The Ontario government announced Thursday it has awarded a contract for planning to extend GO Transit’s Lakeshore East line to Bowmanville, Ont., an extension of nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) eastward from the current terminus in Oshawa.
Bowmanville Construction Partners has received the early-stage contract for advance infrastructure planning on what is projected to be a $730 million project. The government projects the extension could lead to almost 17,000 daily trips and 4.9 million annual boardings by 2041. It is expected to reduce travel time from Bowmanville to Toronto Union Station by 15 minutes.
This is good news. Sure. Useless angry rant follows. They've been talking about this particular expansion for forever and a day. Environmental was cleared 12 years ago. Also noteworthy that for...
This is good news. Sure. Useless angry rant follows.
They've been talking about this particular expansion for forever and a day. Environmental was cleared 12 years ago. Also noteworthy that for them to reduce travel time from Bowmanville to Union by only 15 minutes, needs to be put in context of 15min faster than what, straight up driving? Currently google map tells me 88 to LE from Bowmanville to Union takes 1:42. Personal experience tells me that's "optimistic". Plus driving to the stations, finding parking, and getting from Union to where you want to go, it's going to be at least two and a half hours from door to door.
For folks who've never parked at Oshawa GO, it's insane in the morning and evening. With ever more Toronto people pushed out to the outskirts of outskirts of outskirts (remember: Scarborough is a suburb. Pickering is already outskirts), everyone cramming into these lots is just not sustainable urban planning 15 years ago.
And finding parking, buying a ticket and waiting for the train is going to take far longer than 15min. This still doesn't address the last mile problem. If I must drive to the rail station anyway and it only "saves" me 15min, I'm just going to drive or carpool. Now remember that half the year it's frigid and prone to freezing rain too.
It's so disappointing and frustrating that at a time when countries with actual rapid transit have largely moved towards electric high speed rails, they're still talking about chugging along with folks taking two hours each way out of the day to get to work.
The best way forward is to aggressively push for remote work for as many people as possible, and fix the affordability problem so more of the people can just live in Toronto rather than be pushed ever outwards. If you cut out most commuter traffic, the 401 is more than sufficient for the odd "pleasure trip" to Toronto.
As someone who currently needs to take a ~45m bus to Oshawa GO, then a 1hr train ride to Union if I want to go downtown, I feel very seen right now. It's very strange to see Durham Region dilemmas...
As someone who currently needs to take a ~45m bus to Oshawa GO, then a 1hr train ride to Union if I want to go downtown, I feel very seen right now. It's very strange to see Durham Region dilemmas on Tildes of all places.
I don't really have much to add to the discussion, but it's cozy seeing local stuff. Small world!
This is good news. Sure. Useless angry rant follows.
They've been talking about this particular expansion for forever and a day. Environmental was cleared 12 years ago. Also noteworthy that for them to reduce travel time from Bowmanville to Union by only 15 minutes, needs to be put in context of 15min faster than what, straight up driving? Currently google map tells me 88 to LE from Bowmanville to Union takes 1:42. Personal experience tells me that's "optimistic". Plus driving to the stations, finding parking, and getting from Union to where you want to go, it's going to be at least two and a half hours from door to door.
For folks who've never parked at Oshawa GO, it's insane in the morning and evening. With ever more Toronto people pushed out to the outskirts of outskirts of outskirts (remember: Scarborough is a suburb. Pickering is already outskirts), everyone cramming into these lots is just not sustainable urban planning 15 years ago.
And finding parking, buying a ticket and waiting for the train is going to take far longer than 15min. This still doesn't address the last mile problem. If I must drive to the rail station anyway and it only "saves" me 15min, I'm just going to drive or carpool. Now remember that half the year it's frigid and prone to freezing rain too.
It's so disappointing and frustrating that at a time when countries with actual rapid transit have largely moved towards electric high speed rails, they're still talking about chugging along with folks taking two hours each way out of the day to get to work.
The best way forward is to aggressively push for remote work for as many people as possible, and fix the affordability problem so more of the people can just live in Toronto rather than be pushed ever outwards. If you cut out most commuter traffic, the 401 is more than sufficient for the odd "pleasure trip" to Toronto.
As someone who currently needs to take a ~45m bus to Oshawa GO, then a 1hr train ride to Union if I want to go downtown, I feel very seen right now. It's very strange to see Durham Region dilemmas on Tildes of all places.
I don't really have much to add to the discussion, but it's cozy seeing local stuff. Small world!
Small world indeed :) hope your ride was good