GO Transit and the Wrath of the Commuters

For thousands, the GO is how commuters get where they're going. But for the last year, they've been riddled with complications and delays. Is it really worth it to take the train instead of drive?

On January 29th GO's switches were acting up, causing a myriad of delays across the Lakeshore line. The Toronto Star heard many a complaint. Are they valid issues? Or are they simply impatient people who like to read their own name in print?

I -am- a commuter, as I have said before. I stand on the platform on a day like today, in -22 degree weather (don't even try adding windchill) and listen to an announcement saying my train is running 10 minutes late. Beautiful. Ten more minutes huddled in a glass box, trying desperately to keep my nosehairs from freezing.

But I must say this: for me (and of course, this is personal opinion) it is far more worth my time to catch a train that might be 10 minutes late than to get up earlier, get home later, stress myself out with driving, and spend outrageous amounts on gas. Seeing as how gas prices are hovering around the dollar mark right now. Yes, ten minutes is a huge amount of time, obviously. My world would self-destruct in ten minutes or less. Let's be serious. If my train was more than ten minutes late, I'd consider it a delay. But people who complain about being 5-10 minutes late for work must remind themselves - THIS IS PUBLIC TRANSPORT. If you were taking a streetcar, or a subway, wouldn't you give yourself extra time in case it WAS late?

The answer is probably not. The majority of the people taking the GO Transit every morning are people who do NOT live in the city. And the lifeblood of the suburbs is driving your own car, at your own speed, at your own freedom. There is a group of commuters out there that don't mind a ten minute delay every once in a while, because it reminds them they could be sitting in a car somewhere, cursing the ice falling off the CN Tower.

That said, I will fully admit to an increase in delays, switch problems and bad organization. When GO moved their operations base to Mimico, they replaced/updated all the switches. It turns out that these switches are actually causing more problems than the old ones ever did. While I can hardly blame GO for trying to update their equipment, I am getting a little sick of hearing "we're waiting for the go ahead here at Mimico" over the speakers.

What bothers me most is the organization. For one thing, the parking situations at Oakville are outrageous. It has come to the point that people need 10 minutes to walk from their parking spot to the platform. They have to commute to the commuter train. Secondly, there needs to be some serious study as to when they need more trains, and where.

Here's a personal example:

I am a creature of habit. My sister and I commonly ride on the 7:38 at Bronte, express from Oakville to Union. This train is usually quite full, and we have now got into the habit of getting off at Oakville if we can't get seats. Because at 7:58, there is a train from Oakville express to Union. As in, no other stops but Oakville. And the train is at most half full. True, its arrival time is written down as thirteen minutes after the 7:38 train - but there's hardly a ten minute difference at the end of it. After a packed GO train pulls into the station, it takes at least 10 minutes to get off the train and out of the station. Getting off the 7:58 probably takes half the time, because there's no traffic jam at the top of the platform stairs.

My question is - why Oakville? Why is Oakville such a bloody hub? With all the West Oak Trails and Lakeshore Woods developments in the west of Oakville, the numbers at Bronte station (originally called Oakville West, and still non-operational on weekends) are climbing and climbing. Why not take that 7:58 train, run it to Bronte, and have it only stop at Bronte and Oakville? What is the point in filling one train to capacity plus, and another ten minutes later being half empty?

The preference to Oakville is a traditional thing. As it is the final stop for weekend GO trains going west and home to VIA Rail's Oakville station, it has developed itself around more than just the commuter. But GO buses do not run from Bronte to Oakville on the weekend. Bronte travellers are being pushed to use Oakville. Which brings me to money.

Because of this Oakville/Bronte situation, I find myself buying not Monthly Passes, but 10-ride POP tickets. I am almost as frequently getting on or off at Oakville as I am at Bronte. Why would I buy a pass that charges me more than I need to pay for? Instead, I find myself shelling out $55-60 each week. And I'm actually saving money.

Or so I thought. But now, the Government has come out with a tax cut for transit passes. Passes. That means MONTHLY Passes. 10 Ride POP tickets are not eligible. Even though I ride the GO consistently, 5 days a week, I do not qualify for any help from the Government. If they think giving commuters a tax break is the only way they can contribute to public transportation, I must admit I'm a little disappointed. A good city depends on its transportation system - a good country supports cities WITH transportation systems. While the government gives us a tax break, the one-way price rises. This is not a feasible, long-term plan.

Suggestions: Why not rezone your fares? Make Oakville and Bronte one fare. Make Burlington, Appleby and Aldershot all one fare. They are in the same city, after all, and depend on their own public transportation between each. Why not work out new schedules? If being late on a regular basis is because of traffic and not technical issues, something needs to be reworked. Make sure all your trains are full, but not overfull. Run more stops, if necessary. Run a Burlington-stops (above three) express. Run an Oakville-stops (above two) express. Cater to your COMMUTERS. They are who pay incredible amounts of money to avoid driving.

And they aren't very impressed right now.