GO Bus Services Unavailable as Transit Workers Strike

More than 2,200 GO Transit bus operators, station attendants and other employees began striking on Monday after being unable to reach an agreement with GO operator Metrolinx.

Photo by Luke Best.

The union says 81 per cent of GO employees voted against a previous contract offer from Metrolinx, leading to the walkout.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1587 says its concern is with job security, and hiring connect workers from outside the company.

Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency that oversees GO Transit and the Union Pearson Express, says they will remain open to bargaining during the strike.

GO bus services will be unavailable during the strike. GO trains will continue to operate.

More information to come.

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Metrolinx Cancels GO Train Trips Due To Staffing Issues

Due to staff shortages, Metrolinx has cancelled several GO Train trips that could go into next week as a result of staff sicknesses announced on Monday.

Three Go Bus stops are in Peterborough at Crawford Drive, Trent University and the Peterborough Bus Terminal. Photo by Luke Best.

GO Transit has released the following statement regarding the cancellations:

“We are sorry to advise that due to staff illnesses we will need to cancel some train trips this week. Please check the service updates page before travelling, check the departure boards at your station, or follow our GO bus and train line Twitter handles for the status of your trip.”

Several routes including Lakeshore West with Union Station roundtrips to West Harbour GO; Lakeshore East from Oshawa to Union Station and back and Union Station to Kitchener are cancelled.

Buses from Oshawa GO to Peterborough and back are running as scheduled.

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Express GO Bus Line to Richmond Hill Is Being Proposed For Peterborough

Getting to Toronto in three to four hours via public transit may be a thing of the past as MPP Dave Smith is proposing a new Express Go Bus line in Peterborough to the GO Bus station at Hwy 407 and Yonge Street in Richmond Hill.

File Photo.

The proposed line from Peterborough will arrive at the GO Bus station at Hwy 407 and Yonge St. in Richmond Hill with stops at Trent University, the Peterborough Bus Terminal and Fleming College.

A trip to Toronto/Peterborough would cut travel times with due to less traffic congestion on Highway 407 and would cost less roughly than $30 according to Smith.

The line will provide Peterborough with a direct route to Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) buses and subways, York Region Transit, GO buses, and access to the GO train and VIA Rail service. The service could reduce several hours in travel for a round-trip to Toronto and vice versa.

“Ontario is undergoing the largest transportation infrastructure expansion in the history of the province including a $28 billion transit expansion in the City of Toronto,” said Smith. “I want Peterborough to be included in that so that residents can easily work, make medical appointments, attend classes, and visit the entire region of Toronto.”

One benefit of the bus includes some relief from the housing crisis. There could be increased vacancies as a result of students making a commute to post-secondary schools in Peterborough.

“If I have 200 students that no longer move to Peterborough, that frees up 40-50 hours or apartments,” explained Smith. “If you have less demand, the market price doesn’t go up as fast. It should alleviate some of the pressures as rent goes up.”

Smith adds that tourism could see an increase as anyone from the GTA area has increased access to Peterborough.

“When you take a look at the leisure side of things, you could go see a Blue Jays game, the Raptors, the Leafs game,” said Smith. “Before, you could only have one tallboy and that’s it because you had to drive. Now you can enjoy a few extra adult beverages with the express bus.”

Smith held an open virtual town hall with Metrolinx on Tuesday night providing surveys to the general public regarding the need for the express bus.

Roughly 60 people were surveyed with approximately 96 per cent responding in favour of the bus line according to Smith.

If approved, the express bus could start in 18-24 months.

To take the online survey regarding the Express Go Bus, click here.

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Fleming College Students Helped Convert Former GO Transit Bus Into Tour Bus For Country Band

Fleming College students embarked on an awesome project recently, transforming a former GO Transit bus into a tour bus for the James Barker Band, a up-and-coming Canadian country band who will take it across Canada on their upcoming tour—their first official tour bus.

March 13th: photo of Carpentry professor Sue Brown with two of her students

March 20th: Paul Jordan, Coordinator, Trades Fundamentals program; band member Taylor Abraham; Maxine Mann, Dean, School of Trades and Technology; School of Trades and Technology Academic Chair Rod McLeod; band member Connor Stephen; band member Bobby Martin; and Band Manager.

March 30th

April 13th: Fleming students & faculty at work on the bus

With the assistance of faculty from Fleming's School of Trades and Technology, students in a number of trades programs—Carpentry, Plumbing, Welding and Electrical—collaborated to complete the project over the past seven weeks before their semester ended on April 21st.

April 13th: Bunk beds coming along

The bus includes a kitchenette, bathroom, eight bunks, a closet, and lounge and seating areas.

April 21st: Seating area

April 21st

April 21st

The students finished their portion of the project on time, including wood work, plumbing, welding and wiring, and the only thing left to do is some trim work and paint.

The band (pictured below at Fleming's recent Open House) will soon be ready to take it on tour...
 

James Barker Band at Fleming

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