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

[anb]

If I was to put myself in Westoners shoes, the one true differential between UPX and GO is operating hours. UPX operates an all day schedule whereas GO's inevitably tails off. But, as I noted previously, Westoners also have other no-change options to reach Pearson, and at the same time Mount Dennis is going to provide a relative firehose of connecting traffic in addition to local demand.

Yes, it doesn't make sense to remove Bloor for the same reason you would add a stop at Mount Dennis - even a small fraction of a rapid transit line choosing to transfer to UPX provides a lot of footfall. But I think that was a political call - Weston could not be singled out as the only station seeing reduction or elimination, not with Michael Ford's office within a stone's throw of Weston GO.

GO is surprisingly all day as well. Compared to UPX, it just ends roughly about 90 mins earlier at 11:34PM from Union/11:41PM from Weston on weekdays and 11:51PM from Union/11:17PM from Weston on weekends.

When Mount Dennis opens, there might be an even bigger increase in GO service. They could probably run 20 min service from Bramalea as they got the Weston platform done and Mt Dennis construction would be over. But they also might receive a ton of backlash the same way the Milton 21 buses did when they rerouted them to then months later bring it back directly to Union eventually, but in this case bring back the 15 min UPX service at all stops.

 

[jcam]

As a three-days-a-week downtown commuter from Weston, yes this sucks a bit, but it is not the end of the world. On the local trains going downtown, I imagine the platforms will be very full for the morning rush, and we might hit standing room only, so there will be no room for Bloor passengers to board. Have had this conversation with a few colleagues who commute on UP from Bloor and they're annoyed. In mornings, we'll have 4 trains per hour instead of 6, at times of :11, :23, :41 and :53 past the hour (23 and 53 being UP). So our largest gap between trains is up to 17 mins from 15 mins. I don't believe there are a lot of people timing TTC bus into the UP station...most commuters walk up or drive and park, so they will adjust their schedules accordingly. I'm a 10 minute walk from the station, so I'll just tweak my walk.

Coming home, I imagine the lines will be long for the local UP, and likely will hit crush capacity...there will be enough time if you can't fit to catch the next GO. With commuters focusing on those, I wonder what they'll do to balance letting airport travelers on. I'll likely just time my commute home to match the GO now, so as not to compete every time for an UP seat.

End of the day, I'll still take the trains, just have to be more strategic in which train. GO trips are longer, so we'll have to factor that in too. In the grand scheme of things, I'll still be able to get down almost as easily, and still faster than most that have to come in that distance.

That said, I did sign the petition anyway...we do have a Ford as our MPP, so it might get a response.

Lastly, makes the impending construction/opening of the Dundas West station connection slightly less useful. I hate to say it, but I may see a world where, when Kitchener is electric and has trains every 7-10 minutes, maybe UP switches to Union-Bloor-Mount Dennis-Airport, but who knows.

 

[Allandale25]

 

[dowlingm]

Someone in Metrolinx planning is getting a sharp lesson tonight about how you “don’t ever take sides against the Family”.

 

[Tuck]

Common sense prevails against stupidity. Hurray.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Just curious, would a fare increase of the UP Express, maybe even to the launch fares, have been more palatable than removing half the stops from half the trains?

 

[anb]

This might be the first time i've ever seen change actually happen with what the majority of the general public wanted.

Hopefully the enhanced GO service to Bramalea is still set as it could work alongside the UPX to alleviate crowding.

 

[Irishmonk]

The Ford Clown Car Show has to be the best vaudeville act since The Three Stooges.

 

[dowlingm]

This might be the first time i've ever seen change actually happen with what the majority of the general public wanted.

There was a reason Metrolinx wanted to do this. We have speculated on what it was, but presumably it was felt to be necessary, and that there was at least some expectation of pushback. We should have a mechanism to find out what it was, but with a Ford majority at Queens Park we are unlikely to see Metrolinx planners summoned to committee. And so, we wait to see if a bill eventually comes due.

I would dispute the statement “the majority of the general public wanted”. I hope you are not measuring that based on forum posts. While that might be the way they inclined if scientifically polled, I suspect the “majority of the public” had barely heard about this change before Metrolinx was instructed to reverse course.

 

[Mihairokov]

The lack of communication b/w Metrolinx and the Province is staggering to say the least here. Embarrassing policy walkback regardless of how you feel about either option.

 

[Coolibop]

The lack of communication b/w Metrolinx and the Province is staggering to say the least here. Embarrassing policy walkback regardless of how you feel about either option.

How are you so sure the province didn't know about this beforehand? I find that hard to believe... Although there were eclipse messages posted on the 401 electronic message boards that they also quickly reversed (about working from home) claiming they were not approved...

I'm seeing a pattern of province wanting to control the message and agencies going ahead with changes only having them reversed...

 

[crs1026]

While UTers have generally dismissed Weston as a place that UPX should not stop, I think we need to refocus a little. The Lawrence-Weston precinct is seeing enormous intensification, directly linked to its GO station. It's actually one of the most successful TOD initiatives in the city (unlike Woodbine or Mimico, where developers have reneged on work around GO stations). Pretty soon, Lawrence-Weston is going to look a lot like Liberty Village in density. (How ironic that Westoners won the battle of Dalton's Dirty Diesels only to see their largely sfd village wiped out by new condos)

I am quite confident that ML vetted this change with QP, as all their changes are.... but I wonder if anyone asked how many riders would be affected. ML has reams of ridership data (which they won't share publicly, some of it is actually shielded by NDa's) and I would bet a box of donuts that it shows an upward trend in ridership both generally and between Weston and Pearson.

The challenge I would put to ML is - why not just add Bramalea service all the way to 15 minutes and then revert UPX to an added fare (not the business class fare they started with, just enough of a premium to disincent its use by commuters). There are likely two big obstacles to this....the inability to finish the fourth track, and crewing.....and that is a snapshot of where ML is failing overall - but it's the obvious goal to accelerate towards.

I'm still on the fence over whether UPX needs to be an express at all.... even with current and planned stops, it's a damn lot easier way to get downtown than Uber or limo will ever be.

- Paul

 

[christiesplits]

While UTers have generally dismissed Weston as a place that UPX should not stop, I think we need to refocus a little. The Lawrence-Weston precinct is seeing enormous intensification, directly linked to its GO station. It's actually one of the most successful TOD initiatives in the city (unlike Woodbine or Mimico, where developers have reneged on work around GO stations).

After the "Express" announcement I'm curious if any Lawrence-Weston developers made calls to Ford's caucus considering that proximity to the UPX station is a huge selling point for the local developments.

Regardless, if York-South Weston was an NDP seat, I don't think they would have reversed the decision.

 

[rbt]

The lack of communication b/w Metrolinx and the Province is staggering to say the least here. Embarrassing policy walkback regardless of how you feel about either option.

Everything Metrolinx does goes through the Minister of Transportation office. They're legally not allowed to make a press release of any kind without it being vetted.

Mike Ford probably didn't know about it in advance, but he's in a very different department.

 

[PL1]

Just curious, would a fare increase of the UP Express, maybe even to the launch fares, have been more palatable than removing half the stops from half the trains?

I agree with making non-Pearson fares on the UPX higher than they currently are. This would drive some riders to GO. (Iirc Union-Pearson fares are highest, and the others are relatively low)