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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 30, 2008 - 9 GO buses reach higher to improve service By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Passengers taking the GO bus from the Oakville GO Station to York University will be seeing double. A fleet of 12 double-decker buses straight from the United Kingdom has been purchased to cater to increasing demand. The route that runs along highways 403 and 407 is the first to feature the buses, with 10 more double-decker buses slated to arrive in spring 2009. "The heaviest-used route we have today is on the 407 and it is particularly challenging to meet the customer requirements for capacity, so we're addressing that by bringing in the double-decker buses," said Paul Finnerty, director of bus services with GO Transit. Six buses were added to the route on Monday morning, with a total of 10 expected to be making daily trips within two weeks. The remaining two buses will stay in the new Streetsville garage as backups. "We'll concentrate on the peak times, but we'll be using these buses all day long during the regular schedule," Finnerty said. "We will not be reducing the frequency of our buses. This is simply to increase capacity." The double-decker buses can seat CHANTAL AYOTTE / OAKVILLE BEAVER ON DECK: GO Transit has launched a new double-decker bus service that will see the new buses put in service from Oakville to York University. 78 passengers, with 46 seats on the upper level and 32 on the lower level, compared to 57 passengers on singlelevel GO buses. The new doubledecker buses are also wheelchair accessible and can hold two passengers in wheelchairs. Some of the amenities of the new fleet are reclining seats on the upper level, individual reading lights, 12volt power outlets and individuallycontrolled air vents. The first order of 12 double-decker buses cost $10.8 million, with the second 10-bus order estimated at $9.7 million, says GO Transit. GO officials say the buses will not only ease lineups and wait times for pas- sengers, but also help the environment. "They are extremely fuel efficient and have the lowest emissions of any engine available on the market today, and with the number of people they are carrying it is taking 78 cars off the road," Finnerty said. "These are the only double-decker buses in Ontario." While High Occupancy Vehicle lanes are added to the QEW, Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh said the provincial government has also made public transportation investment a priority. "You can't build enough roads to satisfy cars," Chudleigh said. "You can put an extra lane in and you have the ability to move 40 per cent more traffic, but traffic increases by 60 per cent. So, public transit is obviously the way of the future and we've got to get to a position where public transit is reliable, on time and running at least 18 hours a day." Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn dubbed the double-decker buses innovative. "I was raised on double-decker buses since I grew up in England, so this is an old-fashioned idea and to see it come back as a way to solve today's problems is great," he said. "We went to the double-decker train a few years ago when the crowding became a problem and now going to the double-decker buses allows us to move more people more quickly and more efficiently." The Town of Oakville is working with GO Transit to improve public transportation, said Ward 6 Regional Councillor Tom Adams. As Oakville continues to grow, particularly in the north, Adams said councillors are looking at increasing the number of local buses and adding routes. He said the Town is continually working with GO Transit on scheduling to make transferring between systems as seamless as possible. "Investing in public transportation is the only way we are going to be able to deal with the huge population growth," Adams said. "Halton is going to be doubling its population and going up to 780,000 people in roughly the next 25 years and with that type of growth, you can't provide enough transportation networks to deal with the traffic we've been seeing." The combination of higher-capacity buses, increased gas prices and rising population is a likely formula for increased GO Transit usage, said GO officials. Parking congestion is expected to be eased at the Oakville GO Station on Cross Avenue with a multi-level parking garage scheduled for construction in 2009. There are currently 2,500 parking spaces at the station, most of which are regularly filled. Visit www.gotransit.com or www.oakville.ca. Vision ­ To be the most livable town in Canada GARDENING NATURALLY OPEN HOUSE Saturday, May 10, 2008 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Town Hall, South Atrium 1225 Trafalgar Rd. Join us for a day of gardening and learn how to maintain your lawn and garden in compliance with the Oakville's Pesticide By-Law. Learn about how growing native plants contributes to a healthier environment by Lorraine Johnson, author of 100 Easy to Grow Native Plants and Past President of the North American Native Plant Society. Take part in an outdoor gardening demonstration and learn how properly fertilize, top dress, overseed and dethatch your lawn. Visit a number of exhibitors including local lawn and garden stores, Oakville Horticultural Society, Gardens off Drugs, Oakvillegreen, Ontario Chiropractic Association, Landscape Ontario and many more. There will be lots of free gardening giveaways, and free child minding for children over 3 years of age. PUBLIC WORKSHOPS Be part of Oakville's future. Plan to attend these workshops and help shape the new Official Plan. Public Workshop dates: Kerr Village Revitalization Study & Kerr Street Area Traffic Study Opportunity & Potential Planning Options May 14, 7 ­ 10 p.m. June 17, 7 ­ 10 p.m. Oakville Arena, Kinsmen Pine Room, Date/Time/Place TBA 133 Rebecca Street Bronte Village Revitalization Study Opportunity & Potential May 21, 7 ­ 10 p,m. Harbour Banquet & Conference Centre Harbour Room 3 2340 Ontario Street Midtown Oakville Study Vision & Business Plan May 21, 7 ­ 10 p.m. Holiday Inn Oakville, Ballroom 590 Argus Road Planning Options June 18, 7 ­ 10 p.m. Royal Canadian Legion, Bronte 79 Jones Street The purpose of each workshop will be for landowners and interested residents to discuss the preliminary analysis of the study area as it relates to land use, infrastructure, urban design and transportation. Input gathered will be considered in the formulation of recommendations for new Official Plan policies, future infrastructure improvements and implementation mechanisms that will guide future land use. For information please contact the following Study planners: Tricia Collingwood 905-845-6601 ext. 3833 tcollingwood@oakville.ca Kirk Biggar 905-845-6601 ext. 3968 kbiggar@oakville.ca Ita Waghray 905-845-6601 ext. 3264 iwaghray@oakville.ca Lesley Gill Woods 905-845-6601 ext. 3261 lgillwoods@oakville.ca Lesley Gill Woods 905-845-6601 ext. 3261 lgillwoods@oakville.ca