The Government of Ontario (GO) commuter rail system provides an attractive alternative to automotive journey-to-work travel in the greater Toronto area. Operating with conventional rail technology, the 7-line, 47-station system carries more than 80,000 passengers each weekday, or some 20 million passengers per year, over its 356-km network. The system is in a continuous state of expansion and upgrade to meet the demands of Toronto-bound commuters. Systemwide surveys of riders have been conducted as a co-operative effort between GO Transit and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation since 1981. The biennial surveys collect both origin-to-destination and rider-characteristic data, which provide a base for operational and policy-planning purposes. Some results of the 1989 survey are described.
Abstract