denfromoakvillemilton
Senior Member
Because $$$. Seriously, no one wants to pay for it whether through increased taxes, fees (both tolls and fares) or loans.
Commuter rail problems seem to be a Canadian thing rather than something Ontario or Toronto specific.
AMT and WestCoast rail aren't very agressive either and both of those agencies receive significantly more operating funding per passenger than GO. AMT's 2-hour off-peak frequencies isn't much better than no service at all.
Metra (Chicago) blows the pants off all of 'em for service but only makes about 60% higher ridership than GO; Metra serves 300k passengers per day on trains versus GO's 175k. GO has a much higher growth rate (6% versus 1% for Metra).
I hear you guys. Metra and the South Shore line goes to Indiana and Kenosha, WI along with far out places like Woodstock and Joliet, IL. We have to fight for trains to Hamilton, Bowmanville and Vaughan for more then 0 or 4 times a day. Don't get me started on the SEPTA or MTA/NJT.
Only two suggestions get me mad/frustrated.
1). That we can't afford all day service on the main parts of the KW/Gtown line. The truly expensive part (the roadblock thrown our way for over 20 years) has/is being done. By 2015, the line will be capable of carrying the required service due to the combo of Union upgrades/Strachan crossing/west diamond/and improved tracks and overpasses. Failure to deliver that full service at that time is, in a way, "wasting" all that money ; and/or
2). The notion that we somehow can afford 30 minute offpeak on Lakeshore but we can't afford bringing this line to current Lakeshore levels.
2 is not so much money as shuffing around people. If you take a 10:28 out of Oakville during the week,you can see about 8 trains sitting there. It's just more hours from more people IMO. But still the same thing is happening at brampton. so no excuse.