GO Transit

[Shaun]

If the demand is there I think it would make sense to have an express route and a local route. I'm sure the time difference would be significant. 

[Transit 20]

sombody Forgot Route 30 from Kitchener to Bramalea Go its a express Route. 

[Doppelkupplung]

Some of you may recall this incident over a year ago...didn't get much publicity:

 

Anyone know what the cause was, and which unit was involved? All I heard was that it was out of service so thankfully there were no passengers onboard, and the driver was okay despite some injuries. 

[smallspy]

33 minutes ago, MiWay0310 said:

Some of you may recall this incident over a year ago...didn't get much publicity:

 

Anyone know what the cause was, and which unit was involved? All I heard was that it was out of service so thankfully there were no passengers onboard, and the driver was okay despite some injuries. 

The bus was out of service and deadheading. The driver had a medical issue and managed to point the bus towards the right shoulder before passing out. I've never actually seen any reports as to the condition of the driver, but if they were okay than that's a good thing.

 

I don't recall the bus number - I seem to recall that it was a 2300 - but it was a write-off as a result of the damage.

 

Dan

[Doppelkupplung]

23 minutes ago, smallspy said:

I don't recall the bus number - I seem to recall that it was a 2300 - but it was a write-off as a result of the damage.

Yeah, I'd assume so too; that looked like it would be some nasty frame damage. 

[Doppelkupplung]

Anyone know why GOT did away with the rear mudflaps under the rear bumper of the MCIs? Fell off too often?

[Bus_Medic]

Never really worked at keeping the backsides any cleaner, they were more or less a waste of time. Plus it’s hard to make them withstand the heat of an exhaust regeneration over on the driver’s side

[Doppelkupplung]

7 hours ago, 110B West Pickering said:

Anyone know what the 2017 total number of Enviro 500's came in?

40 with 175 still to come by 2020. 

I’m curious if later models could be fitted with the L9? 

[G.A]

5 hours ago, MiWay0310 said:

40 with 175 still to come by 2020. 

I’m curious if later models could be fitted with the L9? 

Best to let a GO driver from here answer that. They would know more.

[Bus_Medic]

9 hours ago, MiWay0310 said:

40 with 175 still to come by 2020. 

I’m curious if later models could be fitted with the L9? 

I’m not an employee, but I see no technical reason why they can’t.

and to borrow from smallspy, the whole ISL vs. L9 change is really just a “marketing wank”. It’s the same Malibu Stacey, just with a new hat.

[T3G]

A couple of questions/comments:

1. I rode 8370 today and it has a second fleet number printed on the black bumper right in front of the doorway. Are there plans to make this standard on the Go-Anywhere and SuperLo fleets? Makes it much easier to identify the bus IMHO.
2. How does the reliability of the two newer generations of double deckers compare with the originals?

[G.A]

I assume it will be hard to figure out the 2018 order for the SuperLo. I seen 8381 earlier today.

[Doppelkupplung]

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2018/01/17/mayor-john-tory-backs-costly-park-lawn-go-station.html

Thoughts? I think its a bad idea. Not only is it inside GO's minimum station spacing requirements, but the amount of work that would have to be done to accommodate the station, like track realignment, and the Gardiner being adjusted. I think it would also ruin the flow of quick service during rush hour, with trains having to stop there. And additionally, its just over a kilometer away from Mimico...

[drum118]

2 minutes ago, MiWay0310 said:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2018/01/17/mayor-john-tory-backs-costly-park-lawn-go-station.html

Thoughts? I think its a bad idea. Not only is it inside GO's minimum station spacing requirements, but the amount of work that would have to be done to accommodate the station, like track realignment, and the Gardiner being adjusted. I think it would also ruin the flow of quick service during rush hour, with trains having to stop there. And additionally, its just over a kilometer away from Mimico...

Do you know what the area looked like 5-10 years ago and what it looks like today??

Have you compare what the area is today against today Mimico area?? You realize there is more development plan for Minico area, but doesn't come close to what maybe plan for the Kraft site??

Mimico is a crew change point.

I said in 2007 when asked by Metrolinx if I saw more stations on the current system and said yes. Most of them being walk in stations with GO operating a different service to these station that would be shorter than the current ones.

So you see, screw 1,000's of new riders so it doesn't effect today service?? This should be a 15 minute station.

[Bus_Medic]

11 minutes ago, drum118 said:

 

I said in 2007 when asked by Metrolinx if I saw more stations on the current system and said yes. Most of them being walk in stations with GO operating a different service to these station that would be shorter than the current ones.

That’s like, some Nostradamus shit right there...

 

[Doppelkupplung]

1 hour ago, drum118 said:

Mimico is a crew change point.

No way!

 

1 hour ago, drum118 said:

Do you know what the area looked like 5-10 years ago and what it looks like today??

Have you compare what the area is today against today Mimico area?? You realize there is more development plan for Minico area, but doesn't come close to what maybe plan for the Kraft site??

 

1 hour ago, drum118 said:

I said in 2007 when asked by Metrolinx if I saw more stations on the current system and said yes. Most of them being walk in stations with GO operating a different service to these station that would be shorter than the current ones.

So you see, screw 1,000's of new riders so it doesn't effect today service?? This should be a 15 minute station.

I mean I am entitled to my own opinion....I never asked you to give me your thoughts on my opinion. 

Regardless, you're telling me that a a few billion should be spent on building a new station (not considering other major costs) because there are plans to build condos on the former Mr. Christie's factory site? You're telling me people can't take a 10-15 commute, involving a streetcar, or bus and some walking to an existing GO station?

1 hour ago, drum118 said:

I said in 2007 when asked by Metrolinx if I saw more stations on the current system and said yes.

WOOOW

[Bus_Medic]

Didn’t you know? EVERYONE is entitled to Dave’s opinion.

I mean, it’s not like anyone else has to show up to GO meetings, he’s got them covered.

[Ed T.]

1 hour ago, MiWay0310 said:

Regardless, you're telling me that a a few billion should be spent on building a new station (not considering other major costs) because there are plans to build condos on the former Mr. Christie's factory site? You're telling me people can't take a 10-15 commute, involving a streetcar, or bus and some walking to an existing GO station?

It's 1.35km as the crow flies km from Park Lawn and Lake Shore to the eastern edge of the current Mimico GO platform. Also, until Mimico GO gets overhauled with an southern entrance to Blue Goose St/Manchester St, you have to go all the way around to Royal York and north of the tracks to enter the station.

Since it's impossible to make this direct trip today; a "commute" would mean waiting for the 501 and then 76 bus, good luck to get all that in 15 minutes (google suggests 18 minutes), while walking it's over 2 km depending on the route you take and would take closer to half an hour.

Not to say that a Park Lawn station is or isn't a good use of funds, but Mimico GO station is poorly sited for use by all the 40-60 storey condo buildings going in around Park Lawn and Lake Shore. Which is why traffic is so bad in the area: so many residents drive.

[Doppelkupplung]

1 hour ago, Ed T. said:

It's 1.35km as the crow flies km from Park Lawn and Lake Shore to the eastern edge of the current Mimico GO platform. Also, until Mimico GO gets overhauled with an southern entrance to Blue Goose St/Manchester St, you have to go all the way around to Royal York and north of the tracks to enter the station.

Since it's impossible to make this direct trip today; a "commute" would mean waiting for the 501 and then 76 bus, good luck to get all that in 15 minutes (google suggests 18 minutes), while walking it's over 2 km depending on the route you take and would take closer to half an hour.

Not to say that a Park Lawn station is or isn't a good use of funds, but Mimico GO station is poorly sited for use by all the 40-60 storey condo buildings going in around Park Lawn and Lake Shore. Which is why traffic is so bad in the area: so many residents drive.

Agreed, the commute I mentioned isn't what anybody would call direct, or as quick as it could possibly be. Best I found was 14 minutes with the 76 and some walking. But I think considering how much work would need to be done just to accommodate the actual station itself, I think it would be a worthwhile investment to direct those funds into improving the efficiency of transit in that area, and the flow of traffic. Perhaps improving frequency of the 76/A, 501, 66/A/B etc.. One thing I think could be done (its a stretch) is to build a, or multiple smaller scale parking garages at Mimico, or in one of the surrounding lots. Unfortunately that specific region is a bit awkward in terms of street structure and spacing, so it makes things a tad tricky. 

And the surrounding area is predominantly residential, so I don't know how far buying land would go...

I understand the whole desire for the station, but I just don't think its worth it. Combine the costs of restructuring the Gardiner overpass, the realignment of track, and and the cost of building a station large enough to accommodate a large number of clients from many possible condos, and all that money could be put into improving existing transit so it is more efficient, and almost certainly at a cheaper cost. 

However, I've had a bit more time to think about it, and perhaps it might not be a terrible idea to replace Mimico with Park Lawn, and add a large parking garage? Yes, there's lots of walking pax, but let's not forget many people would still be driving. I think it'd have to be one or the other, but of course, I could be wrong, as other members know much more. 

[jordankcw]

Can't say i'm surprised John Tory is pushing hard for this, his whole SmartTrack plan is pretty much piggybacking off of GO's RER project and trying to make it his own

[smallspy]

3 hours ago, Ed T. said:

It's 1.35km as the crow flies km from Park Lawn and Lake Shore to the eastern edge of the current Mimico GO platform.

It may be 1.35km as the crow flies. But it's almost double that if you're driving it.

 

And therein lies a big part of the problem. You've got a railway line that cuts diagonally across a grid.

 

Of course, part of the problem is also GO with its absolute inability to figure out small-scale infrastructure - unless it was handed to it, of course.

 

For the record, I'm not convinced that a station at right at Park Lawn is the best location. They could go a bit more east and improve the transit connections in a huge way with a station closer to Humber Loop. And it would certainly put the station further out than their arbitrary 1.5km limit.

 

1 hour ago, jordankcw said:

Can't say i'm surprised John Tory is pushing hard for this, his whole SmartTrack plan is pretty much piggybacking off of GO's RER project and trying to make it his own

And as well he should. He's trying to improve service to his constituents. Last I checked, that's supposed to be one of the primary jobs of any politician who hopes to stay in power.

 

Dan

[Streety McCarface]

Seeing as shit hit the fan here, I'm wondering if they just shift the platform over 200 meters (12 car platforms are usually around 320-330 meters), couldn't they just do that?

 

[lip]

1 minute ago, Streety McCarface said:

Seeing as shit hit the fan here, I'm wondering if they just shift the platform over 200 meters (12 car platforms are usually around 320-330 meters), couldn't they just do that?

 

And what exactly would that accomplish?

[Doppelkupplung]

14 minutes ago, lip said:

And what exactly would that accomplish?

If I'm catching on to what he said correctly, they could shift it a few hundred meters west or so, so that they wouldn't disrupt the structure of the Gardiner overpass. However, if this was a viable option, it would have been discussed by the city, and I think the reason they aren't considering it is because some condos are quite close to the tracks themselves, let alone any space for a possible platform. I don't think having the platform on the bridge over Park Lawn would be an issue. Bridge platforms are very common around the world. 

Also, moving it a few hundred meters back would possibly make it less than, or very close to less than a kilometer away from Mimico. 

1 hour ago, smallspy said:

And therein lies a big part of the problem. You've got a railway line that cuts diagonally across a grid.

Its a very awkwardly laid out region. 

[smallspy]

1 hour ago, MiWay0310 said:

If I'm catching on to what he said correctly, they could shift it a few hundred meters west or so, so that they wouldn't disrupt the structure of the Gardiner overpass. However, if this was a viable option, it would have been discussed by the city, and I think the reason they aren't considering it is because some condos are quite close to the tracks themselves, let alone any space for a possible platform. I don't think having the platform on the bridge over Park Lawn would be an issue. Bridge platforms are very common around the world.

The only restriction to building a platform under the Gardiner underpass is Metrolinx's own. There is physically nothing stopping them from doing so. Either of the two cells are capable of handling 4 tracks on its own, if I remember correctly.

 

Dan