Commuting in the Greater-Greater Toronto Area

I recognize that the Toronto Star has nary a good word for the federal Conservative party, and that its allegations of political meddling should be taken with at least a bit of salt, but it is hard not to find it suspicious that suddenly Peterborough (pop. 80,000) is going to get federal funding for a high-speed commuter train line into Toronto. The Star is crediting the influence of several Durham-region Conservative MPs for the move.

As a recent re-arrival in the ever-expanding region of cities around Toronto with high commuter populations, I am increasingly curious to discover what overall transit plan - if any - has been agreed upon by the municipal, provincial, and federal governments in the region. The last GO train expansion brought vastly improved service to Hamilton and Barrie. Peterborough doesn't have any commuter rail connections at present. Down where I live, in Guelph, we can take one of two VIA rail trains into Toronto in the morning (after 10 AM, you're out of luck). I'm surprised, in a self-interested way, that Peterborough would be prioritized for improved commuter service, when Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo, which is closer to Toronto than Peterborough and has over three times the population, is still on the back-burner. Maybe if we started voting Conservative, things might change...

Recommend this Post