rutherford.

One reason for having more than one is to get various sections being built at different time due to funding issues than doing it all at once. Doing it in phases has a larger impact on service since it will take longer to do than all at onces. It may also have to do with manpower by Metrolinx in doing one EA vs. X numbers as well construction.

The Barrie Line will not have the same issues as the Georgetown when it comes to construction.

This line is a drop in the bucket for the big picture and getting the big picture built in 10 years now.

 

[reaperexpress]

Can't remember where, when or what about seeing an expansion to doubling track from the double track bridge over CN to Wilson with a new GO Station for Sheppard as well keeping the current University one.

Keeping the University should happen and moving it closer to Steeles. Shepperd was plan for the subway when it open in 2016/17

Some group has put up posters up at York University Station in protest to the planned closure in 2016. YorkU is actually the GO train station I use most (other than Union), but even so I don't think it's worth maintaining. It is dumpy, inconvenient and, quite frankly, embarrassing. With only one exit, people may end up walking 300 metres just to get out of the station. There are no public transit connections, only 10 parking spaces (all for bicycles) and there's nothing around the station.

The better option would be to accelerate progress on Concord Station at Highway 7, which would do a better job of serving the current suburban riders anyway.

 

[RandomBusGuy]

York U is one of my more used GO stations as well, and I agree it's in an awful location. What bothers me the most is the lack of connection between the 407 bus service and the Barrie line. I make that transfer a lot and I always walk the 1.5km from Steeles and Keele to the station. There is the York U shuttle but non-students aren't technically supposed to use it and I find it faster to walk.

I'd also like to see the highway 7 station accelerated, and have the 407 buses stop there. I know this is the plan once the 407 transitway is built, but it would be nice to see a convenient connection earlier.

 

[robmausser]

Change of topic, but I have a question regarding RER:

If the province decides to go single level EMU, is there a length limit to EMU trains coupled together?

Just curious as the current GO trains are 12 cars long, and was wondering if a single level EMU could be 12 car lengths as well.

Even with increased frequency and all day service, there is still a lot of peak service demand on some lines and I wouldn't be surprised if very long EMU'S would still be needed.

 

[innsertnamehere]

They will more than likely be bi-level EMUs. 6 car setups on Lakeshores and Kitchener, maybe Milton, and then probably 3 or 4 car setups on Stouffville, Barrie, and Richmond Hill.

 

[anaki101]

I'm hoping its something similar to the Stadler KISS emu. A quick wiki search says that they carry 1694 passenger in a six car configuration, but they can double it easily.

On that note, I was wondering if the GO RER would use trains such as the Stadler EMU (or any european-style trains) or will it still use trains that complies with North American Standards? I did see a while back on this thread that the United State was going to modify their rules to allow lighter trains, so will that mean that Canada will follow too?

 

[smallspy]

Change of topic, but I have a question regarding RER:

If the province decides to go single level EMU, is there a length limit to EMU trains coupled together?

Just curious as the current GO trains are 12 cars long, and was wondering if a single level EMU could be 12 car lengths as well.

Even with increased frequency and all day service, there is still a lot of peak service demand on some lines and I wouldn't be surprised if very long EMU'S would still be needed.

There is no physical limit to the length of the trains, beyond things like the size of the maintenance bays, platform lengths, etc.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

The York U fuss is likely by students who use the GO to commute. Now they will be forced to get off at Downsview Park, and take the subway two stops north.

I don't think the extra distance is much to gripe about, but I can understand that these students may be upset at the extra cost. I was a student, I know what it's like when things get tight, and people chuck extra costs at you. I'm assuming the TYSSE stations will be equipped with Presto from opening day, so if anything, this is more onus on the City of Toronto to get its ass in gear and set up co-fares (for all of Toronto, not just certain areas).