McMaster commuters are on the “Go”

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/GO-bus.jpg” caption=”A Go bus leaves McMaster to the Pickering station”]Now, more than ever, McMaster commuters are on the “GO”.
In response to a growing increase in those using GO Transit, service to and from McMaster will increase for a second time this fall. At the beginning of September, GO Transit almost doubled service to the University, but realized it's not enough.
John Abraham, manager of Parking & Transit Services, credits McMaster's Alternative Commuting & Transportation (ACT) Office with this success. “The ACT Office is doing a really admirable job,” he says. “The co-operation with GO planning and marketing staff has been impressive. And of course we thank GO Transit for being so responsive to the University's needs.”
Initial estimates indicate that ridership has increased 300 per cent since 2003 to 1,200 from 400 riders per day (this sample was taken Wednesday, Sept. 15). On Friday, Sept. 17, GO reports carrying 1,900 riders to and from the University.
When Abraham learned how many people actually use the transit service, he was ecstatic. After all, when he started at McMaster 14 years ago, only a handful of riders used GO Transit to get to Toronto on a Friday afternoon, he recalls.
He also notices a difference in the number of parking applications. “Even though there are about 6,000 more people on campus than there were six or seven years ago, the issues of parking have not increased,” he says. “There is still a waiting list for parking, but our issues with parking are not any bigger than they were in the past.
“People have found alternative ways to get to campus,” he adds, “whether it's on GO Transit, Hamilton Street Railway, walking, biking or carpooling.”
ACT's success has been noticed outside the University as well. The ACT Office recently won a VISION 2020 Sustainable Community award from the City of Hamilton. The awards ceremony will be held at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
This September, Highway 407 service went from hourly to half-hourly service during most of the day and express buses were added to McMaster in the morning. On the QEW, Friday afternoon service increased to operate every 30 minutes instead of hourly and an additional train-meet trip from McMaster to Burlington was added for late afternoon travellers.
GO is making arrangements to hire additional drivers to make more buses available to the McMaster campus. It also plans to add a new express bus in the morning from Mississauga Square One on weekdays, leaving at 7:15 a.m. to McMaster. GO plans to add more express trips to Union Station on Friday afternoons and double the Sunday service from Toronto to McMaster, operating buses from Union Station hourly from 4:20 to 7:20 p.m. direct to the University. GO expects the extra service will be available by November.