urbanfan89
Active Member
Election season is coming up, so look for announcements from Harper that Peterborough will REALLY get a rail service this time if only they are given a majority government, and from Iggy for a national rail service proposal.
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- Thread starter RedRocket191
- Start date
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Re: Bolton service
Not to mention that Woodbridge is not separated out from the Vaughan numbers. Even if you took say 10% of the Vaughan riders as being from Woodbridge and added that to the Bolton lines potential. There's another ~4000 commuters as well.
jks
Continuous Lurker
The 88 Peterborough GO bus to Oshawa Station is set to start service today!
waterloowarrior
Senior Member
GO bus service starts
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1732971
Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Updated 1 day ago
Carol Lang, who was waiting to pick up her 29-year-old niece who was coming in from Whitby, said the new GO bus service is great news for her family.
"Also my sister usually comes for a visit from Toronto," she said. "So this is great."
GO Transit bus service between Peterborough and Oshawa started on Saturday. The first bus left the terminal on Simcoe St. at 6:10 a.m.
"We had a few riders on the first trip out of here this morning, so it was very exciting," said bus driver Joan Riley. "We're all very happy to have the service in and out of Peterborough."
There will be 10 trips daily in each direction on weekdays and six trips per day in each direction on weekends and holidays.
"It's about time," said Maureen Hatton, who was at the bus terminal to pick up a schedule.
"I'll be taking the GO bus on Friday. I'm going to Burlington to visit family."
A single adult fare from Peterborough to Union Station costs $16.25. Passengers buy a ticket in Peterborough, take the bus to Oshawa and use the same ticket to get on the GO Train to Union Station in Toronto.
Madelaine Mombourquette, 20, was hopping on the bus to visit her aunt in Oshawa.
"I've taken the Greyhound before, but this has more options and it's cheaper, which is nice," she said. "I'm really excited the service came to Peterborough."
A single fare on a Greyhound bus costs $21.53.
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GO estimates the trip takes about 80 minutes between Trent University and Oshawa or about 70 minutes from downtown Peterborough to the GO train station in Oshawa.
The first bus of the day, on weekdays, will leave Trent at 5:20 a. m., stopping at the city bus terminal on Simcoe St. at 5:35 a. m. and gets into the Oshawa GO station at 6:40 a. m. The connecting train will leave the station at 7:11 a. m. and arrive at Union Station at 7:36 a. m.
Riley is reminding riders getting on the bus to have exact change ready to give to drivers.
"We do not carry a lot of cash," she said.
The bus also stops at the carpool lot at Harper Rd. and Crawford Dr., west of The Parkway, in Peterborough and the Cavan- Monaghan park-and-ride lot at County Road 10 and Highway 7/115.
The bus service will fulfill a promise made by the province and federal government in March last year.
Article ID# 1732971
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1732971
Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Updated 1 day ago
Carol Lang, who was waiting to pick up her 29-year-old niece who was coming in from Whitby, said the new GO bus service is great news for her family.
"Also my sister usually comes for a visit from Toronto," she said. "So this is great."
GO Transit bus service between Peterborough and Oshawa started on Saturday. The first bus left the terminal on Simcoe St. at 6:10 a.m.
"We had a few riders on the first trip out of here this morning, so it was very exciting," said bus driver Joan Riley. "We're all very happy to have the service in and out of Peterborough."
There will be 10 trips daily in each direction on weekdays and six trips per day in each direction on weekends and holidays.
"It's about time," said Maureen Hatton, who was at the bus terminal to pick up a schedule.
"I'll be taking the GO bus on Friday. I'm going to Burlington to visit family."
A single adult fare from Peterborough to Union Station costs $16.25. Passengers buy a ticket in Peterborough, take the bus to Oshawa and use the same ticket to get on the GO Train to Union Station in Toronto.
Madelaine Mombourquette, 20, was hopping on the bus to visit her aunt in Oshawa.
"I've taken the Greyhound before, but this has more options and it's cheaper, which is nice," she said. "I'm really excited the service came to Peterborough."
A single fare on a Greyhound bus costs $21.53.
Advertisement
GO estimates the trip takes about 80 minutes between Trent University and Oshawa or about 70 minutes from downtown Peterborough to the GO train station in Oshawa.
The first bus of the day, on weekdays, will leave Trent at 5:20 a. m., stopping at the city bus terminal on Simcoe St. at 5:35 a. m. and gets into the Oshawa GO station at 6:40 a. m. The connecting train will leave the station at 7:11 a. m. and arrive at Union Station at 7:36 a. m.
Riley is reminding riders getting on the bus to have exact change ready to give to drivers.
"We do not carry a lot of cash," she said.
The bus also stops at the carpool lot at Harper Rd. and Crawford Dr., west of The Parkway, in Peterborough and the Cavan- Monaghan park-and-ride lot at County Road 10 and Highway 7/115.
The bus service will fulfill a promise made by the province and federal government in March last year.
Article ID# 1732971
waterloowarrior
Senior Member
GO figure: 212 use new bus on first weekend
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1750878
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Posted 2 days ago
The first weekend of GO Bus service from Peterborough saw 212 people use the city's newest travel option, according to numbers obtained byThe Examiner.
GO Transit bus service between Peterborough and Oshawa started on Saturday. The first bus left the terminal on Simcoe St. at 6:10 a. m.
Gillian Riddell, media relations spokesperson for GO Transit, provided a breakdown of fares yesterday.
"The number of riders met our expectations on the Peterborough route."
On Saturday, 87 used the GO Bus, and there were 75 riders on Sunday and 50 on Monday. These numbers are the total travellers for the day, in both directions, Riddell said.
The average number of riders each day is about 70 people, she said.
"Monday was the lowest number of riders, but since it's a holiday that makes sense," she said. "It's too early to say what the busiest time to travel is."
Riddell was unable to provide statistics for trips during GO's first week of service.
Each GO bus fits about 75 people, she said.
There are 10 trips daily in each direction on weekdays and six trips per day in each direction on weekends and holidays.
GO estimates the trip takes about 80 minutes between Trent University and Oshawa or about 70 minutes from downtown Peterborough to the GO train station in Oshawa.
Advertisement
The first bus of the day, on weekdays, will leave Trent at 5:20 a. m., stopping at the city bus terminal on Simcoe St. at 5:35 a. m. and gets into the Oshawa GO station at 6:40 a. m. The connecting train will leave the station at 7:11 a. m. and arrive at Union Station at 7:36 a. m.
-- Files from Andrea Houston and Nicole Riva
Article ID# 1750878
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1750878
Posted By BRENDAN WEDLEY , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Posted 2 days ago
The first weekend of GO Bus service from Peterborough saw 212 people use the city's newest travel option, according to numbers obtained byThe Examiner.
GO Transit bus service between Peterborough and Oshawa started on Saturday. The first bus left the terminal on Simcoe St. at 6:10 a. m.
Gillian Riddell, media relations spokesperson for GO Transit, provided a breakdown of fares yesterday.
"The number of riders met our expectations on the Peterborough route."
On Saturday, 87 used the GO Bus, and there were 75 riders on Sunday and 50 on Monday. These numbers are the total travellers for the day, in both directions, Riddell said.
The average number of riders each day is about 70 people, she said.
"Monday was the lowest number of riders, but since it's a holiday that makes sense," she said. "It's too early to say what the busiest time to travel is."
Riddell was unable to provide statistics for trips during GO's first week of service.
Each GO bus fits about 75 people, she said.
There are 10 trips daily in each direction on weekdays and six trips per day in each direction on weekends and holidays.
GO estimates the trip takes about 80 minutes between Trent University and Oshawa or about 70 minutes from downtown Peterborough to the GO train station in Oshawa.
Advertisement
The first bus of the day, on weekdays, will leave Trent at 5:20 a. m., stopping at the city bus terminal on Simcoe St. at 5:35 a. m. and gets into the Oshawa GO station at 6:40 a. m. The connecting train will leave the station at 7:11 a. m. and arrive at Union Station at 7:36 a. m.
-- Files from Andrea Houston and Nicole Riva
Article ID# 1750878
Northern Light
Superstar
Low Ridership
To say the least, its early days yet for the new bus service.
But at 70 per day (and 20 total trips, 10 each way) that's an average of under 4 people per bus per trip.
On buses that seat 75, that's a capacity fill of just over 5%.
If that is meeting GO's expectations, one has to question the rationale for the service.
That said, ridership may build, time will tell.
To say the least, its early days yet for the new bus service.
But at 70 per day (and 20 total trips, 10 each way) that's an average of under 4 people per bus per trip.
On buses that seat 75, that's a capacity fill of just over 5%.
If that is meeting GO's expectations, one has to question the rationale for the service.
That said, ridership may build, time will tell.
waterloowarrior
Senior Member
Also we don't have the statistics for weekday ridership yet, so even looking at these numbers is premature..
TOareaFan
Superstar
The numbers are weekend numbers so the per trip should be based on 12 trips (6 each way) so the average is 70/12 = 5.83......so each 75% bus was, on average, 7.77% full.
Very early days for sure but you would think that the hype/discussion will never be higher than at the onset and this is not very impressive.....hopefully it will grow.....or they will find a way to consolidate service such that the same 70 trips (35 people making return trips?) get spread over fewer buses.
waterloowarrior
Senior Member
An article posted a couple of pages ago said they were expecting 125 to 275 per day. Once the students are all there (classes start today) I would guess ridership would be higher on weekends as well.
Private bus firms blast GO expansion
Publicly subsidized services may force job and route cuts, Coach Canada, Greyhound say
Sep 12, 2009 04:30 AM
TESS KALINOWSKI
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
Private bus companies are seeing red over the introduction of green GO buses into the Niagara and Peterborough areas last week, only days after Greyhound said it could no longer justify running some of its remote Ontario and Manitoba routes.
Coach Canada and Greyhound say GO's expansion will cost them business and potentially force them to cut jobs and routes.
Officials at both bus companies say they have approached GO about partnerships but, beyond sharing some maintenance facilities, the public agency isn't interested.
According to GO, the growing population of the Golden Horseshoe means there is more demand for Toronto-area destinations that the private coach operators don't serve.
Coach Canada, which runs 32 trips daily to St. Catharines, can't compete with the lower subsidized fares offered by GO, says president Jim Devlin.
"If I lose 10 per cent (of the Niagara Region business) we're carrying a lot of risk employing a lot of people with no return," he said.
If that happens, the company will have to consider laying off about 100 of its 1,000 employees.
GO is running 12 buses daily from Niagara to the Burlington GO station. A one-way adult fare from Niagara Falls to Toronto is $15.60, compared with $25.15 on Coach Canada.
Devlin believes the Niagara GO expansion has been fast-tracked because it serves Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley's St. Catharines riding, and that Peterborough got service because it feeds federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's Oshawa constituency.
There are no publicly available feasibility studies on the new GO routes, according to the province, and GO says no environmental assessments were required because the bus service makes use of existing roads and infrastructure.
GO got $2.5 million in provincial and federal infrastructure funds to build four stations in Niagara. The transit agency anticipates the service will add $3.5 million in annual operating costs, of which $2 million will be covered by fares. GO Transit recovers 82 per cent of its operations from the fare box on average.
GO expects the new routes to attract about 500 daily riders from Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby and Stoney Creek, and about 125 from Peterborough, managing director, Gary McNeil said.
"The motor coach industry primarily provides express bus services from Niagara Falls-St. Catharines into downtown Toronto, whereas our service is really from Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby and Stoney Creek and feeds into our Burlington GO station, which then allows people to use our services to get to other locations such as Burlington, Oakville, Port Credit through the train system," McNeil said.
"Right now, someone from Niagara Region has no means of getting to those locations without going first of all into downtown Toronto and then reversing."
Private operators also make money on express package services, a market GO has no interest in, McNeil added.
When GO launched train service to Barrie, Greyhound Canada lost 30 per cent of its business in that market, said Stuart Kendrick, senior vice-president of Greyhound Canada, a division of a U.S.-based company.
"Before you go out and spend the type of money you spend on buses and infrastructure, why not look at the private sector that are passing these railhead locations such as Burlington and Oshawa?" Kendrick said.
Greyhound, he added, has Peterborough and Niagara routes, and would be willing to stop at GO stations.
"It's not like that hasn't been discussed before with GO," he said.[/QUOTE]
Private bus firms blast GO expansion
Publicly subsidized services may force job and route cuts, Coach Canada, Greyhound say
Sep 12, 2009 04:30 AM
TESS KALINOWSKI
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
Private bus companies are seeing red over the introduction of green GO buses into the Niagara and Peterborough areas last week, only days after Greyhound said it could no longer justify running some of its remote Ontario and Manitoba routes.
Coach Canada and Greyhound say GO's expansion will cost them business and potentially force them to cut jobs and routes.
Officials at both bus companies say they have approached GO about partnerships but, beyond sharing some maintenance facilities, the public agency isn't interested.
According to GO, the growing population of the Golden Horseshoe means there is more demand for Toronto-area destinations that the private coach operators don't serve.
Coach Canada, which runs 32 trips daily to St. Catharines, can't compete with the lower subsidized fares offered by GO, says president Jim Devlin.
"If I lose 10 per cent (of the Niagara Region business) we're carrying a lot of risk employing a lot of people with no return," he said.
If that happens, the company will have to consider laying off about 100 of its 1,000 employees.
GO is running 12 buses daily from Niagara to the Burlington GO station. A one-way adult fare from Niagara Falls to Toronto is $15.60, compared with $25.15 on Coach Canada.
Devlin believes the Niagara GO expansion has been fast-tracked because it serves Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley's St. Catharines riding, and that Peterborough got service because it feeds federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's Oshawa constituency.
There are no publicly available feasibility studies on the new GO routes, according to the province, and GO says no environmental assessments were required because the bus service makes use of existing roads and infrastructure.
GO got $2.5 million in provincial and federal infrastructure funds to build four stations in Niagara. The transit agency anticipates the service will add $3.5 million in annual operating costs, of which $2 million will be covered by fares. GO Transit recovers 82 per cent of its operations from the fare box on average.
GO expects the new routes to attract about 500 daily riders from Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby and Stoney Creek, and about 125 from Peterborough, managing director, Gary McNeil said.
"The motor coach industry primarily provides express bus services from Niagara Falls-St. Catharines into downtown Toronto, whereas our service is really from Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby and Stoney Creek and feeds into our Burlington GO station, which then allows people to use our services to get to other locations such as Burlington, Oakville, Port Credit through the train system," McNeil said.
"Right now, someone from Niagara Region has no means of getting to those locations without going first of all into downtown Toronto and then reversing."
Private operators also make money on express package services, a market GO has no interest in, McNeil added.
When GO launched train service to Barrie, Greyhound Canada lost 30 per cent of its business in that market, said Stuart Kendrick, senior vice-president of Greyhound Canada, a division of a U.S.-based company.
"Before you go out and spend the type of money you spend on buses and infrastructure, why not look at the private sector that are passing these railhead locations such as Burlington and Oshawa?" Kendrick said.
Greyhound, he added, has Peterborough and Niagara routes, and would be willing to stop at GO stations.
"It's not like that hasn't been discussed before with GO," he said.[/QUOTE]
Acting Minor Traitor
New Member
As someone who travels from Toronto to Barrie every now and again, I'd say this is because GO service is superior to Greyhound in every metric I care about, including price. Barrie South GO isn't that far off the beaten trail - and $10.70 for a GO ticket, versus $23.30 for Greyhound's cheapest non-refundable adult rate, just clinches it for me.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Isn't that the point the bus companies are making? They are offering service which is being undercut in price by a government subsidized/funded agency?
Ryan
New Member
Hi,
I also travel between Barrie and Toronto (Annex/UofT) regularly, but I always take the Greyhound and never the GO train, for two reasons:
-The Barrie GO station is in the south end of the city, which is impossible to get to from the north end (this will change when the 2nd station opens)
-The GO train would take me to union, but with the Greyhound I can either get off at Yorkdale and take the subway down to Dupont/St. George, or the Greyhound will just let me get off at Bloor street/Avenue, from where I can just walk.
Also, I get a 10 ticket pack for $86 (student fare).
So, We need better GO train connections within the city. Would it be possible for the Barrie line to connect with the B.D.?
I also travel between Barrie and Toronto (Annex/UofT) regularly, but I always take the Greyhound and never the GO train, for two reasons:
-The Barrie GO station is in the south end of the city, which is impossible to get to from the north end (this will change when the 2nd station opens)
-The GO train would take me to union, but with the Greyhound I can either get off at Yorkdale and take the subway down to Dupont/St. George, or the Greyhound will just let me get off at Bloor street/Avenue, from where I can just walk.
Also, I get a 10 ticket pack for $86 (student fare).
So, We need better GO train connections within the city. Would it be possible for the Barrie line to connect with the B.D.?
catcher_of_cats
Active Member
Absolutely, between Dundas West and Landsdowne, though not much room for platforms if the track is twinned.
Northern Light
Superstar
Barrie Line - Bloor
I very much favour adding both a Bloor Station, and a connecting tunnel to Lansdowne Subway Station.
This seems enormously sensible from the point of view of mobility hubs and integrating services.
It would also, theoretically make sense to have a station meet the midtown line (CP Mainline) once service is initiated, but that's awfully close to Bloor there.
I found it strange that they were talking about a St. Clair station on the Barrie line.
To me, all other things being equal, you want to work towards having every N-S line meet the same major streets/transit corridors, where possible.
This means, a Steeles Station (or equiv.); Sheppard, Eglinton, Bloor, and if possible one more before Union. (plus the midtown GO line, if possible)
That would create nice evenly spaced access throughout the City.
As it stands, the Richmond Hill line makes a total mess out of this south of Sheppard.....
But the other lines should be able to do something close.
So far, I am aware of....
Sheppard West on the Barrie line (to opened in conjunction with the Spadina Subway extension); and St. Clair on that line; plus Eglinton and Woodbine being added to the Georgetown corridor.
***
Anyone know when the Dundas West link to Bloor Stn is due to be built?
I very much favour adding both a Bloor Station, and a connecting tunnel to Lansdowne Subway Station.
This seems enormously sensible from the point of view of mobility hubs and integrating services.
It would also, theoretically make sense to have a station meet the midtown line (CP Mainline) once service is initiated, but that's awfully close to Bloor there.
I found it strange that they were talking about a St. Clair station on the Barrie line.
To me, all other things being equal, you want to work towards having every N-S line meet the same major streets/transit corridors, where possible.
This means, a Steeles Station (or equiv.); Sheppard, Eglinton, Bloor, and if possible one more before Union. (plus the midtown GO line, if possible)
That would create nice evenly spaced access throughout the City.
As it stands, the Richmond Hill line makes a total mess out of this south of Sheppard.....
But the other lines should be able to do something close.
So far, I am aware of....
Sheppard West on the Barrie line (to opened in conjunction with the Spadina Subway extension); and St. Clair on that line; plus Eglinton and Woodbine being added to the Georgetown corridor.
***
Anyone know when the Dundas West link to Bloor Stn is due to be built?
Second_in_pie
Senior Member
^^ I really dunno what'd work best. I really see the Barrie line as a super express N-S route through downtown, then more local service to the North.
The only thing that I think would make sense is to make some huge Dundas West-Bloor-Landsdowne super station, so it could connect with the Bloor line and the Georgetown Line. If you had one of those really fast moving walkways from Barrie to Georgetown, to Dundas West, that'd probably be the best case in terms of connectivity.
Eglinton, I don't see a lot of need for it. From the East, it'd be just as direct to take the Spadina line to York U, and similarly (but slightly longer,) from the west. I also don't see a need for a station south of Bloor, because someone could either take the DRL or Georgetown line to Dundas West or Union and then transfer to Barrie.
The only thing that I think would make sense is to make some huge Dundas West-Bloor-Landsdowne super station, so it could connect with the Bloor line and the Georgetown Line. If you had one of those really fast moving walkways from Barrie to Georgetown, to Dundas West, that'd probably be the best case in terms of connectivity.
Eglinton, I don't see a lot of need for it. From the East, it'd be just as direct to take the Spadina line to York U, and similarly (but slightly longer,) from the west. I also don't see a need for a station south of Bloor, because someone could either take the DRL or Georgetown line to Dundas West or Union and then transfer to Barrie.