Milton Transit is the public transit system in the town of Milton , Ontario , Canada . Milton is in Halton Regional Municipality , part of the Greater Toronto Area .
107-468: Milton Transit was inaugurated in 1972, and greatly expanded from 3 fixed routes to 5 fixed routes in September 2005. It replaced the former dial-a-bus and GO Transit local connector, which used school buses. The fixed route service was operated in partnership with Oakville Transit , which, however, never provided services connecting the municipalities. Oakville Transit also originally stored and maintained
214-552: A provincial fair , the Exhibition Place just west of downtown Toronto hosts the annual Canadian National Exhibition , while the nearby Ontario Place is being redeveloped. The Golden Horseshoe is home to many amateur and professional sports clubs, and university and college varsity programs. Many professional sports clubs in the city form a part of a larger sports league . Most university varsity programs are regulated by U Sports , while college varsity programs are regulated by
321-405: A 24-hour Transit Safety Communications centre operated by Communications Operators. They are mainly responsible for taking calls from the public with regards to actionable complaints, dispatching special constables or relevant emergency services to all areas serviced by Metrolinx. On December 12, 1975, a westbound GO train collided with a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus that was stalled on
428-836: A blue-collar city; however, waterfront redevelopments and large-scale gentrification have been rapidly changing the perception of the city, although it retains a dominant industrial base. Hamilton has over 100 waterfalls and cascades throughout the region. Seasonal amusement parks and large attractions in the Golden Horseshoe include Canada's Wonderland , run by Six Flags in Vaughan; Wet'n'Wild Toronto (formerly Wild Water Kingdom) in Brampton ; African Lion Safari in Hamilton and Cambridge ; and Marineland in Niagara Falls. Though technically
535-478: A connection with Miway and Brampton Transit – the system's first connections to other municipal transit agencies since the connection with Oakville Transit ended. Since the inauguration of the service, there have been major adjustments in order to connect with the growing population of the town, and to the Milton line commuter train and bus routes operated by GO Transit . Milton Transit connects with
642-482: A crossing at St. Clair and Midland Avenue. Nine passengers on the bus were killed and 20 others were injured. This was the worst accident in terms of loss of life in the history of the TTC and GO Transit systems. The level crossing was replaced by an overpass a few years later. Golden Horseshoe The Golden Horseshoe ( French : Fer à cheval doré ) is a secondary region of Southern Ontario , Canada , which lies at
749-640: A detailed fleet summary, see Milton Transit on the CPTDB Wiki . GO Transit [REDACTED] GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario , Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto , GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven million across an area over 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) stretching from Kitchener in
856-564: A division named ONxpress Operations Inc. which consists of Deutsche Bahn International Operations and Aecon Concessions. GO Transit primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area–the cities of Toronto and Hamilton and the surrounding regions of Halton , Peel , York and Durham . GO Transit's lines extend into the nearby Niagara and Waterloo Regions, the cities of Brantford and Peterborough , and Simcoe , Dufferin and Wellington counties —an area largely coextensive with
963-576: A fine under the Provincial Offences Act . GO Transit employs Transit Safety Officers, who are designated special constables that patrol Metrolinx properties, and are responsible for ensuring passenger safety and protection, enforcing relevant laws or by-laws, offering customer assistance and supporting local police, fire and ambulance, and promoting railway safety. Under the Police Services Act , Transit Safety Officers are appointed by
1070-416: A full-fledged network in its own right after 1989, feeding rail service and serving communities beyond the reach of existing trains. Near the end of 1982, Ontario Minister of Transportation and Communications James W. Snow announced the launch of GO-ALRT (Advanced Light Rail Transit), an interregional light rail transit program providing $ 2.6 billion (1980 dollars) of infrastructure. Although this plan
1177-554: A further three years, effective March 1, 2008. In early 2010, the Town of Milton announced that it would be ending its agreements with Oakville Transit and Mississauga Truck and Bus, and that Pacific Western Transportation would be taking over all aspects of service beginning March 8, 2010. On September 26, 2022, Milton Transit began service to Lisgar GO station in Mississauga along Steeles Avenue via Toronto Premium Outlets , giving it
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#17328699530011284-405: A gap now exists with a bolder white T to enhance them. The primary corporate colour was known as "GO Green", matched the green on Ontario Highway signs, and was used on all vehicles, signage, and printed material. In 2013, GO introduced a two-tone colour scheme that changed the primary colour to a darker green, and added a second lighter apple green. The changes were made to better harmonize with
1391-477: A newly established facility in Vaughan , creating up to 30 new full-time jobs. GO Transit stations are designed to provide seamless and barrier-free connections between its trains and buses. They include amenities such as elevators, washrooms, parking, pay phones, ticket vending machines, ticket sale kiosks and automated teller machines . All GO stations have Presto card readers. Most bus terminals are also served with
1498-613: A part of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation . Since then, it has grown from a single train line to seven lines. GO Transit has been constituted in a variety of public-sector configurations. Today, it is an operating division of Metrolinx , a provincial Crown agency with overall responsibility for integrative transportation planning within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and is projected to grow dramatically with electrification, increased frequency and new stations through
1605-541: A passenger taps on and off with their credit card on a PRESTO card fare reader. Contactless credit cards can also be used to pay transit fares - by tapping on PRESTO fare readers - across the Greater Toronto Area and are eligible for the free transfer on those supporting transit services providers which is included in the cost of the GO Transit fare (where accepted). GO Trains use a " proof-of-payment " policy where
1712-607: A pilot program to test them was conducted in Pickering before they entered service on 8 September 1970. Later buses included a combination of single-door, suburban-type transit buses built by Orion Bus Industries and New Flyer , and single-level highway coaches built by Prevost Car and Motor Coach Industries (MCI, now a subsidiary of New Flyer). Today, GO Transit operates a combination of single-level coach buses and commuter-type double-decker buses . All buses are equipped with bike racks and are wheelchair accessible . Most of
1819-530: A pilot service to London, Ontario , with one train towards Toronto in the morning and one train returning to London in the evening. At this time, the Presto card cannot be used for such trips and riders must pre-purchase digital tickets in advance. Improvements are being made to Union Station , which is the busiest passenger transportation facility in Canada, and is expected to have its current passenger traffic double in
1926-594: A plurality of the population (49.0%); the next largest groups were those of South Asian descent (1,273,525 people or 16.6%) and those of East Asian heritage (813,015 people or 10.6%) The economy of this region is very diverse. As of 2007 , the Toronto Stock Exchange is the third-largest in North America by market capitalization (after the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq ), and seventh-largest in
2033-450: A priority as it moves forward with The Big Move regional transportation plan. On an average weekday, GO runs 322 train trips carrying 206,167 riders, and 2,386 bus trips carrying 48,477 passengers. This adds up to 254,644 passengers throughout the entire system. In 2017, GO Transit ridership totalled 68.5 million, and if expansion plans are realized, is projected to total over 200 million by 2055. At least 91 per cent of
2140-467: A single rail line along Lake Ontario 's shoreline. GO Train service ran throughout the day from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton. The experiment proved to be extremely popular; GO Transit carried its first million riders during its first four months, and averaged 15,000 per day soon after. This line, now divided as the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines ,
2247-571: A three-person crew: two operators control the train from the cab at the front end of the train and handle related operations, while a third crew member is the Customer Service Ambassador . Stationed in a designated car in the middle of each train, the Customer Service Ambassador operates the doors and wheelchair ramp , makes station stop announcements, and is dedicated to assisting customers on board. Alstom Transport
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#17328699530012354-591: A ticket sales booth or vending machine. As of 2016, the capital costs of building a GO Transit train station is about $ 50 to $ 75 million. Most GO stations include large commuter parking lots, some of which have recently included large parking structures, and also include onsite bus loops for buses making timed connections to GO Buses. Some GO train stations are shared with Union Pearson Express (commuter train services from Toronto Union Station to Pearson Airport ), Via Rail (Canada's national passenger rail services) and Amtrak (which offers passenger train service to
2461-606: Is a unified smart card -based payment system used throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Presto is a sister operating division of Metrolinx and the card can also be used on numerous local transit agencies in the GTHA such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and York Region Transit (YRT) as well as on OC Transpo in Ottawa. As of April 21, 2024, free transfers exist for all connecting local transit systems throughout
2568-405: Is also used by a number of other commuter railways across North America . They have a seating capacity of 162 and a standing capacity of 248 per coach, or 5,256 per train (maximum crush load). All upper levels of the coaches on rush hour trains are designated "Quiet Zones". The coaches are primarily hauled by MPI MPXpress series locomotives. The current model, the 4000- horsepower MP40PH-3C,
2675-572: Is an environmentally degraded area along the Niagara Escarpment. Similar protection of some wooded areas exists on the Oak Ridges Moraine running east–west in the north end of the Greater Toronto Area, although development pressures continue to threaten the natural habitat. The Niagara Region has become one of the major wine -production areas in Canada. The Golden Horseshoe contains many small towns with historic main streets, most notably
2782-606: Is another subway line under construction in Toronto. The Hurontario LRT is currently under construction in Peel Region, as well as various bus rapid transit projects in Peel and York Regions. The primary airport of the region is Toronto Pearson International Airport (officially Lester B. Pearson International Airport), located in Mississauga. Handling 50.5 million passengers in 2019, it is
2889-525: Is currently undergoing a major expansion project to improve train service. The project will electrify the Lakeshore East , Barrie , and Stouffville lines, the Lakeshore West line as far as Burlington, the Kitchener line as far as Bramalea, and increase train frequency on various lines to 15 minutes or better on these corridors, with several new stations being built both within Toronto and throughout
2996-618: Is estimated to cost $ 4.9 billion and serve 30 million additional riders by 2031. Other possible future rail service extensions identified in GO Transit's 2020 plan include Niagara Region , Bolton , Brantford , Peterborough and Uxbridge . Metrolinx also announced plans in January 2011 to electrify the Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East and Kitchener rail lines, as well as the Union Pearson Express . In 2021, Metrolinx announced
3103-709: Is expected to play its home games at the Coca-Cola Coliseum starting in 2026. The Golden Horseshoe is served by a network of expressways ; central among these are the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 401 , the latter of which is one of the widest and busiest expressways in the world. Public transit in the region is coordinated by Metrolinx . Regional transit is provided by GO Transit trains and buses, and by intercity bus operators such as Ontario Northland and Coach Canada . GO Transit's train network encompasses seven commuter rail lines linking municipalities in
3210-832: Is home to several universities , including the University of Toronto and McMaster University in Hamilton, which are ranked 1st and 4th in Canada, respectively, by the Academic Ranking of World Universities . Other universities in the region include Brock University in St. Catharines, Trent University in Peterborough, York University in northern Toronto near Vaughan, OCAD University in downtown Toronto, Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University),
3317-630: Is more powerful than its predecessor, the EMD F59PH . It is capable of pulling or pushing trains of 12 coaches instead of 10. More than 60 of these locomotives have been ordered since their introduction in 2006, with a further 16 types of an even more powerful model, the 5400-horsepower MP54AC, which can pull a full 12 car train more efficiently. Opposite the locomotive, trains are bookended by cab cars , which are coaches with driver controls incorporated into them. GO Transit upgraded their entire cab car rail fleet with newly designed, more crashworthy cab cars in
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3424-442: Is projected to roll out in phases between 2025 and 2030. The 10-year regional express rail plan will cost $ 13.5 billion and will require 150 kilometres (93 mi) of new track, including new bridges and tunnels. Starting January 1, 2025, the consortium ONxpress will take over the operation and maintenance from Alstom of the GO Transit train system in addition to introducing the improvements required for GO Expansion. ONxpress has
3531-402: Is responsible for providing train operations, taking over from Bombardier Transportation in 2021. GO trains achieve on-time performance of approximately 95 per cent, and a refund will be provided if a train is more than 15 minutes late, with some conditions. GO Bus service consists of a combination of routes, many of which stand in for train service when it is not operating and/or which extend
3638-661: Is the keystone corridor of GO Transit. Expansion of rail service continued in the 1970s and 1980s, aimed at developing ridership in with the introduction of the Georgetown (now Kitchener ) line in 1974 and the Richmond Hill line in 1978. The Milton GO Train line opened in 1981, followed by the Bradford (now Barrie ) and Stouffville lines a year later, establishing GO Transit's present-day service of seven rail corridors. Other than establishing new rail corridors, GO Transit introduced
3745-509: The 2017 North American Indigenous Games , and the 2018 NACAC Championships . Although much of the 1976 Summer Olympics was held in Montreal , several matches for the event's soccer tournament were played in Toronto. Toronto is among various cities in North America to host select matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup . Note that the Toronto Blue Jays temporarily played their home games in
3852-568: The Bombardier BiLevel Coaches in 1979, in order to increase the number of passengers carried per train. These unique rail cars were developed in partnership with Bombardier Transportation . Also in 1979, the former Bay Street GO concourse at Union Station was built to accommodate these additional passengers. GO Bus service began on September 8, 1970, extending the original Lakeshore line to Hamilton and Oshawa, as well as providing service north to Newmarket and Barrie. It eventually became
3959-552: The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association . In addition to the number of sports clubs and programs based in the region, the Golden Horseshoe has also hosted several international multi-sport events , including the 1930 British Empire Games (predecessor to the Commonwealth Games ), the 1976 Summer Paralympics , the 2015 Pan American Games and Parapan American Games , the 2017 Invictus Games ,
4066-520: The GO Expansion , which is scheduled to be completed in phases through 2025–2032. Cities in and around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) expanded greatly during the 1950s, influenced by growth in immigration and industrialization. Much of the existing commuter service was provided by the Canadian National Railway (CN), which faced mounting pressure to expand its service beyond
4173-511: The GTHA . It will also bring all-day, two-way service to the inner portions of the Barrie, Kitchener and Stouffville lines. GO Transit will increase the number of train trips per week from 1,500 (as of 2015) to about 2,200 by 2020 and expand to 10,500 weekly trips upon completion. Most of the extra trips will be in off-peak hours and on weekends. The expanded services, new infrastructure and electrification
4280-579: The Highway 407 and Highway 403 corridors, providing service between Peel and York Regions. In 2012, GO ordered new Enviro500 double-decker units for its fleet. Designated as "Go-Anywhere" models, they have a redesigned front end, based on the Enviro400 (and which would later form the basis for the global Enviro500 MMC refreshed design), and a height of 4.1 metres (13 ft 5 + 7 ⁄ 16 in), 10 cm ( 3 + 15 ⁄ 16 in) lower than
4387-465: The Niagara Peninsula produce wines, in particular, the ice wine for which the region is known. As of 2014 , sectors such as information technology , health care, Agtech, tourism, research and finance provide the bulk of growth in the Golden Horseshoe. The cities of Brampton , Markham , Waterloo Region and Mississauga are emerging as hubs for technology and innovation. The region is one of
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4494-482: The Niagara River ... 150 miles [240 km] long and 50 miles [80 km] wide ... It will run from Niagara Falls on the south to about Oshawa on the north and take in numerous cities and towns already there, including Hamilton and Toronto. The speech writer who actually penned the phrase was Charles Hunter MacBain, executive assistant to five Westinghouse presidents including Rogge. The Golden Horseshoe
4601-420: The Provincial Offences Act , imposes a $ 35 to $ 200 fine for fare evasion. Although children ages 0 to 12 years of age can ride fare-free on GO Transit, they may be required to show proof of age when getting a child Presto card. The GO Transit logo has remained largely unchanged since the agency was founded. The design was created by Gagnon/Valkus, a Montreal -based design firm that was also responsible for
4708-821: The Royal Ontario Museum , the Art Gallery of Ontario , and the Hockey Hall of Fame . The region is home to several shopping malls such as Yorkdale Shopping Centre , Toronto Eaton Centre , Fairview Mall , Scarborough Town Centre , and Sherway Gardens . Located in the suburbs of Toronto are Vaughan Mills in Vaughan , Bramalea City Centre in Brampton, Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga , and Pacific Mall and Markville Shopping Centre in Markham . Annual cultural festivals that draw tourists and locals alike include
4815-595: The United Kingdom . These buses come in three different designs differing mainly in their size and height . All double deckers have a low-floor design and a wheelchair ramp at the front door. The first two batches of double deckers have a height of 4.2 metres (13 ft 9 + 3 ⁄ 8 in), too tall to meet many height standards set by the provincial Ministry of Transportation . Thus, they are restricted to routes which avoid low bridges and underpasses . In particular, they are found exclusively on routes on
4922-508: The University of Guelph , the University of Waterloo , Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, and the Université de l'Ontario français in downtown Toronto. The Golden Horseshoe is also home to many colleges. Public primary and secondary schooling is typically provided by school boards , largely organized at the municipal or county/regional level. The only school board that operates throughout
5029-571: The Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police , with approval from the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services . In addition to By-law No. 2, they have the authority to enforce other certain federal and provincial laws. GO Transit also employs Provincial Offences Officers, known as Revenue Protection Officers, to enforce the proof-of-payment system. GO Transit operates
5136-426: The GO Transit network and designated as "Super-Lo", have an even lower height of 3.9 metres (12 ft 9 + 9 ⁄ 16 in), low enough to operate on virtually the entire GO bus network. They also have a longer length than previous orders, being 45-foot (13.72 m) long (the same as its coach buses), and dedicated space for luggage at the rear. The chassis for these vehicles are being locally assembled at
5243-594: The GO Transit network, under the GO Transit Rail Improvement Plan , or GO TRIP , started in the mid-2000s. C$ 1 billion was invested in multiple rail and bus projects, making it the largest commuter rail project in Canadian history. This was later dwarfed by a further slate of new GO infrastructure proposed in MoveOntario 2020 , the provincial transit plan announced by Premier Dalton McGuinty in
5350-413: The GTHA. - in many cases using a Presto card or contactless credit card and their associated mobile wallets (where accepted) - are included with the GO Transit fare. The Presto system allows passengers to load money on a reloadable card. Passengers pay their fare by "tapping" on and off on busses and trains. With each tap, the system calculates the fare for the ride, and it is deducted from the balance of
5457-506: The Golden Horseshoe is Conseil scolaire Viamonde , a public French-language school board, and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir , a public French-language separate school board. Both of these public French-language school boards operate across the Ontario Peninsula . The CN Tower in downtown Toronto is among the most internationally notable attractions in the Golden Horseshoe. Other major attractions in downtown Toronto include
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#17328699530015564-402: The Golden Horseshoe to Toronto's Union Station , which is the busiest railway station in Canada and the second-busiest railway station in North America, with 72 million passengers per year. Expansion is underway to facilitate all-day 15-minute or better commuter train service, electrification and increased ridership on five of the busiest lines. Local transit is provided by municipal agencies,
5671-473: The Great Lakes. Large rail and truck distribution facilities are located in Toronto, Vaughan and Brampton. Food processing is also a key ingredient in the economy. Niagara Falls has one of the world's largest per-capita tourist economies, benefiting from millions of tourists coming to see its waterfalls, shop in its numerous stores, and visit its many attractions. The winemaking and fruit-growing industries of
5778-498: The Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). The provincial transit authority Metrolinx makes use of the term Greater Golden Horseshoe. The Metrolinx definition is consistent with the original 2004 Places to Grow definition. However, the city and county of Peterborough is not included. The Golden Horseshoe is among the most multicultural regions in Canada. In 2021, there were 3,762,090 people of European heritage, forming
5885-464: The Greater Golden Horseshoe. Under the provincial charter, GO Transit is permitted to serve cities elsewhere in Ontario, but has no plans of doing so. In total, GO trains and buses serve a population of 7 million in an 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) area radiating in places more than 140 kilometres (87 mi) from downtown Toronto. Present extrema are Brantford and Kitchener to
5992-478: The Lakeshore West and East lines, which can be attributed to the almost continuous development along their corridors, as well as being the only two lines with two way, all day service since their inception. This is followed by the Milton line, carrying almost 14% of all ridership. Other corridors carry 4–11% of riders each. Fares on the network are based on a zone tariff set between two specified points by GO Transit, and
6099-503: The Lakeshore trains it ran between Hamilton in the west and Danforth in the east, to Toronto; however, CN lacked the financial and physical capital to do this. Real improved commuter service was not considered until the 1962 Metropolitan Toronto and Region Transportation Study, which examined land use and traffic in the newly created Metropolitan Toronto . The idea of GO Transit was created out of fear of becoming lost in years of planning; it
6206-628: The Regional Express Rail plan, there are plans to eventually offer two-way, all-day 15-minute or better service on the central sections of the remaining five lines. Nevertheless, rush-hour service accounts for over 90 per cent of GO Train ridership. GO Transit's rolling stock uses push-pull equipment . Its passenger car fleet is composed entirely of Bombardier BiLevel Coaches built in Thunder Bay, Ontario . These double-decker coaches , which have an elongated-octagon shape, were designed in
6313-712: The Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly known as Caribana ) and Taste of the Danforth in Toronto. The Niagara Escarpment , a world biosphere reserve as designated by the United Nations, runs from the north at Bruce Peninsula and then east through the region cutting the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls. The Bruce Trail runs along the escarpment through mostly protected woodlands. The Cheltenham Badlands in Caledon
6420-653: The United States (more specifically Dunedin, Florida and Buffalo, New York ) due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America in 2020 and 2021 , while the Toronto Raptors played their home games in the United States (more specifically Tampa, Florida ) during the pandemic to minimize cross-border travel. In May 2024, the WNBA announced that its 14th franchise had been awarded to Toronto-based Kilmer Sports Ventures . The team
6527-433: The United States). GO also connects with fifteen other municipal transit providers, such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and York Region Transit (YRT), as well as several long-distance intercity bus services, such as Ontario Northland , Megabus , TOK Coachlines and United States-bound Greyhound Lines services. Metrolinx calls many of these transfer points between services mobility hubs , and it has made them
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#17328699530016634-595: The addition of a cab at the end, are still operating, with 15 old cab cars being rebuilt and reintroduced for expanded GO service. GO has always owned its locomotives and coaches, but its trackage used to be owned entirely by Canada's two major commercial railways: the large majority by the Canadian National Railway (CN) and the remainder (the current Milton line) by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP, now CPKC ). In 1988, as part of expanding service east of Pickering, GO built its first section of self-owned purpose-built trackage. From 1998 until 2009, GO owned only six per cent of
6741-549: The branding of Metrolinx and its other operating divisions, as well as to improve its display digitally. GO Transit By-law No. 2 is a document of rules and regulations governing actions of passengers and employees while on GO Transit property, which includes land, facilities, trains, buses and other structures. Besides issues relating to fares, the by-law specifies permissible and prohibited actions such as staying in designated safe areas, commercial or distribution activities, parking and other personal actions that promote or endanger
6848-455: The buses at their garage. Buses were later stored and serviced at the Mississauga Truck and Bus Collision (MTB) facility, in Milton. That eliminated unnecessary travel to/from Oakville, as the buses previously had been deadheaded to and from Oakville each day. Prior to the agreement with MTB, Milton's buses were stored at GO Transit's Milton garage. The Town of Milton extended the contract for conventional transit services with Oakville Transit for
6955-443: The busiest in Canada and the 31st busiest in the world . Other regional airports of significance include John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport located in southern Hamilton, which is a major regional freight and courier location as well as the Region of Waterloo International Airport in Kitchener; Buttonville Airport (closed since November 2023) and Billy Bishop Airport in the Greater Toronto Area . Within driving distance
7062-407: The card. The card can also be linked to a credit or debit card and set on autoload, so that it automatically adds a certain amount of money as soon as the balance decreases past a certain level. Since August 11, 2022, contactless credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Interac) & their associated mobile wallets such as Apple and Google Pay have been accepted on GO Transit in which
7169-408: The community of Niagara-on-the-Lake , located near the Niagara River . Niagara Falls has one of the world's largest waterfalls and attracts millions to Clifton Hill , a neighbourhood with souvenir stores, small attractions, restaurants and skyline-defining hotels. There are also two casinos: Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort . Hamilton has the historical reputation of being
7276-638: The contract for accessible services which operate on demand until sometime in 2015. Pacific Western Transportation which also holds the contract for conventional service took over operations of Access+ using a Milton branded bus. Milton Transit's fleet consists of 10 New Flyer D40LF - three purchased in 2009, two in 2010 and 5 used ones (ex- Orange County Transportation Authority and later Pacific Western) in 2014 and 2015, 3 New Flyer XD40's (purchased in 2012) and 3 Chevrolet Arboc SOM26D 's in 2013 and two more in 2015, two 2016 Nova Bus LFS for service expansion along with three 2017 and one 2018 Nova Bus LFS. For
7383-432: The corporate identities of Canadian National and Hydro-Québec . The firm's team wanted to create a unified logo using the initials of the Government of Ontario ("GO"), via two circles with a T incorporated into it. Lead designer Frank Fox described the creation of the logo as "a happy accident. More or less, we had this feeling among us that this couldn't be true. We went off trying many other solutions, but nothing else
7490-477: The exceptions are situated within Toronto proper. There are also 16 bus terminals served by GO buses, many of which provide local transit connections, as well as intermediate stops and ticket agencies . The first buses operated by GO Transit, a suburban variant of the GM New Look bus , were unveiled at Queen's Park on August 11, 1970, about a month before commencing operations on its expanded services east, west and north of Toronto. Operated by Gray Coach ,
7597-461: The fare system is run on an " honour system ". Passengers are required to carry a valid GO paper or digital ticket or pass, a tapped-in credit/debit card/mobile wallet or Presto card to prove that they paid for their fares. Passengers may be subject to random fare inspections at any time during travel. This system is designed to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Enforcement of this system is carried out via Metrolinx's By-law No. 2 that, by reference to
7704-624: The following transit agencies: Mississauga Terminal (North/South) (Weekdays) On-Demand Only (Saturday and after 7:30 p.m. supplementary service weekdays) (East/West) ( Walmart Milton) Peak hours (Saturdays) (In/Out) Peak hours (Saturdays) (In/Out) Louis St. Laurent Peak hours (Saturdays) (In/Out) Philbrook Drive Peak hours (Saturdays) (In/Out) Peak hours (Saturdays) (In/Out) Peak hours (Saturdays) (In/Out) Louis St. Laurent (excluding Sundays) (In/Out) Peak hours (Saturdays) (School year weekdays only) (East/West) (Saturday) Until 7:30 p.m (Saturdays) As
7811-699: The largest of which is the Toronto Transit Commission , which operates three subway lines and one former light metro line and an extensive bus and streetcar network . Rapid transit systems that operate primarily outside Toronto include the VIVA bus rapid transit in York Region, the ION light rail system in Kitchener-Waterloo , and the Mississauga transitway . Line 5 and Line 6 are under construction LRT lines in Toronto that are part of its subway system. The Ontario Line
7918-404: The largest tech cluster in North America outside of Silicon Valley . The area is home to more than 15,000 tech companies, including over 5,000 startups, and nearly 300,000 employees in high-tech industries. About two-thirds of those employees are classified as “tech workers,” which includes programmers, developers, etc. with 8 percent of the total workforce employed in tech. The Golden Horseshoe
8025-677: The last train from Union Station along the Milton line arrives at the Milton GO Station , drivers will create a routing based on passengers' destinations within the designated zone. Trans-cab is a supplementary service that replaces Route 1 between the Milton GO Station and the Milton Hwy 401 Park and Ride facility at Martin Street. Fares are the same as regular Milton Transit Fares, plus an additional 50 cents. First Canada and A1 Taxi had
8132-433: The leadup to the 2007 provincial election . With re-investment in regional transit, GO experienced growth in its train network: all day service was restored to Oshawa in 2006 and Aldershot in 2007; service was expanded to Barrie South in 2007, to Lincolnville in 2008, to Kitchener in 2011, to Gormley in 2016, to Bloomington in 2021, and an excursion train operated on summer weekends to Niagara Falls . This service
8239-423: The mid-1970s for GO Transit by Hawker Siddeley Canada as a more efficient replacement for GO's original single-deck coaches, built by the same company. Later coaches were manufactured by Can-Car / UTDC and the most recent coaches are produced by Bombardier Transportation and since acquired by Alstom , which now owns the designs and manufacturing facilities. GO Transit owns 979 BiLevel Coaches. This type of coach
8346-445: The morning and outbound in the afternoons and early evenings), with off-peak service on these routes being provided solely by buses . Since then, hourly off-peak train service or better has been added to 5 of these lines. The present off-peak service is as follows: The Richmond Hill and Milton lines continue to operate during rush hours only, although there has been an increasing number of trips on these lines in recent years. As part of
8453-467: The name Metrolinx. GO Transit continued as an operating division alongside two other major initiatives: the Union Pearson Express and Presto card . As part of the 2011 provincial election , Premier Dalton McGuinty made a campaign pledge to provide two-way, full-day train service on all corridors. Metrolinx continues to plan for this service expansion, which is now known as GO Expansion . Part of Metrolinx's Big Move regional transportation plan , it
8560-404: The nearest train line, with the 40s and 50s reserved for express services along the 407 ETR corridor which does not have a corresponding train line. GO Transit's commuter rail services ( reporting mark GOT ) carry the large majority of its overall ridership. Until 2012, five GO Train lines operated only during weekday rush hour periods in the peak direction (inbound towards Union Station in
8667-423: The next 10 to 15 years. Improvements underway include a new roof and glass atrium covering the platforms and railway tracks, new passenger concourses, additional staircases and vertical access points and general visual improvements to the station. Other longer term options such as a second downtown station and/or connections to a future Relief Subway Line are also being studied to meet future demand. GO Transit
8774-601: The northwestern shore of Lake Ontario), before finally terminating at Clarington in Durham Region . The term Greater Golden Horseshoe is used to describe a broader region that stretches inland from the core to the area of the Trent–Severn Waterway , such as Peterborough , in the northeast, to Barrie and Lake Simcoe in the north, and to the Grand River area, which includes cities such as Brantford and Guelph , to
8881-419: The older buses in the fleet are 45-foot (13.72 m), single-level D4500CT coach buses built by Motor Coach Industries , which can seat 57 people and features a platform lift . The first models of this type entered service in 2001 and orders have continued until 2015. In April 2008, GO began operating 43-foot (13.11 m) Enviro 500 double-decker buses built by British manufacturer Alexander Dennis in
8988-527: The population of Canada and more than 54 percent of Ontario's population. It is part of the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor , itself part of the Great Lakes megalopolis . The core of the Golden Horseshoe starts from Niagara Falls at the eastern end of the Niagara Peninsula and extends west, wrapping around the western end of Lake Ontario at Hamilton and then turning northeast to Toronto (on
9095-562: The previous models. The lower height allows these buses to meet many more clearance standards as a result and are used on a wider variety of routes, including those that travel on Highway 401 . Three additional batches of "Go-Anywhere" Enviro500s were ordered until 2015. Despite the lower height, these buses are still too high to fit in a number of GO terminals, namely Hamilton , Yorkdale , York Mills , and Union Station . Beginning in 2016, GO Transit began placing further orders of Enviro500 double-deckers. These buses, designed specifically for
9202-489: The province would re-assume funding responsibility for GO Transit two years later, and this was completed with the abolition of the Greater Toronto Services Board on January 1, 2002. The Greater Toronto Transportation Authority was created in 2006, with the responsibilities of co-ordinating, planning, financing and developing integrated transit in the GTHA. This agency was merged with GO Transit in 2009 under
9309-482: The railway trackage on which it operated. Starting in 2009, Metrolinx incrementally acquired further trackage from the two commercial railways in order to improve GO service. As of 2014, Metrolinx has complete ownership of the Barrie, Stouffville and Lakeshore East lines, and a majority of the Lakeshore West, Richmond Hill, and Kitchener lines. CPKC still owns most of the Milton line. This puts Metrolinx ownership at 69 percent of GO Transit's trackage. Each train runs with
9416-498: The reach of train service to communities beyond their terminal. Other GO buses are independent of rail services, such as the Highway 407 series of routes, which provides an orbital-type service that encircles Toronto proper and makes connections between all train lines. There are also routes that serve Pearson International Airport and seasonal destinations such as several colleges and universities. The vast majority of GO train stations have connecting GO bus service, of which almost all
9523-494: The region, the manufacturing sector has experienced a significant decline since 2000 as a result of unfavourable currency exchange rates, increasing energy costs, and reduced demand from the United States, which is by far the largest market for Ontario's goods. The Port of Hamilton and the Port of Toronto are the two largest inland ports on Lake Ontario . The Welland Canal system handles tanker ships and recreational traffic through
9630-796: The region. The Greater Golden Horseshoe region is officially designated in Ontario Regulation 416/05 under the Places to Grow Act . The designation Greater Golden Horseshoe has legal significance with respect to taxation: in April 2017, the Government of Ontario announced plans to impose a 15 per cent Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST) on non-Canadian citizens, non-permanent residents and non-Canadian corporations (with exceptions or rebates for refugees , qualifying students and certain people working in Ontario ) buying residential properties containing one to six units in
9737-422: The safety of passengers. It covers items like paying fares, parking, general behaviour, fines and rule enforcement. These rules can be enforced by a "proper authority" which is defined as "an employee or agent of GO Transit wearing a GO Transit uniform [or] carrying an identification card issued by GO Transit, a GO Transit Special Constable, or a municipal police officer". Any contravention of the by-law can result in
9844-564: The summer of 2015, incorporating an improved visibility, safety features and comfort for train crews. Rolling stock is maintained at the Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility , located west of Mimico station in Toronto and at the newer Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility . The Willowbrook facility occupies the Willowbrook Yard, a historical freight yard established by Grand Trunk Railway in 1910. GO Transit acquired
9951-522: The train ridership is to and from Union Station in downtown Toronto, while about 70% of all bus passengers travel to and from the City of Toronto. The average trip taken by a passenger is 33.5 kilometres (20.8 mi) long. Most GO Transit commuters have a private vehicle available to them for their commute, but choose to use GO Transit instead. About 80% of train commuters and 60% of bus commuters choose GO Transit over driving. Over half of GO's ridership occurs on
10058-471: The type of passenger using the ticket. Tickets are sold for single trip, or passes for one day or one month. Tickets can be used on a GO train, bus, or a combination of both. They can be purchased at train stations, bus terminals and ticket agencies. Passenger categories exist for adults, youth, students, seniors and groups. As of March 9, 2019, passengers aged 12 and under can ride GO Transit fare-free. The Presto card , available on all GO trains and buses,
10165-585: The west end of Lake Ontario. The golden part is historically attributed to the region's wealth and prosperity, according to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary . The phrase Golden Horseshoe was first used by Westinghouse Electric Corporation president Herbert H. Rogge in a speech to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on January 12, 1954: Hamilton in 50 years will be the forward cleat in a "golden horseshoe" of industrial development from Oshawa to
10272-409: The west to Peterborough in the east, and from Barrie in the north to Niagara Falls in the south. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 56,036,900. GO Transit operates diesel-powered double-decker trains and coach buses , on routes that connect with all local and some long-distance inter-city transit services in its service area. GO Transit began regular passenger service on May 23, 1967, as
10379-420: The west. The extended region's area covers approximately 33,500 km (13,000 sq mi), out of this, 7,300 km (2,800 sq mi) or approximately 22 percent of the area is covered by the environmentally protected Greenbelt . The Greater Golden Horseshoe forms the neck of the Ontario Peninsula . The horseshoe part of the region's name is derived from the characteristic horseshoe shape of
10486-539: The west; Orangeville , Barrie to the north; Peterborough and Newcastle to the east; and Niagara Falls to the south. The GO system map shows seven train lines (or corridors), all departing from Toronto's Union Station and mostly named respectively after the outer terminus (or former terminus) of train service: Although colours are assigned in a consistent fashion to each line in all official media, in colloquial parlance lines are only ever referred to by their names. Buses are numbered in blocks of 10, corresponding to
10593-403: The western end of Lake Ontario , with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Lake Scugog , Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron . The region is the most densely populated and industrialized in Canada. Based on the 2021 census, with a population of 7,759,635 people in its core and 9,765,188 in its greater area, the Golden Horseshoe accounts for over 20 percent of
10700-412: The world. Cities including Hamilton, Oshawa, Oakville, Whitby and Kitchener all contain major large-scale industrial production facilities, Hamilton being dominated by the steel industry and Oakville and Oshawa primarily in the automotive industry . Other significant automotive-production facilities also exist in Brampton , and St. Catharines . While manufacturing remains important to the economy of
10807-545: The yard from Canadian National sometime after its inception, and built and expanded the Willowbrook facility there to maintain the expanding fleet. GO Transit built a second maintenance facility covering 500,000 square feet (4.6 hectares) in Whitby to accommodate additional trains for its upcoming Regional Express Rail project, and was completed by the end of 2017. A limited number of old cab cars, which resembled standard coaches with
10914-496: Was "approached as a test, but recognized to be a permanent service". In May 1965, the government of Ontario granted permission to proceed with the launch of Canada's first specially-designed commuter rail service, at a cost of CA$ 9.2 million ($ 86 million in 2023 dollars). Government of Ontario Transit (later shortened to "GO Transit") started as a three-year long experiment on May 23, 1967, running single-deck trains powered by diesel locomotives in push-pull configuration on
11021-422: Was also extended to Burlington on the Lakeshore West line in 1992. In a series of cost-cutting measures, then– Ontario Premier Bob Rae announced a "temporary" reduction in spending on services, causing all of the expansions of the 1990s to be reduced or eliminated. All day train service was restored from Burlington to Whitby, and peak service was finally brought to Oshawa in 2000. A large initiative to expand
11128-399: Was good enough." The logo has since become woven into the cityscape of Toronto, and is a prominent identifier of the agency. As one graphic design expert stated, it achieved "an enviable goal that most graphic designers strive to accomplish with any logo they design". Only one minor revision was made after the original version was unveiled: while the G and O used to touch each other,
11235-542: Was later expanded to all year round. GO Transit also went through three major reconfigurations. In January 1997, the province announced it would transfer funding responsibility for GO Transit to GTHA municipalities. The Greater Toronto Services Board, composed of regional municipality chairs, city mayors and municipal councillors, was created as a municipal agency in January 1999, and GO Transit became an arm of this agency in August 1999. However, then-Premier Mike Harris announced
11342-415: Was not implemented, certain key objectives from it were established in other ways: additional stations were built, all-day service to Whitby and Burlington was established and networks of buses and trains interconnected the network. GO extended limited rush hour train service on the Bradford, Georgetown and both Lakeshore lines and began offering off-peak service on the Milton line in 1990. Train service
11449-437: Was officialized on July 13, 2004, in a report from the provincial Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal titled Places to Grow , in which the region's borders extended west to Waterloo Region , north to Barrie / Simcoe County , and northeast to the county and city of Peterborough . A subsequent edition released on February 16, 2005, broadened the term further, adding Brant , Haldimand and Northumberland Counties to
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