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I think this is great news. I'm not from Barrie, and I've never even been to Barrie, but any extension of the GO system is great. And I'm not surprised the train will only be going all the way to Barrie for 2 of the 4 train trips. Barrie is FAR. Hamilton doesn't get tons of train service either. Not saying they shouldn't have SOME more, but that far out, you don't even need that much. Nevertheless, the more service the better. However, it probably should have been downtown. Still, at least its getting done.
 
"it is about one hour from Yorkville on the Greyhound."

Who needs a train when you can take a bus that goes that fast! :p
 
Now is the time (or actually last year was) to buy up some property in downtown Barrie.

Also - I dont know that this induces "sprawl" per se, because that is more a function of the particular land use policies chosen by Barrie's planning department. What it does do, though is leapfrog over the Lib's much celebrated greenbelt.
 
Who needs a train when you can take a bus that goes that fast!
Click to expand...

The bus is now $45 return as opposed to $5 - 7 for the GO.

Good point about leapfrogging. Barrie is building high rise condos along its very nice waterfront so perhaps it will be a new outer node of the GTA. Actually I guess it already is!
 
This shows you some of the new developements on the waterfront. (last 5 years) There is at least one more large (by Barrie standards) waterfront high rise going in in the next few months.

barrie-on.jpg
 
Mpolo2 makes a good point. Planning and policy can go a long way in determining what development will ultimately take place. A good case in point would be the extension of the Spadina subway into Vaughan. Yes, a subway be be a high capacity form of transit, but if the cityof Vaughan does not dictate development that is suitable for a subway, then this has the same potential to spur single family home sprawl as a GO station in Barrie does. And given that I have yet to any concrete signs that Vaughan would adopt more sustainable development policies for the area surrounding the new subway stations, I would not be surprised if that turned out to be the case.

In the case of Barrie, sprawl and new development are going to take place regardless of whether there is GO train service or not. The only difference is now they have a chance to build new development and transit service around a mode of transportation more sustainable than the automobile. And as I mentioned before, in a few years time once they have established a stable ridership base they can examine a downtown Barrie GO station to bring additional passengers to the line and further expand on this service. This situation is a lot more desireable than nothing, and the continued development of roads, highways, and auto-centric development.

I actually see no problem with places like Barrie, Peterborough, K/W, etc having regular GO train service. Yes it is likely to bring an increase in development to these areas, but it will probably be at the expense of suburbs and cities immediately bordering Toronto. This could be a very desireable effect since it will slow the growth of the GTA blob and offer some breathing room and a chance to rethink and replan some of the planning and development practices.

In a wealthy country such as Canada where population growth continues at a steady rate year after year and where there is no shortage of land, sprawl is an inevitable fact. Instead of trying to fight it, it only makes sense to work with it and develop more sustainable development practices that are suitable for each region. In the case of the GTA places like Barrie may well be ideal. These are cities that could probably accomodate quite a few people within their existing infrastructure instead of requiring the servicing of thousand of acres of farmland. These are cities that also in many cases have downtown cores that are rather urban in nature, but lack the strong local economy to make them really viable. There is little chance that new development in Vaughan is going to lead to urban growth. But a city such as Peterborough could find its downtown and urban areas transformed in a short period of time if it where able to begin to develop a stronger economic situation in its city, which, offering GO train access and bringing in a wealthier demographic, could do.
 
"The bus is now $45 return as opposed to $5 - 7 for the GO."

The bus also leaves from Yorkdale, right? That's why I added the :p since Yorkville to Barrie in one hour would be amazingly fast.

Barrie plans on adding about 50,000 new residents in the next 15 years, hitting 160,000 by 2021. Innisfil has just over 30,000 now and could hit 45,000 by 2011. The GO train will be a minor influence on an area that was already sprawlling long before the greenbelt came into play, especially Innisfil, where a half dozen villages are being turned into towns. Yet, the GO train might be the perfect excuse to launch a mega new subdivision or three south of Barrie under the guise of "transit-oriented development."

"The only difference is now they have a chance to build new development and transit service around a mode of transportation more sustainable than the automobile."

You really think two very long train trips per day will make a difference? I really wonder how many people in Barrie work downtown...18,000 work "in Toronto" but most of them probably work in Vaughan, Markham, Brampton, etc. Maybe they'll get off the train in Aurora and take local transit from there, hehe. GO is only expecting 400 riders. $30 million to take 400 cars off the 400? How silly. Maybe they'll build some townhouses next to the Barrie station and market them to downtown workers, but who wants to order their lives around a train that comes twice a day?

"I actually see no problem with places like Barrie, Peterborough, K/W, etc having regular GO train service."

God forbid the city of Toronto gets GO service before Peterborough.

"This situation is a lot more desireable than nothing, and the continued development of roads, highways, and auto-centric development."

"There is little chance that new development in Vaughan is going to lead to urban growth."

Just curious...have you ever been to Vaughan?

"Yes, a subway be be a high capacity form of transit, but if the cityof Vaughan does not dictate development that is suitable for a subway, then this has the same potential to spur single family home sprawl as a GO station in Barrie does."

Single family homes at Jane & #7? Dude, look at a map. Vaughan is planning what might become suburban Toronto's largest business park with condos, shopping, etc. If there's one thing Vaughan knows how to do well, it's build.
 
Sorry..I missed the Yorkville joke...yes of course I meant YorkDALE.

I believe I have heard that 2/5 of workers in Barrie commute to Toronto but you are right most of them are probably 905 commuters.

One reason I wanted the GO station downtown was to encourage more high density development rather than more Innisfill sprawl.

I think that 4 trains a day is a joke..they should run them every hour on all GO lines. Funny that Toronto is lending Montreal a GO train which they can have as long as they want because according to Premier McGuinty" we aren't using it"

Scarcity of available trains is always used as the reason for the anemic GO train service on each line....so why do we have a train sitting around unused?

Node development around Barrie, Peterborough, Kitchener, Hamilton is better than endless Vaughan sprawl..but I am not sure building an even greater "commutershed" is sustainable.
 
Here is the Province's news release:

McGuinty Government Expands GO Train Service to Barrie



Province And City Of Barrie Reach Agreement - Residents Get Better
Transit Service

QUEEN'S PARK, Sept. 28 /CNW/ - The Ontario government and the City of
Barrie have successfully finalized an agreement that will bring GO train
service to the City of Barrie, Ontario Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield
and City of Barrie Mayor Robert Hamilton announced today.
An agreement has been finalized to secure the lands and rail corridor
needed for GO Transit rail service to the City of Barrie. Up to four GO trains
are expected to serve Barrie by late 2007.
"Since 2003, the McGuinty government has committed approximately
$1.6 billion for GO Transit," Cansfield said. "It's time that residents from
the City of Barrie get the service they deserve. Expanding GO Transit rail
service gives residents better access to public transit and reduces highway
congestion."
"Barrie City Council is pleased to have reached an agreement that brings
GO train service back to our community," comments Mayor Rob Hamilton. "Council
identified extending GO train service as one of our top ten priorities, and
this joint financial partnership is a key element in positioning Barrie as we
move into the future and build a complete community."
"We look forward to working with the City of Barrie to improve
transportation for one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Ontario," GO
Transit Chairman Peter Smith said. "Extending the GO train to Barrie will
enhance the GO bus service we already operate in that area."
The expansion is part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO
TRIP), a billion dollar expansion announced by the province in May 2004 and
funded by Ontario and municipalities with a contribution from the federal
government through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
"Since 1995, GO Transit ridership has grown by 51 per cent to 47 million
riders a year," said Cansfield. "Ridership is expected to double within the
next 20 to 30 years and we're doing what has to be done now to make public
transit work for commuters."
 
I just read something that said Barrie's train service by GO was cut in 1993; what happened to the old station and can it still be used?
 
This is not a good pic of the old station. The site would make for a beautiful station if they fixed up the old buildings. I fear they will demolish it now if they build a suburban style building in near Innisfill.

train1.jpg
 
The Allandale station (which was partly used by VIA until 1995, when CN abandoned the Barrie-Washago portion of the Newmarket Sub, and forced VIA on a longer and less populated route on the Bala Sub), is federally protected under heritage legislation as are most remaining railway stations in active use as of the mid 1980s.

GO can still use the station if they want - the tracks on the south-to-west portion are still there for the Barrie-Collingwood short line.

There were plans for CKVR to move in at one point, I doubt that will happen now.
 
CKVR (also known as "the New VR" and "A-Channel Barrie") has a regional office in Collingwood's old rail station. Strange trend, but I doubt it's one that Bell Globemedia will have much interest in.
 
Strange trend, but I doubt it's one that Bell Globemedia will have much interest in.
Click to expand...

Or whoever buys the A-Channel/"New" stations if the CRTC decides that BGM will have to operate under the current guidelines of not allow more than two sticks (terrestrial TV stations) per market.
 
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