Posts Tagged ‘Transit’

Petition Against 5% Increase in GO Transit Fares for 2010

February 14th, 2010
Email This Post Email This PostspacerPrint This Post Print This Post

spacer

GO Transit has announced that yet again during a recession, they plan to raise fares by 5% in 2010.

GO Transit has announced that yet again during a recession, they plan to raise fares by 5% in 2010.

As he was a year ago, Milton resident Andrew Salmons is all over GO Transit’s recent announcement that they will yet again raise fares by 5% for 2010.

I’d have to agree with Mr. Salmons on this one. During not only a recession, but a supposed environmental crisis — not to mention the traffic issues faced daily by GTA commuters — this is absolutely the wrong decision by GO.

I realize GO is continuing to make improvements and additions to their service, but it’s wrong to hit riders with this increase, especially with so many experiencing either wage freezes or taking pay cuts in the past year thanks to the state of the world economy.

In my mind, it would make sense for GO to keep costs down as much as possible so that taking transit becomes a ‘no-brainer’ for commuters. There would probably be an increase in ridership which would fund planned improvements and growth. And if funding falls a little short, well, the government seems to be more than willing to throw around stimulus money these days… Wouldn’t appeasing the huge number of GO commuters be seen as ‘low hanging fruit’ by the Provincial Government?

Are you a user of GO Transit? If so, we would encourage you to do your part by signing the online petition we received from Andrew Salmons via email.

Will this change anything? More than likely not, but I think it’s important for GO to see where it’s riders stand on this announcement and also read your comments and suggestions.

From Andrew Salmons:

GO Transit has done it again! They are increasing your monthly pass rate by 5% again this year, on top of the 5% increase last year. That is a 10% increase in just 2 years, while annual inflation is 1.2% as of December 2009, and was 1.3% as of March 2009.

To put the latest 5% increase in perspective:

A rider traveling from Milton to Union will now pay $272 per month from $260 in 2009, $250 in 2008, and $246 in 2007. 8.8% increase since March 2008.

A rider traveling from Oakville to Union will now pay $214.50 per month from $205 in 2009, and $195 in 2008. 10% increase since March 2008.

Add your name to petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to (1) reduce GO Transit fares to be inline with inflation since 2007, (2) conduct a complete review GO Transit’s operating expenses and contracts, and (3) develop and implement a strategy for economically sustainable and affordable transit in Ontario.

I ask you for your support and ask you add your name this year’s petition against the fare increase.

Please sign here

Feel free to forward this petition to your friends, co-workers, and family, and your Member of Provincial Parliament.

Thank you for your support!

Comments on this story are moderated

No comments »

Posted in Commuting, GO Transit, GTA, Milton Development, Politics, Traffic, Transit

Tags:

GO Transit gets $500M boost

February 21st, 2009

The question now is to see what this means for Milton, where extensive improvements have already been made to the GO Station over the past few years. Expanded train service on weekends? We encourage GO Transit riders to leave suggestions in our comments section below.

From The Toronto Star

Milton GO Transit Station

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says such investments "give us a more competitive economy in the longer term."

In a bid to get the ailing economy back on the rails, Ottawa and Queen’s Park are boosting investment in GO Transit.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty today announced that up to $500 million will be spent to improve a dozen GO station parking lots and upgrading rail lines to increase service reliabiliity.

The funding will be divided equally between the provincial and federal governments.

Harper and McGuinty made a theatrical arrival at the GO yards in Mimico aboard a locomotive to disclose the news.

“This investment will create jobs for local construction workers in communities throughout Southern Ontario,” said Harper.

McGuinty said such investments “give us a more competitive economy in the longer term.”

“When transit is more convenient, more people leave their car at home. That means a better quality of life for our families and a cleaner, stronger and more beautiful province,” the premier said.

Today’s funding is a part of the previously announced $3.09 billion Ontario will receive from Ottawa’s Building Canada program.

Comments on this story are moderated

No comments »

Posted in Commuting, GO Transit, GTA, Milton Development, Politics, Toronto, Transit, Transportation

Tags:

Eales fed-up, gives up bid to repair GO

January 16th, 2009

From the Toronto Star:

Pat Eales, who rallied 11,000 angry GO riders to sign a petition last winter, quit her job and has given up on commuting.

Pat Eales, who rallied 11,000 angry GO riders to sign a petition last winter, quit her job and has given up on commuting.

The woman who rallied 11,000 angry GO commuters to sign a petition last winter has quit the customer service advisory committee inspired by her efforts.

Saying she couldn’t handle another winter of long, frustrating commutes on the GO train, Pat Eales found a new job about 15 minutes from her Oakville home – ironically overlooking the GO station.

On days like Wednesday, when thousands of commuters were left in the deep freeze because of train delays, Eales says she thanks her lucky stars she no longer suffers the commute to downtown Toronto.

She started an online GO petition after being late for work repeatedly last winter. It demanded a freeze on fare hikes and a 50 per cent refund on fares when trains are delayed 20 minutes or more.

The petition tapped enormous customer outrage – 11,000 disgruntled commuters signed on – but wasn’t enough to persuade GO to cancel a 15-cent-a-ride fare hike. GO also argued that since it relies heavily on fares, a late-train refund would have come out of commuters’ pockets anyway.

GO did, however, set up a committee of seven train riders and one bus passenger to advise the board and staff on how to improve service.

Eales quit after the first committee meeting, in September, when she found her new job – something she says probably would have happened anyway.

At that meeting, Eales said members were given a free lunch, a return fare to GO’s downtown office and a model double-decker bus. But most members of the committee – composed of riders from each of GO’s lines and a student – remain anonymous.

“After all I did and the things I wanted to accomplish, I didn’t feel that was the venue for it,” she said.

“How are we supposed to be a liaison between (GO Transit) and the GO transit riders if no one knows who we are and no one knows we even exist?” asked Eales, who said she was required to sign a confidentiality agreement when she joined the committee.

“GO assembled these representatives to be a confidential sounding board for their policies and plans,” said GO spokesperson Vanessa Thomas. “It’s not so much that they are anonymous, but their role is specific and related to providing advice to GO.”

Committee members were solicited on the GO website and, so far, have focused on learning about the GO system. They did support the move to put defibrillators on trains.

Comments on this story are moderated

No comments »

Posted in Commuting, GO Transit, GTA, Transit, Transportation

Tags:

Heat wave slows Milton GO Trains

July 19th, 2008

go train milton to toronto

Those familiar with taking the GO Train into Toronto from Milton are well aware of all of the trials and tribulations involved. Those of you thinking about or who have recently moved to Milton and plan to commute into the city via the GO Trains might be interested in this recent article on why you can just throw that handy, dandy train schedule out the window when the temperatures heat up…

From Tess Kalinowski, Transportation Reporter at the Toronto Star:

GO Transit is warning of 15- to 30-minute delays on the Milton line in light of today’s extremely hot weather.

But based on last summer’s experience, which saw delays usually in the two- to three-minute range, those delays could be much shorter, said GO spokesperson Jessica Kosmack this afternoon.

The Milton line is owned by Canadian Pacific, which slows its trains to 64 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour) once the temperature hits 32 degrees C, she said.

That allows the engineer and conductor in the locomotive to see if a kink has developed in the rail ahead due to heat expansion, explained CP spokesperson Mike Lovecchio.

CN also slows its passenger and freight trains once the temperature hits 30 degrees C but the delays in the Toronto-area tend to be insignificant, said company spokesperson Mark Hallman.

In many cases, because of the number of stops on the GO lines, the trains wouldn’t normally exceed the hot weather speed limit of 105 kilometres per hour. ( 65 miles per hour)

No comments »

Posted in Commuting, Environment, GTA, Milton: The Bad, Toronto, Transit, Transportation

Tags:

GO’s ridership growing faster than service

May 28th, 2008

Milton GO Train Station

Bus service, parking lots stretched

As fast as GO Transit expands its bus and train service, ridership on many routes appears to be growing faster.

This year GO was expecting about a 4- to 5 per cent increase in riders. But March ridership numbers released to GO’s board of directors this week showed average weekday ridership increased 7.5 per cent over the same month last year.

That’s about 14,080 more riders daily or the equivalent of nine additional train trips.

A surfeit of riders is a good problem to have when “most transit companies are out there screaming to get people on the system,” said GO managing director Gary McNeil.

“We’re trying to manage the demand based on the supply we’ve got available,” he said, adding that bus capacity is almost “maxed out” even though GO introduced the first of its new double-decker fleet on the Highway 407 routes in April and it is not retiring its coaches as fast as it had expected.

Ridership is migrating to the off-peak periods when there are seats available on the trains, but at many stations there’s virtually no parking available by the end of the morning rush, said customer service director Bill Jenkins.

The third track being built along GO’s busy Lakeshore line means the Oakville VIA station for about $3 million by December.(The new station will be built northwest of the existing building, which is being demolished.

Georgetown riders will have their weekend bus service to Union Station increased. An hourly express service will service downtown Brampton and a second hourly service will go to Bramalea and Malton.

The transit company also plans to launch a new weekday bus service between Bronte and Milton with 13 trips in each direction to connect with 407 bus service at the Burlington 407 Carpool lot, the Lakeshore West service to Union Station and McMaster University.

As it prepares to extend service into the Niagara Region, GO is also introducing buses from a new interim park n’ ride lot in Stoney Creek to the Burlington station. The move is expected to reduce the demand on parking at Burlington, where a new parking structure is supposed to open next month.

All GO Transit’s Milton trains are now pulling 12 cars that accommodate 300 additional passengers on each train.

The 12-car trains also are being used on three Lakeshore runs: the 8:25 a.m. Oshawa express train to Union Station; the 5:03 train to Pickering from Union and the 4:10 p.m. express to Burlington from Union Station.

Eight of GO’s 27 new locomotives are now in service. The agency is awaiting delivery of more locomotives before it can add more 12-car trains to the busy Lakeshore line. The new engines are supposed to be delivered by the middle of next year.

Meantime, some Lakeshore platforms still need to be lengthened to accommodate the longer trains. Platform work begins this month in Hamilton, in the summer at Appleby and in the fall at Long Branch.

– by Tess Kalinowski, Transportation Reporter for the Toronto Star

No comments »

Posted in Commuting, GTA, Milton Development, Milton: The Bad, Politics, Transit, Transportation

Tags: