On Mass Transit

[dewline]

Call this an infrastructure rant.

I had a look at the system map of GO Transit this morning.

I got curious, partly because of these facts: I use OC Transpo here in Ottawa every day to get from point to point for whatever reasons matter most at a given moment, and most of my intercity travelling - what little there is of it right now - is done through VIA Rail. I've therefore become a public transit supporter and a bit of a railfan as well.

So I'm starting to wonder why, given the extent of real estate served by GO Transit these days, as well as the fact that it's being once again funded by the provincial government of Ontario...why not extend the network to cover the whole province, and thereby provide true intercity bus and rail transit to cities in Ontario not currently served by VIA Rail?

I don't see why we should settle for GO Transit confining itself to the area bounded by Oshawa, Barrie, Guelph and Hamilton.

Comments

[thebitterguy]

Nearly if you deduct $80. It's $171 a month from Clarkson to Union.

Plus it does qualify for the transit rebate.

A monthly pass from Milton to Union Station is $250, but considering that's what I'd spend on diesel in my Smart if I made that trip everyday (without the added cost of parking), it's not that bad a cost.

[orleans.livejournal.com]

I may have been looking at the non-central stations there as I'm not overly familar with the area. I do remember being surprised at the high cost when I checked it out a while ago.

I'm surprised the Smart doesn't have better fuel mileage considering it's small weight and size. :O Honda Civic Hybrid is better in that regard and it's a real car that's suitable for a Ottawa winter.

[thebitterguy]

Actually, I miscalculated. It would be about twice the cost of gas for a straight trip with no traffic.