Read the daily “on schedule” posts to find news and other information that affects your daily commute. You’ll learn about public meetings, special events and construction projects that affect transit services today.

The City of Toronto is closing

• Eglinton Avenue West between Black Creek Drive and Bicknell Avenue

this evening and all day Saturday and Sunday while work crews make emergency road repairs.

The TTC is detouring buses operating along the 32 Eglinton West and 307 Eglinton West overnight routes, while the street is closed.

The City of Toronto is closing

• Rockcliffe Boulevard between Outlook Avenue / Homer Avenue and Hector Avenue

Saturday and Sunday while work crews repair the water services.

The TTC is detouring buses operating along the 71B Runnymede and 161 Rogers Rd routes, while the street is closed.

Barrie Transit is operating shuttle buses between downtown Barrie and the Allandale Waterfront Station, starting Monday, January 30, just in time for the first day of GO Transit train service at the new station.

Since parking at the new station is limited (just 195 free parking spaces are available on the north side of Gowan Street), the City of Barrie is encouraging commuters to use the shuttle bus service when traveling to and from the GO trains, or, since the new station is and urban centre, to use other means of transportation — such as walking or cycling — to reach the station.

GO Transit is welcoming Barrie commuters to its new Allandale Waterfront GO Station with free train rides this Sunday, January 30.

GO’s offering the free rides on a special GO train that will operate between Allandale Waterfront and Bradford GO Stations.

The train leaves Allandale Waterfront GO Station at 1:30 p.m., travels as far south as Bradford, then returns to Allandale at 2:39 p.m. The trains will not be stopping at Barrie South GO Station in either direction.

GO buses start serving Allandale Waterfront GO Station tomorrow, Saturday, January 28. Regular GO train service between Allandale and Union Station starts Monday, January 30.

The light seems to be glowing at the end of the tunnel for transit passengers in York Region, who have been without much of their regular service during the current labour disruption since Monday, October 24. The Region of York, two of its private transit contractors and one of two local unions have resolved their differences and some buses may start operating as early as next Saturday, February 4. Employees of a third contractor — members of a second local — vote tomorrow, Saturday, January 27, whether to accept their employer’s latest contract offer.

However, elsewhere in the Golden Horseshoe, another strike — this time affecting Hamilton Street Railway service — is brewing.

The City of Hamilton and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107 met earlier this week, with the help of a provincially appointed conciliator / mediator and continue to work towards reaching a collective agreement. The City has tabled a revised offer to the union and both parties have agreed to meet again today, Friday, January 27.

The two parties will be in a legal strike or lockout position at 12:01 a.m. Monday, January 30. ATU Local 107 represents HSR bus operators, mechanics and other transit workers.

In the event of a labour disruption, there would be no HSR transit service on any route throughout the city. Burlington Transit and GO Transit buses would continue to operate in Hamilton.

Employees of the Disabled and Aged Regional Transportation System (DARTS), the accessible transit service provider for the City, are not members of ATU. In the event of a labour disruption, DARTS would continue to deliver its specialized transit service, although it may need to make some changes to its system for reserving services during the strike.

Meanwhile, over in Barrie, mechanics, bus drivers and support staff, members of the ATU’s Local 1415, accepted an offer from their employer, First Canada, Monday, January 24.

The City of Barrie contracts First Canada to operate Barrie Transit. Until last week, the Region of York also contracted First Canada to provide service in York Region Transit’s Northern Division.

According to the Barrie Examiner, the transit employees had been without a contract since last March. Neither the employer nor the union have released details of the contract offer.

Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area media report on public transit issues today.

Greater Toronto Area

• All Fired Up in The Big Smoke post, “The politics of transit”, here.
• BlogTO post, “Ford sticks to his guns on underground transit plans”, here.
• Canadian Press article, “York Region’s transit strike looks headed for end” (from the Globe and Mail website), here.
• CBC News Toronto report, “York Transit strike almost over”, here.
• Citytv News Toronto report, “York Region bus service will resume after new contracts OK’d”, here.
• CP24 report, “York Region Transit strike nears end”, here.
• CTV News Toronto report, “York Transit strike nears end after key agreements”, here.
• CTV News Toronto report, “York Region approves $2.8B budget”, here.
• DurhamRegion.com article, “Car chaos outside daycare at Ajax GO”, here.
• Globe and Mail article, “Councillors seek own changes to transit plan”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Scarborough councillors agreeable to putting Eglinton LRT above ground”, here.
• InsideToronto.com article, “Committee, Facebook group fight to save Humber Bay Express bus”, here.
• article, “TTC worker robbed by armed bandits”, here.
• National Post article, “What the #!%*?: Competing visions fight for the future of Toronto’s rapid transit”, here.
• National Post article, “After 3 months, York expects to have buses running next week”, here.
• OpenFile Toronto post, “Rob Ford gives his answer on new transit plan: Nope”, here.
• OpenFile Toronto post, “Is Queen’s Park losing patience with Toronto City Hall?”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “2012 Presto Fare Calculator”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “Oompa Loompa pulls an “all your space” on the TTC”, here.
• Ride This Crazy Train post, “A few things I’ve noticed”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “First Steps for a Transit Compromise (Update 3)”, here.
• Steve Munro’s post, “Goodbye to the H4 trains”, here.
• Raise the Hammer post, “Chris Hume on the Eglinton subway”, here.
• Toronto Life’s Daily Informer post, “Rob Ford and co. fall back on the same old talking points (subways, subways, subways)”, here.
• Toronto Life’s Daily Informer post, “Rob Ford is building subways because that’s what Rob Ford does”, here.
• Toronto Life’s Daily Informer post, “Karen Stintz’s new transit proposal: buses for Finch, a single subway stop for the mayor”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “Mayor Rob Ford digs in on transit plan”, here.
• Toronto Star video, “Hume on Eglinton LRT plan”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “York Region buses set to roll after long strike”, here.
• Toronto Star article, “TTC routes during rush hour: Watch them all at once”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Ford maintains subways for Scarborough pledge”, here.
• Toronto Sun article, “Viva bus drivers ratify deal”, here.
• YorkRegion.com article, “Transit strike all but over”, here.

Elsewhere in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• Barrie Examiner article, “GO rolls out free train trip”, here.
• Barrie Examiner article, “Buses will keep rollin’”, here.
• Bradford West Gwillimbury Times article, “Looking at Public Transit”, here.
• Hamilton Spectator article, “City, transit union return to bargaining table”, here.
• JoeyColeman.ca post, “Should I buy an HSR bus pass with a labour disruption looming?”, here.
• JoeyColeman.ca post, “HSR bus drivers optimistic as strike deadline looms”, here.
• JoeyColeman.ca post, “HSR Labour Negotiations — as of January 26, 201[2]”, here.
• JoeyColeman.ca post, “Would a HSR strike start at 12:01 a.m.?”, here.
• Innisfil Scope article, “Essa approves Barrie bus service study”, here.
• Orillia Packet and Times article, “Bus stops on the move”, here.
• Simcoe.com article, “[Bradford] Public transit could roll out by fall”, here.
• Waterloo Region Record editorial, “Higher bus fares are entirely fair”, here.

Greetings transit buffs! Just giving everyone notice that THE LAST H4 TRAIN will be running tomorrow before being retired. According to Brad Ross of the TTC, the last train will be arriving at Kennedy Station at approximately 7:30 AM and is designated run 64. It will be doing only one trip in the morning before the entire series is retired.

The H4 Series of trains is currently the oldest in the fleet with its orange padded seats, orange doors, brown paneling and of course no air conditioning. Upon receipt of the Toronto Rocket trains in late 2011, the H4 trains have gradually been replaced with the T1 series of trains, sent over from the Yonge-University-Spadina Line.

This is the last opportunity to see such cars in service and for many of us out there it will be dearly missed. As a daily user of the subway, I was always appreciative of the padded seats in the H4 however in the summer the lack of air conditioning and overabundance of heat will not be missed.

Previous H-Series cars have already been retired and some remain as work cars with the TTC including pairs of H1 and H2 cars. The cars were built by the Hawker-Siddely company out of Thunder Bay, Ontario hence the H-series cars.

From the Transit Toronto archives, read more about the history of the H-Series trains by James Bow and Robert Lubinski here.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1587 and Miller Transit reached a tentative agreement to end their labour dispute today, Thursday, January 26. The union will recommend the offer and bring it before their membership for a vote this Saturday, January 28.

“This tentative agreement in addition to the York BRT Services ratification vote today demonstrates how meaningful negotiations deliver results,” said York Region Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Fisch. “This is another step in the right direction toward restoring full service for riders and an opportunity for drivers to vote to return to work immediately.”

According to CP24, union president Ray Doyle said, “All I can say is that after long, arduous discussions management has finally come forward with a reasonable offer, which is all we have asked for from the beginning. The next step is to set up a presentation meeting and a vote and we are targeting Saturday for that.”

Miller Transit operates routes in York Region Transit’s Southeast Division. The Region of York will announce when Miller will resume operating buses in Markham, Richmond Hill and Whitchurch-Stouffville, when the workers have accepted the agreement.

Operators and mechanics who are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113 voted to accept a new collective agreement with York BRT Services — part of Veolia Transportation — today, Thursday, January 26.

That means that Local 113 will no longer be on strike and that Viva rapid transit buses may be rolling along Yonge Street and Highway 7 as early as Saturday, February 4.

Although neither the Region of York nor Local 113 have yet released details of the new four-year contract, Citytv News Toronto reported yesterday that the new agreement increases wages and improves benefits like healthcare and sick days.

According to CP24, Local 113 members voted 77 per cent in favour of ratifying the tentative settlement with Veolia during a secret ballot in a Vaughan hotel.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm in the room at the fact that they are going to get back to work and that the employer did substantially improve their offer,” ATU Local 113 president Bob Kinnear told CP24 immediately after announcing the results of his union’s vote. “Our members had two choices. They could have accepted a substandard offer or stood up for themselves to ensure they got a reasonable and fair offer and that’s what they got today.”

In a news release, the Region’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Fisch said, “Today’s vote is a win for both the riders who will see Viva service restored and the operators who return to work with a fair offer. We will be restoring service and introducing free transit as soon as possible to recognize the hardship riders have faced over this lengthy dispute. We are on our way to a full service restoration in York Region.”

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1587, representing employees of First Canada Limited and Miller Transport, and ATU Local 113 have been on strike since 12:01 a.m. Monday, October 24.

Also today, the Region announced that it was awarding a new contract to TOK Transit Limited to operate York Region Transit services in Northern York Region, replacing an earlier contract with First Canada. The Region terminated its contract with First Canada last Tuesday, January 16. TOK says it will start operating buses along the 98 Yonge and 55 Davis Drive routes Saturday, February 4.

Today, Thursday, January 26, Region of York Council approved awarding a contract to TOK Transit Limited for operating and maintaining buses at York Region Transit’s Northern Division.

Starting Saturday, February 4, TOK will start operating buses along YRT’s 98 Yonge route between Newmarket and Richmond Hill and the 55 Davis Drive route in Newmarket. TOK will phase in more routes over the next few weeks.

In a news release, York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch said, “York Region has approved a new contract with an experienced transit contractor to begin restoring North Division service. We are pleased to be moving forward in partnership with TOK… to get our buses in northern York Region back on the road and serving the riders who need them.”

The news release explains that the Region decided to award the four-year contract to TOK because of its “experience, cost-competitiveness” and ability to re-introduce transit service in the area immediately.

During the term of the contract, the Region will lease its transit facility at 18106 Yonge Street in Newmarket to TOK and invest as much as $750,000 on improving the facility. The total estimated cost of the contract is $46,055,925, excluding fuel and taxes, with the Region contributing as much as another $1 million during the life of the contract for maintaining vehicles.

The Region terminated its contract with First Canada Limited last Tuesday, January 16. First Canada previously provided YRT services in the Northern Divsion, which included most of the transit services in Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina and Newmarket and some services in Richmond Hill and King.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1587, representing employees of First Canada and Miller Transport, and ATU Local 113 representing employees of York BRT Services, have been on strike since 12:01 a.m. Monday, October 24.

Earlier today, the members of Local 113 ratified a new agreement with York BRT Services. That means that Viva bus rapid transit service may also resume in the near future.

TOK Transit Limited is a subsidiary of Tokmakjian Inc., which provided service in YRT’s Southwest Division from 2003 until 2010. Tokamjian also operated one of YRT’s founding organizations, Vaughan Transit, until the Region merged five local transit agencies by creating YRT in 2001.

Can-Ar Coach is another Tokmakjian subsidiary. Can-Ar is primarily a charter and tour bus operator, but also supplies daily interurban service between Toronto and Orangeville, Hanover, Walkerton, Kincardine and Port Elgin in the west and between Toronto and Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, Minden and Haliburton in the east.