Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray unveiled a new series of 25 double-decker GO buses Wednesday, calling it an example of the billions of dollars the Liberal government has invested in Toronto region transit.

The new, lower-profile, 81-seat buses will be able to travel on 45 GO routes, compared with the 11 routes that are using GO’s first-generation double-deckers.

But they aren’t likely to satisfy GO customers clamouring for all-day, two-way service on the Milton rails that run near the Mississauga GO bus garage. The service is scheduled only as far as Meadowvale within 15 years. All-day service all the way to Milton is still about 25 years out.

Adding more track to the Milton line is a complicated construction project, said GO president Gary McNeil.

“To fund these almost billion-dollar projects, we do need to have a revenue stream which comes in to support that type of construction,” he said.

On Tuesday, Metrolinx released a short-list of 11 potential taxes and tolls it is considering to raise $2 billion annually toward transit expansion, including sales and gas taxes, high occupancy toll lanes and GPS tracking of kilometers driven.

Murray said he will cast a skeptical eye at all the tax and toll schemes being floated in the Toronto region, but he called the area’s road congestion “a job killer.”

“While we have to spend that money wisely, it is clear to any thinking person there is a need for greater investment,” he said, adding that any revenue tools the government adopts must raise enough money to improve the transportation system but also “protect the wallets of middle-class, working families.”

There’s a need to improve commute times, Murray said. A major concern among GO customers, particularly those travelling the farthest, is the need for more express service.

GO's new double-deckers

The main difference: The new Enviro 500 LHD double-decker buses are 10 cm lower than the original double-deckers introduced in 2008. The first-generation buses exceeded the clearance standard specified by the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, limiting them to 11 GO routes where there’s no danger they will hit a bridge or overpass. The new double-deckers will be suitable for 45 routes, so they can be deployed where the capacity is needed.

Where they will run: Routes are being confirmed over the next couple of weeks but it’s expected they will operate primarily between York University and Oakville, Square One, Streetsville, Meadowvale and Bramalea. They could also be employed on runs to Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Burlington. Later this spring or summer, the new buses will also begin serving university campuses: McMaster, Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier, Guelph, Trent and UOIT.

The new double-deckers will be the first two-tier buses to run into Durham Region and will operate on routes serving North York via Yonge St., Bowmanville and Newcastle.

How many: Twenty-five lower double-deckers are being added to the original fleet of 22, all made by Alexander Dennis Ltd. of Scotland. The first five rolled into service Wednesday; the rest will be here by May.

Other features: A monitor on the stairs to the upper deck shows riders available seating above. LED reading lights and power outlets allow riders to work, read and use electronics. The kneeling buses also include an entrance ramp and two charging outlets for electric mobility devices. A new entrance door is supposed to reduce highway wind noise, and there are bike racks on the front.

Seating: 81 seats total — 51 on the upper level, 30 below — compared with 55 seats on a standard single-tier bus.

GPS: A GPS-based system that maps designated routes sounds an alarm at GO’s transit control centre if the bus goes outside a “geo-fenced” area. If it’s in danger from a low-hanging bridge or other hazard, it can be stopped remotely. GO has a record of every low bridge in the Toronto area and has designed safe alternate routes in the event traffic or construction requires a detour.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Cost: About $800,000 each, for a total order worth $19.5 million.

Source: GO Transit president Gary McNeil, GO vice-president, Operations Paul Finnerty

Read more about: