Dan416
Senior Member
It seems they're adding and removing Dixie from certain weekday buses (there's no service to Dixie on weekends). Personally I think Dixie doesn't need any bus service. I never seen anyone get off or on there.
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
drum118
Superstar
I have seen riders from time to time for Dixie, but mostly no one. Even Cooksville is in the same mess, but better than Dixie. Can't speak for weekend for Dixie, but expect to see no one most of the time.
TOareaFan
Superstar
What does someone do if they leave their car at Dixie and take the train to work but they miss the last train home if there are no buses?
andrewpmk
Senior Member
Take Mississauga Transit route 1 from Islington or 5 from Long Branch
ShonTron
Moderator
I don't agree with eliminating weekday train-bus service to Dixie, but I could ask the same thing about Milliken, Etobicoke North or Old Cummer stations.
Markster
Senior Member
All these changes on the Kitchener Line, and they don't change one of the Kitchener origins to be the express.
TOareaFan
Superstar
And you would be absolutely right in asking it.
As currently constituted, GO is very much a point-point commuter service. They invite people to drive to their stations and make return trips to and from work. Part of that should be a reasonable commitment and expectation that the return trip is doable. As soon as you have situations where they get you there but have you to make alternative plans to return then it becomes a disincentive to use the service in the first place.
The stations you point out are on the limited train service lines and yet do not get service from the off-peak "Train-buses" (I think you could add Weston too)...this was also the suggestion someone made (and I responded to) about Dixie.
TOareaFan
Superstar
All these changes on the Kitchener Line, and they don't change one of the Kitchener origins to be the express.
Not sure if you are suggesting an express all the way from Kitchener...which would be a terrible waste of resources (relative to the likely ridership) or just express from some point on the line....which would make such a marginal difference in the total travel time from KW (which is an issue) that it would be hardly noticeable.
Markster
Senior Member
Definitely the latter. =)
I'm talking about changing the Kitchener 5:49 departure to be a 6:10 departure, and continue as the (current) 7:06 departure from Georgetown, which is express after Bramalea.
This would save about 13 minutes on the trip from Kitchener, most crucially changing the optics of the trip from being "over 2 hours" to "under 2 hours".
TOareaFan
Superstar
It is an interesting "tweak" that has the double benefit of getting Kitchener folks there faster and giving them a 21 minute later start time to their train ride. It also does not seem to affect any other riders anywhere else on the line in a negative way.
The fact it has not happened tells me that, either, they have never thought of it or there is some operational reason it can't happen.
canarob
Senior Member
If we aren't going to get more trains, we should at least have all the buses split between Unionville/Centennial and Markham->North. This would have the added benefit of making Markham and Highway 7 a permanent bus stop, which would connect the buses that run express to Markham to VIVA.
Pretty much every bus I take these days has people standing in the aisles. No one has bus crowding like the Stouffville line. Georgetown and Square One buses look busy, but nothing like what we have to put up with. I would LOVE to see stats on bus ridership per route.
I'm glad to see some new trips in January at least.
TFC
Active Member
I would love for this to happen, and I've mentioned it to GO before. I was told that there's an operational issue around it (either with GEXR using that time slot, or the consist continues on a different route). As far as operational issues go, they are definitely solvable. I'm hoping someone at GO Rail Ops will work something out, and make your proposal a reality. Such a tweak to the schedule would make a huge difference to those in Kitchener/Guelph/Acton. Hopefully something can be worked out by the time the Spring schedule rolls out? *optimistic
I do believe that the morning express train on the Kitchener line is over 100% load factor. I'm not sure whether this train could be bumped to a 12 car (pending the availability of coaches, whether the Kitchener yard can accommodate a 12 car consist, and whether all of the platforms on the line can accommodate a 12 car consist). Even if all of the platforms can't accommodate a 12 car consist, they should implement a "doors on coaches xxxx and xxxx will not be opening at the following stations".
doady
Senior Member
Dixie Station has abysmal ridership. I'm not surprising they are cutting the bus service there. Most people in Mississauga use TTC instead of GO bus/train since the subway is close. GO's overpriced fares for shorter trips and the overpricing of fares in general probably doesn't help either.
Average weekday boardings (rail), 2001
Meadowvale 1451
Streetsville 1502
Erindale 1814
Cooksville 2489
Dixie 694
Average weekday boardings (rail), 2001
Meadowvale 1451
Streetsville 1502
Erindale 1814
Cooksville 2489
Dixie 694
Dan416
Senior Member
Just replace Dixie GO with a subway stop. It would do much better.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
because thats a great idea, hey lets replace our lowest ridership GO stop with a form of station that requires 20x the ridership! that'll totally work! that station gets the same amount of ridership as Stouffville. though by the sounds of it Stouffville gets better off peak as well.
Stouffville is quite busy, yes. The only buses from my experience that aren't that busy are the morning northbound buses. (before 11am) they run hourly currently and are rarely close to full. I agree the express system should be done as well though, especially now that Markham Road through downtown is finally open both ways again.
Stouffville is quite busy, yes. The only buses from my experience that aren't that busy are the morning northbound buses. (before 11am) they run hourly currently and are rarely close to full. I agree the express system should be done as well though, especially now that Markham Road through downtown is finally open both ways again.
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