GO Transit

[danbrotherston]

I think it's likely less a slight by the PCs, but more a case of good intentions (let's make the trains run at a set interval to be more predictable) gone awry(, but I would not be at all surprised to see government interference).

This would be what I said is "incompetence"...i.e., they don't understand how to run a transit system...

It is absolutely driven by the government though, that much is clear...

[danbrotherston]

I can hear my mother saying "(t)he road to hell is paved with good intentions".

I always thought this was more akin to the ends justifying the means, and less about incompetent people being bad at doing things.

[ijmorlan]

I can hear my mother saying "(t)he road to hell is paved with good intentions".

The Ford government does not have good intentions.

[robdrimmie]

I can hear my mother saying "(t)he road to hell is paved with good intentions".

The Ford government does not have good intentions.

I suspect the majority of people who elected the PCs would claim they did so with good intent.

[ijmorlan]

The Ford government does not have good intentions.

I suspect the majority of people who elected the PCs would claim they did so with good intent.

I’m talking about the government, not the voters.

Although “screw the Liberals” isn’t exactly a sound basis for a voting decision. And why do people think the NDP is so horrible? I’d rather some people who want to do the right thing who will have to learn how things work in government (and who are smart enough to notice that they need to learn), than a bunch of useful idiots.

Ironically, this PC government is on track to repeat an ironic Harris achievement: improving matters by cancelling a transit project. Specifically, Harris cancelled what would have been another stubway on Eglinton, paving the way for the much better LRT project now under construction; and with the re-opened discussion of additional stops etc. on the Scarborough line Ford may end up pushing subway construction so far down the track that a future government returns to the much better LRT plan for Scarborough.

[MacBerry]

It is pretty hard to take you seriously though based off of comments like your highway 7 one.

Land is bought.  Construction is literally in progress at the trickiest locations.  And you can see work sites being cleared and fenced all along the route.

I agree politicians will be politicians.  But people will also be people and think that a major infrastructure project isn’t started until the final layer of concrete is being poured before their eyes.

Aside from not taking me seriously, the Highway 7 project has been shelved until ...

[SammyOES]

As far as I know, it hasn't been shelved. The latest I saw was that there'd be an announcement in the next few weeks about the future plans. Do you have a link to a release actually shelving it?

And I mean, the construction HAS already started. A bunch of work has been done. That hasn't changed. I'm not sure what your original post was, but my post still seems to be accurate.

It's definitely possible that funding will be delayed again by the Ford Government (they've managed to do a number of extra-stupid things) but the highway is still going to be built.

[timio]

Sunk cost doesn't really compute in the government today, nor does future benefit and quality of life. All that matters is saving money now. For the "people", folks.

[tomh009]

... but the highway is still going to be built.

I agree with that. It's just the question of which decade the project will start in.

[SammyOES]

Part of my point though is that the project has clearly started. Which decade it ends in... (but seriously, I'd bet a lot it will be finished in the 20s)

[MidTowner]

They should have someone build it for the right to charge tolls on it for the next few decades. All kinds of benefits, and no hit to the short-term provincial government budget.

[Spokes]

Province working to put express GO train to Kitchener back on track, minister says

Frustrated GO Transit commuters upset over the recent cancellation of an afternoon express train may be in luck.

"We're currently working with Metrolinx to expand more trains and bring back the express route," Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek said during a stop in Waterloo on Tuesday.

Changes rolled out a few weeks ago saw the 4:50 p.m. express train out of Toronto on the Kitchener line bumped to a 5:02 p.m. all-stops departure.

Two of the train's 12 coaches were also removed initially, cutting the number of available seats, until reports of dangerous overcrowding on trains and platforms prompted their restoration over a week ago.

An extra weekday morning and evening train to and from Kitchener had been added to the schedule.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/913...ster-says/

[Canard]

It's amazing GO runs these coaches in such long trains, and hearing how going from 12 cars to 10 caused such a massive problem.

Some US carriers run them with just two or three cars! When I saw this in Texas I laughed out loud!

[Spokes]

Is that simply lack of demand?

[taylortbb]

Is that simply lack of demand?

I think so. The US tends be just that bit more suburban, and transit is just that bit more wrapped up in class politics, that transit ridership is always lower there. Similar cities with similar demographics in the US seems to always end up with about half the transit ridership of comparable Canadian cities. It doesn't help that one political party there seems to largely oppose the existence of transit on principle, compared to Canada where heavily conservative places like Calgary have great transit.