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Will Metrolinx please describe how the ToD process works, and explain how efforts will be made to bring greater transparency to both the processes involved and the agreements themselves?
When Metrolinx was caught in the middle of a slew of accusations related to political interference in transit planning, the business case and decision gate processes were laid out in very clear terms. With recent government changes to station approvals and the need for transit oriented development agreements, we are back to opaque processes that keep communities out of the loop. This needs to change.
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together, using our combined expertise in land development, to deliver the TOD program. The program objectives are to increase transit ridership, deliver a better customer experience, and more complete places to live, work and play near a station with connections to the rest of the region. The program includes market driven (third-party) opportunities, joint developments, dispositions and connections. Strong evidence-based decision-making is still a key contributor to the design, selection and delivery of transit investments. All new transit infrastructure must provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, which is evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process.
With respect to business cases, strong evidence-based decision-making is a key contributor to the design, selection and delivery of transit investments. The Metrolinx Business Case Guidance clearly outlines how our business cases are developed, including the robust approach for assessing the benefits, costs, and impacts of a potential investment. Most importantly, since business cases are published on our website, it helps our customers clearly understand the basis for these decisions.
GO Transit's recent fare adjustments are slowly opening it as a choice alongside the TTC for travelling around Toronto. Still, we cannot combine GO Transit, UP Express, VIA Rail, and local agencies without significant cost; their prices for going to the same place can differ wildly. To trust transit as a replacement for a car, I need to be able to hop on the half-empty train that my phone just informed me is departing in five minutes without worrying that it's going to triple the cost of my journey. Have you considered a model such as Transport for London's low-threshold price capping to harmonize fares and allow riders to use all public networks without penalties?
Transit is already competitive in price with the car, but it is true that not all services are priced the same within a given area, and that transferring between systems can result in multiple charges.
While Metrolinx doesn’t have the authority to set fares regionally, we are actively working with other agencies on harmonization. And while the loyalty program on GO Transit is already a kind of cap, it doesn’t extend to other services as in London.
When is the all day train service going to start for the Richmond Hill/Gormley line? There’s been mention of an all day service however no start date in site.
We continue to explore service options on the Richmond Hill line. A challenge however is that Metrolinx does not own most of the Richmond Hill corridor. We will continue to work with CN (owner) on how we can improve service in the future. In the meantime, major improvements include the all new Bloomington GO Station opening in late 2020 which will have considerable ameneties and parking.
My question is, with the growth in York Region, when will the YorkU station be shut down, and the new Concord GO station be constructed? We have serious traffic problems and the area of Concord/Thornhill needs to have better access to downtown Toronto. The VivaNext project will be completed by December, and there are no signs of the Concord GO station at all. This is a very important station for the area, and it will help commuters get out of their cars and into transit.
Metrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
With respect to Concord GO, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc.) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. By increasing off-peak service, we’re enhancing transit scheduling to make life easier for those travelling within the GTHA. Increasing sustainable trip options is an important part of an integrated regional transportation network. Similar transit services throughout the world have been shown to slow the growth of road congestion. Travel times for much of the network will significantly improve with the introduction of electrified train service, which allows for faster acceleration and speed at a lower cost.
Wondering if there are any updates on this? The pilot was run a year ago and there has been very limited information on this since that time. I actually participated in the pilot and did not have any connection issues. Yes, it was slow but at least it was a consistent connection, which is more than we get with cellular service.
As you may recall, last year we tested Wi-Fi services from two different providers. It was very popular with our customers. We are assessing the results, and we are still very much working toward the goal of providing our customers with Wi-Fi on our GO trains and buses. We will have more details to share with you in the future.
The Richmond Hill GO Train line is becoming quite a congested ride for Langstaff commuters and of course, the stations further south. The situation worsened when the Gormley Station was added and suspect that when the Bloomington Station becomes active things will get even worse. I completely understand that Gormley and Bloomington commuters need transit options, but adding additional stations and commuters without increasing the frequency of the trains to handle the extra load makes for a frustrating commute.
Will Metrolinx consider adding extra rush hour trains and all-day service for the Richmond Hill Train corridor? One or two extra rush hour trains and one train every hour during non-peak periods would be excellent options for commuters to get downtown throughout the day and subsequently take the load off of GO buses, York Region buses and the TTC subway line. A late evening northbound train (10:30PM, 11:00PM) would also be a nice option for commuters after sporting events, concerts or theatre shows.
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. As you know, there are a number of unique considerations on the Richmond Hill corridor that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
flooding in the lower Don River, which affects most of the corridor from Richmond Street to the Millwood Bridge;
slow journey times due to indirect alignment and low track speeds;
CN Rail ownership of the corridor north of Old Cummer, and conflicts with freight services; and
proposed parallel transit improvements such as future new lines.
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
When is the double tracking of the Stouville Line expected to complete? When will we see the next wave of service improvement on the Stouville GO Line? There seems to be little to no advancement for the Scarborough Junction. Are you committed to grade separate the junction to increase train service? What is the timeline for it?
We are working hard to expand service on the Stouffville line. For example, in April 2019, we introduced five midday weekday trips serving centennial, Markham and Mount Joy.
With respect to the Scarborough Junction, we are currently working on the preliminary design and meeting with the City of Toronto with regards to the Scarborough Junction grade separation. Stay tuned for details on when public engagement will take place.
As you may recall, last year we tested Wi-Fi services from two different providers. It was very popular with our customers. We are assessing the results, and we are still very much working toward the goal of providing our customers with Wi-Fi on our GO trains and buses. We will have more details to share with you in the future.
Thank you very much for offering your feedback. We are always monitoring our services and modify where it makes sense for the regional network. In the meantime, local transit options are operated by the York Regional Transit and the TTC.
The 2041 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is intended to be implemented in phases, in close collaboration with municipal partners, stakeholders and the public. Since our first transportation plan was completed in 2008, we’ve made a substantial investment in new rapid transit and completed a number of projects, including GO Rail extensions, new Bus Rapid Transit lines, UP Express and the Spadina Subway Extension.
One of the five strategies of the RTP is the development of the Frequent Rapid Transit Network (FRTN), which helps us guide network planning decisions that will help to meet the growth of the region to 2041. Under the FRTN, a number of rapid transit projects are currently in delivery and are planned to open within the next five years, including the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Finch West LRT, Hamilton LRT and Bus Rapid Transit lines, with another 62 rapid transit projects to be planned and implemented over the next few decades.
For more information on how the Regional Transportation Plan will be implemented, check out the Making it Happen paper. You can also look for opportunities to participate through Metrolinx Engage.
Thank you very much for offering your feedback. We're always looking at ways to improve, so we have shared your input forward to see if anything can be done to address this. As you can imagine, we introduce services when and where we can based on a number of factors, including ridership and availability of resources. When we do finalize plans for new services, we are sure to give customers plenty of advance notice.
Two years ago, GO removed all the posted-style schedule and route information at stations, terminals and park-and-ride sites. There is still no replacement information, either static or through TV screens. Could GO please ensure that stations, terminals and park-and-ride sites have information available showing the bus routes that serve each stop, and their schedule?
Thank you for your feedback. You're right, we did remove the printed schedule from locations. With the availability of online trip planning tools, such as Triplinx and gotransit.com, we found reprinting schedules with every service change for every location wasn't the best use of resources. You can find full schedule information at gotransit.com/fullschedules. To find what routes are available to you, you can look up your stop online to find the "station page." For real-time bus service information, you can use our "Where's my bus" service with your phone. We also have digital signage at every GO train station, and we're working on bringing digital screens to major bus locations.
When? Particularly for UP express but all owned lines were promised in 2014. Up was promised by the minister by 2017. It is now 5 years after that promise and not one inch of catenary has been installed, nor have Rfeoi’s been issued for electric vehicles.
Just last month we reached the RFP stage of procuring the OnCorridor Works Project. The OnCorridor Works project includes the new infrastructure required to facilitate the delivery of expanded and improved GO rail services, including two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes over core segments of the GO rail network, as well as the operations and maintenance of the GO rail network.
The On-Corridor Works project is being delivered using the design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) Public-Private Partnership (P3) model. Bid teams will be required to submit proposals to realize the performance objectives of the GO Rail Expansion. As outlined in Ontario’s 2019 Budget, the Ontario Government will look to the private sector to propose innovative approaches to meet future GO Transit rail service levels, including opportunities for technology that could be used to electrify core segments of the GO Transit rail network, such as an overhead catenary system or hydrogen fuel cells. Once the team is selected, final infrastructure and service plans will be made available.
I just found out that us Milton residents have no access to Oakville anymore as of June 29th!! How could you do this? How are the students going to go to sheridan college in Oakville from Milton? Also route 24 to Cambridge is cancelled. Please tell me you will substitute this with another route. Why not make the route 25 and 29 have stop overs to the Milton Park and Ride? there is no way for us to get between the Milton Go and the Park and Ride, not even the Milton transit goes there all day. Milton is the fastest growing city in canada!! Also no service to the Premium outlets??? C'mon its been there for 6 years now. When are we going to get service..Thanks
Metrolinx monitors our service carefully to ensure we are making the best use of our resources. We value our customers and we do not make these decisions lightly, in these cases there is not enough demand to justify running the services.
While we currently do not have plans to bring GO Bus service to the Premium Outlets, we continually assess and monitor ridership to help ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. At this time, Metrolinx’s top priorities for investment in GO Transit generally involve expanding the quantity and quality of service offered on the existing train and bus network. These investments were selected over potential alternatives in part because of their ability to attract significant ridership by meeting the unmet current demand as well as the planned growth over the next few decades.
For more information about the route changes and alternatives, please click here.
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
It seems like all of the other GO Transit train lines are offering extended service, all day service, weekend service. The Richmond Hill Line runs trains south in the morning rush hour only and north in the evening rush hours only. When is the service going to be expanded to include two-way service and weekend service?
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. On the Richmond Hill corridor, there are a number of unique considerations that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
flooding in the lower Don River, which affects most of the corridor from Richmond Street to the Millwood Bridge;
slow journey times due to indirect alignment and low track speeds;
CN Rail ownership of the corridor north of Old Cummer, and conflicts with freight services; and
proposed parallel transit improvements such as future new lines.
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
For your response... At your Langstaff Station, I'm noticing the demand for parking (esp. at the south lot) has been exceeding the supply. This is a good sign, as it indicates increased local interest for taking GO trains and buses from Langstaff Station! However, it is also clear that parking shortages may be discouraging customers from using your services, i.e. for fear of not finding parking, getting tagged, etc. (Similar to other GO stations, you're becoming a victim of your own success. Well, actually...it's your customers who are becoming the victims!)
To address this "first/last mile" issue, it would help if GO would either: (a) Expand parking (b) Consider (again) implementing modest parking pricing options (b) Work with YRT to initiate an 'innovatively simple' local shuttle bus service which would serve the Thornhill area (i.e. south of Langstaff between Yonge and Bayview) (c) Meet with the community to collaboratively develop some potential solutions to address "first/last mile" challenges for Langstaff Station.
Let's put some heads together so we can figure this out!
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
We need a pedestrian bridge at Old Cummer station. The community is cut in half by the tracks. People are forced to walk across tracks. Many have to drive even though would rather walk. Pineway and Zion schools need buses even though kids can walk. The recreational path stops at the tracks. Please build us a bridge. Thanks
Thanks for your thoughts. At Metrolinx, safety is our top priority. It’s important that people not cross our rail corridor as train time is any time.
The decision to build a pedestrian bridge across the rail corridor rests with the municipality. We are always willing to work with the City of Toronto on requests to build additional pedestrian crossings over our rail corridor.
We do not have any plans to build a pedestrian bridge at Old Cummer Station. We regularly look for opportunities to improve access to our stations including enhancing active transportation (e.g walking, cycling) access. As we upgrade stations across the network, we will be improving station access for all modes of transportation including pedestrians and cyclists.
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. On the Richmond Hill corridor, there are a number of unique considerations that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
flooding in the lower Don River, which affects most of the corridor from Richmond Street to the Millwood Bridge;
slow journey times due to indirect alignment and low track speeds;
CN Rail ownership of the corridor north of Old Cummer, and conflicts with freight services; and
proposed parallel transit improvements such as future new lines.
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
Increasing service to the City of Hamilton is a priority for Metrolinx and through the GO Expansion program Hamilton will receive more service than there is today.
As background, because Metrolinx doesn’t own the rail corridor west of Burlington GO Station, service plans are dependent on adding more infrastructure and finalizing service agreements with rail corridor owners.
We have already completed much of the required infrastructure work:
New track and all supporting infrastructure between Burlington and Bayview Junction
West Harbour station completed and operational
Expanded bridge over Centennial Parkway
Expanded bridge over Desjardins Canal
Replaced the Valley Inn Road bridge
Completed the new layover facility on Lewis Road
We are currently working with rail corridor owners to deliver more service to the Hamilton as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more information.
Please advise, who is responsible for cleaning the area from the garbage alongside the railway tracks? The area looks very dirty that wasn’t clean for years especially during spring time after the snow comes out.
Throwing garbage onto our railway property is illegal and it’s also a safety risk for our trains. We have clean-up programs that take place in the spring and fall. In the future, feel free to contact GO Customer Care at 1-888-438-6646. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
When will you stop treating the passengers on the Richmond Hill line like cattle? Trains and platform are overcrowded. Fares keep going up with no improvement in service, while all other lines get much better service.
One day we ended up with a 12-car train and you can tell people were happy and comfortable. Then the next day, back to the cattle car experience.
Stop giving us vague non-answers and excuses and do something. We're not animals.
Thank you for letting us know about your experience. Your comfort is important to us, and we do try to balance passenger loads by adding service or railcars when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. In the case of Richmond Hill, platform restrictions limit the length of the trains we're able to operate along the corridor.
Ontario has snow. Mostly, we cope with it. Sometimes it causes all sorts of major issues on the roads, and this causes all sorts of disruption to GO buses. That's life. Now, GO knows when things are going badly. What would be great if passengers on trains or waiting at stations were told by on-train or station staff "Your bus will be 20 minututes late because the 401 is a nightmare". Sure, we wouldn't get home any faster - but at least we could wait inside in the warm, and get home without frozen faces. Could GO make sure it communicates in this way during disruption?
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We have passed this on to the operations teams. For real-time bus service information, you can use our "Where's my bus" service with your phone. We also have digital signage at every GO train station, and we're working on bringing digital screens to major bus locations.
While the 'see schedules' tool on our website is intended to offer simple departure and arrival times for your specific trip, we understand the value in seeing the comprehensive schedules. You can see them here: https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/seeschedules/full-schedules. In the meantime, we will forward your feedback onto the appropriate team.
The Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility, on the Lakeshore East line, is a strategic and essential asset for Metrolinx’s planned service expansions, and is built for 30 years of expansion – to accommodate future electrified fleet.
The Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility in Etobicoke, along the Lakeshore West line, is also crucial to Metrolinx’s GO planned service expansions. As part of the GO Expansion program, we’re getting ready to procure a contract for services that will include building the infrastructure needed to electrify core segments of the GO network. That contract recently reached the RFP stage, which is still relatively early in the procurement process.
Although we cannot give a firm date as to when the infrastructure will be installed at Willowbrook, we can say that it is part of the GO Expansion program and will be up to the winning bidder to decide when, how, and which technology is used to electrify Willowbrook.
As outlined in Ontario’s 2019 Budget, the Ontario Government will look to the private sector to propose innovative approaches to meet future GO Transit rail service levels, including opportunities for technology that could be used to electrify core segments of the GO Transit rail network, such as an overhead catenary system or hydrogen fuel cells.
We need transparency. We need to know what we can expect, especially pertaining to First Capital's future at Humber Bay Shores and the proposed Go Station.
A new Park Lawn GO station is in the early planning and design stage. The updated Initial Business Case was completed in February 2018, showing the location has positive benefits. In the meantime, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
Is Metrolinx doing any work on studying or designing the downtown relief line pending an potential upload from the TTC? What are the base assumptions related to that work and what is the schedule?
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario with the City of Toronto and the TTC will continue collaborating and working side by side to build a modern, integrated transit system that will connect more communities to more places, saving them time in their travels.
We are lucky to have world renowned experts on our team and in our partners who will continue to bring together infinite experience and deliver this exciting program on behalf of the Province of Ontario to further our transit network for years to come.
We are in the process of sharing information so that we are able to do our own due diligence for each project and conduct expert panel reviews. We will draw on lessons learned from other projects internationally, using proven international best practices and technologies.
Please advise us when you will implement all day 2 way Milton Go train service to the fastest growing city in Canada. Also update us on any new routes coming to Milton in the near future. We also need all day service from Milton Go to the Milton Park and Ride, and from Milton Go to the Oakville Trafalgar park and ride.
Metrolinx does not own the Milton corridor, so we can run our trains only when our freight rail partners are not running theirs. But we continue expanding service on the Milton line wherever we can, increasing from 60 weekly trips to 100 over the last 10 years.
A new Park Lawn GO station is in the early planning and design stage. The updated Initial Business Case was completed in February 2018, showing the location has positive benefits. In the meantime, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
Has Metrolinx considered moving some of the buses that stop or terminate at Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal to the Highway 407 Bus Terminal? This however is a bit inefficient since there are no highway ramps from Highway 400 Northbound nor Southbound to Highway 407 and exit Jane Street. Dedicated bus-only ramps could improve the accessibility of Highway 407 Bus Terminal for buses coming and going from all directions.
Thank you very much for offering your feedback. We're always looking at ways to improve, so we have shared your input forward to see if anything can be done to address this. As you can imagine, we introduce services when and where we can based on a number of factors, including ridership and availability of resources. When we do finalize plans for new services, we are sure to give customerse plenty of advance notice.
When will more parking spots be added to the Bradford Go Station? If you don't arrive by 7:00 a.m. there is no parking available which is unacceptable! And you keep adding more and more reserved spots which makes taking the GO Train that much more unaffordable for the average person when you add in the already high cost to board the train!
We know that parking is a challenge at stations all across the network, including at Bradford GO Station. That’s why we’re working on design plans to add more parking at Bradford GO. Those plans are still in the early stages of development, but we’ll work collaboratively with customers, stakeholders, and the local community once we have a better idea of how many parking spaces we’re adding.
There are many cases where GO buses are supposed to wait for a connecting train before departing, even if that train is delayed. This indicated on the schedules with an 'h' next to the departure time. I have had multiple instances of buses departing before a delayed train arrived. Speaking with bus drivers, it seems they are not informed that a train is late, and hence may end up departing because a different train has arrived. Could GO make sure bus drivers are told when the connecting train will be late, and ensure they hold until the train arrives? Alternatively, if a train is very late and the bus departs anyway, could GO ensure train passengers are told, so they can make an informed descision about what to do (different bus, taxi, call a family member of pick-up, wait inside for next bus, etc.)?
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. You're right - we can and should do better. We have passed this on to the operations teams for follow up. If you encounter this problem again, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at 1-888-438-6646.
Metrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.
Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.
We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.
In April, Metrolinx increased fares on UP Express (yes, increased by at least 10% for daily users, since monthly caps no longer apply), recommending that commuters use GO service instead. What conveniently wasn't mentioned is how GO doesn't serve UP stations at all on weekends and only in one direction during peak hours.
Question 1: what are your short-term plans for allowing UP commuters hit with the fare increase to use GO? Such as stopping the 15:16 and 16:09 trains from Bramalea at Weston and Bloor? Converting equipment trips to in-service trips (e.g. from Union at 6:47 and 7:02, from Bramalea at 18:10)? Additional evening service?
Question 2: could GO fares be allowed on UP on weekends, when there is no other service to Weston and Bloor?
Fares on UP Express remain unchanged, however loyalty discounts for frequent monthly travel are no longer available, as you stated. The different fare policies for GO and UP reflect the different purposes of the distinct services. As you know, UP Express is primarily focussed on providing fast, reliable train service that connects customers to very time-sensitive trips at the airport.
In regard to service, we add and modify GO service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including ridership, available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Several stations along the Kitchener line received more trip options earlier this year, but we had to adjust some schedules to ensure our services could run in parallel with CN freight traffic.
In 2015, Metrolinx announced that evening and weekend train service to Brampton would start in 2017. It's 2019 now. What's standing in the way here? Please don't say you "add service when and where you can" – the question is /why/? Is bus ridership lower than expected? Are crews in short supply? Did CN backpedal on how many trains they would allow?
Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the corridor serving Brampton, but we do work closely with our freight partners to ensure we are using all of the capacity available on the line. Thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN, we have already increased the number of trips on the corridor this year, and we are confident that we can continue to accelerate the delivery of new service to communities all the way along the line.
Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.
Can we please have express trains from Barrie. By the time we drive to the Go, take the train and then arrive at work, we could have flown one way to Florida. This is not an exaggeration, unfortunately. Please help
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
As the Lakeshore line has the most frequent service, running every 15 minutes during rush hour and stopping and Danforth, why is it that the Stouffville line added the Danforth stop?. And indicating the reason is because the same tracks are used is not an acceptable reason.
If you are looking at the infrastructure and how York region is developing, Danforth does not need to be added to even slower the service. Danforth is a 15 minute Subway TTC ride from King Station. This is not fair to the riders of the Stouffville line by adding unnecessary stops
We need to strike the right balance of serving customers from all parts of our network. Stouffville trains stopping at Danforth GO helps to improve connectivity for those customers from different parts of our network wanting to take TTC.
1. The Stouffville Line need more express trains - particularly during peak hours 2. Signage for the Quiet Zone on the upper cars needs to be more concise - I believe it reads the Quiet Zone is in effect for peak hours - what are peak hours? I suggest the Quite Zone be in effect for ALL hours the train is operational.
1. We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Stouffville line with single tracking north of Scarborough GO. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass. However, we are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
2. The Quiet Zone has been very popular with many of our frequent customers, who choose a quiet commute during peak periods. We welcome all customers, in particular families, to travel GO during off-peak periods, including weekends. Our website states rush hour includes all trains arriving or departing Union Station before 9:30 a.m. and all trains leaving or arriving at Union Station between 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
why do a grade separation at Rutherford when they do not have freight trains and Elgin Mills in Richmond Hill has both freight and GO train service? who decided that? Wonderful politicians in Vaughan!
As part of planning for the GO Expansion, we assessed over 50 level crossings in York Region to identify opportunities to grade separate a number of priority level crossings, using a tiered approach to inform prioritization and discussions with municipalities.The 4 grade separations we're building in York Region were chosen because they will increase community and customer safety, they enable 15-minute service, are close to existing stations, and have a very high traffic levels.
We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Stouffville line with single tracking north of Scarborough GO. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass. However, we are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
When is the Stouffville line going to get express service? Why not consider implementing an express service bypassing stations between union and unionville during rush hour?
We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Stouffville line with single tracking north of Scarborough GO. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass. However, we are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
With route 38 GO bus cancelled, are there any plans to replace it once the 427 has been completed along with the widening of Major Mackenzie? We need transit alternatives in West Vaughan since the Bolton GO line has been deferred past 2041 and GO bus service has been cut. Better bus feeder services would reduce parking needs at existing GO stations. Is there any movement on the Bolton GO train at all?
We continue to operate Route 38 GO bus service with a reduced schedule to preserve transit connections for rural customers.
Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.
All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff. We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.
I am asking about the Stouffville line and if it’s possible to extend the line all the way to Uxbridge and when construction might occur. Also when are the new stations and updating ones going to finish? I am really excited for the new ones to open as soon construction is finished and I would also say thank you for all your hard work and effort in construction these stations and service.
The Stouffville double tracking project will be complete by spring 2020. Right now there are no plans to extend the line beyond Lincolnville GO. The station updates along the Stouffville line (Agincourt, Milliken and Unionville) will be completed in the coming years.
Hi metrolinx, as a day to day rider on RHL I am wondering if Meteolinx has any plans at all to increase the service level including increase the service frequency and length of the each train. As we all know RHL has been recognize as one of the most under served GO train lines in GTA.
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. On the Richmond Hill corridor, there are a number of unique considerations that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
flooding in the lower Don River, which affects most of the corridor from Richmond Street to the Millwood Bridge;
slow journey times due to indirect alignment and low track speeds;
CN Rail ownership of the corridor north of Old Cummer, and conflicts with freight services; and
proposed parallel transit improvements such as future new lines.
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
You ask commuter "See Something, Say Something". I have been telling Go that the shelter at Centennial (near McCowan Road) has cigarette buds for the past many years. You have done nothing to stop or catch those smokers. Why?
Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We clean the shelters regularly and have shared this with our enforcement teams. We encourage you to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
When/Are we ever going to get more service between Kitchener and Toronto and vise versa. Especially late night service that allows you to go to an event in Toronto that lasts until 11:00 - 11:40pm and still be able to take transit back to Kitchener after. The Summer especially, when there are many concerts/events at the CNE/Ontario Place.
Metrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.
Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.
We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.
I like others are very very dissapointed in Go Transit removing Route 20, we have a boat load of students who rely on the route to get to Oakville, Now we have to go to Mississauga then back west, we are looking at 3x the time it originally took.
The least you can do is extend the route 21 from Milton Go to the Park and Ride so us students can transfer to the route 25 or route 29 and take us to the WInstoN Churchill parkway.
You even eleminated route 24 that took us to the Park and Ride in the afternoon, and no the Milton Transit only services the park in ride during rush ours. Shame on Go Transit, this is the fastest growing city in Canada.
Please consider extending route 21 to the park and ride, its our only hope to get to college. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Thank you for sharing your feedback. Metrolinx monitors our service carefully to ensure we are making the best use of our resources. We value our customers and we do not make these decisions lightly, in the case of route 20 and 24, there is not enough demand to justify running the services.
For more information about the route changes and alternatives, please click here.
What is the status of the Mulock GO station on the Barrie line? Is it going ahead? Will it receive 15 minute electrified service? Currently, points north of Aurora have severely degraded service compared to a couple of years ago, which makes GO a less attractive option.
1. Metrolinx has adopted a Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy for delivering new stations. Implementation of this strategy requires that new transit infrastructure – including new stations - provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process.
Mulock GO station was announced as part of the 12 new stations approved by Metrolinx’ Board of Directors in July 2016 to move forward to the next stage of the business case lifecycle, the Preliminary Design Business Case (PDBC).
Metrolinx committed to looking at the context for Mulock more closely and to do more analysis in the context of the GO Expansion Full Business Case. That work is underway.
2. With respect to the Barrie line, 15 minute electrified service will only be available up to Aurora GO Station.
3. You're right, you should be able to rely on GO Transit to be on time. To ensure we’re meeting our commitments to you, we’re being more proactive about equipment upgrades, preparing more for extreme weather, spending more time on operations training, and working more closely with our rail partners to remove congestion in the network. While some of these delays are within our control, many are not, including extreme weather events, delays caused by an increased number of false passenger alarms, police investigations and increased freight traffic across our network.
Metrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
Development of more parking has been promised and nothing has been started to date. Transit to and from the station is very limited and based on the current fare structure, I feel being forced to pay additional fees for reserved parking to ensure a parking space is completely unreasonable. I'm paying close to $100 a week for the train and I don't go into the city. When is Metrolinks going to fulfill their promises? DS
We know that parking is a challenge at stations all across the network, including at Bradford GO Station. That’s why we’re working on design plans to add more parking at Bradford GO. Those plans are still in the early stages of development, but we’ll work collaboratively with customers, stakeholders, and the local community once we have a better idea of how many parking spaces we’re adding.
Metrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
We'd be happy to work with our partners at the City of Vaughan on investigating the possibility of adding more temporary parking at Rutherford GO Station. We've already shifted many parking spaces to the temporary lot at 635 Westburne Drive.
Metrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.
All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.
We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.
The sidewalk coming into Malton GO station from Derry Rd runs as far as the first parking access (on the right) and then... stops. There's no sidewalk the rest of the way. Instead, we have to walk in the roadspace, dealing with cars wanting to either park in a hurry or get home in a hurry. Could GO make it a priority to add this badly-needed sidewalk for pedestrian safety?
Is Metrolinx doing any work on studying or designing the downtown relief line pending an potential upload from the TTC? What are the base assumptions related to that work and what is the schedule?
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario with the City of Toronto and the TTC will continue collaborating and working side by side to build a modern, integrated transit system that will connect more communities to more places, saving them time in their travels.
We are lucky to have world renowned experts on our team and in our partners who will continue to bring together infinite experience and deliver this exciting program on behalf of the Province of Ontario to further our transit network for years to come.
We are in the process of sharing information so that we are able to do our own due diligence for each project and conduct expert panel reviews. We will draw on lessons learned from other projects internationally, using proven international best practices and technologies.
What is your proposal on reducing the incidents where riders would sit in their vehicles, engines on, while waiting for the GO? Would you consider public announcements on this topic to raise awareness? I’ve previously submitted this question/comment to your general Contact Us page and received a scripted response without further action.
Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We enforce anti-idling by-laws when and where we can; however, in extreme weather, our officers use discretion. We have shared this with our enforcement and signage teams for them to follow up on. In the future, feel free to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
-Is anyone in senior mgmt. team taking GO train? -If so what do you think about the seats? Do you find the seats comfortable? -Have you sat on the seats of the new coaches (It’s hard as rock and you literally slide off the seat as its sloping downward)? -Why can't you offer the same type of seats as on the GO bus?
I've been using GO for many years and, in past 10 years, seen the cost of one way fair increasing by over 100%! One way trip used to cost me around 4$ in 2009 and now 8.54$ but my wages certainly haven't kept up the same pace of increase. -Can you also provide insight as what you're doing to control the ever increasing costs of using GO?
Last month there was an "initiative" to decrease the cost of GO fair by decreasing cost for first zone travelers and increasing cost for longer trips. -Can you tell us what percentage of travelers get off within the first zone VS the rest?
I can't effort paying for paid parking spots that are taking over the free parking pools.. -What are you doing to address the parking shortage?
Seats Your comfort is important to us. Admittedly, the reaction of our latest coach seats was mixed. Last summer, we invited customers to test out some new designs at Union Station to help inform in the next generation of GO train seating. We tested several types of seat cushions, headrests and armrests. We’re now reviewing the feedback and hope to have an update shortly.
Fares We understand that travel to and from work can be costly, but we believe GO still provides a competitive advantage to the high costs associated with longer-distance car commutes. We’ve grown services by 25 per cent since our last fare increase in September 2017. Sufficient funding is required to maintain and improve the customer experience that you expect and deserve. A significant investment in new infrastructure has been made in order to increase the capacity of the GO Transit system. As this infrastructure is brought into service, additional costs are introduced in order to operate and maintain the new infrastructure.
When you travel shorter distances on GO Transit, you typically pay a higher price per kilometre than if you travel longer distances. Our recent reduction of fares for short-distance trips help to address that. Admittedly, many of our travellers take longer distance trips. However, with this fare adjustment, we expect more people to take short-distance trips in the future.
Parking We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. We adjust our reserved parking based on demand, and we try to strike the right balance. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
parking at Newmarket GO is laughable, and not everyone has the luxury of biking or walking to the station, and only 3 shuttle buses provided by YRT, I was shocked when forced to take this alternative. what are your expansion plans? there are now double the trains, but less parking considering valuable space has been designated to those who want to pay for a spot, again, not everyone has this luxury. East Gwillimbury is also quite full, so not a good option.
We are working to add new parking to select stations across our network. For example, we're building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site.
Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there. We know that parking at Newmarket GO Station can be a challenge, and we’re working to assess options to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on York Region Transit when connecting to GO services.
Why is 15 minutes tap before the departure time a must for the claim? Can we not tap 20 minutes earlier to secure the seat? Or what about miss the train ahead which the tapped time will become 30 mins. We have to make the call for the claim that means more manpower at your end answering calls and our time to make the call.
The 15 minute tap window is standard across our system and provides enough time for customers to arrive at the station, tap and board before departure. We understand in some cases customers might inadvertently tap outside that window or other operational issues could occur.
The automated system that processes claims requires certain conditions to be met in order to approve a Service Guarantee. In the scenarios above, the customer would need to request a review by our Contact Centre (1-888-438-6646) for eligibility.
It is exciting to see finally that there will be more train service back and forth from downtown. My question is will there be additional PARKING at Milliken and Unionville GO stations. Plus can the traffic lights be a bit smarter to accommodate the traffic during peak time of passengers leaving the GO stations. ... Thank you .
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. We're working on building a new parking lot at Unionville GO to give you access to 300 more parking spaces.
However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
There is currently no bus serving the Newmarket or East Gwillimbury Go Train station from the surrounding neighbourhoods. There was some bad attempt at this last year but none of the busses aligned with the trains and this meant it added an additional 30-45 min to an already long commute to union station so 1hr 5 min turned into nearly 2hrs! This is not practical. There should be more community busses servicing newmarket particularly new suburbs around Bathurst/Davis and Bathurst and Green lane. Only one bus services such a large area and doesnt go anywhere useful or relevant. Everone in that suburb has to drive to the GO lot and there is not enough parking. Carpooling is also not always possible. Please try to integrate something with YRT. The Dial a ride is also useless. I tried using it 2 times and car never showed up. Was left stranded and had to take a cab.
Thank you very much for offering your feedback. GO bus service is intended to provide regional bus service to connect communities. York Region Transit offers local service in your area, and we suggest you visit yrt.ca to learn more about their service plans.
I have seen online that additional stops are being proposed on the Barrie line that I personally feel are not necessary. For example, why is the Caledonia stop being proposed when there is already a TTC connection available at Downsview Park?
Second, why is a stop being added at Kirby? Isn't it cheaper to add more parking at King City and Maple to meet the demand? If the issue is not having enough room for parking at ground level or no room for a garage, what about underground parking? My commuter friends from King City GO would really appreciate more parking that is NOT reserved!!!
The only station additions I would support are in Concord/Thornhill/Woodbridge and Innisfill as these are under-served areas, not Kirby.
The reason I bring these examples up is that a lot of people appreciate and love the fact that you can currently take a train from Aurora to Union in under an hour on the Barrie Line and adding too many stops would simply mean a longer commute, unless express trains are going to be added. Taking the GO Train should be a way of getting to and from downtown Toronto quickly, not take the same amount of time as driving.
Caledonia GO Station, a separate project by Metrolinx, is still in the early stages of planning and design. The Caledonia GO Station will be an interchange station with the Caledonia stop on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. We’ll follow up with the community once we have a more clear idea of scope and schedule for the project.
With respect to new stations, Metrolinx has adopted a Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy for delivering new stations that provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process. Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together to solicit interest from third parties for both Kirby and Innisfil GO Stations.
Could Metrolinx please say how GO Bus service hours it provided in the past two financial years, and how many it is planning for the current financial year?
Last year, we operated 825,992 bus service hours and the previous year, we operated 816,316 hours. We currently do not have a forecast for the year ahead as there are a number of factors that influence our services.
Metrolinx does not own the Milton corridor, so we can run our trains only when our freight rail partners are not running theirs. But we continue expanding service on the Milton line wherever we can, increasing from 60 weekly trips to 100 over the last 10 years.
Metrolinx does not own the Milton corridor, so we can run our trains only when our freight rail partners are not running theirs. But we continue expanding service on the Milton line wherever we can, increasing from 60 weekly trips to 100 over the last 10 years.
As noted, the Ontario Line will likely be using smaller trainsets, but it will also be built through a complex downtown environment, where station building is a monumental task in itself.
Considering that it's taken around ten years to build both the Spadina Line (through greenfield) and the Eglinton Crosstown (through a less built-up environment)- not including the additional time it took to undertake the environmental and engineering studies- how will the Ontario Line realistically make the 2027 deadline from 2019?
How fast will the government be able to tender the project?
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario with the City of Toronto and the TTC will continue collaborating and working side by side to build a modern, integrated transit system that will connect more communities to more places, saving them time in their travels.
We are lucky to have world renowned experts on our team and in our partners who will continue to bring together infinite experience and deliver this exciting program on behalf of the Province of Ontario to further our transit network for years to come.
We are in the process of sharing information so that we are able to do our own due diligence for each project and conduct expert panel reviews. We will draw on lessons learned from other projects internationally, using proven international best practices and technologies.
When do you anticipate the construction at the Bathurst and Atkinson intersection will be completed? I believe that the current situation is dangerous for both vehicles and pedestrians. Thank you.
- How do you plan to address the parking shortage in general, and in particular, at the Aurora GO station? - When do you plan to open the Bloomington GO station?
We are working to add new parking to select stations across our network. For example, we're building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site.
Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there. We know that parking at Aurora GO Station can be a challenge, and we’re working to assess options to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on York Region Transit when connecting to GO services.
In March, Mr. Verster sent a letter to York University about GO bus service to the university that seemed very political and appeared to misrepresent the circumstances to the point where it was misleading to the public. I would like to know Mr. Verster's views on why he thought it was appropriate for a government public servant to engage in such political and deceptive practices, and on where he sees the line for the CEO between politics, commercial concerns, and public integrity.
Can we please have express trains from Barrie. By the time we drive to the Go, take the train and then arrive at work, we could have flown to Florida. This is not an exaggeration, unfortunately
We add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
What is your plan to expand parking at overflowing go stations like Rutherford and maple go. I see condos going up but no space for expanding parking in that area.
We're building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site. We're also building more parking at Maple GO and King City GO. Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there.
Hi can the car pool interim design be changed. This is an absolute zoo during rush hour pick ups. The frustration levels are getting out of hand with individuals parking any which way that ties up the exit. It’s very tight now to do a proper turn to exit. I feel this is an unsafe design that will lead to aggressive behaviors by the drivers. I would highly Recommend some enforcement staff regularly attend this car pool site during evening rush hour pick up. It’s getting out of hand!! I plan to attend this session and I am sure I am not the only one with this concern
Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We have shared this with our enforcement teams. In the future, feel free to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate learning about which site you're referring to.
At this time, there are no plans to add GO train service to Orangeville.
Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.
All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.
Currently, we are focusing on reinforcing our existing service area. However, we will continue to monitor feedback for future consideration.
Long overdue, but we need a Go bus that can take us to the Toronto Premium outlet service in Halton, or a bus that goes by there with stops. The mall has been existing since 2013 and still no service. And still no local Milton Transit service.
While we currently do not have plans to bring GO Bus service to the Premium Outlets, we continually assess and monitor ridership to help ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. At this time, Metrolinx’s top priorities for investment in GO Transit generally involve expanding the quantity and quality of service offered on the existing train and bus network. These investments were selected over potential alternatives in part because of their ability to attract significant ridership by meeting the unmet current demand as well as the planned growth over the next few decades.
Are there any serious discussions to ease the pain of the major traffic stress on Rutherford street and Major Mackenzie by expanding Langstaff from Woodbridge to Dufferin & Highway 7?
Thank you for your question. Metrolinx is not responsible for road construction/expansion. Please share your question with York Region at [email protected].
This contract is currently in the procurement phase. Once we have a contractor on board, we'll have a better idea as to construction schedule, and we'll communicate that to customers, the local community and our stakeholders.
When our schedule train is cancelled last min, why does GO transit not have bus service from Union Station? every trip interruption we are asked to take TTC then take bus which normally takes 4 to 5 hours to get to our destination. Instead of making us do all that please just have a GO bus available from Union. Hope this will be implemented.
In the case of a service disruption, we do what we can to get you to where you're going. While we always work quickly to resolve the issue, we assess safety and availability of vehicles when determining alternative travel options. If a shuttle bus is not provided at your particular location, it was neither safe or feasible to do so.
This contract is currently in the procurement phase. Once we have a contractor on board, we'll have a better idea as to construction schedule, and we'll communicate that to customers, the local community and our stakeholders.
With respect to the Barrie line, the proposed Innisfil GO station will be located immediately north of 6th Line, east of 20th Sideroad.
Metrolinx has adopted a Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy for delivering new stations that provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process. Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together to solicit interest from third parties for a new station at Innisfil.
Union Station is getting so much better and I enjoy using it but often my business in Toronto puts me closer to Danforth Station. Too many times I've not noticed that the scheduling leaves me standing on the eastbound platform while trains zoom past me. I appreciate that there are probably not enough passengers to make interfering with the express trains feasible but what if Danforth was encouraged as an alternative to Union? And then get the Carlton street car in sync to get GO passengers from Main subway to the GO Station with a new TTC Stop convenient to the GO.
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We have passed this on to the operations teams.
When are you going to implement a pick up service for Maple go ? Same as aurora ? Was looking at your plans and it selectively left my home out. Also, when will you decrease the cost of parking ?
Beyond our regular bus service, we do not offer pick-up service at Aurora GO. Perhaps, you're referring to the York Region Transit's mobility on-demand service pilot? We suggest you visit yrt.ca to learn more about their service plans. At the same time, we are continually looking at ways to improve connections to and from our stations, and we thank you for expressing your interest in pick-up services.
There is no cost for parking at GO stations, with exception to reserved parking.
Hi there, When will going to get the promised extra parking spots at Bradford GO station? By 7AM the parking lot is full and I don't aforde to pay the extra tax for a reserved spot as the faires are already super high.
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this.
We’re working on design plans to add more parking at Bradford GO. Those plans are still in the early stages of development, but we’ll work collaboratively with customers, stakeholders, and the local community once we have a better idea of how many parking spaces we’re adding. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible.
When will GO add entrance gates for reserved parking lots where patrons pay $100 a month to park? There are people who insist to drop off and pickup passengers while idling in and around reserved parking spaces. This impedes the ability of reserved parking users to park in their designated spots and also causes undue congestion and risk at peak hours of the day. If you would observe anywhere else in the city where one pays $100 to park, there is a gate for entry and exit and it's streamlined. TTC has paid parking only.
Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We have considered gated access in the past but determined it would not be a viable solution. We have shared this with our enforcement teams for them to follow up on. In the future, feel free to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
Seems like Metrolinx is focused too much on finding transportation solution and much less on creating parking solutions for their customers. From April 2018 to January 2019, Metrolinx saw overall growth at 5.8 per cent in ridership. Could you tell us what was the growth in terms of parking spaces? I am sick and tired of arriving to the station and not finding parking, missing the train and arrive exhausted to work. I switched to driving to work combined with TTC ride as many others did too. I know that you have plans for the future but we need solutions now. In my opinion parking issues will cap GO ridership
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program.
Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
We plan to make some major station improvements at King City GO Station, including more parking spaces in the east lot. We’re currently working on design plans, and construction is expected to start by the end of 2020.
Why are more reserved spots being released at King? Where is everyone else supposed to park? Website says more parking is coming to King in 2019. When?? Parking situation is a joke! Nothing available after 6:30 am. Unacceptable yet prices just keep going up. Everyone is beyond frustrated!
We expand our reserved parking program based on demand, and we are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program.
We also plan to make some major station improvements at King City GO Station, including more parking spaces in the east lot. We’re currently working on design plans, and construction is expected to start by the end of 2020.
Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. That's why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible.
The crosstown construction is causing a big mess on Eglinton. Metrolinx rarely solicits feedback about reducing community impacts, rarely replies to email about the construction, and rarely seems concerned about the effects of their construction decisions on local businesses or local residents. For example, Metrolinx dumped a diesel generator in front of my building that they have been running 24/7 for around 5 months now, and after months of complaining, their "compromise" was to throw some gym mats on it. How is Metrolinx going to try improving its construction practices before inflicting this misery on the rest of the city?
Transforming transit across the middle of Toronto is a significant undertaking, so we understand that construction can be disruptive.
Metrolinx makes every effort to ensure that the communities that are impacted by the work receive up-to-date information on construction activities and timing and where they are directly impacted, they are supported. This involves significant outreach and public communication. Metrolinx has a dedicated team of community relations and communications specialists to support the delivery of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project. The team, supported by Metrolinx’s constructor, Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS), operates from two community offices along Eglinton Avenue, one at Dufferin Street and one at Bayview Avenue, to answer questions and address concerns. Telephone service is available 24/7.
Through monthly Construction Liaison Committees (CLCs) and community canvasses, the team works with local businesses and residents to lessen the impact of construction and to address concerns, where possible. Key outreach activities include public open houses, 24/7 noise mitigation plan/outreach, tours, weekly construction notices at stations with overnight/disruptive work, safety messaging.
Metrolinx has a commitment to keeping people informed, so construction notices are mailed to all residences within 500 metres of the Eglinton corridor. This information is also posted on thecrosstown.ca, shared on Twitter via @CrosstownTO, and distributed to email lists. Local city councillors and their staff are briefed in advance of work starting, and maps and informational videos explaining changes to pedestrian movements or traffic set-ups are created.
For any questiions, feel free to contact the Crosstown team at [email protected].
Please explain what will happen with parking at the station when the parking structure will be built. Where will reserved spots go? Will there be free parking elsewhere? When will this happen? I received an email about a potential pilot project involving transfers to the GO station by car. It seems like a good idea to me. Is this happening?
We're building more parking at Maple GO and King City GO. Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there. We're also currently building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site. We'll have more details to share about the pilot project very soon.
Metrolinx and Lyft are making it easier for riders to get to and from GO Stations through a six-month pilot program. Announced on July 15, the pilot has rolled out at Exhibition, Oakville, Unionville and Bramalea GO Stations. By starting or ending a trip with Lyft at one of these GO Stations, new and existing customers will save $4 on their next five Lyft rides. For more information, visit https://blog.metrolinx.com/2019/07/15/grabbing-a-lyft-to-go/.
Caledonia and Mount Dennis GO stations were supposed to open in conjunction with the Eglinton Crosstown in 2021. However, we are 2 years away and seems like contracts for these 2 GO stations have not been awarded yet. It is highly unlikely these stations can be built in 1 year. What is the status of these 2 GO stations?
The Caledonia GO Station will be an interchange station with the Caledonia stop on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Caledonia GO Station, a separate project by Metrolinx, is still in the early stages of planning and design. We’ll follow up with the community once we have a more clear idea of scope and schedule for the project. Mount Dennis Station is on the UP Express line, and Mount Dennis LRT Station is under construction and should be completed on-schedule by 2021 in time for the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc.) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
How much is Metrolinx spending on French translation? Not only is it a waste of paper but the cost of translation is a burden all riders have to bear. Given that French is not even in the top 10 spoken languages in the GTA, why are we subjected to messages in French?
Thank you for your question. As a Crown agency, Metrolinx must abide by the French Language Services Act (FLSA). This legislation "recognizes the contribution of the cultural heritage of the French speaking population and wishes to preserve it for future generations." It protects the language rights of Francophones by ensuring that provincial government services are offered in French and English in designated areas in Ontario. Since Metrolinx serves clients in designated areas, all of its services must be offered in French and English.
GO Transit is a regional public transit service provider for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The service area covered by GO Transit is prescribed and mandated by the Minister of Transportation, and does not extend to Kingston, Montreal or Ottawa.
Comments
Transparency for Transit Oriented Development Agreements
HBSRRAWill Metrolinx please describe how the ToD process works, and explain how efforts will be made to bring greater transparency to both the processes involved and the agreements themselves?
When Metrolinx was caught in the middle of a slew of accusations related to political interference in transit planning, the business case and decision gate processes were laid out in very clear terms. With recent government changes to station approvals and the need for transit oriented development agreements, we are back to opaque processes that keep communities out of the loop. This needs to change.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together, using our combined expertise in land development, to deliver the TOD program. The program objectives are to increase transit ridership, deliver a better customer experience, and more complete places to live, work and play near a station with connections to the rest of the region. The program includes market driven (third-party) opportunities, joint developments, dispositions and connections. Strong evidence-based decision-making is still a key contributor to the design, selection and delivery of transit investments. All new transit infrastructure must provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, which is evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process.
With respect to business cases, strong evidence-based decision-making is a key contributor to the design, selection and delivery of transit investments. The Metrolinx Business Case Guidance clearly outlines how our business cases are developed, including the robust approach for assessing the benefits, costs, and impacts of a potential investment. Most importantly, since business cases are published on our website, it helps our customers clearly understand the basis for these decisions.
To listen to the response, please see the video https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/content/metrolinx-town-hall-june-24-2019 at the 15:34 mark.
Fare integration for Ontario's transit systems
Andrew D.GO Transit's recent fare adjustments are slowly opening it as a choice alongside the TTC for travelling around Toronto. Still, we cannot combine GO Transit, UP Express, VIA Rail, and local agencies without significant cost; their prices for going to the same place can differ wildly. To trust transit as a replacement for a car, I need to be able to hop on the half-empty train that my phone just informed me is departing in five minutes without worrying that it's going to triple the cost of my journey. Have you considered a model such as Transport for London's low-threshold price capping to harmonize fares and allow riders to use all public networks without penalties?
Answer
MetrolinxTransit is already competitive in price with the car, but it is true that not all services are priced the same within a given area, and that transferring between systems can result in multiple charges.
While Metrolinx doesn’t have the authority to set fares regionally, we are actively working with other agencies on harmonization. And while the loyalty program on GO Transit is already a kind of cap, it doesn’t extend to other services as in London.
To listen to the response, please see the video https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/content/metrolinx-town-hall-june-24-2019 at the 42:33 mark.
Richmond Hill/Gormley All Day GO Trains
AnonymousWhen is the all day train service going to start for the Richmond Hill/Gormley line? There’s been mention of an all day service however no start date in site.
Answer
MetrolinxWe continue to explore service options on the Richmond Hill line. A challenge however is that Metrolinx does not own most of the Richmond Hill corridor. We will continue to work with CN (owner) on how we can improve service in the future. In the meantime, major improvements include the all new Bloomington GO Station opening in late 2020 which will have considerable ameneties and parking.
Moving of YorkU station and building Concord Station
AnonymousMy question is, with the growth in York Region, when will the YorkU station be shut down, and the new Concord GO station be constructed? We have serious traffic problems and the area of Concord/Thornhill needs to have better access to downtown Toronto. The VivaNext project will be completed by December, and there are no signs of the Concord GO station at all.
This is a very important station for the area, and it will help commuters get out of their cars and into transit.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
With respect to Concord GO, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc.) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
Express Trains
AnonymousWhy is there a focus on all day service when the majority of users want faster peak travel time? Make express trains a priority.
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. By increasing off-peak service, we’re enhancing transit scheduling to make life easier for those travelling within the GTHA. Increasing sustainable trip options is an important part of an integrated regional transportation network. Similar transit services throughout the world have been shown to slow the growth of road congestion. Travel times for much of the network will significantly improve with the introduction of electrified train service, which allows for faster acceleration and speed at a lower cost.
Wi-Fi on GO Trains
AnonymousWondering if there are any updates on this? The pilot was run a year ago and there has been very limited information on this since that time. I actually participated in the pilot and did not have any connection issues. Yes, it was slow but at least it was a consistent connection, which is more than we get with cellular service.
Answer
MetrolinxAs you may recall, last year we tested Wi-Fi services from two different providers. It was very popular with our customers. We are assessing the results, and we are still very much working toward the goal of providing our customers with Wi-Fi on our GO trains and buses. We will have more details to share with you in the future.
Richmond Hill GO Train - Additional Service?
AnonymousThe Richmond Hill GO Train line is becoming quite a congested ride for Langstaff commuters and of course, the stations further south. The situation worsened when the Gormley Station was added and suspect that when the Bloomington Station becomes active things will get even worse. I completely understand that Gormley and Bloomington commuters need transit options, but adding additional stations and commuters without increasing the frequency of the trains to handle the extra load makes for a frustrating commute.
Will Metrolinx consider adding extra rush hour trains and all-day service for the Richmond Hill Train corridor? One or two extra rush hour trains and one train every hour during non-peak periods would be excellent options for commuters to get downtown throughout the day and subsequently take the load off of GO buses, York Region buses and the TTC subway line. A late evening northbound train (10:30PM, 11:00PM) would also be a nice option for commuters after sporting events, concerts or theatre shows.
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. As you know, there are a number of unique considerations on the Richmond Hill corridor that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
Stouville GO Line Service
AnonymousWhen is the double tracking of the Stouville Line expected to complete? When will we see the next wave of service improvement on the Stouville GO Line? There seems to be little to no advancement for the Scarborough Junction. Are you committed to grade separate the junction to increase train service? What is the timeline for it?
Answer
MetrolinxThe second track is currently being installed.
We are working hard to expand service on the Stouffville line. For example, in April 2019, we introduced five midday weekday trips serving centennial, Markham and Mount Joy.
With respect to the Scarborough Junction, we are currently working on the preliminary design and meeting with the City of Toronto with regards to the Scarborough Junction grade separation. Stay tuned for details on when public engagement will take place.
To listen to the response, please see the video https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/content/metrolinx-town-hall-june-24-2019 at the 1:00:03 mark.
WiFi on the GO
AnonymousWill we ever get the promised free WiFi on the GO. I tought that the recent increase of fare was to cover the cost for this.
Answer
MetrolinxAs you may recall, last year we tested Wi-Fi services from two different providers. It was very popular with our customers. We are assessing the results, and we are still very much working toward the goal of providing our customers with Wi-Fi on our GO trains and buses. We will have more details to share with you in the future.
Weekend service
AnonymousI'd like the Richmond Hill line to have some kind of service on weekends, even if its intermittent. Even one bus every 90 minutes would be excellent.
Has this option been explored? What was the outcome?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for offering your feedback. We are always monitoring our services and modify where it makes sense for the regional network. In the meantime, local transit options are operated by the York Regional Transit and the TTC.
Speeding Up Effective Transportation for Today
AnonymousHi,
What can community activists do to help speed progress along?
The newest plan is slated for 2041 and at that point I'll be in my 50's.
Answer
MetrolinxThe 2041 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is intended to be implemented in phases, in close collaboration with municipal partners, stakeholders and the public. Since our first transportation plan was completed in 2008, we’ve made a substantial investment in new rapid transit and completed a number of projects, including GO Rail extensions, new Bus Rapid Transit lines, UP Express and the Spadina Subway Extension.
One of the five strategies of the RTP is the development of the Frequent Rapid Transit Network (FRTN), which helps us guide network planning decisions that will help to meet the growth of the region to 2041. Under the FRTN, a number of rapid transit projects are currently in delivery and are planned to open within the next five years, including the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Finch West LRT, Hamilton LRT and Bus Rapid Transit lines, with another 62 rapid transit projects to be planned and implemented over the next few decades.
For more information on how the Regional Transportation Plan will be implemented, check out the Making it Happen paper. You can also look for opportunities to participate through Metrolinx Engage.
Pearson Express #40
AnonymousAre there plans to extend the Pearson Express #40 bus service east into Markham (Unionville or 9th Line)?
It would be an efficient alternative for those of us living east of Highway 404 wishing for convenient access to the airport or Hamilton.
Thank you.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for offering your feedback. We're always looking at ways to improve, so we have shared your input forward to see if anything can be done to address this. As you can imagine, we introduce services when and where we can based on a number of factors, including ridership and availability of resources. When we do finalize plans for new services, we are sure to give customers plenty of advance notice.
GO bus information at stations and terminals
SilverTTwo years ago, GO removed all the posted-style schedule and route information at stations, terminals and park-and-ride sites. There is still no replacement information, either static or through TV screens.
Could GO please ensure that stations, terminals and park-and-ride sites have information available showing the bus routes that serve each stop, and their schedule?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for your feedback. You're right, we did remove the printed schedule from locations. With the availability of online trip planning tools, such as Triplinx and gotransit.com, we found reprinting schedules with every service change for every location wasn't the best use of resources. You can find full schedule information at gotransit.com/fullschedules. To find what routes are available to you, you can look up your stop online to find the "station page." For real-time bus service information, you can use our "Where's my bus" service with your phone. We also have digital signage at every GO train station, and we're working on bringing digital screens to major bus locations.
Electrification
WestonWhen? Particularly for UP express but all owned lines were promised in 2014. Up was promised by the minister by 2017. It is now 5 years after that promise and not one inch of catenary has been installed, nor have Rfeoi’s been issued for electric vehicles.
Answer
MetrolinxJust last month we reached the RFP stage of procuring the OnCorridor Works Project. The OnCorridor Works project includes the new infrastructure required to facilitate the delivery of expanded and improved GO rail services, including two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes over core segments of the GO rail network, as well as the operations and maintenance of the GO rail network.
The On-Corridor Works project is being delivered using the design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) Public-Private Partnership (P3) model. Bid teams will be required to submit proposals to realize the performance objectives of the GO Rail Expansion. As outlined in Ontario’s 2019 Budget, the Ontario Government will look to the private sector to propose innovative approaches to meet future GO Transit rail service levels, including opportunities for technology that could be used to electrify core segments of the GO Transit rail network, such as an overhead catenary system or hydrogen fuel cells. Once the team is selected, final infrastructure and service plans will be made available.
Are you going to replace the Route 20 and 24 with anything?
JoeyCI just found out that us Milton residents have no access to Oakville anymore as of June 29th!! How could you do this? How are the students going to go to sheridan college in Oakville from Milton? Also route 24 to Cambridge is cancelled. Please tell me you will substitute this with another route. Why not make the route 25 and 29 have stop overs to the Milton Park and Ride? there is no way for us to get between the Milton Go and the Park and Ride, not even the Milton transit goes there all day. Milton is the fastest growing city in canada!! Also no service to the Premium outlets??? C'mon its been there for 6 years now. When are we going to get service..Thanks
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx monitors our service carefully to ensure we are making the best use of our resources. We value our customers and we do not make these decisions lightly, in these cases there is not enough demand to justify running the services.
While we currently do not have plans to bring GO Bus service to the Premium Outlets, we continually assess and monitor ridership to help ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. At this time, Metrolinx’s top priorities for investment in GO Transit generally involve expanding the quantity and quality of service offered on the existing train and bus network. These investments were selected over potential alternatives in part because of their ability to attract significant ridership by meeting the unmet current demand as well as the planned growth over the next few decades.
For more information about the route changes and alternatives, please click here.
Express trakns for Barrie line
AnonymousWill it be possible to have express trains for Barrie line? Driving to downtown is taking less time than riding the GO.
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
Barrie line express trains
AnonymousWe really need to shorten our peak travel time. Can we make express trains a priority for Barrie line?
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
Richmond Hill Line Train Service
AnonymousIt seems like all of the other GO Transit train lines are offering extended service, all day service, weekend service. The Richmond Hill Line runs trains south in the morning rush hour only and north in the evening rush hours only. When is the service going to be expanded to include two-way service and weekend service?
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. On the Richmond Hill corridor, there are a number of unique considerations that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
Connecting to Langstaff GO Train Station
AnonymousFor your response...
At your Langstaff Station, I'm noticing the demand for parking (esp. at the south lot) has been exceeding the supply.
This is a good sign, as it indicates increased local interest for taking GO trains and buses from Langstaff Station!
However, it is also clear that parking shortages may be discouraging customers from using your services, i.e. for fear of not finding parking, getting tagged, etc. (Similar to other GO stations, you're becoming a victim of your own success. Well, actually...it's your customers who are becoming the victims!)
To address this "first/last mile" issue, it would help if GO would either:
(a) Expand parking
(b) Consider (again) implementing modest parking pricing options
(b) Work with YRT to initiate an 'innovatively simple' local shuttle bus service which would serve the Thornhill area (i.e. south of Langstaff between Yonge and Bayview)
(c) Meet with the community to collaboratively develop some potential solutions to address "first/last mile" challenges for Langstaff Station.
Let's put some heads together so we can figure this out!
Answer
MetrolinxWe are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
Pedestrian bridge at Old Cummer
AnonymousWe need a pedestrian bridge at Old Cummer station. The community is cut in half by the tracks. People are forced to walk across tracks. Many have to drive even though would rather walk. Pineway and Zion schools need buses even though kids can walk. The recreational path stops at the tracks. Please build us a bridge.
Thanks
Answer
MetrolinxThanks for your thoughts. At Metrolinx, safety is our top priority. It’s important that people not cross our rail corridor as train time is any time.
The decision to build a pedestrian bridge across the rail corridor rests with the municipality. We are always willing to work with the City of Toronto on requests to build additional pedestrian crossings over our rail corridor.
We do not have any plans to build a pedestrian bridge at Old Cummer Station. We regularly look for opportunities to improve access to our stations including enhancing active transportation (e.g walking, cycling) access. As we upgrade stations across the network, we will be improving station access for all modes of transportation including pedestrians and cyclists.
Schedule
AnonymousWhy is the schedule for the Richmond hill line so limited? Also why is the train speed so slow?
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. On the Richmond Hill corridor, there are a number of unique considerations that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
All day go
AnonymousWhat decade are we going to get all day in Hamilton? You might as well close down the west harbour station as only one train a day goes there...
Answer
MetrolinxIncreasing service to the City of Hamilton is a priority for Metrolinx and through the GO Expansion program Hamilton will receive more service than there is today.
As background, because Metrolinx doesn’t own the rail corridor west of Burlington GO Station, service plans are dependent on adding more infrastructure and finalizing service agreements with rail corridor owners.
We have already completed much of the required infrastructure work:
We are currently working with rail corridor owners to deliver more service to the Hamilton as soon as possible. Stay tuned for more information.
Garbage alongside the rails
AnonymousPlease advise, who is responsible for cleaning the area from the garbage alongside the railway tracks?
The area looks very dirty that wasn’t clean for years especially during spring time after the snow comes out.
Answer
MetrolinxThrowing garbage onto our railway property is illegal and it’s also a safety risk for our trains. We have clean-up programs that take place in the spring and fall. In the future, feel free to contact GO Customer Care at 1-888-438-6646. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
Richmond Hill
AnonymousWhen will you stop treating the passengers on the Richmond Hill line like cattle? Trains and platform are overcrowded.
Fares keep going up with no improvement in service, while all other lines get much better service.
One day we ended up with a 12-car train and you can tell people were happy and comfortable. Then the next day, back to the cattle car experience.
Stop giving us vague non-answers and excuses and do something. We're not animals.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for letting us know about your experience. Your comfort is important to us, and we do try to balance passenger loads by adding service or railcars when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. In the case of Richmond Hill, platform restrictions limit the length of the trains we're able to operate along the corridor.
Communication about disruption
SilverTOntario has snow. Mostly, we cope with it. Sometimes it causes all sorts of major issues on the roads, and this causes all sorts of disruption to GO buses. That's life.
Now, GO knows when things are going badly. What would be great if passengers on trains or waiting at stations were told by on-train or station staff "Your bus will be 20 minututes late because the 401 is a nightmare". Sure, we wouldn't get home any faster - but at least we could wait inside in the warm, and get home without frozen faces.
Could GO make sure it communicates in this way during disruption?
Answer
MetrolinxWe are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We have passed this on to the operations teams. For real-time bus service information, you can use our "Where's my bus" service with your phone. We also have digital signage at every GO train station, and we're working on bringing digital screens to major bus locations.
Links to full schedules
SilverTCould the GO website provide a link to the page with full (PDF) schedules for each route on the homepage when you click 'see schedules'.
The words 'see schedules' imply that you should be able to see the schedules, but that's not the case currently.
Answer
MetrolinxWhile the 'see schedules' tool on our website is intended to offer simple departure and arrival times for your specific trip, we understand the value in seeing the comprehensive schedules. You can see them here: https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/seeschedules/full-schedules. In the meantime, we will forward your feedback onto the appropriate team.
Electrification
AnonymousI see that the Whitby shop has the pole bases in the ground and when will the pole bases be able added to Willowbrook yard?
Answer
MetrolinxThe Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility, on the Lakeshore East line, is a strategic and essential asset for Metrolinx’s planned service expansions, and is built for 30 years of expansion – to accommodate future electrified fleet.
The Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility in Etobicoke, along the Lakeshore West line, is also crucial to Metrolinx’s GO planned service expansions. As part of the GO Expansion program, we’re getting ready to procure a contract for services that will include building the infrastructure needed to electrify core segments of the GO network. That contract recently reached the RFP stage, which is still relatively early in the procurement process.
Although we cannot give a firm date as to when the infrastructure will be installed at Willowbrook, we can say that it is part of the GO Expansion program and will be up to the winning bidder to decide when, how, and which technology is used to electrify Willowbrook.
As outlined in Ontario’s 2019 Budget, the Ontario Government will look to the private sector to propose innovative approaches to meet future GO Transit rail service levels, including opportunities for technology that could be used to electrify core segments of the GO Transit rail network, such as an overhead catenary system or hydrogen fuel cells.
Transparency with decisions
AnonymousWe need transparency. We need to know what we can expect, especially pertaining to First Capital's future at Humber Bay Shores and the proposed Go Station.
Answer
MetrolinxA new Park Lawn GO station is in the early planning and design stage. The updated Initial Business Case was completed in February 2018, showing the location has positive benefits. In the meantime, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
Who is working on the downtown relief line?
JohnIs Metrolinx doing any work on studying or designing the downtown relief line pending an potential upload from the TTC? What are the base assumptions related to that work and what is the schedule?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario with the City of Toronto and the TTC will continue collaborating and working side by side to build a modern, integrated transit system that will connect more communities to more places, saving them time in their travels.
We are lucky to have world renowned experts on our team and in our partners who will continue to bring together infinite experience and deliver this exciting program on behalf of the Province of Ontario to further our transit network for years to come.
We are in the process of sharing information so that we are able to do our own due diligence for each project and conduct expert panel reviews. We will draw on lessons learned from other projects internationally, using proven international best practices and technologies.
Milton Go train, all day service
JoeyCPlease advise us when you will implement all day 2 way Milton Go train service to the fastest growing city in Canada.
Also update us on any new routes coming to Milton in the near future.
We also need all day service from Milton Go to the Milton Park and Ride, and from Milton Go to the Oakville Trafalgar park and ride.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx does not own the Milton corridor, so we can run our trains only when our freight rail partners are not running theirs. But we continue expanding service on the Milton line wherever we can, increasing from 60 weekly trips to 100 over the last 10 years.
PARK LAWN GO STATION
AnonymousWhy a project to build a Park Lawn GO Station is suspended? This area need more transit with growing population and all this condos construction
Answer
MetrolinxA new Park Lawn GO station is in the early planning and design stage. The updated Initial Business Case was completed in February 2018, showing the location has positive benefits. In the meantime, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
More Bus Service at Highway 407 Bus Terminal
LeoHas Metrolinx considered moving some of the buses that stop or terminate at Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal to the Highway 407 Bus Terminal? This however is a bit inefficient since there are no highway ramps from Highway 400 Northbound nor Southbound to Highway 407 and exit Jane Street. Dedicated bus-only ramps could improve the accessibility of Highway 407 Bus Terminal for buses coming and going from all directions.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for offering your feedback. We're always looking at ways to improve, so we have shared your input forward to see if anything can be done to address this. As you can imagine, we introduce services when and where we can based on a number of factors, including ridership and availability of resources. When we do finalize plans for new services, we are sure to give customerse plenty of advance notice.
Parking shortage at Bradford Go Station
AnonymousWhen will more parking spots be added to the Bradford Go Station? If you don't arrive by 7:00 a.m. there is no parking available which is unacceptable! And you keep adding more and more reserved spots which makes taking the GO Train that much more unaffordable for the average person when you add in the already high cost to board the train!
Answer
MetrolinxWe know that parking is a challenge at stations all across the network, including at Bradford GO Station. That’s why we’re working on design plans to add more parking at Bradford GO. Those plans are still in the early stages of development, but we’ll work collaboratively with customers, stakeholders, and the local community once we have a better idea of how many parking spaces we’re adding.
GO buses holding for connections
SilverTThere are many cases where GO buses are supposed to wait for a connecting train before departing, even if that train is delayed. This indicated on the schedules with an 'h' next to the departure time.
I have had multiple instances of buses departing before a delayed train arrived. Speaking with bus drivers, it seems they are not informed that a train is late, and hence may end up departing because a different train has arrived.
Could GO make sure bus drivers are told when the connecting train will be late, and ensure they hold until the train arrives?
Alternatively, if a train is very late and the bus departs anyway, could GO ensure train passengers are told, so they can make an informed descision about what to do (different bus, taxi, call a family member of pick-up, wait inside for next bus, etc.)?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for bringing this to our attention. You're right - we can and should do better. We have passed this on to the operations teams for follow up. If you encounter this problem again, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at 1-888-438-6646.
All day 2 way train service to Kitchener
AnonymousWhy is this service not yet avail. Where did the conversation go? It was all but happening and then...silence.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.
Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.
We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.
Mitigation of UP Express fare increase for commuters
AnonymousIn April, Metrolinx increased fares on UP Express (yes, increased by at least 10% for daily users, since monthly caps no longer apply), recommending that commuters use GO service instead. What conveniently wasn't mentioned is how GO doesn't serve UP stations at all on weekends and only in one direction during peak hours.
Question 1: what are your short-term plans for allowing UP commuters hit with the fare increase to use GO? Such as stopping the 15:16 and 16:09 trains from Bramalea at Weston and Bloor? Converting equipment trips to in-service trips (e.g. from Union at 6:47 and 7:02, from Bramalea at 18:10)? Additional evening service?
Question 2: could GO fares be allowed on UP on weekends, when there is no other service to Weston and Bloor?
Answer
MetrolinxFares on UP Express remain unchanged, however loyalty discounts for frequent monthly travel are no longer available, as you stated. The different fare policies for GO and UP reflect the different purposes of the distinct services. As you know, UP Express is primarily focussed on providing fast, reliable train service that connects customers to very time-sensitive trips at the airport.
In regard to service, we add and modify GO service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including ridership, available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Several stations along the Kitchener line received more trip options earlier this year, but we had to adjust some schedules to ensure our services could run in parallel with CN freight traffic.
Weekend and evening trains on Kitchener line
AnonymousIn 2015, Metrolinx announced that evening and weekend train service to Brampton would start in 2017. It's 2019 now. What's standing in the way here? Please don't say you "add service when and where you can" – the question is /why/? Is bus ridership lower than expected? Are crews in short supply? Did CN backpedal on how many trains they would allow?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx does not own the entirety of the corridor serving Brampton, but we do work closely with our freight partners to ensure we are using all of the capacity available on the line. Thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN, we have already increased the number of trips on the corridor this year, and we are confident that we can continue to accelerate the delivery of new service to communities all the way along the line.
Expanding transit services ultimately gives commuters more options and more flexibility in planning their travel and we appreciate people’s patience as we continue to improve GO Transit service across this region.
Barrie Express Train
AnonymousCan we please have express trains from Barrie. By the time we drive to the Go, take the train and then arrive at work, we could have flown one way to Florida. This is not an exaggeration, unfortunately. Please help
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
Stouffville GO Train Stops
AnonymousAs the Lakeshore line has the most frequent service, running every 15 minutes during rush hour and stopping and Danforth, why is it that the Stouffville line added the Danforth stop?. And indicating the reason is because the same tracks are used is not an acceptable reason.
If you are looking at the infrastructure and how York region is developing, Danforth does not need to be added to even slower the service. Danforth is a 15 minute Subway TTC ride from King Station. This is not fair to the riders of the Stouffville line by adding unnecessary stops
Answer
MetrolinxWe need to strike the right balance of serving customers from all parts of our network. Stouffville trains stopping at Danforth GO helps to improve connectivity for those customers from different parts of our network wanting to take TTC.
Express Trains
Anonymous1. The Stouffville Line need more express trains - particularly during peak hours
2. Signage for the Quiet Zone on the upper cars needs to be more concise - I believe it reads the Quiet Zone is in effect for peak hours - what are peak hours? I suggest the Quite Zone be in effect for ALL hours the train is operational.
Answer
Metrolinx1. We add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Stouffville line with single tracking north of Scarborough GO. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass. However, we are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
2. The Quiet Zone has been very popular with many of our frequent customers, who choose a quiet commute during peak periods. We welcome all customers, in particular families, to travel GO during off-peak periods, including weekends. Our website states rush hour includes all trains arriving or departing Union Station before 9:30 a.m. and all trains leaving or arriving at Union Station between 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Grade Separation
Anonymouswhy do a grade separation at Rutherford when they do not have freight trains and Elgin Mills in Richmond Hill has both freight and GO train service? who decided that? Wonderful politicians in Vaughan!
Answer
MetrolinxAs part of planning for the GO Expansion, we assessed over 50 level crossings in York Region to identify opportunities to grade separate a number of priority level crossings, using a tiered approach to inform prioritization and discussions with municipalities.The 4 grade separations we're building in York Region were chosen because they will increase community and customer safety, they enable 15-minute service, are close to existing stations, and have a very high traffic levels.
Stouffville GO express
AnonymousCan we have the express train for Stouffville GO?
Answer
MetrolinxWe add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Stouffville line with single tracking north of Scarborough GO. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass. However, we are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
Express service.
AnonymousWhen is the Stouffville line going to get express service? Why not consider implementing an express service bypassing stations between union and unionville during rush hour?
Answer
MetrolinxWe add and modify service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Stouffville line with single tracking north of Scarborough GO. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass. However, we are continuing to expand service on Stouffville line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Service on the Stouffville line will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
West Vaughan Service
AnonymousHello,
With route 38 GO bus cancelled, are there any plans to replace it once the 427 has been completed along with the widening of Major Mackenzie? We need transit alternatives in West Vaughan since the Bolton GO line has been deferred past 2041 and GO bus service has been cut. Better bus feeder services would reduce parking needs at existing GO stations. Is there any movement on the Bolton GO train at all?
Thank you,
Answer
MetrolinxWe continue to operate Route 38 GO bus service with a reduced schedule to preserve transit connections for rural customers.
Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.
All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff. We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.
ST Line (expansion to Uxbridge and new stations)
AnonymousHello and how are your today?
I am asking about the Stouffville line and if it’s possible to extend the line all the way to Uxbridge and when construction might occur. Also when are the new stations and updating ones going to finish? I am really excited for the new ones to open as soon construction is finished and I would also say thank you for all your hard work and effort in construction these stations and service.
Answer
MetrolinxThe Stouffville double tracking project will be complete by spring 2020. Right now there are no plans to extend the line beyond Lincolnville GO. The station updates along the Stouffville line (Agincourt, Milliken and Unionville) will be completed in the coming years.
Richmond Hill Line
AnonymousHi metrolinx, as a day to day rider on RHL I am wondering if Meteolinx has any plans at all to increase the service level including increase the service frequency and length of the each train. As we all know RHL has been recognize as one of the most under served GO train lines in GTA.
Thanks
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic, available equipment and ridership patterns. On the Richmond Hill corridor, there are a number of unique considerations that make expanding service decidedly more complex. These include:
We appreciate your feedback and will continue to seize opportunities to add more service on the Richmond Hill corridor in the years to come.
See Something Say Something
AnonymousYou ask commuter "See Something, Say Something". I have been telling Go that the shelter at Centennial (near McCowan Road) has cigarette buds for the past many years. You have done nothing to stop or catch those smokers. Why?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We clean the shelters regularly and have shared this with our enforcement teams. We encourage you to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
Better late night service from Toronto to Kitchener?
AnonymousWhen/Are we ever going to get more service between Kitchener and Toronto and vise versa. Especially late night service that allows you to go to an event in Toronto that lasts until 11:00 - 11:40pm and still be able to take transit back to Kitchener after. The Summer especially, when there are many concerts/events at the CNE/Ontario Place.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx is committed to two-way, all day service on the Kitchener line. It is a key priority of our GO expansion program and the new service introduced in January was an important step forward on that commitment.
Metrolinx does not own the entirety of the Kitchener corridor, but we were able to deliver this first round of service improvements thanks to a stronger working relationship with CN Rail.
We continue to work together to find smarter and better ways to accelerate the delivery of new service to the communities along the line.
Extend route 21 to the Park and Ride...we have no other way
JoeyCI like others are very very dissapointed in Go Transit removing Route 20, we have a boat load of students who rely on the route to get to Oakville, Now we have to go to Mississauga then back west, we are looking at 3x the time it originally took.
The least you can do is extend the route 21 from Milton Go to the Park and Ride so us students can transfer to the route 25 or route 29 and take us to the WInstoN Churchill parkway.
You even eleminated route 24 that took us to the Park and Ride in the afternoon, and no the Milton Transit only services the park in ride during rush ours. Shame on Go Transit, this is the fastest growing city in Canada.
Please consider extending route 21 to the park and ride, its our only hope to get to college. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for sharing your feedback. Metrolinx monitors our service carefully to ensure we are making the best use of our resources. We value our customers and we do not make these decisions lightly, in the case of route 20 and 24, there is not enough demand to justify running the services.
For more information about the route changes and alternatives, please click here.
Mulock GO Station
AnonymousWhat is the status of the Mulock GO station on the Barrie line? Is it going ahead? Will it receive 15 minute electrified service? Currently, points north of Aurora have severely degraded service compared to a couple of years ago, which makes GO a less attractive option.
Answer
Metrolinx1. Metrolinx has adopted a Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy for delivering new stations. Implementation of this strategy requires that new transit infrastructure – including new stations - provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process.
Mulock GO station was announced as part of the 12 new stations approved by Metrolinx’ Board of Directors in July 2016 to move forward to the next stage of the business case lifecycle, the Preliminary Design Business Case (PDBC).
Metrolinx committed to looking at the context for Mulock more closely and to do more analysis in the context of the GO Expansion Full Business Case. That work is underway.
2. With respect to the Barrie line, 15 minute electrified service will only be available up to Aurora GO Station.
3. You're right, you should be able to rely on GO Transit to be on time. To ensure we’re meeting our commitments to you, we’re being more proactive about equipment upgrades, preparing more for extreme weather, spending more time on operations training, and working more closely with our rail partners to remove congestion in the network. While some of these delays are within our control, many are not, including extreme weather events, delays caused by an increased number of false passenger alarms, police investigations and increased freight traffic across our network.
York University Station
AnonymousWhat is the future plans for our station?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
Parking at the Bradford GO
AnonymousDevelopment of more parking has been promised and nothing has been started to date. Transit to and from the station is very limited and based on the current fare structure, I feel being forced to pay additional fees for reserved parking to ensure a parking space is completely unreasonable. I'm paying close to $100 a week for the train and I don't go into the city. When is Metrolinks going to fulfill their promises? DS
Answer
MetrolinxWe know that parking is a challenge at stations all across the network, including at Bradford GO Station. That’s why we’re working on design plans to add more parking at Bradford GO. Those plans are still in the early stages of development, but we’ll work collaboratively with customers, stakeholders, and the local community once we have a better idea of how many parking spaces we’re adding.
Station Retirement (York University)
AnonymousIs there any progress on retiring the York University station?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
Rutherford construction
DZWould you work with the city of Vaughan to allow some additional temporary parking places until the construction is completed?
Answer
MetrolinxWe'd be happy to work with our partners at the City of Vaughan on investigating the possibility of adding more temporary parking at Rutherford GO Station. We've already shifted many parking spaces to the temporary lot at 635 Westburne Drive.
York university go station
AnonymousAre you closing York station soon if yes why
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx’s priority is to ensure as many travellers as possible are able to access high-quality transit options. York University GO Station opened in 2002 as a temporary station with the anticipation of future changes to the transit network in the area. Since then, the TTC’s Line 1 extension and Downsview Park GO Station have opened, providing riders with more transit options than ever.
At this point in time, no decisions have been made on the future of the York University GO Station, however, we continue to monitor and review the station’s usage and ridership.
Barrie line
AnonymousWhen are you going to add a train from Barrie that gets to union by 935-940.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.
All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.
We have referred your request to the appropriate team for their review.
Sidewalk at Malton GO station
SilverTThe sidewalk coming into Malton GO station from Derry Rd runs as far as the first parking access (on the right) and then... stops. There's no sidewalk the rest of the way. Instead, we have to walk in the roadspace, dealing with cars wanting to either park in a hurry or get home in a hurry.
Could GO make it a priority to add this badly-needed sidewalk for pedestrian safety?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for sharing your concern. We have alerted our Stations Operations West team to this issue at your station.
Who is working on the downtown relief line?
JohnIs Metrolinx doing any work on studying or designing the downtown relief line pending an potential upload from the TTC? What are the base assumptions related to that work and what is the schedule?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario with the City of Toronto and the TTC will continue collaborating and working side by side to build a modern, integrated transit system that will connect more communities to more places, saving them time in their travels.
We are lucky to have world renowned experts on our team and in our partners who will continue to bring together infinite experience and deliver this exciting program on behalf of the Province of Ontario to further our transit network for years to come.
We are in the process of sharing information so that we are able to do our own due diligence for each project and conduct expert panel reviews. We will draw on lessons learned from other projects internationally, using proven international best practices and technologies.
Environment- anti idling
AnonymousWhat is your proposal on reducing the incidents where riders would sit in their vehicles, engines on, while waiting for the GO? Would you consider public announcements on this topic to raise awareness? I’ve previously submitted this question/comment to your general Contact Us page and received a scripted response without further action.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We enforce anti-idling by-laws when and where we can; however, in extreme weather, our officers use discretion. We have shared this with our enforcement and signage teams for them to follow up on. In the future, feel free to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
Seats/Cost/Parking
AnonymousHi
I have few questions
-Is anyone in senior mgmt. team taking GO train?
-If so what do you think about the seats? Do you find the seats comfortable?
-Have you sat on the seats of the new coaches (It’s hard as rock and you literally slide off the seat as its sloping downward)?
-Why can't you offer the same type of seats as on the GO bus?
I've been using GO for many years and, in past 10 years, seen the cost of one way fair increasing by over 100%!
One way trip used to cost me around 4$ in 2009 and now 8.54$ but my wages certainly haven't kept up the same pace of increase.
-Can you also provide insight as what you're doing to control the ever increasing costs of using GO?
Last month there was an "initiative" to decrease the cost of GO fair by decreasing cost for first zone travelers and increasing
cost for longer trips.
-Can you tell us what percentage of travelers get off within the first zone VS the rest?
I can't effort paying for paid parking spots that are taking over the free parking pools..
-What are you doing to address the parking shortage?
Thank you in advance for your feedback
Answer
MetrolinxSeats
Your comfort is important to us. Admittedly, the reaction of our latest coach seats was mixed. Last summer, we invited customers to test out some new designs at Union Station to help inform in the next generation of GO train seating. We tested several types of seat cushions, headrests and armrests. We’re now reviewing the feedback and hope to have an update shortly.
Fares
We understand that travel to and from work can be costly, but we believe GO still provides a competitive advantage to the high costs associated with longer-distance car commutes. We’ve grown services by 25 per cent since our last fare increase in September 2017. Sufficient funding is required to maintain and improve the customer experience that you expect and deserve. A significant investment in new infrastructure has been made in order to increase the capacity of the GO Transit system. As this infrastructure is brought into service, additional costs are introduced in order to operate and maintain the new infrastructure.
When you travel shorter distances on GO Transit, you typically pay a higher price per kilometre than if you travel longer distances. Our recent reduction of fares for short-distance trips help to address that. Admittedly, many of our travellers take longer distance trips. However, with this fare adjustment, we expect more people to take short-distance trips in the future.
Parking
We are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. We adjust our reserved parking based on demand, and we try to strike the right balance. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
parking!
Anonymousparking at Newmarket GO is laughable, and not everyone has the luxury of biking or walking to the station, and only 3 shuttle buses provided by YRT, I was shocked when forced to take this alternative. what are your expansion plans? there are now double the trains, but less parking considering valuable space has been designated to those who want to pay for a spot, again, not everyone has this luxury. East Gwillimbury is also quite full, so not a good option.
Answer
MetrolinxWe are working to add new parking to select stations across our network. For example, we're building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site.
Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there. We know that parking at Newmarket GO Station can be a challenge, and we’re working to assess options to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on York Region Transit when connecting to GO services.
Claim
AnonymousWhy is 15 minutes tap before the departure time a must for the claim? Can we not tap 20 minutes earlier to secure the seat? Or what about miss the train ahead which the tapped time will become 30 mins. We have to make the call for the claim that means more manpower at your end answering calls and our time to make the call.
Answer
MetrolinxThe 15 minute tap window is standard across our system and provides enough time for customers to arrive at the station, tap and board before departure. We understand in some cases customers might inadvertently tap outside that window or other operational issues could occur.
The automated system that processes claims requires certain conditions to be met in order to approve a Service Guarantee. In the scenarios above, the customer would need to request a review by our Contact Centre (1-888-438-6646) for eligibility.
New Service on the Stouffville line
AnonymousIt is exciting to see finally that there will be more train service back and forth from downtown. My question is will there be additional PARKING at Milliken and Unionville GO stations. Plus can the traffic lights be a bit smarter to accommodate the traffic during peak time of passengers leaving the GO stations. ... Thank you .
Answer
MetrolinxWe are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. We're working on building a new parking lot at Unionville GO to give you access to 300 more parking spaces.
However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
Bus service in Newmarket
AnonymousThere is currently no bus serving the Newmarket or East Gwillimbury Go Train station from the surrounding neighbourhoods. There was some bad attempt at this last year but none of the busses aligned with the trains and this meant it added an additional 30-45 min to an already long commute to union station so 1hr 5 min turned into nearly 2hrs! This is not practical. There should be more community busses servicing newmarket particularly new suburbs around Bathurst/Davis and Bathurst and Green lane. Only one bus services such a large area and doesnt go anywhere useful or relevant. Everone in that suburb has to drive to the GO lot and there is not enough parking. Carpooling is also not always possible. Please try to integrate something with YRT. The Dial a ride is also useless. I tried using it 2 times and car never showed up. Was left stranded and had to take a cab.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for offering your feedback. GO bus service is intended to provide regional bus service to connect communities. York Region Transit offers local service in your area, and we suggest you visit yrt.ca to learn more about their service plans.
Adding Parking Spaces vs. Adding Stops
AnonymousHi There,
I have seen online that additional stops are being proposed on the Barrie line that I personally feel are not necessary. For example, why is the Caledonia stop being proposed when there is already a TTC connection available at Downsview Park?
Second, why is a stop being added at Kirby? Isn't it cheaper to add more parking at King City and Maple to meet the demand? If the issue is not having enough room for parking at ground level or no room for a garage, what about underground parking? My commuter friends from King City GO would really appreciate more parking that is NOT reserved!!!
The only station additions I would support are in Concord/Thornhill/Woodbridge and Innisfill as these are under-served areas, not Kirby.
The reason I bring these examples up is that a lot of people appreciate and love the fact that you can currently take a train from Aurora to Union in under an hour on the Barrie Line and adding too many stops would simply mean a longer commute, unless express trains are going to be added. Taking the GO Train should be a way of getting to and from downtown Toronto quickly, not take the same amount of time as driving.
Answer
MetrolinxCaledonia GO Station, a separate project by Metrolinx, is still in the early stages of planning and design. The Caledonia GO Station will be an interchange station with the Caledonia stop on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. We’ll follow up with the community once we have a more clear idea of scope and schedule for the project.
With respect to new stations, Metrolinx has adopted a Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy for delivering new stations that provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process. Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together to solicit interest from third parties for both Kirby and Innisfil GO Stations.
GO bus service levels
SilverTCould Metrolinx please say how GO Bus service hours it provided in the past two financial years, and how many it is planning for the current financial year?
Answer
MetrolinxLast year, we operated 825,992 bus service hours and the previous year, we operated 816,316 hours. We currently do not have a forecast for the year ahead as there are a number of factors that influence our services.
Milton Go Transit Improvements
AnonymousCan you please provide an update on what service improvements are in store for the Go Train Service on the Milton Line?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx does not own the Milton corridor, so we can run our trains only when our freight rail partners are not running theirs. But we continue expanding service on the Milton line wherever we can, increasing from 60 weekly trips to 100 over the last 10 years.
Milton line trains
AnonymousWhere are we at with all-day both-ways service on the Milton-to-Union train service?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx does not own the Milton corridor, so we can run our trains only when our freight rail partners are not running theirs. But we continue expanding service on the Milton line wherever we can, increasing from 60 weekly trips to 100 over the last 10 years.
Ontario Line Timeline
JJAs noted, the Ontario Line will likely be using smaller trainsets, but it will also be built through a complex downtown environment, where station building is a monumental task in itself.
Considering that it's taken around ten years to build both the Spadina Line (through greenfield) and the Eglinton Crosstown (through a less built-up environment)- not including the additional time it took to undertake the environmental and engineering studies- how will the Ontario Line realistically make the 2027 deadline from 2019?
How fast will the government be able to tender the project?
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario with the City of Toronto and the TTC will continue collaborating and working side by side to build a modern, integrated transit system that will connect more communities to more places, saving them time in their travels.
We are lucky to have world renowned experts on our team and in our partners who will continue to bring together infinite experience and deliver this exciting program on behalf of the Province of Ontario to further our transit network for years to come.
We are in the process of sharing information so that we are able to do our own due diligence for each project and conduct expert panel reviews. We will draw on lessons learned from other projects internationally, using proven international best practices and technologies.
Interminable Construction.
AnonymousWhen do you anticipate the construction at the Bathurst and Atkinson intersection will be completed? I believe that the current situation is dangerous for both vehicles and pedestrians. Thank you.
Answer
MetrolinxThe rapidway where this stop is located is expected to open by the end of this year.
GO Transit parking shortage
Anonymous- How do you plan to address the parking shortage in general, and in particular, at the Aurora GO station?
- When do you plan to open the Bloomington GO station?
Answer
MetrolinxWe are working to add new parking to select stations across our network. For example, we're building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site.
Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there. We know that parking at Aurora GO Station can be a challenge, and we’re working to assess options to improve that. Customers are encouraged to explore other options to get to the station while we assess, including taking advantage of the reduced fare on York Region Transit when connecting to GO services.
Bloomington GO is on track to open late 2020.
Mr. Verster's Integrity as a Public Servant
AnonymousIn March, Mr. Verster sent a letter to York University about GO bus service to the university that seemed very political and appeared to misrepresent the circumstances to the point where it was misleading to the public. I would like to know Mr. Verster's views on why he thought it was appropriate for a government public servant to engage in such political and deceptive practices, and on where he sees the line for the CEO between politics, commercial concerns, and public integrity.
Barrie Express Train
AnonymousCan we please have express trains from Barrie. By the time we drive to the Go, take the train and then arrive at work, we could have flown to Florida. This is not an exaggeration, unfortunately
Answer
MetrolinxWe add service when and where we can. There are many factors that influence this, including available infrastructure, rail traffic and available equipment. Express service is especially challenging on the Barrie line because there is primarily only one track along most of the corridor. Express trains would ulitmately catch up to an all-stops train without a way to bypass.
However, we are continuing to expand service on Barrie line to make taking GO even better, faster and easier. Through the GO Expansion program service on the Barrie line is expected to increase and will include even more frequent service during middays, evenings and weekends, more service to and from Barrie, including some express service from stations along the line. Learn more about our GO Expansion Business Case and stay tuned for more information about this program as we work with the Government of Ontario to deliver it.
Parking
AnonymousWhat is your plan to expand parking at overflowing go stations like Rutherford and maple go. I see condos going up but no space for expanding parking in that area.
Answer
MetrolinxWe're building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site. We're also building more parking at Maple GO and King City GO. Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there.
Car pool design
AnonymousHi can the car pool interim design be changed. This is an absolute zoo during rush hour pick ups.
The frustration levels are getting out of hand with individuals parking any which way that ties up the exit. It’s very tight now to do a proper turn to exit.
I feel this is an unsafe design that will lead to aggressive behaviors by the drivers.
I would highly Recommend some enforcement staff regularly attend this car pool site during evening rush hour pick up.
It’s getting out of hand!!
I plan to attend this session and I am sure I am not the only one with this concern
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We have shared this with our enforcement teams. In the future, feel free to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate learning about which site you're referring to.
Go train line expansion
AnonymousCan you please consider rail line expansion to Orangeville? There isnt really a viable mass transit option servicing that area.
Answer
MetrolinxAt this time, there are no plans to add GO train service to Orangeville.
Metrolinx regularly monitors travel behaviour and markets to identify rising and high potential markets for future GO services. In particular, we monitor all bus routes and rail corridors within the service area for travel patterns and ridership to determine potential service additions and adjustments.
All service changes take into account broader service planning initiatives. Decisions on specific service changes take into consideration a number of factors including expected ridership, costs, fit with the overall network, and available resources (such as crewing, equipment, and track/platform availability). These decisions are based on a variety of sources, which include travel demand surveys, experience on existing services serving similar markets, feedback from customers, and input from municipal/regional staff.
Currently, we are focusing on reinforcing our existing service area. However, we will continue to monitor feedback for future consideration.
Toronto Premium outlet service in Halton
JoeyCLong overdue, but we need a Go bus that can take us to the Toronto Premium outlet service in Halton, or a bus that goes by there with stops. The mall has been existing since 2013 and still no service. And still no local Milton Transit service.
Answer
MetrolinxWhile we currently do not have plans to bring GO Bus service to the Premium Outlets, we continually assess and monitor ridership to help ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. At this time, Metrolinx’s top priorities for investment in GO Transit generally involve expanding the quantity and quality of service offered on the existing train and bus network. These investments were selected over potential alternatives in part because of their ability to attract significant ridership by meeting the unmet current demand as well as the planned growth over the next few decades.
Traffic gridlock
AnonymousAre there any serious discussions to ease the pain of the major traffic stress on Rutherford street and Major Mackenzie by expanding Langstaff from Woodbridge to Dufferin & Highway 7?
Langstaff is the elephant in the room.
Thank you kindly and best regards,
Stefano
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for your question. Metrolinx is not responsible for road construction/expansion. Please share your question with York Region at [email protected].
Barrie double tracking
AnonymousWhat is the status of the Barrie double tracking project? Is it now part of OnCorr package?
Answer
MetrolinxThis contract is currently in the procurement phase. Once we have a contractor on board, we'll have a better idea as to construction schedule, and we'll communicate that to customers, the local community and our stakeholders.
Service Interruption
AnonymousWhen our schedule train is cancelled last min, why does GO transit not have bus service from Union Station? every trip interruption we are asked to take TTC then take bus which normally takes 4 to 5 hours to get to our destination. Instead of making us do all that please just have a GO bus available from Union. Hope this will be implemented.
Answer
MetrolinxIn the case of a service disruption, we do what we can to get you to where you're going. While we always work quickly to resolve the issue, we assess safety and availability of vehicles when determining alternative travel options. If a shuttle bus is not provided at your particular location, it was neither safe or feasible to do so.
Barrie Double Tracking
AnonymousWhen will the double tracking to Aurora be completed? Also what is the status of the CP grade separation?
Answer
MetrolinxThis contract is currently in the procurement phase. Once we have a contractor on board, we'll have a better idea as to construction schedule, and we'll communicate that to customers, the local community and our stakeholders.
Stouffville Go
AnonymousIs there going to be a new Go Train stop in Innisfil and if so, where exactly?
thank you,
MMC
Answer
MetrolinxWith respect to the Barrie line, the proposed Innisfil GO station will be located immediately north of 6th Line, east of 20th Sideroad.
Metrolinx has adopted a Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy for delivering new stations that provide benefits to Metrolinx’s existing service and customers, evaluated through Metrolinx’s business case process. Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together to solicit interest from third parties for a new station at Innisfil.
Danforth GO Station neglected during evening rush hour
AnonymousUnion Station is getting so much better and I enjoy using it but often my business in Toronto puts me closer to Danforth Station. Too many times I've not noticed that the scheduling leaves me standing on the eastbound platform while trains zoom past me. I appreciate that there are probably not enough passengers to make interfering with the express trains feasible but what if Danforth was encouraged as an alternative to Union? And then get the Carlton street car in sync to get GO passengers from Main subway to the GO Station with a new TTC Stop convenient to the GO.
Answer
MetrolinxWe are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We have passed this on to the operations teams.
Pick up at maple station service
AnonymousWhen are you going to implement a pick up service for Maple go ? Same as aurora ? Was looking at your plans and it selectively left my home out. Also, when will you decrease the cost of parking ?
Answer
MetrolinxBeyond our regular bus service, we do not offer pick-up service at Aurora GO. Perhaps, you're referring to the York Region Transit's mobility on-demand service pilot? We suggest you visit yrt.ca to learn more about their service plans. At the same time, we are continually looking at ways to improve connections to and from our stations, and we thank you for expressing your interest in pick-up services.
There is no cost for parking at GO stations, with exception to reserved parking.
Parking lot @ Bradford GO station
AnonymousHi there,
When will going to get the promised extra parking spots at Bradford GO station? By 7AM the parking lot is full and I don't aforde to pay the extra tax for a reserved spot as the faires are already super high.
Answer
MetrolinxWe are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program. Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this.
We’re working on design plans to add more parking at Bradford GO. Those plans are still in the early stages of development, but we’ll work collaboratively with customers, stakeholders, and the local community once we have a better idea of how many parking spaces we’re adding. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible.
Reserved Parking at Rutherford GO
DianaWhen will GO add entrance gates for reserved parking lots where patrons pay $100 a month to park? There are people who insist to drop off and pickup passengers while idling in and around reserved parking spaces. This impedes the ability of reserved parking users to park in their designated spots and also causes undue congestion and risk at peak hours of the day. If you would observe anywhere else in the city where one pays $100 to park, there is a gate for entry and exit and it's streamlined. TTC has paid parking only.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We have considered gated access in the past but determined it would not be a viable solution. We have shared this with our enforcement teams for them to follow up on. In the future, feel free to contact us at 1-888-438-6646 for customer service or 1-877-297-0642 for safety and security concerns. We'd appreciate hearing from you.
Parking Parking Parking
DZSeems like Metrolinx is focused too much on finding transportation solution and much less on creating parking solutions for their customers. From April 2018 to January 2019, Metrolinx saw overall growth at 5.8 per cent in ridership. Could you tell us what was the growth in terms of parking spaces?
I am sick and tired of arriving to the station and not finding parking, missing the train and arrive exhausted to work. I switched to driving to work combined with TTC ride as many others did too.
I know that you have plans for the future but we need solutions now. In my opinion parking issues will cap GO ridership
Answer
MetrolinxWe are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services, and we thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program.
Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. Thats why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible. To explore other ways to get to and from our stations and what we're doing to help you with that, you can visit gotransit.com/gettingtogo.
Parking Expansion Projects (King)
AnonymousIs there any update to the parking expansion project at King City GO?
Answer
MetrolinxWe plan to make some major station improvements at King City GO Station, including more parking spaces in the east lot. We’re currently working on design plans, and construction is expected to start by the end of 2020.
Parking
AnonymousWhy are more reserved spots being released at King? Where is everyone else supposed to park? Website says more parking is coming to King in 2019. When?? Parking situation is a joke! Nothing available after 6:30 am. Unacceptable yet prices just keep going up. Everyone is beyond frustrated!
Answer
MetrolinxWe expand our reserved parking program based on demand, and we are always looking at ways to make it more convenient for our customers to take our services. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We expect ridership to quadruple when we roll out major service improvements through our GO expansion program.
We also plan to make some major station improvements at King City GO Station, including more parking spaces in the east lot. We’re currently working on design plans, and construction is expected to start by the end of 2020.
Increasing parking capacity is one way to manage this growing demand and we will continue to invest in this. However, we know that parking alone will not be able to meet the needs of all the new customers who will be using our service. That's why we're working on improving connections with local transit and making it easier to get to and from our stations using other forms of transportation, like carpooling, cycling, or walking. We will continue working with our regional and municipal partners to look at ways to get customers to and from stations in the most convenient way possible.
Eglinton Crosstown
AnonymousThe crosstown construction is causing a big mess on Eglinton. Metrolinx rarely solicits feedback about reducing community impacts, rarely replies to email about the construction, and rarely seems concerned about the effects of their construction decisions on local businesses or local residents. For example, Metrolinx dumped a diesel generator in front of my building that they have been running 24/7 for around 5 months now, and after months of complaining, their "compromise" was to throw some gym mats on it. How is Metrolinx going to try improving its construction practices before inflicting this misery on the rest of the city?
Answer
MetrolinxTransforming transit across the middle of Toronto is a significant undertaking, so we understand that construction can be disruptive.
Metrolinx makes every effort to ensure that the communities that are impacted by the work receive up-to-date information on construction activities and timing and where they are directly impacted, they are supported. This involves significant outreach and public communication. Metrolinx has a dedicated team of community relations and communications specialists to support the delivery of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project. The team, supported by Metrolinx’s constructor, Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS), operates from two community offices along Eglinton Avenue, one at Dufferin Street and one at Bayview Avenue, to answer questions and address concerns. Telephone service is available 24/7.
Through monthly Construction Liaison Committees (CLCs) and community canvasses, the team works with local businesses and residents to lessen the impact of construction and to address concerns, where possible. Key outreach activities include public open houses, 24/7 noise mitigation plan/outreach, tours, weekly construction notices at stations with overnight/disruptive work, safety messaging.
Metrolinx has a commitment to keeping people informed, so construction notices are mailed to all residences within 500 metres of the Eglinton corridor. This information is also posted on thecrosstown.ca, shared on Twitter via @CrosstownTO, and distributed to email lists. Local city councillors and their staff are briefed in advance of work starting, and maps and informational videos explaining changes to pedestrian movements or traffic set-ups are created.
For any questiions, feel free to contact the Crosstown team at [email protected].
Parking at Maple GO
AnonymousPlease explain what will happen with parking at the station when the parking structure will be built. Where will reserved spots go? Will there be free parking elsewhere? When will this happen? I received an email about a potential pilot project involving transfers to the GO station by car. It seems like a good idea to me. Is this happening?
Answer
MetrolinxWe're building more parking at Maple GO and King City GO. Once those design plans become more fleshed out, we'll let customers and community members know more about what we're building there. We're also currently building a 6-storey parking structure at Rutherford GO Station, which will add 1200 net-new parking spaces to the site. We'll have more details to share about the pilot project very soon.
Follow-Up Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx and Lyft are making it easier for riders to get to and from GO Stations through a six-month pilot program. Announced on July 15, the pilot has rolled out at Exhibition, Oakville, Unionville and Bramalea GO Stations. By starting or ending a trip with Lyft at one of these GO Stations, new and existing customers will save $4 on their next five Lyft rides. For more information, visit https://blog.metrolinx.com/2019/07/15/grabbing-a-lyft-to-go/.
Caledonia and Mount Dennis GO stations
AnonymousCaledonia and Mount Dennis GO stations were supposed to open in conjunction with the Eglinton Crosstown in 2021. However, we are 2 years away and seems like contracts for these 2 GO stations have not been awarded yet. It is highly unlikely these stations can be built in 1 year. What is the status of these 2 GO stations?
Answer
MetrolinxThe Caledonia GO Station will be an interchange station with the Caledonia stop on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Caledonia GO Station, a separate project by Metrolinx, is still in the early stages of planning and design. We’ll follow up with the community once we have a more clear idea of scope and schedule for the project. Mount Dennis Station is on the UP Express line, and Mount Dennis LRT Station is under construction and should be completed on-schedule by 2021 in time for the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together through the new Transit Oriented Development, Market Driven Strategy to deliver new stations. This means, Metrolinx will partner with Third Parties (e.g. municipalities, land developers, etc.) who will fund the design and construction while Metrolinx operates it. Metrolinx requirements will still be met for service, design, construction and consultation etc. while Third Parties will coordinate project design, timing and integration with private development if applicable and subject to agreement.
Metrolinx policy on use of French
AnonymousHow much is Metrolinx spending on French translation? Not only is it a waste of paper but the cost of translation is a burden all riders have to bear.
Given that French is not even in the top 10 spoken languages in the GTA, why are we subjected to messages in French?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for your question. As a Crown agency, Metrolinx must abide by the French Language Services Act (FLSA). This legislation "recognizes the contribution of the cultural heritage of the French speaking population and wishes to preserve it for future generations." It protects the language rights of Francophones by ensuring that provincial government services are offered in French and English in designated areas in Ontario. Since Metrolinx serves clients in designated areas, all of its services must be offered in French and English.
Bullet trains
AnonymousVIA rail is so slow and I see Metrolinx as the Canadian transportation disruptor.
When are we getting bullet trains, so we can easily access faraway cities like Kingston, Montreal, Ottawa?
Answer
MetrolinxGO Transit is a regional public transit service provider for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The service area covered by GO Transit is prescribed and mandated by the Minister of Transportation, and does not extend to Kingston, Montreal or Ottawa.