GO Transit

[Wayside Observer]

17 hours ago, GojiMet86 said:

No clue. It looks like their signs were updated.

 

I don't know why they went from the 5700 numbering to the 55100 numbering, or why some of the "newer" ones are in the 5500s.

I love how the bilingual English and French Yield/Cedez signs were left on the back.  That's a dead giveaway that those buses did not originate new in Florida.

[Gil]

11 minutes ago, Joshuamumble said:

GO Transit has launched free Wi-Fi and en-route entertainment (similar to in-flight Wi-Fi) which is available on all buses as of today and some bi-level railcars, with all revenue service vehicles to receive them by 2021: https://www.gotransit.com/en/travelling-with-us/go-plus-wi-fi?fbclid=IwAR39F9ifMC43B8rLFQCde1JxjjFk_UPpohv3bZdkCL3JiUUoNS_ln3oWr_8

Riders who log in with a My PRESTO account get 50 MB of data while using an email account gets you 10 MB per trip/session; both options allow for unlimited access to GO's Wi-Fi Plus portal which includes videos, music, audiobooks and podcasts- content can also be curated based on how long your trip is using a trip timer (15-60 min in 15 minute increments)

I noticed this on my GO bus ride this morning (double decker 8501).  The wifi was available and it didn't ask me for an account log-in.  I think I was probably the only one on the bus who was aware of the service. It's adequate but a bit slow, perhaps since it wasn't optimized via a log-in.

[John Oke]

I’m worried that the Wi-Fi will be taken away from us eventually because even though it’s 10 or 50MB depending with your presto account or not, I feel like some people are going to abuse by watching Adult Content and other inappropriate content and it will be taken away from us because of a few who will abuse it 

[Wayside Observer]

4 minutes ago, John Oke said:

I’m worried that the Wi-Fi will be taken away from us eventually because even though it’s 10 or 50MB depending with your presto account or not, I feel like some people are going to abuse by watching Adult Content and other inappropriate content and it will be taken away from us because of a few who will abuse it 

Every corporate IT department has got something like WebSense or similar stuff in place to prevent that so that's a problem that's solvable.

[Doppelkupplung]

1 hour ago, Wayside Observer said:

I love how the bilingual English and French Yield/Cedez signs were left on the back.  That's a dead giveaway that those buses did not originate new in Florida.

Well if we’re gonna nitpick you could scratch out the z and write R in with crayon and it could pass as Español lol...perfectly appropriate for that area.

57 minutes ago, John Oke said:

I’m worried that the Wi-Fi will be taken away from us eventually because even though it’s 10 or 50MB depending with your presto account or not, I feel like some people are going to abuse by watching Adult Content and other inappropriate content and it will be taken away from us because of a few who will abuse it 

Lmao not all of GOs riders are in middle school  

[Wonka]

So GO has Wi-Fi (on trains and buses, I guess?) now but you only get to use... 50mb of it... if you sign in with a PRESTO account?

Is that even enough to watch a 30 second video?

[GTAmissions1]

43 minutes ago, Wonka said:

So GO has Wi-Fi (on trains and buses, I guess?) now but you only get to use... 50mb of it... if you sign in with a PRESTO account?

Is that even enough to watch a 30 second video?

Not really. I don't even know if you can even get a few webpages in considering the advertising being pushed on websites. Eating up the limited bandwidth cap. 

[Shaun]

On 9/30/2020 at 1:56 AM, GTAmissions1 said:

Not really. I don't even know if you can even get a few webpages in considering the advertising being pushed on websites. Eating up the limited bandwidth cap. 

I had a question about Union station, and because of the pandemic I haven't been down to see but originally some of the platforms had a "kink" in the track where the platform width changes. Is this still the case after they renovated the platforms? 

Also the two most Southern tracks don't have platforms, and I assume that was to allow for freight movements. Does CN still have a daily freight come down the Bala Sub passing through Union station to get to the Oakville yard? 

[DavidH]

On 9/30/2020 at 1:56 AM, GTAmissions1 said:

Not really. I don't even know if you can even get a few webpages in considering the advertising being pushed on websites. Eating up the limited bandwidth cap. 

That's where a good adblocker comes in.  Greatly reduces the bandwidth usage on mobile.

[Chris.A]

On 9/20/2020 at 10:58 AM, smallspy said:

A car drove off of the Lakeridge Road bridge and manged to take out one of the signals and a signal cabinet. The damage was enough that they've had to completely rewire that set of signals.

 

At least through my GO channels, there was no word about how exactly that managed to transpire or the condition of anyone involved.

 

Dan

Does anyone know why GO transit got rid of all their Suburban Orion Vs so early on?

[InfiNorth]

2 hours ago, Chris.A said:

Does anyone know why GO transit got rid of all their Suburban Orion Vs so early on?

As someone with no knowledge or understanding of GO Transit, my guess would be that they are horrible for accessibility.

[Articulated]

8 hours ago, InfiNorth said:

As someone with no knowledge or understanding of GO Transit, my guess would be that they are horrible for accessibility.

If you don't know and are guessing, why are you responding with incorrect information? The Orion Vs were high-floor buses but were equipped with wheelchair lifts. In fact I'd argue they were more accessible than the MCI coaches, as the Vs had lifts in the front door that could be activated from the driver's seat, while the MCIs require the bus to be parked, the lift deployed from outside the coach, and a number of seats rearranged. Much more time-consuming, which is why GO moved to the low-floor Enviro500 SuperLo model as the standard moving forward.

The Orion Vs were retired early because they were non-standard to the rest of the MCI fleet. As they were transit buses and not motorcoaches, they were far inferior in terms of rider quality, including having sideways-facing seats over the front wheels. They had a lack of luggage space, with only a few seats having overhead racks and no underfloor storage. And being 40 feet in length, they had a lower passenger capacity compared to standard 45 foot coaches.

The first suburban Orion V order was from 2000, and were retired at 9-10 years; this is close to GO's usual retirement age of 10 years. Once the first units started going, no point keeping a small orphaned fleet around, so with extra buses available the rest of the fleet was retired by the end of April 2011 (when seasonal school service reductions took effect).

[Shaun]

Do we have a firm date as to when the new bus terminal will be open to the public? 

TOK transit uses the GO Bus terminal currently, will they be moving to the new bus terminal when it opens? 

The Elizabeth Street terminal is dead without greyhound. Considering that Megabus is able to operate between Montreal and Toronto with about 50% capacity I think Greyhound could do the same.

[Megabus Rider]

16 minutes ago, Shaun said:

Do we have a firm date as to when the new bus terminal will be open to the public? 

TOK transit uses the GO Bus terminal currently, will they be moving to the new bus terminal when it opens? 

The Elizabeth Street terminal is dead without greyhound. Considering that Megabus is able to operate between Montreal and Toronto with about 50% capacity I think Greyhound could do the same.

They haven't gotten the rental fees finalized yet for the Intercity Carriers.

[MCIBUS]

Go Transit Union Bus Terminal?

 

I know GO Transit made or is making a New Bus Terminal. Is this new terminal located at Union Train Station? I know there was a Go Terminal there before which the Go Toronto-Hamilton express ran out of. I'm guess inter-city coaches might run out there instead of the terminal located on Bay Street.

 

But where is the new Terminal located  and does anyone have pics of what it looks like?

[nfitz]

53 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

Go Transit Union Bus Terminal?

 

I know GO Transit made or is making a New Bus Terminal. Is this new terminal located at Union Train Station? I know there was a Go Terminal there before which the Go Toronto-Hamilton express ran out of. I'm guess inter-city coaches might run out there instead of the terminal located on Bay Street.

 

But where is the new Terminal located  and does anyone have pics of what it looks like?

The current terminal is at Union, just north of the platforms, on the east side of Bay Street. GO moved to hear from the old terminal near Bay/Dundas (the Elizabeth Street annex to the main Bus terminal) in 2003. The Wikipedia article about the current terminal is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_Bus_Terminal

However, it's being replaced in a few months (weeks?) by the new terminal, that's just south of there, inside the new CIBC Square (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIBC_Square) building. It will also on the east side of Bay Street, with the tracks to the north.

There's some images of the new terminal here - https://blog.metrolinx.com/2020/06/10/first-go-buses-enter-union-station-bus-terminal-as-part-of-testing-see-the-images-here/

[MCIBUS]

Thanks. From the pics(at least the ones you can see) looks impressive compared to the old ones at Union Station & Elizabeth Terminals. At least your inside waithing for your bus compared to the one on Bay Street where your out side in the cold in Winter.

The new terminal reminds me of the New(or least a few years old)the one in Montreal(the old Voyageur? Central Terminal of the rebuild)

 

I feel a bit jealous now. Your Terminal looks WAY WAY BETTER then or Bus Terminal here in Ottawa.

[MCIBUS]

This is going way back I think either late 1970's or early 1980's, I still can remember the Toronto Coach Terminal on Bay Street and next door was the Go Transit Elizabeth Terminal, and right in front of the Coach Terminal Voyageur had their small maintance garage(I guess to do light duties Cleaning and minor stuff, and also in front of Coach Terminal and left side of the Voyageur garage GO Transit had a building which washed their buses and I guess minor mechanical issues.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens at the new Go Terminal and what fee's are arrange with Inter-city carriers and if those at the Coach Terminal decide to move to the new location. I'll be interesting to see if Greyhound decide to move back downtown?

 

If all the Inter-city carriers do decide to move to the new GO Terminal, the City Of Toronto need not worrier  about the old Terminal, the land it sits on is worth BIG$$$$ at least a few million(not sure how much)but they could easily sell of the land to some developer who either make condo's or office tower in it's spot.

[Shaun]

Are the higher double deckers able to fit?

[blue.bird.fan]

1 hour ago, 110B West Pickering said:

iirc the design was able to fit the ones currently used by Megabus.

I believe the Van Hool TD925s used by Megabus are 4.0 m high. The highest Enviro500s that have been in storage since April are 4.1 m high, so they still might not be able to fit.

[Megabus Rider]

4 hours ago, Shaun said:

Are the higher double deckers able to fit?

I don't think the older models would be used for any routes out of Downtown Toronto since they have more of the 3.9 metre units.

1 hour ago, blue.bird.fan said:

I believe the Van Hool TD925s used by Megabus are 4.0 m high. The highest Enviro500s that have been in storage since April are 4.1 m high, so they still might not be able to fit.

The double decks Go Transit uses out of Downtown Toronto are 3.9 metres, .1 metre would not make a big difference except of the roof hatches are opened. The Van Hool TD925s should fit as long the roof hatches are not opened.

[MCIBUS]

You would think they'd design it for all their models. I'm not building designer, but you'd think they'd add a meter to the ceiling to fit?

[Shaun]

4 hours ago, MCIBUS said:

You would think they'd design it for all their models. I'm not building designer, but you'd think they'd add a meter to the ceiling to fit?

Not 1 Meter, .1 Meter so 100CM. 

[Doppelkupplung]

.1 meters is 10cm. 

I'm surprised though, I thought the oldest ones would fit in this terminal. Could've been used on certain 21 and 31 trips. Not sure about east routes. 

 

[GTAmissions1]