By Staff
April 15th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
With news like this – you now know why Bonnie Crombie took a pass on running for the Milton seat in the Legislature.
The Ontario government is moving ahead with the largest GO train service expansion in more than a decade, adding more than 300 trips per week on the Milton, Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Kitchener and Stouffville lines. The 15 per cent increase in weekly trips will give commuters more choice to get where they need to go faster.
“As part of our work to get it done on the largest public transit expansion in North America, our government is adding hundreds of additional GO train trips each week for communities across the GTA,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Today’s announcement, along with our recent introduction of free transfers between different transit systems through One Fare, will help get people across the region where they need to go faster, while saving the average transit rider $1,600 every year.”
Starting April 28, 2024, weekend train service will increase from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes in the afternoon and evening on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East lines between Oakville GO Station, Union Station and Durham College Oshawa GO Station. For the first time, riders on the Kitchener line will also benefit from new 30-minute weekday service during midday and evenings between Bramalea and Union Station.
| “As Ontario’s population continues to grow, our government is investing in a world-class transit network that connects communities and people to good jobs and affordable housing,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “We’re delivering on our plan to bring more reliable, convenient two-way, all-day GO train service to commuters in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.”
The province is also adding evening train service seven days a week on the Stouffville line, as well as an additional morning rush hour trip to Union Station for commuters in Milton and an afternoon rush hour trip from Union Station to Milton GO. “Investing in GO rail service and infrastructure is critical to advancing Milton’s long-term complete community vision,” said Mayor Gordon Krantz, Town of Milton. “Additional GO rail service trips in Milton further connects people to jobs, students to learning, stimulates our economy, fosters housing builds in our transit corridors and improves connections to other transit services. We thank the Government of Ontario for this investment, demonstrating a positive step forward in the shared two-way all-day GO service vision for 2031.” |
“Additional GO rail service trips in Milton further connects people to jobs, students to learning, stimulates our economy, fosters housing builds in our transit corridors and improves connections to other transit services.”
Tall order. I’m surprised Mayor Krantz didn’t credit expanded GO train service for solving acne, gout and male pattern baldness.
I took the GO train into Toronto recently from Appleby. Both north and south lots were three-quarters empty on a weekday. Ditto Oakville West, Oakville and Clarkson. Ridership is declining as more people continue working from home. The great office return is not materializing. More businesses are moving out of the downtown core because leasing costs are just too high, commuting costs for employees are too high, downtown Toronto is congested, and the whole environment is increasingly unsafe.
15 minutes service is a waste. The Ford government would have been further ahead to put the money into building improved public transit connections from Burlington and Oakville to other frequently travelled locations in the west and north of Toronto such as Square One, Humber College, York University, North York City Centre, etc. Not all commuters head to downtown Toronto. Besides, half an hour isn’t long to wait for a train.