ShonTron
Moderator
I'm surprised, given the regular train short-turns and busititions on Mondays and Thursdays.
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
I'm surprised, given the regular train short-turns and busititions on Mondays and Thursdays.
dowlingm
Senior Member
There's not going to be that much room in the new terminal though, right? Especially if they want Ontario Northland and others to consolidate there instead of the terminal north of Dundas?
Allandale25
Senior Member
^ Which terminal north of Dundas?
APTA-2048
Senior Member
The Toronto Coach Terminal on Bay St.
Sandpit
Active Member
Toronto Coach Terminal.
Also I think GO should really explore a U Waterloo-Hamilton Airport bus service, via Kitchener, Guelph and Hamilton. Especially since two low-cost carriers are coming to the airport this summer. I suppose politics might play a role in why such a service doesn't current exist, but it would mean that people travelling between Guelph/K-W and Hamilton would no longer have to backtrack through Mississauga.
ShonTron
Moderator
Coach Canada still has a franchise for Kitchener/Waterloo-Hamilton bus service (one of the last remnants of the once-extensive Canada Coach Lines network), and there are five trips a day in each direction.
But GO could offer a Guelph-Guelph U-Aberfoyle-McMaster-Hamilton service. And the HSR could operate all-day service on Route 20, which runs to the airport. Right now, it's rush hours only, with Trans-Cab service during other times.
Sandpit
Active Member
See, I don't think such a service would have enough riders to be viable. The thing with Guelph-Hamilton bus service is that the demand is existent, but not enough for its own service. So the people who have to go between Guelph and Hamilton make the awkward backtrack through Mississauga and have to put up with it. But I could see enough people wanting to go to Hamilton Airport from K-W and Guelph once Canada Jetlines and Swoop start operation this summer (it's really attractive to university students flying home).
steveintoronto
Superstar
A whole topic in itself, still much discussed by drivers operating out of Aberfoyle and other garages.
My take is that it possibly be run as an extension of the 15/15A (perhaps every other one) Brantford run, using the concession AboutTown last used to run between Aldershot/Hamilton and Guelph.
If timings demand it, terminating at Aberfoyle instead of Guelph could be an option. Even still, the wait for either of the two major connecting routes from there to UofG/Guelph Central is still very small compared to riding to Mississauga and back.
Would numbers justify it? Not at first, but it's an obvious link that would build usage as time progresses. Canada Coach might still have a claim on the route, but I suspect the regulator might have something to say on their discontinuances of it under various flags.
steveintoronto
Superstar
The astronomical price that AboutTown charged rendered it for special occasions only for me and others. GO prices would change ridership numbers geometrically for the better, especially considering the number of students/workers doing the Mississauga thing every day to make ends meet.
The Aberfoyle connection would also feed the K/W 25 bus as well as Guelph ones.
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mdrejhon
Senior Member
The Hamilton-Kitchener feels like the bus version of the Missing Link
dowlingm
Senior Member
Would it not be better to set up a frequent bus between Aldershot-MacMaster-Airport to reinforce the two existing hubs, and then work on adding connections from KW/Guelph/Brantford to those?
dowlingm
Senior Member
Perhaps the failure of regional bus companies (including Northland) to publish to Google Maps makes Ontario transit seem more threadbare than it is?
Sandpit
Active Member
I think Hamilton Airport's management would really like to increase bus service to the airport (whether it be HSR, GO or private operators). Two new low-cost carriers (Canada Jetlines and Swoop - although the latter are mostly transferred routes from Westjet) are starting service this summer, and they're looking at university students from other parts of Canada attending school at McMaster, Guelph and Waterloo/Laurier (plus probably Brock) as a major customer base.
steveintoronto
Superstar
I think many passengers who'd like to connect between McMaster and Guelph, Waterloo, Laurier Unis would be quite willing to transfer between buses if the wait isn't inordinate. No matter how you do it, it's a lot better than doing the Mississauga jaunt there and back. I get your point that doing a run-through from one end to the other would be difficult with the existing routes and Hamilton Airport thrown in too.
Once demand proves itself, then perhaps a run-through can be considered, but at the other extreme, transferring twice would also be a big disincentive. The Guelph to K/W via Hwy 7 leg could also be examined, and offer more connection possibilities when Aberfoyle is included.
Streety McCarface
Senior Member
All of those between Guelph, Waterloo, and Hamilton have plenty of demand. You have 4-5 major post-secondary institutions and workers.