Help us figure out the best way to do the reverse commute

August 25, 2009 11:14 AM

GTATransit filter: I need the hive mind to figure out the best way for my wife to get from Toronto to Brampton for her teaching job.

My wife just accepted a job at a school near Hurontario and Steeles, in Brampton. We live near Danforth and Broadview in Toronto. My wife does not drive. What is the best way for her to get to her school using Transit in the mornings? She would need to get to work by at least 8:15. Anonymous as I would prefer not to link my account to her workplace.

posted by anonymous to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

GO Transit goes at least through Steeles and 410, which is a couple of km east of Steeles and Hurontario. Track down which bus route goes through there -- I suspect it is either the one ending in Guelph or Orangeville -- and see if it continues along Steeles.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:29 AM on August 25, 2009

Sadly, it's only GO buses, as the Georgetown line is one way. I would budget about a two hour travel time each way.
posted by scruss at 11:33 AM on August 25, 2009

This map might be your friend.
posted by randomination at 11:44 AM on August 25, 2009

...or it would be if it didn't cut off two blocks before Hurontario. Hmmph.
posted by randomination at 11:50 AM on August 25, 2009

If your wife takes the subway up to York Mills, and changes onto this bus, it will at least get her as far as Brampton town centre. There's probably another Brampton transit bus that will take her down Hurontario to Shopper's World and Steeles (I don't know Brampton too well).

I'm all for public transport here, but it's kind of a long-ass way.
posted by randomination at 12:00 PM on August 25, 2009

Subway to Islington,
Mississauga #70 bus from Islington west to the corner of Hurontario and Britannia,
Mississauga #19 bus from there north to Shoppers World.

According to MT, there are two departures from Islington for the #70 that would work:

Taking the 7:00 #70 and changing to the #19 at 7:31 would put you at Shopper's World at 7:49.
Taking the 7:20 #70 and changing to the #19 at 7:54 would put you at Shopper's World at 8:12.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:02 PM on August 25, 2009

s/you/your wife/g
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:04 PM on August 25, 2009

Public transit out there sucks. She is out in the east end and has a number of options, but her arrival time is so early that almost all routes I've tried are risky.

Mississauga Transit: This is the subway from Broadview to Islington, and then one bus to Brampton, but she has to be at Islington by 6:30 AM to be at Shopper's World by 7:50. Assuming no trains stops or slowdowns, it's possible, but not reliable. If she gets to Islington by 7:20, she can arrive at Shopper's World by 8:12. That's a little tight on arrival time, even though it's overall a fast and easy trip.

I tried the Brampton Transit site's eTrip Planner and got this for an 8:15 AM arrival at the Shopper's World Terminal. She has to get to Finch by 6:24 AM -- there is no room for error there, with the earliest northbound train from Yonge and Bloor leaving at 6 AM -- and take two buses from there, the 77 and 18. But given that the earliest Danforth subway goes west at 5:55, that's a really risky route.

Her safest bet appears to be using the subway to get to the York Mills Bus Terminal by 6:45, and that's doable, and then taking a single bus to get to Brampton by 7:30.

HOWEVER: the real experts at each of Mississauga, Brampton and Go transit may be able to find even better routes. Go to any of the sites I've linked and get the phone numbers, then ask them for the best routes they can recommend. VIVA, the York transit service, may also be useful.
posted by maudlin at 12:05 PM on August 25, 2009

The Georgetown line may become an option in the future, as they are improving service on that line, but as scruss says it's of no use at present.

A (too?) novel option not suggested above would be TTC > GO Train > Mississauga Transit:The Shoppers World Terminal at Hurontario and Steeles is serviced by Mississauga Transit express route 202 from Port Credit GO on the Lakeshore West GO Train. I have not checked to see if the timing would even work, and this is probably not a great way to go, but you never know when a crazy backup way to get to work could come in handy.
posted by onshi at 12:11 PM on August 25, 2009

OP, do you drive to work? Does anyone you know in the area drive North in the mornings? If so, the ability to carpool northward (or eastward for that matter) would greatly expand her transit options.
posted by onshi at 12:21 PM on August 25, 2009

Has your wife met any of the faculty yet? Perhaps there is someone that she could carpool with - having to take the subway pretty much anywhere in the city to meet up with someone would be faster/easier.
posted by purlgurly at 6:49 PM on August 25, 2009

Taking public transit from where you live to Brampton and back will probably cost at least 3 hours in travel time and $10 in fares. If she can carpool at least part of the way (ideally from a point on the TTC) that would probably be your wife's best option. Otherwise I'd suggest she work on the not driving thing.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:31 PM on August 25, 2009

She may also want into looking into renting a room in a local house for a few hundred (VERY common in Brampton) and save the fares (over $300/month) and time for when she is visiting you in Toronto. If you had a car you can pick her up/drop her off at non rush-hour time (such as the late evening). This is of course doable for most people as a short-term solution but would need to be re-evaluated after a year (hopefully then she would be able to transfer to a better situated school or you would move to be closer to her work). Her commute is going to really suck in winter and will definitely get longer - Brampton has worst weather than Toronto IMHO.
posted by saucysault at 12:32 PM on August 26, 2009