[ikerrin]

For fans of commuter transit in Ontario, a big announcement today. Looks like a parking garage in every pot. Its not clear if this is a really good thing since building multi-story parking garages to replace surface parking just allows my cars to park and encourages sprawl.

I don't know that parking garages is where I want to spend my transit money, but here are the details for those interested.
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February 17, 2009 11:21 AM

Infrastructure investment stimulates economic growth, creates jobs, supports a cleaner environment and enhances the overall prosperity of Ontarians.

In the summer of 2008, Ontario signed the Building Canada Plan Framework Agreement with the federal government. Under this agreement, Ontario receives $3.09 billion as part of the Building Canada Fund. Ontario's matching contribution results in a $6 billion investment towards revitalizing the province's infrastructure.

The Building Canada Fund is divided into two components:

The Communities Component, where the federal and provincial governments work in partnership with municipalities in communities with 100,000 or fewer residents - each contributing to project funding on a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 share basis, and;
The Major Infrastructure Component for larger strategic projects of national and regional significance.
Improving Go Transit

The federal and provincial governments have agreed to take action to upgrade and revitalize the GO Transit infrastructure and provide up to $500 million to support major GO Transit infrastructure projects. Canada will provide up to $250 million to a maximum of 50% of eligible costs of approved projects that meet eligibility and approval requirements under the Building Canada Plan and the signing of a contribution agreement with the Province.

For example, the 200,000 GTA commuters, who rely on the GO Transit system to and from work every day, will benefit from 12 GO Transit parking stations projects as part of this investment. Providing more parking will ensure that GO Transit can adapt to expected growth of ridership associated with a rising population in the GTA. This includes:


Region Station Imp. Projects $
Central Ajax Parking Structure $30,200,000.00
Central Aurora Building Rehab/Parking Rehab $1,250,000.00
Central Mount Pleasant Parking Expansion $1,100,000.00
Central Bramalea Parking Expansion $1,350,000.00
Central Centennial Parking Structure $14,000,000.00
Central Unionville Parking Expansion $1,500,000.00
Central Cooksville Parking Structure $30,500,000.00
Central Erindale Parking Structure $30,000,000.00
Central Oakville Parking Structure $30,500,000.00
Toronto Markham Parking Expansion $700,000.00
Toronto Pickering Parking Structure $30,500,000.00
Toronto Rouge Hill Parking Expansion $1,500,000.00

The investment also includes the $75.5 million Hamilton Junction Project: a rail-to-rail grade separation project that will increase reliability and improve GO train service.

[zilfondel]

wait, I thought Canada had super-duper suburban transit and didn't need to rely on cars in the suburbs.

Thats a lot of money for parking

[J. Will]

The garages will be greatly needed when they expand service to have multiple trains in each direction each hour all day long on some lines. Ridership is already at 160k per day, and is growing MUCH faster than the population. And there are few if any garages at the suburban stations. Some stations have large lots, some have very small lots. You can have all the bus service you want to the stations, but a certain percentage of riders are always going to drive to the stations, especially if they like to hit snooze like myself and are rushing to get there as it is.

[Justin10000]

GO Parking lots are like a vast concrete wasteland. The only solution, is to build up.

[ikerrin]

wait, I thought Canada had super-duper suburban transit and didn't need to rely on cars in the suburbs.

Thats a lot of money for parking

:haha:

Our reputation as a Utopia is greatly overstated.

Seriously though, there are tonnes of buses at the stations but they are also seas of cars. I keep hoping that at some day the stations will attract much more Transit oriented development but it is slow in coming. I wish they were building underground parking instead of above ground structures, but at least this keeps cars off the road.

[Doady]

GO Parking lots are like a vast concrete wasteland. The only solution, is to build up.

Another solution local transit and walking, but GO doesn't care about that. GO only cares about motorists.

[llamaorama]

I think park-n-rides are smart, only attracts more riders, right?

Price is a consideration though because it assumes people already own a car too and then what value does one get riding the train if the fares only add to the expenses of your car, the very least of which is gas. Is it most transit users in Toronto opt for a one or zero car household? Are people really paying $500 bucks a year on top of their insurance and car payments to commute in by rail?

[jeicow]

As long as they start charging for parking in the garages, I'm down with this- especially if the money is reinvested to provide expanded service on the line. Of course, this is just all wishful thinking and will probably never happen. I hope that this does mean the beginning of expanded service on the lines but again....if it was, they would have made a huge expansion plan and given it a flashy name (I am aware of GO2020 but am doubtful of its actual role beyond looking nice on paper).

Nonetheless, I'll hate to see the day that Clarkson and Port Credit get multi-story parking structures, especially since they both have proper local transit connections (in comparison to about 90% of all the other GO stations).

[J. Will]

I think park-n-rides are smart, only attracts more riders, right?

Price is a consideration though because it assumes people already own a car too and then what value does one get riding the train if the fares only add to the expenses of your car, the very least of which is gas. Is it most transit users in Toronto opt for a one or zero car household? Are people really paying $500 bucks a year on top of their insurance and car payments to commute in by rail?

Of course most suburbanites own a car. That's a pretty silly question. The parking is in addition to bus service from the stations to the neighbourhoods, not instead of bus service.