This past week, York University sent out an email to inform students that beginning in January 2019, GO buses will no longer be stopping on campus. The lives of those who commute will be affected by these changes, and majority of these people will have to adjust to longer and more expensive commutes. This decision has upset a lot students and faculty.
The bus routes that will be affected include:
Route 25F – Waterloo/Mississauga
Hwy. 407 West Routes 45, 46, 47, 48
Hwy 407 East Routes 51, 52, 54
Photo by Kevin Grieve via Unsplash
The alternate location for commuters who regularly rely on GO buses to get to school will now be at the Highway 407 Station. From there, commuters will have to take line 1 TTC subway to get to York. A separate fare from the Highway 407 Station to take the subway to York is required. GO transit has stated that students who use Presto cards can receive a discount of $1.50 if they are traveling by subway after using a GO bus to the Highway 407 Station.
This additional trip will cost GO bus commuters more time and money to complete their already well-known travel to school. It has been noted by Metrolinx, the provincial transit planning organization, that this decision had been made earlier with the completion of York’s new TTC subway station.
Photo via Pexels
This isn’t the first time a transit provider is being eliminated from the campus, causing commuters to extend their trip to school every day. In September, York Regional Transit (YRT) and VIVA buses had also disappeared from York campus. Students who had previously taken a YRT route to York now stop at Pioneer Village Station on Steeles Avenue and can take the TTC subway to York University Station.
Those who cannot afford these additional costs for commuting are forced to walk or find other means to get to school. There has been a lot of effort to bring attention to this issue. Students are clearly not happy that they now have to pay increased prices for daily transit and endure longer commutes. York University is known to be a commuter school. These transit services have been very beneficial for students and faculty to get to York University safely, reliably, and comfortably.
Photo by Annie Spratt via Unsplash
As of right now, 15,000 students have signed a petition to keep GO buses at York University. The demands of this petition are as follows:
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That the YRT/VIVA come back to their original on campus stops immediately and that GO Transit stays on campus past January 5th 2019.
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That all transit providers; [Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), York Region Transit (YRT/VIVA), Brampton Transit (ZUM) and Metrolinx (GO Transit)] at York University commit to maintaining on campus bus routes and access to the York University Keele campus.
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That the Provincial Government, our Members of Provincial Parliament and our City Councillors commit to working towards fare integration between all transit providers.
Photo by Helloquence via Unsplash
If you are effected by this change, know someone who is affected by this change, or simply wish to help keep the current efficient and affordable transit system the way it is, you can sign the petition here.
The problem is that the current transit system has been working well for commuters. This change causes more of a disruption to the daily lives of commuters, which should be taken into consideration for these policy changes.
For more information visit:
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2018/11/08/petition-go-bus-york/