Greyhound

[tomh009]

Greyhound doesn't seem to be a thing anymore, eh. Anyway:

https://www.tvo.org/article/the-tories-w...comes-next

I'm reflexively against anything from the PC government but in this case I'm like, well, whatever, it's kind of like legislating on an issue that currently has no traction but may be important in the future. Probably actually a good idea.

Given that Greyhound has now officially closed its doors, there is really nothing to lose any more -- I don't expect this would cause Megabus to pull out. Allow companies to serve the locations they want to serve, just as it is with airlines. Regulate the behaviour of the companies and the policies for dealing with the customers, but do not restrict which routes companies can or cannot operate on.

[dtkvictim]

Unless this official closure prompts some major change in the market or government, I don't see a future where I'm not forced to own a car. Even if HFR gets approved, it would have to extend through Kitchener to Windsor, and would still be many, many years away.

[tomh009]

Unless this official closure prompts some major change in the market or government, I don't see a future where I'm not forced to own a car. Even if HFR gets approved, it would have to extend through Kitchener to Windsor, and would still be many, many years away.

Car share/rental does still exist, though, and can be much more cost-effective if you only need a car occasionally. I personally know four households in Kitchener that do not own a car -- it is quite possible to do.

[danbrotherston]

Unless this official closure prompts some major change in the market or government, I don't see a future where I'm not forced to own a car. Even if HFR gets approved, it would have to extend through Kitchener to Windsor, and would still be many, many years away.

Car share/rental does still exist, though, and can be much more cost-effective if you only need a car occasionally. I personally know four households in Kitchener that do not own a car -- it is quite possible to do.

Not sure if you are counting me, but you can add me, and a friend of mine was doing it for a while.

But I think the point is fair, as transportation options disappear, it gets more difficult, eventually there is a breaking point, different for everyone.

Ultimately, my "breaking" is departing, but most will probably just end up with a car.

[nms]

Reaching back a century, between 1917 and 1923 the federal government created Canadian National Railway out of the ashes of various failing railways which were nonetheless important to the lifeblood of Canada. Just tossing this one out there, but what would it take for the federal government to create a Crown Corporation to handle all intercity bus traffic in the country? There would be some negotiations to avoid overlap from provincial agencies (eg GO Transit and Ontario Northland). Are there other countries that have national bus system?

Who knows, maybe bus routes could become the precursor to relaunching passenger rail routes if the traffic warranted it?

[ijmorlan]

Reaching back a century, between 1917 and 1923 the federal government created Canadian National Railway out of the ashes of various failing railways which were nonetheless important to the lifeblood of Canada. Just tossing this one out there, but what would it take for the federal government to create a Crown Corporation to handle all intercity bus traffic in the country? There would be some negotiations to avoid overlap from provincial agencies (eg GO Transit and Ontario Northland). Are there other countries that have national bus system?

Who knows, maybe bus routes could become the precursor to relaunching passenger rail routes if the traffic warranted it?

Interesting. If this happens I think it should be a single organization with Via. We wouldn’t want the train and bus divisions working at cross-purposes.

Although on the other hand I wouldn’t want a hypothetical Via bus/train organization deciding that it’s easier and cheaper to just run buses instead of trains on some routes.

[tomh009]

Car share/rental does still exist, though, and can be much more cost-effective if you only need a car occasionally. I personally know four households in Kitchener that do not own a car -- it is quite possible to do.

Not sure if you are counting me, but you can add me, and a friend of mine was doing it for a while.

Never having met you in person, I didn't count you. And as I recall, Acitta is car-free as well.

[ac3r]

Reaching back a century, between 1917 and 1923 the federal government created Canadian National Railway out of the ashes of various failing railways which were nonetheless important to the lifeblood of Canada. Just tossing this one out there, but what would it take for the federal government to create a Crown Corporation to handle all intercity bus traffic in the country? There would be some negotiations to avoid overlap from provincial agencies (eg GO Transit and Ontario Northland). Are there other countries that have national bus system?

Who knows, maybe bus routes could become the precursor to relaunching passenger rail routes if the traffic warranted it?

Interesting. If this happens I think it should be a single organization with Via. We wouldn’t want the train and bus divisions working at cross-purposes.

Although on the other hand I wouldn’t want a hypothetical Via bus/train organization deciding that it’s easier and cheaper to just run buses instead of trains on some routes.

VIA Rail partners with a few bus operators across the country (such as Maritime Bus, Réseau de transport de la Capitale etc) so they do have some familiarity of overlapping rail and bus services from train stations, ensuring they're equally timed.

[ijmorlan]

VIA Rail partners with a few bus operators across the country (such as Maritime Bus, Réseau de transport de la Capitale etc) so they do have some familiarity of overlapping rail and bus services from train stations, ensuring they're equally timed.

Thanks, good to know. I knew Via sometimes uses buses to substitute in an emergency (I once rode a taxi, paid for by Via, instead of a train), but didn’t know about regular service.

[bgb_ca]

Not sure if you are counting me, but you can add me, and a friend of mine was doing it for a while.

Never having met you in person, I didn't count you. And as I recall, Acitta is car-free as well.

For the record, so am I (And I don't have a license so getting a rental is not an option)

[plam]

Never having met you in person, I didn't count you. And as I recall, Acitta is car-free as well.

I think I could do it in KW although the car is convenient sometimes. Maybe I could do just the motorbike. Have been doing it in Wellington since January 2020, it works pretty well with where I live. Much better than in KW even though the transit and bicycle infrastructure is overall worse.

VIA Rail partners with a few bus operators across the country (such as Maritime Bus, Réseau de transport de la Capitale etc) so they do have some familiarity of overlapping rail and bus services from train stations, ensuring they're equally timed.

Yes, and they were working to improve integration with last-mile providers eg to airports in the past few years.

[tomh009]

Multiple Canadian bus companies are looking to step in and fill the gap left by Greyhound.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/greyhou...-1.6026564

[nms]

Thanks for the CBC article.  This line caught my eye as I think it's flow under the WRConnected radar:

Rider Express is not the only company with its eye on Greyhound's abandoned routes. Insiders say there were many reasons the U.S. company withdrew, but one was that as of July 1, the Ontario government is deregulating bus service in the province's well-travelled southern routes. That would open the way for any company that can get a licence to operate.

[tomh009]

Thanks for the CBC article.  This line caught my eye as I think it's flow under the WRConnected radar:

Rider Express is not the only company with its eye on Greyhound's abandoned routes. Insiders say there were many reasons the U.S. company withdrew, but one was that as of July 1, the Ontario government is deregulating bus service in the province's well-travelled southern routes. That would open the way for any company that can get a licence to operate.

Nothing gets past us! The only thing we don't expect is the Spanish Inquisition!

Greyhound doesn't seem to be a thing anymore, eh. Anyway:

https://www.tvo.org/article/the-tories-w...comes-next

I'm reflexively against anything from the PC government but in this case I'm like, well, whatever, it's kind of like legislating on an issue that currently has no traction but may be important in the future. Probably actually a good idea.

[danbrotherston]

I'm unclear what that means "any company that can get a license"...which license? Just an operating license?

I don't think a good solution is hundreds of companies running competeting and non-co-ordinated service. Neither is the resulting unregulated monopoly on the major routes that could also result.

Transit isn't a service that functions well in a capitalist system.

But it seems we rarely let that get in the way of a good profit opportunity.