For those who rely on public transit, a delayed train can mean more than just being late.
Between the seemingly constant switch problems of the GO Train, the wide gaps between the buses scheduled by York Region Transit and the signal problems on the Toronto Transit Commission's subway lines, it's a wonder that anyone in the Greater Toronto Area can make it to their destination on time.
Last December, 14 per cent of GO Trains were reported to be late, a two per cent increase from the year prior.
Ryerson University student Melissa Wilson, 21, relies on the GO Train to get her to school in Toronto's downtown core from Burlington, Ont.
"It's frustrating because I am paying a lot of money for school," she says. "I'm also paying a lot of money to the GO Trains in order to get to school on time."
She has calculated that with ever hour of class missed due to GO Train delays, she loses $13 worth of her tuition, and has to shell out another $6 for the GO Train's fare.
Although it doesn't rid the system of delays, GO Transit has an email notification system, enabling any major delays to be reported in the rider's inbox to forewarn if they should allot more time for their commute.
It's not only the GO Trains that are constantly plagued by delays but York Region's YRT system as well.
Most of the YRT's bus lines are scheduled to run buses every 20 to 40 minutes, meaning a late or cancelled bus can have a rider waiting to upwards of an hour. At $3 a fare, the YRT is also the most expensive bus service (aside from GO Transit's buses) servicing the GTA. Despite the high costs, the system has yet to see any major improvements aside from the new paint job on most of their buses.
"It's especially frustrating that GO hiked their fares last month," Wilson says. "I have yet to see any improvements. Why should I have to pay for more equally terrible service?"
Alex Keshen is a 20-year-old student currently enrolled in the journalism program at Ryerson University in Toronto.
