Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

ehlow said:
I think there was some article years ago where someone from Metrolinx mentioned a possible price.
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As far as I recall - though I may have forgotten something, Metrolinx's price range only went to the Auditor General - who then released it. They haven't commented publicly.
 
nfitz said:
As far as I recall - though I may have forgotten something, Metrolinx's price range only went to the Auditor General - who then released it. They haven't commented publicly.
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Even the comments of the AG were based on some guesswork (does the AG post here? ;) ).

http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en12/309en12.pdf said:
We believe that Metrolinx’s initial assumptions about projected annual ridership on the Air Rail Link (ARL) may well be overly optimistic. Although a final decision has not
been made on whether the ARL must recover its annual operating costs and any of its capital construction costs, if operating the ARL on a break-even basis is indeed the objective, achieving that objective may not be feasible.
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samedocument said:
Although the projected capture rate of 10.3% is comparable to that of other North American
airport rail services, these services differ significantly from the premium downtown-to-airport rail service that Metrolinx anticipates offering.

Their one-way ticket prices range from only $1.60 to $13.00, compared to a ticket price for the ARL that may well cost $20 to $30. We believe that the ARL’s high fare will negatively affect the projected ridership capture rate
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See how we jumped from "may well" to "ARL's high fare" in less than a line?
 
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TOareaFan said:
That was precisely my point ;) So much of the debate here over this service has been based on things that ML are supposed to have said...that I can find no record of them saying them...then those get extrapolated into hard, indisputable, facts that we should be demanding answers about.
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The media and their lousy reporting is a big reason for this.
 
gweed123 said:
What I'm hoping is that the quasi-express like nature of UPX at the moment is just to appease the locals until a full-fledged GO REX system is operating on the corridor. When that's the case, the need for those UPX trains stopping there will virtually disappear. It's just that with no midday/night/weekend service on the Kitchener line, it's a tough pill to swallow to see trains passing by every 15 minutes and not stopping. But when you'll have GO REX trains running the same frequency or less, suddenly UPX trains stopping becomes much less important.

Even with non-electrified off-peak service on the Kitchener line, that should do the trick, although I think they'd need at least Lakeshore 30 min levels in order to really fill that gap.
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I get where they're coming from, but it still doesn't make sense. Having a stop such as Weston that no one uses is no better than having no stop at all. Ironically, it is actually worse for the neighbourhood because of increased noise and pollution. I live next to Danforth station, and the trains whipping through at 140 km/h are far less intrusive than the ones accelerating out of the station.

Weston station one of the main reasons I think we should get off our butts in the suburban rail front: it will be hindering the success of the UPX by increasing operating costs and reducing revenue, which reduces its chance of operating profitably.
 
reaperexpress said:
I get where they're coming from, but it still doesn't make sense. Having a stop such as Weston that no one uses is no better than having no stop at all. Ironically, it is actually worse for the neighbourhood because of increased noise and pollution. I live next to Danforth station, and the trains whipping through at 140 km/h are far less intrusive than the ones accelerating out of the station.

Weston station one of the main reasons I think we should get off our butts in the suburban rail front: it will be hindering the success of the UPX by increasing operating costs and reducing revenue, which reduces its chance of operating profitably.
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If anything, though, perhaps the UPe stopping at Weston should show us that, contrary to some beliefs, polling the public is not necessarily the best way to plan a transit line/system.
 
TOareaFan said:
If anything, though, perhaps the UPe stopping at Weston should show us that, contrary to some beliefs, polling the public is not necessarily the best way to plan a transit line/system.
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Funnily enough I was just in Weston yesterday for an oil change and saw the UPX station being built.

I can tell you, and not being rude, that not many people in that area will be able to afford the UPX. It is a very low income area.
 
robmausser said:
Funnily enough I was just in Weston yesterday for an oil change and saw the UPX station being built.

I can tell you, and not being rude, that not many people in that area will be able to afford the UPX. It is a very low income area.
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I am gonna guess you were south of the tracks....quite a different neighbourhood north of the tracks....I would describe the overall area as mixed (in terms of, both, housing and income stratas).
 
robmausser said:
I can tell you, and not being rude, that not many people in that area will be able to afford the UPX. It is a very low income area.
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There's also a direct bus to the airport already along Lawrence.

But is this an issue? Do they fly much? The direct bus is probably more useful for those who work at the airport, as it's more likely to be closer to where they live than the train station.
 
robmausser said:
I can tell you, and not being rude, that not many people in that area will be able to afford the UPX. It is a very low income area.
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TOareaFan said:
I am gonna guess you were south of the tracks....quite a different neighbourhood north of the tracks....I would describe the overall area as mixed (in terms of, both, housing and income stratas).
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Weston resident here, can confirm. Lot's of new immigrants and lower income new families on the south side of the tracks. On the north, it's fairly middle class.

The reason I'm worried for Weston is that it seems to be a recipe for gentrification. Developers could jump on cheaper land and establish condos for folks that want to take advantage of short GO two-way all-day downtown trips and the short trip on the UPX to Terminal 1. The new development isn't necessarily bad, but if you start displacing some of the lower income folks without a social housing strategy, that's the strict definition of gentrification.
 
UP Express ‏@UPexpress 9m

We’re testing 2 of our trains along @GOtransit Lakeshore West this Sunday from 8am to 3pm. Snap a pic and share using #Trackthetrains!
 
TOareaFan said:
UP Express ‏@UPexpress 9m

We’re testing 2 of our trains along @GOtransit Lakeshore West this Sunday from 8am to 3pm. Snap a pic and share using #Trackthetrains!
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That's a pretty big expanse and a pretty big window. It would be nice if they put the trains on GOTracker or something to make it easier for us excited spectators.
 
reaperexpress said:
That's a pretty big expanse and a pretty big window. It would be nice if they put the trains on GOTracker or something to make it easier for us excited spectators.
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Presumably it would initially leave Willowbrook heading west, turn somewhere, and come back. If one could figure out the likely turning spot, you've got a pretty good chance of seeing it along there.

I guess if it went well, they'd run it back and forth more than once.
 
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