Posted January 27th, 2012 by Michael Druker
The Region has released its staff report recommending an LRT procurement strategy, which will determine the approach used to design, build, and operate the system. More specifically, it recommends a public-private partnership, with extensive private sector responsibility. See the report for full details.
On Tuesday, January 31, at 2pm, Deloitte (the Region’s consultant) will be giving a presentation at a special meeting (see agenda) on the recommendation and its basis. The following Tuesday, February 7, at 6pm will be the public meeting on LRT procurement. Regional Council will make the final decision on February 8.
Do you have an opinion on how the Region should build and operate LRT, and on the recommendation? Then make sure to contact your Regional Councillors to express your opinion, and consider being a delegation at the February 7 public meeting.
In Light Rail, News | No Comments »
Posted January 9th, 2012 by Tim Mollison
It’s that time again: the Rapid Transit team has sent out notices of the Transit Project Assessment meetings to be held on January 24, 25, and 26:
24th Jan, 3-8pm: First United Church, King and William, Waterloo
25th Jan, 3-8pm: Region of Waterloo Headquarters, 150 Frederick, Kitchener
26th Jan, 3-8pm: United Kingdom Club, 35 International Village Drive, Cambridge
Speculation aside about whether or not there will be cookies, these meetings are important because they discuss what impacts LRT construction/operation will have on the environment. With parts of the LRT route being near floodplains, being next to or on top of the Laurel Creek tunnel through Uptown Waterloo, and running through some parkland, it will be very important for the Region to explain to the public how environmental impacts of the project are to be mitigated and how an incident of provincial significance can be avoided (the Laurel Creek runs into the Grand River, and that’s where Brantford gets its drinking water from), and how any contract for construction and/or operation will ensure high quality transport for the citizens of Waterloo Region while taking the health and well-being of our neighbours downstream into account.
So with so much on the line, an informed public, and the feedback it provides, are very important here. Please take an hour out of your busy schedule to attend one of these information meetings above, and continue to be an active participant in the affairs of your local government.
In News | 4 Comments »
Posted November 27th, 2011 by Michael Druker
On Friday, the province finally announced the schedule for GO trains in Kitchener and Guelph. They’ll be starting on Monday, December 19th — and the Georgetown Line will become the Kitchener Line. A trip from Kitchener to Toronto is two hours each way and a round trip costs $29.20. Kitchener to Guelph is 22 minutes and a round trip costs $12.60. VIA is more expensive, but provides faster runs during other parts of the day – no word yet on any combined GO/VIA fares nor for that matter on any fare discounts with Grand River Transit.
Combined GO/VIA schedule (eastbound)
|
Kitchener |
Guelph |
Brampton |
Toronto – Bloor |
Toronto – Union |
| GO (Mon-Fri) |
05:52 |
06:14 |
07:05 |
07:38 |
07:53 |
| VIA (Mon-Fri) |
06:29 |
06:57 |
07:44 |
- |
08:20 |
| GO (Mon-Fri) |
07:10 |
07:32 |
08:21 |
08:53 |
09:08 |
| VIA (Mon-Sun) |
09:10 |
09:42 |
10:22 |
- |
10:50 |
| VIA (Mon-Sun) |
21:35 |
22:07 |
22:51 |
- |
23:20 |
Combined GO/VIA schedule (westbound)
|
Toronto – Union |
Toronto – Bloor |
Brampton |
Guelph |
Kitchener |
| VIA (Mon-Sun) |
10:55 |
- |
11:29 |
12:08 |
12:36 |
| GO (Mon-Fri) |
16:45 |
16:54 |
17:30 |
18:18 |
18:42 |
| VIA (Mon-Sun) |
17:40 |
- |
18:14 |
18:52 |
19:20 |
| GO (Mon-Fri) |
17:45 |
17:54 |
18:30 |
19:18 |
19:42 |
| VIA (Mon-Fri, Sun) |
22:10 |
- |
22:45 |
23:29 |
23:57 |
GO train in Kitchener (Photo: Gord Spence via Flickr)
Judging by how much the coverage of Friday’s announcement has been linked and discussed, there is much enthusiasm for GO trains finally rolling into Kitchener. But local politicians clearly are not thrilled with Kitchener being treated as a bedroom community for Toronto. The Globe has written about the frustration that the new service does nothing for commuters from the GTA into Waterloo Region, who Communitech says are now more numerous than the reverse. And as our survey helps to show, the general public has a keen interest in travelling to Toronto on weekends – something for which GO Transit has no apparent plans.
But more problematic than a limited train service to start is that GO is not rolling out bus service on the corridor during off-peak times and the reverse direction. Officials from GO and Metrolinx are quoted by CTV as saying that train service will be added and adjusted according to the demand. However, without the bus service there on the same corridor, GO has little means to gauge the demand for anything other than commuter service to Toronto.
Service on Route 25 (between Waterloo Region and Mississauga) is barely relevant to the trips which a Kitchener Line train serves. One can hope that GO will at least have the sense to try running Friday evening and Sunday evening trains for students to/from the GTA, when Route 25 and Greyhound are very busy. GO could even run shuttles from the universities to the train, and replace a dozen buses with a couple of shuttle buses and a couple of trains. Since existing bus ridership is a poor indicator of Kitchener Line demand, GO Transit will need to actually try out service at other times to convince itself of the demand – such as on a weekend.
All that said, there is still reason to think that the trains will be well-used, as I’ve written before. They may prove particularly useful both to occasional commuters to Toronto, but also commuters from Kitchener to Guelph and Brampton. Though here too, GO undermines its utility by having the exorbitant price of $12.60 for a round trip between Kitchener and Guelph — quite a bit more expensive than gas and parking for such a commute by car.
In Intercity Transit, News, Transit | 6 Comments »
