According to Google, this would take me 1 hr 24 minutes. Better than the TTC at 1 hr 34 minutes (which in reality is always closer to 2 hours in morning rush whenever I've done it). And this would cost me $8.19 with the single TTC fare one way. My car does this in 45 minutes with traffic. 30 minutes with no traffic. Costs me $2.70 in gas. $3 if I include maintenance and the cost of tires. If I include depreciation of the car, it's $9. So basically a wash with the TTC/GO combo. But I'm getting to work in half the time, without being exposed to the elements or standing for a good chunk of time in the morning rush.
I agree. Transit is great, but if your worst case scenario is 45 minutes, compared to 90 minutes (and often 2 hours) on transit, it's a no brainer.
(though honestly I'd consider moving or changing jobs ... I'm very clear when headhunters call, that I'm not going to drive for 30 minutes!)
For me, it's 20 minutes driving - and parking hell downtown. Or 25-35 minutes on transit. That's a no-brainer too!
At one point I was about 20 minutes driving, versus about an hour on transit (including two 10-minute walks at each end). And I was driving ... but as my situation changed, and I had to start doing the drive during rush-hour, instead of just after, my drive suddenly became 35 minutes and much more stressful (everyone is just a bit more crazy at 8:30 AM than they are at 9:30 AM). Added in with a need to get more exercise, that became the tipping point to using transit all the time. Sure, I lost an extra 50 minutes a day ... but I was getting up to 40 minutes of well-needed exercise, and could even get some work done on the longer bus portion of my trip.
Everyone's situation is different. What we need are more options and ways to get the most likely people off the road.
Now, if there was a TTC bus to a GO REX station in Malvern, to the Spadina line from Union and I could do all that in less than 75 mins for $5 each way? I'd consider it on slower days.
What about a direct TTC bus to the 407 Transitway to 407 Station (once that's open)? One PM when I had the day off, and had to get to York University for 6:30 pm, I simply jumped on the subway 4 stops to Kennedy, caught a GO Train to Unionville GO, and then took the 407 GO Bus from Unionville direct to York University. It worked quite well ... and I'd never considered going north to come back south again until Google Maps spit it out as an option!