steveintoronto
Superstar
You must be talking the 30 bus. I've used it twice recently for cycling expeditions to attain the Kissing Bridge Trail. (which then connects me to the Elora-Cataract Trail, connecting me to the Caledon Trailway) An unfortunate feature of the bus being express from Bramalea to Kitchener (other than a few local stops in Kitchener) is that it doesn't make valuable connections along the way. Aberfoyle is an obvious one, and I'd take that bus a heck of a lot more if it afforded the ten extra minutes of travel time to loop at Aberfoyle. So would a lot of others. I live right at Bloor Station, and Metrolinx routing from the west end of Toronto to points further west is abysmal, save for the Mt Pleasant hourly service late morning to mid-afternoon.
The 30 bus makes it to the Kitchener station in less time than the present train service does when it runs to K/W on late afternoon peak. Which kind of indicates that demand for AD2W train service isn't really there.
Someone's not thinking at ML HQ. That 30 bus would be carrying a hell of a lot more passengers if it connected at Aberfoyle with the 29, 48, 25 and a new connecting run down to Aldershot/perhaps through to McMaster.
That being said, when I've taken the 10:33 from Bramalea both times, it's been half full. I just might take the 9:40 next time. I'd be a lot more avid to use the bus for distance cycling excursion if K/W wasn't such a nightmare to cycle out of, in any direction. That bus is such a fast way to get out to the region that I've scoured the maps to look for possible routes I haven't already tried. Those that I have I won't do again. Last time I took the GRT 200 Express down to Galt terminal just to get on a trail to escape the urban madness. (The trail to Paris/Brantford/Hamilton is superb, save for going through Brantford itself).
A loop at Aberfoyle addresses all those issues for me, and would make the run far more valuable to many others by connecting through on other routes.
My alternative to taking the Mt. Pleasant train and connecting at Bramalea? TTC subway to Islington, Mi-Way 109 to Square One, then 25 or 29 bus from there. Or the 47 bus after a half hour wait Bramalea to Square One, then another 20-30 min wait for a 25 or 29. The 30 is timed to leave 10 mins after the train arriving at Bramalea. How can such an incredibly useful 'extension' of the train service be so badly wasted?
Of course, if UPX allowed a GO fare to the Airport, and a transfer onto the two GO routes that connect there and Square One, life would be a lot simpler for many people, but alas. It's too obvious and sensible.
I do have the option of taking UPX down to Union, then the 21 bus from there to Square One, then a 25 or 29 bus west....but c'mon! In any other city, and according to Metrolinx' own Bylaw 2, transfers through the Airport at "fares equivalent to any other longer route taken" (by GO) must be made available. I can't think of any other city/region that forces such convoluted and time consuming circuitous obstructions. In a number of cities (London UK, Paris, etc) fares are cheaper if you *avoid the core* for obvious reasons. But not in Metrolinx Land.
That will be legally tested some time soon...
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