Intercity Bus Services

[APTA-2048]

That is too bad. I still think the service should terminate at Oshawa Station. There’s no need to go to downtown Toronto. Where is this new operator going to?

They went to Downtown Oshawa and then to Yorkdale.

 

[Bordercollie]

They went to Downtown Oshawa and then to Yorkdale.

Actually this is how most InterCity bus service should run. But why downtown Oshawa and not the GO station?

 

[ShonTron]

Actually this is how most InterCity bus service should run. But why downtown Oshawa and not the GO station?

Historical reasons. The Oshawa bus terminal opened in the 1970s and was originally managed by Gray Coach. There wasn’t even any GO train service to Oshawa until much later, and even then, it wasn’t until the 1990s that GO trains made off-peak service there.

The Oshawa GO Station is in the middle of nowhere, and it’s only recently that there’s useful DRT and onward GO bus connections there.

 

[Garuda]

Whoever operates the Oshawa - Lindsay - Haliburton bus service should take a page out of GOST and don't even bother with going anywhere near Toronto. Too much traffic and not enough turn around. GOST is smart because they start/end at Guelph Central Station and avoid all of the GTA traffic. Start the trip at Oshawa GO station, then the bus terminal in downtown Oshawa and head north. Like GOST, this bus service should be operated by a municipal government City of Kawartha Lakes.

 

[ShonTron]

Whoever operates the Oshawa - Lindsay - Haliburton bus service should take a page out of GOST and don't even bother with going anywhere near Toronto. Too much traffic and not enough turn around. GOST is smart because they start/end at Guelph Central Station and avoid all of the GTA traffic. Start the trip at Oshawa GO station, then the bus terminal in downtown Oshawa and head north. Like GOST, this bus service should be operated by a municipal government City of Kawartha Lakes.

Not a bad idea. You could even start it at Durham College and rely on GO and DRT routes there for onward connections to the GO stations, downtown, and even to York Region.

 

[Bordercollie]

Not a bad idea. You could even start it at Durham College and rely on GO and DRT routes there for onward connections to the GO stations, downtown, and even to York Region.

At the current cost of housing in the GTA it wouldn't surprise me that students are going to Lindsay for housing and commuting to Durham College.

 

[nfitz]

Whoever operates the Oshawa - Lindsay - Haliburton bus service should take a page out of GOST and don't even bother with going anywhere near Toronto. Too much traffic and not enough turn around. GOST is smart because they start/end at Guelph Central Station and avoid all of the GTA traffic. Start the trip at Oshawa GO station, then the bus terminal in downtown Oshawa and head north. Like GOST, this bus service should be operated by a municipal government City of Kawartha Lakes.

Are the bus times in and out of downtown really that bad? When I'm on the DVP the buses go ripping past me in the bus lane. Some kind of bus-only lanes into the Union bus-terminal would solve a lot.

 

[Bordercollie]

Are the bus times in and out of downtown really that bad? When I'm on the DVP the buses go ripping past me in the bus lane. Some kind of bus-only lanes into the Union bus-terminal would solve a lot.

Take into consideration the time to get to the DVP and then to the terminal.

 

[nfitz]

Take into consideration the time to get to the DVP and then to the terminal.

The 407 and then the HOV lane from the north works well. And once they open the HOV lanes on the 401.

Downtown is an issue. Gosh, I wonder if they could build a terminal at East Harbour.

 

[lenaitch]

Whoever operates the Oshawa - Lindsay - Haliburton bus service should take a page out of GOST and don't even bother with going anywhere near Toronto. Too much traffic and not enough turn around. GOST is smart because they start/end at Guelph Central Station and avoid all of the GTA traffic. Start the trip at Oshawa GO station, then the bus terminal in downtown Oshawa and head north. Like GOST, this bus service should be operated by a municipal government City of Kawartha Lakes.

It would be pretty hard to convince municipal taxpayers to fund a bus service that serves other municipalities. Connecting your taxpayers to other areas is one thing but I'm guessing more Haliburton residents would want to connect to Lindsay than the other way around.

 

[reaperexpress]

Are the bus times in and out of downtown really that bad? When I'm on the DVP the buses go ripping past me in the bus lane. Some kind of bus-only lanes into the Union bus-terminal would solve a lot.

The bus lanes on the DVP are specifically reserved for GO Transit and the TTC. Private bus lines an Ontario Northland need to sit in traffic. The lanes also don't cover a very large portion of the DVP so even GO and (former) TTC buses need to sit in traffic for a fairly substantial portion of the route.

 

[reaperexpress]

Several of the bus companies that arrived in Ontario following deregulation were from Alberta (Red Arrow and Rider Express), and now Flixbus is heading west to return the favour:

From an email I received that doesn't seem to be reproduced on their website:

FlixBus has arrived in Alberta! [...]

From Edmonton to Calgary and beyond, we're here to make your travels easy and affordable. Flying into Edmonton or Calgary? Now take FlixBus to Lethbridge or Red Deer. Don't miss out on our special intro fares [...]
Calgary ⇆ Edmonton
Calgary ⇆ Lethbridge
Calgary ⇆ Red Deer
Edmonton ⇆ Red Deer

 

[nfitz]

The bus lanes on the DVP are specifically reserved for GO Transit and the TTC. Private bus lines an Ontario Northland need to sit in traffic. The lanes also don't cover a very large portion of the DVP so even GO and (former) TTC buses need to sit in traffic for a fairly substantial portion of the route.

I've seen a lot more "private" buses pass me there than GO, this year.

 

[Urban Sky]

I've seen a lot more "private" buses pass me there than GO, this year.

And I would hope so! Seems extremely wasteful to limit such use to just buses which happen to be red or green…

 

[reaperexpress]

I've seen a lot more "private" buses pass me there than GO, this year.

Here is the sign according to Streetview:

I guess it's possible that GO had 'authorized' other companies to use the lanes.

And I would hope so! Seems extremely wasteful to limit such use to just buses which happen to be red or green…

It's not a matter of being red or green, it's a matter of being trained to use those specific bus lanes.

Only specifically authorized vehicles are permitted because that the lanes are severely substandard and therefore have additional rules for operation. If I recall correctly from my TTC training, you can only drive in those bus lanes when traffic is moving slowly, and you are not allowed to exceed 80 (?) in the lanes.

If they just allowed any random charter bus in the lanes, you'd end up with some out-of-town bus driver trying to go full speed in the lane and crashing.