kettal
Banned
Because they don't know or care to know about these kinds of details.
Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited
Because they don't know or care to know about these kinds of details.
rbt
Senior Member
Some time after people stop saying "when" and start trying to resolve the issues that prevent expansion?
There are dozens of obstacles that prevent GO from doing that at the moment. Pick one, like operations funding or track sharing arrangements, and lobby to have it fixed.
kettal
Banned
They own the tracks, and the upgrades by 2015 will be more than enough capacity to provide that kind of service. The problem is the management who think anything less than a full 2000-person train is not worth serving.
junctionist
Senior Member
I think Weston residents are sensible to balance their priorities, though I don't speak for them. They see the practical benefits of an ARL stop, but they also want increases in noise and pollution mitigated. Essentially, they're prepared for the reduced noise of an electric train accelerating from their stop.
Also, their advocacy is a step-by-step process with electrification being the ultimate goal. If the unthinkable were to happen and electrification stalled, at least they'd have the ARL stop. It's simply prudent advocacy.
kettal
Banned
There will be a public meeting tonight on the subject of the electrification study
"The update meeting will be held Thursday, May 27th 2010 from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. at the Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update on the Electrification Study progress to date. The meeting format will consist of a presentation by the Electrification Study Team, followed by an opportunity for participants to ask questions and offer feedback on the work completed to date"
"The update meeting will be held Thursday, May 27th 2010 from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. at the Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update on the Electrification Study progress to date. The meeting format will consist of a presentation by the Electrification Study Team, followed by an opportunity for participants to ask questions and offer feedback on the work completed to date"
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
But the ARL will be an expensive fare only used by rich businesspeople and wealthy tourists, the poor residents won't be able to afford the fare. So just who will use this stop to ride the ARL when GO will serve the same stop, with higher frequencies (soon hopefully), at a lower fare?
RedRocket191
Senior Member
What's stopping the airport from subsidizing fares for employees?
TOareaFan
Superstar
Likely their desire to profit and need to service debt.
Mapleson
Active Member
The GTAA is a non-share, not-for-profit authority. "Airports" don't make money, but they do "pay for themselves". With fuel surcharges, security charges, etc, how well would the flying public react to including work transportation costs on their ticket price?
That said, it would make sense for the GTAA to negotiate a bulk rate for employees for them to purchase individually. In fact, it'd make a lot of sense for the ARL to run PRESTO and give discounts to frequent users.
Darwinkgo
Active Member
I know plenty of students and other non "rich businesspeople and wealthy tourists" who take the current bus from downtown, and I can only imagine more will take the more reliable ARL. Plus, who do you think provides a fair amount of the traffic for the airport?
I know last week when I was running a bit behind schedule I grabbed a cab when I already had prepaid for the bus - the ARL would have still left me with plenty of time to spare and saved me money.
CDL.TO
Moderator
It's not a stretch to imagine that Blue 22 could independently be offering low(er) fares for airport employees. No employee is going to pay $20, but if there are empty seats on the train it makes sense to fill them up with airport staff and make money that you otherwise wouldn't have made. What the market will bear and all that.
Compare to Heathrow Connect, which provides to airport staff a 50% discount for all tickets, discounted monthly and annual passes, and a 1 GBP fare (4.90 GBP regular fare) to their first stop on the line after the airport.
Compare to Heathrow Connect, which provides to airport staff a 50% discount for all tickets, discounted monthly and annual passes, and a 1 GBP fare (4.90 GBP regular fare) to their first stop on the line after the airport.
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Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
From downtown to where? The airport? Weston? Given an expanded GO network along Georgetown and the ARL which would you take if both trains were sitting at the station? The $10 - $15 route (I'm guesstimating) or the $4 route
TOareaFan
Superstar
I understand that but the management/execs have (I am reasonably sure) net income incentives in their compensation plans.....some fairly well experienced and competent execs work in the not for profit sector and they have to be attracted there somehow. I have nothing against that but when I say profit, I sorta meant personal compensation type profit. If it motivates them to perform such that the debt on the airport gets retired and the airport works as well as possible, I am ok but lets not mix "not-for-profit" with "no one is profiting".
rbt
Senior Member
GTAA might negotiate something bulk for their employees but there won't be a single penny put into the effort. They're having a difficult time paying current obligations and appear to be taking on new debt to service the interest on existing debt. I wasn't terribly impressed with the $600M in bonds issued in 2009.
Mapleson
Active Member
I didn't say they would or should put money towards it. Businesses and governments lately tend to resort to debt first rather than reason. We could have stimulated the economy by simple things like Building Code reform. We need to be gaining benefits at the lowest total social cost (individual, business, government). We need to fix the Canadian funding/tax system in the next parlimentary session when the Federal-Proviencial transfer agreements expire. If not, it'll be 20 years before we get another opertunity. For an extreme crude example, if we raised taxes 10% for 10 years, we'd pay off the federal, proviencial, municipal, city, and crown corporation debts, fully fund our infrastructure deficit, and have a Soverignty Fund of $500 billion to earn interest and reduce future tax burden.