Transit Toronto

Officials at GO and York Region Transit have announced a plan that will keep GO’s Newmarket B bus service operating between Newmarket and York Mills subway station — for a couple more months, at least. The service which was to be cancelled on April 3rd will operate until June 25th instead.

The following Monday, VIVA will add five express buses to its Blue route, skipping key stops, including Richmond Hill Centre, to make the run between Newmarket and Finch subway station in an hour — a time comparable to the GO service.

The Toronto Star has further details on this development, including quotes by GO and YRT officials. It is also reported that York Region Transit is considering ways of handling the Newmarket-York University service, which is still due to be cancelled at the end of April.

On Thursday, March 17, 1960, five immigrant Italian construction workers lost their lives underground while helping to build a new watermain in suburban north Toronto.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 17, 2010, Laurie Swim, “one of Canada’s most esteemed artists”, City of Toronto and TTC officials, members of the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA)’s Local 183, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)’s Local 113 and the Central Ontario Building Trades will unveil a permanent art installation in York Mills Station to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.

Although the men did not die while helping to build the subway, York Mills Station is the perfect permanent home for piece. The subway station sits in Hogg’s Hollow, a few meters from the site of the accident, which trapped the men 35 feet underground in a cramped, dimly lit tunnel, beneath the west branch of the Don River. Their deaths sparked a public outcry over the lack of safety standards in construction. Ultimately, that led to better conditions for men and women working in hazardous construction sites.

A new express route between Square One and the airport area is the highlight when Mississauga Transit revises its routes and services, starting Monday, March 22.

MT is also renaming and renumbering several routes so that route names and numbers are consistent throughout the network of routes.

Almost everyone who rides GO Transit buses or trains should carefully check their schedules, before setting out to the station or bus stop, starting Saturday, April 3.

The Toronto Star reports that, for the first time in 40 years, GO is revising all of its schedules to better reflect real trip times and to respond to an increasing number or riders. GO is adjusting the times of about 40 train trips by one to eight minutes — three minutes on average.

GO’s ridership has grown from about 36 million passengers in 1998 to about 55 million each year. More riders means trains have to stop longer as passengers board and exit. GO is also operating longer, 12-car trains on the Milton route and expects to operate 12-car trains on half of the Lakeshore trains later this fall, after it finishes its project to build a third set of tracks along the lines. Longer trains mean more people getting on and off the trains and that means trains need more time at each station.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16, GO Transit is closing off the east end of the platform at Whitby GO Station, while contractors start building a new pedestrian bridge. The bridge will connect the platforms to the south-east parking lot.

During this work, GO will restrict access to the trains and will only open the doors on the west-end coaches of the train, starting from the fifth car from the locomotive.

GO expects work to continue for about three months.

Start turning out your pockets or digging deep into your purse for pennies. Fish out those quarters from between the cushions of the couch. Check under the bed for nickels and dimes.

Just a reminder that you’ll need an extra 25 cents to travel by GO Transit, starting next Saturday, March 20.

You can read the details oF GO fares here.

Thursday, April 1 may be April Fools’ Day, but Burlington Transit isn’t fooling around. Riding the bus in Burlington will cost you more, starting that day.

You’ll have to add another quarter to the farebox, starting April 1. The cash fare for adult, student and senior passengers goes up by 25 cents from $2.75 to $3. The cash fare for children between 5 and 12 years of age also goes up by 25 cents from 60 to 65 cents.

You can see a list of current and upcoming Burlington Transit fares here.

The TTC and the City of Toronto have finished the environmental project report, assessing their plans for the Eglinton Crosstown light rail Transit City line. That means that they have finalized their proposals and will shortly submit their report for the Honourable John Gerretsen, Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, to review.

But first, members of the public have on more chance to look over and comment on their plans. You can review the report on-line here and submit any objections in writing before Sunday, April 11.

If the minister receives no objections, he likely will approve the environmental project report. That means that the City and TTC can proceed with building the line, likely starting to build parts of the sections along the surface this summer and the western entrance into the underground part of the line — around Black Creek Drive — later this fall.

The City of Mississauga and Mississauga Transit have posted the presentation materials from the recent open houses on line here (.pdf). The presentation describes upcoming work to build transit-only lanes along Rathburn Road West near the City Centre Terminal at Square One.

You can also read the draft environmental report and related documents here.

Starting Monday, March 15, the Town of Whitby is closing

• Burns Street East between Denison and Hopkins Streets

during a project to rebuild the roadway.

Durham Region Transit is detouring buses while the street is closed.