GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[amnesiajune]

This is completely inane. They made a promise. They broke it. End of story. Either provide the service or not. But don't call others stupid for simply believeing what they were told.

There isn't any organization anywhere in North America or Europe that can deliver projects costing hundreds of millions (or billions) of dollars on the exact timeline that they initially promised.

 

[LNahid2000]

There isn't any organization anywhere in North America or Europe that can deliver projects costing hundreds of millions (or billions) of dollars on the exact timeline that they initially promised.

Then maybe they shouldn't publish exact dates?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

There isn't any organization anywhere in North America or Europe that can deliver projects costing hundreds of millions (or billions) of dollars on the exact timeline that they initially promised.

Then maybe they shouldn't publish exact dates?

Exactly, LNahid. This was poor project planning. Let's stop making excuses here.

 

[steveintoronto]

There isn't any organization anywhere in North America or Europe that can deliver projects costing hundreds of millions (or billions) of dollars on the exact timeline that they initially promised.

Crossrail: on time and on budget, is this how to get a major infrastructure project right?
[...]
Despite spending decades in gestation, delivery of the project has been remarkably smooth, with the government claiming the project will be delivered on time and on budget. Experts seem to agree that the governance structures put in place for the Crossrail project have helped put the UK back on track when it comes to delivering major transport infrastructure. So what’s the secret? [...]

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/a...et-how-get-major-infrastructure-project-right

The largest infrastructure project in Europe at this time. Lessons to be learned? Absolutely, both in the UK and internationally. A huge amount is the governance model. Eglinton Crosstown has adopted a few, but more lessons still need to be incorporated.

 

[dowlingm]

The nature of modern governance is that if adhering to project end dates has consequences for decision makers, projects will never be launched.

 

[reaperexpress]

From the point of view of the residents of Stouffville, the new GO schedule is a big inconvenience. Please consider the following:

1. We used to have connections to downtown Toronto every 30 minutes. Now, we will have connection every 60 minutes.

2. The bus trips at 10:06 and 10:36 used to take 59 minutes to Union Station. Now, using the trains that replaced these buses (at awkward times of 9:24 and 10:21 -- which will inconvenience people to change their morning schedules), the trips will take 71 and 66 minutes, respectively.

3. The bus trips past 10:21 used to take 59 minutes. Now, the new bus trips that require changeover at Unionville take an incredible 93 minutes!!! That's over half an hour wasted commuting each way!

4. The buses at Stouffville would collect people along 10th Line, Main St. and 48th, so most Stouffville residents could just walk to take Go Transit. Now, in order to use the new Go Trains, residents of Stouffville will need to buy cars just to get to the Go Station. And even if they do that, the parking lot there is going to be full after 8:00am, so there is no way to park anyways. Please note that we don't have local YRT buses in Stouffville, so the new changes cut-off most of residents of Stouffville from using Go service.

And to add insult to injury, it will cost much more to operate and maintain the new trains, comparing to the cost of operating buses. So more of our tax dollars is going to be spent in order to provide worse service.

Here is the original announcement:
http://www.gotransit.com/Public/en/n...e/Default.aspx

As others have mentioned, while this service change is objectively a step backwards in terms of speed and frequency from the suburbs to Union, increased train service is generally is a step in the right direction. As rail upgrades continue, train speeds and frequencies will increase to provide service just as fast and frequent as the old direct buses, with the added benefits of improved reliability and access to destinations (i.e. subway lines 2, 3 and 5 at Kennedy Station). For example, trains are currently limited to around 70 km/h between Kennedy and Agincourt, but on most other lines, trains would get up to around 120 km/h in that distance.

That said, I also agree that this service arrangement causes an unnecessarily large inconvenience to riders from Stouffville and Uxbridge. The new midday schedule has 2 buses per hour between Mount Joy and Unionville, one each on Route 70 (Uxbridge-Unionville) and Route 54 (Mount Joy - York U via 407). If the departure times of route 54 were adjusted to align with train departures at Unionville, the Route 70 trips could operate express from Stouffville to Unionville, cruising down Ninth Line and Highway 407, rather than meandering through the centre of Markham. This would cut at least 12 minutes off the travel time of route 70, making it a more attractive option for trips to and from Stouffville and Uxbridge.

Proposed routing: Route 54 follows its current route through centre of Markham, while a new Route 70E (Uxbridge Express) takes Highway 407 and Ninth Line.

Current midday southbound schedule:

Proposed midday southbound schedule:

Since the Mount Joy to Unionville bus is going a shorter distance than the current Uxbridge-Unionville bus, there is less potential for delay. So I cut the connection time at Unionville from 15 minutes to 13, saving 2 minutes for riders in Markham. This also provides a convenient connection from Route 70 to Route 54, for example to travel from Stouffville to York University.
Google maps estimates a 21-minute travel time from Stouffville GO to Unionville GO, but I put in a 25-minute schedule to be conservative. An actual schedule may well be faster than shown.

 

[amnesiajune]

As rail upgrades continue, train speeds and frequencies will increase to provide service just as fast and frequent as the old direct buses, with the added benefits of improved reliability and access to destinations (i.e. subway lines 2, 3 and 5 at Kennedy Station).

Capacity is by far the biggest benefit. Whenever there's anything happening downtown, the buses are at capacity, and if you can't get onto one you have to wait 20-30 minutes for the next one.

 

[dowlingm]

Proposed routing: Route 54 follows its current route through centre of Markham, while a new Route 70E (Uxbridge Express) takes Highway 407 and Ninth Line.

While Uxbridge is a cross boundary issue, shouldn't YRT be stepping up and providing local Stouffville-Unionville service instead of leaving it to the Province?

 

[micheal_can]

While Uxbridge is a cross boundary issue, shouldn't YRT be stepping up and providing local Stouffville-Unionville service instead of leaving it to the Province?

You just answered your own question.

 

[TOareaFan]

So the agenda for the ML board meeting is finally up http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/agendas/agendas_2017_06_28.aspx

If you look at the slides for expanded rail service ( http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...628_BoardMtg_GOServiceExpansion_Report_EN.pdf ) on a line by line basis, they detail what expansion has occurred and what is now planned/expected to happen in the next 3-5 years.

Milton and KW are notable in that there is no commentary about what is going to happen in the next 3 - 5 years. So much for that evening and weekend trains by March 31 2017 promise in the 2016 budget....there seems to be no plans for more trains in the next 3 - 5 years at all!

 

[Allandale25]

So the agenda for the ML board meeting is finally up http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/agendas/agendas_2017_06_28.aspx

If you look at the slides for expanded rail service ( http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...628_BoardMtg_GOServiceExpansion_Report_EN.pdf ) on a line by line basis, they detail what expansion has occurred and what is now planned/expected to happen in the next 3-5 years.

Milton and KW are notable in that there is no commentary about what is going to happen in the next 3 - 5 years. So much for that evening and weekend trains by March 31 2017 promise in the 2016 budget....there seems to be no plans for more trains in the next 3 - 5 years at all!

Unless it's only to Bramalea and the last little stretch Metrolinx doesn't own to Bramalea can be resolved. Only reason I'm speculating on this - and don't disagree with your reading of the document - is the language in the fare increase report here. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

2017-18 New and Improved Service

The following rail and bus service improvements were introduced or are planned to be introduced in 2017-18 and will result in additional operating costs:
• New weekday, evening, and weekend train service to meet demand
• Select peak and off-peak bus services to meet growing customer demand
• Realignment of select bus services to take advantage of the opening of the new Highway 407 TTC subway station and the new East Mississauga Transitway and Renforth station

New Infrastructure

The following new infrastructure is introduced or is planned to be introduced in 2017-18 and will result in additional maintenance costs:
• New Downsview Park GO/TTC station • New GO bus terminal at the Highway 407 TTC subway station
• New passing track on the Barrie corridor between York University and Rutherford GO stations
• New bus maintenance and storage facility in Kitchener
• New East Mississauga Transitway and Renforth station
• New East Rail Maintenance Facility in Whitby
• New Bradford train layover facility
• An expanded Lincolnville layover facility
• A new Mimico train layover facility

 

[dowlingm]

I think someone posted this might have happened but Metrolinx docs confirm:

Lakeshore West Corridor
The new Lewis Road Layover Facility was substantially completed in January 2017 and GO Transit began using the facility in April 2017.

 

[dowlingm]

You just answered your own question.

Explain how I did that oh wise one?

 

[mdrejhon]

I think someone posted this might have happened but Metrolinx docs confirm:

Now the question is -- when is the next round of Hamilton GO train expansions?

Integration of the Niagara summer seasonal service into Hamilton, would be a good big low-lying apple.

 

[Dan416]

Well it seems the west end gets pretty shafted with no improvement to Milton and the Kitchener improvements stalled.